Pagan Heart

by Francine Rivers

He appraises her brazenly from the helicopter cockpit, but January Templar, wrapped in memories of her dead husband, wants nothing to do with raven-haired Hawaiian Maleko Hawkbryn. Although he pursues her with humor and determination, arousing a tentative yearning, she evades him completely . . . until he orchestrates her kidnapping!

In a lush tropical valley remote from civilization, January falls under a seductive spell. Caressed by sultry breezes, heated by sun-glazed sands, she and Maleko are swept away by throbbing, primitive passion. But January can’t quite forget the secret she hides . . . which may banish them both from paradise.

Genres: Christian, Christian Fiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1985

About the author

New York Times bestselling author Francine Rivers continues to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty around the globe. Her numerous bestsellers include Redeeming Love, A Voice in the Wind, and Bridge to Haven, and her work has been translated into more than thirty different languages. She is a member of Romance Writers of America's coveted Hall of Fame as well as a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW).

www.francinerivers.com
www.facebook.com/FrancineRivers
Twitter: @FrancineRivers

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a great fan of Francine Rivers Christian Fiction and decided to read her romances as I could that were written before she became a Christian. She does not desire or encourage this. I know this because she has bought up the rights to these books so that they may not be re-printed. Anyway, I have read a number of them and some I like in the genre they were written. This one was a disappointment. It was a short romance and did not allow for true character development. It was much a fairytale and not believable in the least. I would not recommend it to others.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

January is “a woman who likes frenetic activity.” When she sets off on vacation to Hawaii, “she’d come to see the sights, not sleep with the natives.” But after an encounter with her helicopter pilot “immediately her heart began pounding a pagan drumbeat against her breast bone.”

“Maleko was everything a woman dreamed of finding in a man–heady excitement, virile charm, deep satisfaction…An evening with him would be like drinking a bottle of champagne–exciting, fun, sensual–and she would probably wake up with a horrendous hangover.” Maleko offers to give January a grandtour of the island “changed the cadence of their dance from a sweet, piercing melody to a pagan drumbeat that brought them to a shattering climax.”

But Maleko wants children, and January can’t have them. When Maleko discovers January’s secret, he uncovers the root of her shame. “The real trouble isn’t how I see you…It’s how you see yourself…You lost a man you loved, a baby you wanted, and a dream all at once…to lose that part of you that regenerates life made you see yourself as less than whole…A woman isn’t just a vessel for bringing a baby into the world…The ability to love and nurture has nothing to do with being able to reproduce…It has everything to do with your heart and head.”

“Everyone has limitations…We learn to live with them as we discover what they are…Life’s a risk…Without rain, nothing grows…And without pain and sorrow, people didn’t grow…We each have to learn that happiness comes from within ourselves.” Oh the things you can do with a ripe mango!

[Gwen|| Bookish Blondie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this because I like the author's Christian works. This is basically just a harlequin romance with very little plot development or characterization.