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Magic Embrace
ENCHANTED BY A LIAR
When the infamous pirate Black Garrett learned his brother had been murdered because of a flirtatious chit, the surly rogue swore revenge. Tracking down the worthless wench, Garrett stole her aboard his vessel, planning to ruin her reputation and use her brutally. But as the enraged male rudely kissed her lips and roughly felt her curves, he was transformed by her innocent response. Cursing himself for caring, Black Garrett relentlessly pleasured his captive ... and swore she'd feel the lash of his fury the following night!
HYPNOTIZED BY A CAD
Bewildered and betrayed, sable-haired Juliet Stoddard had no idea why the terrifying buccaneer had kidnapped her, promising punishment worse than death. Although she had no experience with men, he seemed convinced she was a brazen hussy, and ignored her pleas for mercy. Then the blue-eyed beauty felt Black Garrett's hands where no one had ever touched before, and she nearly swooned with fear ... and desire. Hating the scoundrel, and herself even more, Juliet was powerless to escape this devil's sensual trance and wrest free of his Magic Embrace.
When the infamous pirate Black Garrett learned his brother had been murdered because of a flirtatious chit, the surly rogue swore revenge. Tracking down the worthless wench, Garrett stole her aboard his vessel, planning to ruin her reputation and use her brutally. But as the enraged male rudely kissed her lips and roughly felt her curves, he was transformed by her innocent response. Cursing himself for caring, Black Garrett relentlessly pleasured his captive ... and swore she'd feel the lash of his fury the following night!
HYPNOTIZED BY A CAD
Bewildered and betrayed, sable-haired Juliet Stoddard had no idea why the terrifying buccaneer had kidnapped her, promising punishment worse than death. Although she had no experience with men, he seemed convinced she was a brazen hussy, and ignored her pleas for mercy. Then the blue-eyed beauty felt Black Garrett's hands where no one had ever touched before, and she nearly swooned with fear ... and desire. Hating the scoundrel, and herself even more, Juliet was powerless to escape this devil's sensual trance and wrest free of his Magic Embrace.
448 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1989
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563 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
August 14, 2016
One good night's sleep.
Two cups of coffee.
Three glances at my notes.
I'm still struggling with what to say about this book.
***Spoilers ahead.*** But if you know about what sometimes goes down in bodice rippers, it really won't be much of a spoiler.
Obviously, classic bodice rippers of the rapey era aren't my thing. But I had to check out this pirate-meets-magic story. I'm always looking for a different spin on pirates.
It's not that I wasn't expecting the rape. In stereotypical bodice ripper fashion, I figured it might show up.
Okayyy...expected scene was expected. But this later attitude was not:
Uh...you VIOLENTLY RAPED a woman, then think you're better than the man who didn't step in to defend that same woman when she was getting beaten?
It really was too bad. I was ready to ignore the idiot pirate who was somehow a brilliant scientist (he had microscopes and everything for his discovery of microorganisms...yeah, I know) because there was a cool magic panther in the story AND a funny talking parrot. But this nonsense of the pot calling the kettle black? No. Just no.
However, I kept reading because I wanted to know how Garrett managed to win the innocent, thin girl. Yes, thin. I think Juliet's frame was mentioned as much, if not more, than the amount of times she was heralded as innocent - 25 times to be exact.
Sad to say, "innocent girl" wasn't any brighter than the pirate. I never figured out why Garrett loved her. She neither said nor did anything remarkable. NOT ONCE. She was either whining or showing how little she knew about anything. She was never brave, or intelligent, or even notably kind. She was nothing more than a helpless captive on a ship. Garrett fell in love with her because she was innocent (read : stupidly clueless) and beautiful - that's it. There was no actual character quality of hers which stood out. Garrett kept secrets from her for the entire book because he didn't consider her smart enough to "get" or "handle" things. That's how bad it was.
I'm only giving 2 stars because the read wasn't boring. The story could've been halfway good if the characters were somewhat likable.
Two cups of coffee.
Three glances at my notes.
I'm still struggling with what to say about this book.
***Spoilers ahead.*** But if you know about what sometimes goes down in bodice rippers, it really won't be much of a spoiler.
Obviously, classic bodice rippers of the rapey era aren't my thing. But I had to check out this pirate-meets-magic story. I'm always looking for a different spin on pirates.
It's not that I wasn't expecting the rape. In stereotypical bodice ripper fashion, I figured it might show up.
Garrett, drawing on a restraint he did not feel, raised his hand and lightly landed the back of his hand to her face.
"God, girl. I never imagined I was a man who could enjoy rape, but as you look like an angel, you taste like the heavens."
Okayyy...expected scene was expected. But this later attitude was not:
"As it is," he took her hand again, "I will not return you to any man who saw this hand and turned his back to it."
Uh...you VIOLENTLY RAPED a woman, then think you're better than the man who didn't step in to defend that same woman when she was getting beaten?
It really was too bad. I was ready to ignore the idiot pirate who was somehow a brilliant scientist (he had microscopes and everything for his discovery of microorganisms...yeah, I know) because there was a cool magic panther in the story AND a funny talking parrot. But this nonsense of the pot calling the kettle black? No. Just no.
However, I kept reading because I wanted to know how Garrett managed to win the innocent, thin girl. Yes, thin. I think Juliet's frame was mentioned as much, if not more, than the amount of times she was heralded as innocent - 25 times to be exact.
Sad to say, "innocent girl" wasn't any brighter than the pirate. I never figured out why Garrett loved her. She neither said nor did anything remarkable. NOT ONCE. She was either whining or showing how little she knew about anything. She was never brave, or intelligent, or even notably kind. She was nothing more than a helpless captive on a ship. Garrett fell in love with her because she was innocent (read : stupidly clueless) and beautiful - that's it. There was no actual character quality of hers which stood out. Garrett kept secrets from her for the entire book because he didn't consider her smart enough to "get" or "handle" things. That's how bad it was.
I'm only giving 2 stars because the read wasn't boring. The story could've been halfway good if the characters were somewhat likable.
June 4, 2012
How do I rate this book? Hmm, good question. In the beginning, I was transfixed. Hypnotized, I could barely put the book for the first 150 pages of WTF?? The book picks you up immediately! So, fast and loose review, whilst it's all in my mind stewing about....
I was captivated by the heroine's tortured innocence, and it was quite believable. She was beyond naive, until its ignorantly damaged veil hung over her. I commiserated with her, I was willing to participate patiently in the revival of a girl's spirit that had been buried since her childhood. Devastatingly, even then, her life had been an utter lie.
There were a plethora of surprises AND cliches powerpacking this bit of literature. The magic angle annoyed me more than appealed to my interests though, because it felt as if the characters used it for a scapegoat to bend the heroine's will, and believe me- that hero was shameless in some regards. At one point, the hero spouted, "I don't believe it."..and I interjected, "Nor do I, for that matter." :P
But I truly felt like the hero was too worldly, too unparalleled, etc. A renowned pirate, spy, an Earl, warlock, inventor, freer of slaves, founder of irrigation systems, discoverer of germs?(LOL, I was dyin' there... I wish those lil' beasties had eaten his overly bloated heroic traits down a few pegs!) Buddhist master of two continents? Poor widower? A once father, who had lost his only son? When he really wanted a dozen children or so... and when he found out his former wife had been simply ridding of his ammo after lovemaking...why, that was just the same as if she had killed them. *Shakes head* What a vile women, killing millions of his unwanted babies. No but really--all sarcasm aside, they seriously threw a lot of heroic tropes into his character, as a means of filler space, when they were onboard. I know, we needed his development to unfold, and her recovery to take form, but he was a bit over the top.
I LOVED the pets! Especially the parrot! He was a hoot. I cannot rightly recall what book it was, but I once read a novel with a pirate's parrot, and he in kind, blurted out obscenities, and I've been longing for one, that bawks out vulgarities. Don't ask me why! ;D I knew a man in my hometown who owned a pet store, who couldn't get rid of a parrot, 'cause of his language. It seems to drop their value. Awwwies.
It was a touching story in some places, and annoying in another. It was really good, when it was good, and bad when it was bad? Even *I* felt a sniffle or two in some places! The heroine came a long way, and triumphed great travesty in her life with deeds that surpassed, and outgrew that frail little girl we were introduced with.
I was captivated by the heroine's tortured innocence, and it was quite believable. She was beyond naive, until its ignorantly damaged veil hung over her. I commiserated with her, I was willing to participate patiently in the revival of a girl's spirit that had been buried since her childhood. Devastatingly, even then, her life had been an utter lie.
There were a plethora of surprises AND cliches powerpacking this bit of literature. The magic angle annoyed me more than appealed to my interests though, because it felt as if the characters used it for a scapegoat to bend the heroine's will, and believe me- that hero was shameless in some regards. At one point, the hero spouted, "I don't believe it."..and I interjected, "Nor do I, for that matter." :P
But I truly felt like the hero was too worldly, too unparalleled, etc. A renowned pirate, spy, an Earl, warlock, inventor, freer of slaves, founder of irrigation systems, discoverer of germs?(LOL, I was dyin' there... I wish those lil' beasties had eaten his overly bloated heroic traits down a few pegs!) Buddhist master of two continents? Poor widower? A once father, who had lost his only son? When he really wanted a dozen children or so... and when he found out his former wife had been simply ridding of his ammo after lovemaking...why, that was just the same as if she had killed them. *Shakes head* What a vile women, killing millions of his unwanted babies. No but really--all sarcasm aside, they seriously threw a lot of heroic tropes into his character, as a means of filler space, when they were onboard. I know, we needed his development to unfold, and her recovery to take form, but he was a bit over the top.
I LOVED the pets! Especially the parrot! He was a hoot. I cannot rightly recall what book it was, but I once read a novel with a pirate's parrot, and he in kind, blurted out obscenities, and I've been longing for one, that bawks out vulgarities. Don't ask me why! ;D I knew a man in my hometown who owned a pet store, who couldn't get rid of a parrot, 'cause of his language. It seems to drop their value. Awwwies.
It was a touching story in some places, and annoying in another. It was really good, when it was good, and bad when it was bad? Even *I* felt a sniffle or two in some places! The heroine came a long way, and triumphed great travesty in her life with deeds that surpassed, and outgrew that frail little girl we were introduced with.
August 16, 2013
I am a fan of the captor/captive, alpha hero captures and rapes/forcibly seduces the innocent virgin genre. I also love the trope where the H mistakes the h for a lookalike cousin who killed his brother/friend/etc. See, Royal Seduction for a good one on this topic.
But this fell short of 5 stars because of two things for me. The H was just strange and inconsistent. On one hand he felt bad for the error and showed care of the h. He did not shame her, but made it clear it was all his wrongdoing. BUT first he drugs her and has sex with her and then he mesmerizes her and has sex with her and then lets her think it was a dream. She thinks she's losing her mind. Plus, his jealousy toward her fiance and anger at her over him is unfair. I like the overprotective hero, but he doesn't always explain why he does the things he does and hurts her horribly in the process.
I did like the fact that he realizes how badly he's injured her and lets her go and sets her up with his family, who were excellent to her. There was a HEA, but I think more groveling on his part was definitely due. I did like the heroine as she was not the screeching shrew you see a lot in historicals. I do like the sweet innocent trope. However, I don't like this author's tendency to have the heroine find sex with the hero 'terrifying and horrible and something to live in horror of' even though she enjoys it. It just makes me uncomfortable. The hero also realizes he's terrifying the girl, but shrugs it off. She's a good writer, but some of the things that probably make this a kink for some make it uncomfortable for me.
But this fell short of 5 stars because of two things for me. The H was just strange and inconsistent. On one hand he felt bad for the error and showed care of the h. He did not shame her, but made it clear it was all his wrongdoing. BUT first he drugs her and has sex with her and then he mesmerizes her and has sex with her and then lets her think it was a dream. She thinks she's losing her mind. Plus, his jealousy toward her fiance and anger at her over him is unfair. I like the overprotective hero, but he doesn't always explain why he does the things he does and hurts her horribly in the process.
I did like the fact that he realizes how badly he's injured her and lets her go and sets her up with his family, who were excellent to her. There was a HEA, but I think more groveling on his part was definitely due. I did like the heroine as she was not the screeching shrew you see a lot in historicals. I do like the sweet innocent trope. However, I don't like this author's tendency to have the heroine find sex with the hero 'terrifying and horrible and something to live in horror of' even though she enjoys it. It just makes me uncomfortable. The hero also realizes he's terrifying the girl, but shrugs it off. She's a good writer, but some of the things that probably make this a kink for some make it uncomfortable for me.
August 14, 2014
Bad pirate dude(Black Garrett) kidnaps the treacherous woman he believed caused the death of his brother. Pirate dude wants revenge! But woman is really young innocent virgin (Juliet Stoddard) and it is her evil cousin who is to blame.
A typical bodice ripper from the 80s. But I like bodice rippers :) Very un-PC.
A typical bodice ripper from the 80s. But I like bodice rippers :) Very un-PC.
February 18, 2022
This is definitely one of the weirdest bodice rippers I've ever read. If you're not a fan of magical realism in your historical romances, you'll probably hate this book. Honestly, I'm usually not too fond of it either, but for some reason it just worked here.
There are so many reasons this book shouldn't get four stars from me. There's the outlandish ending, the disjointed action scenes, the weird way that some of the animal characters in this book strangely act like human beings... I could go on.
But I seriously loved these characters, and the writing was beautiful and atmospheric, so I'm ignoring the novel's flaws and giving Magic Embrace a higher rating. I'm picky when it comes to historical romance and even more picky when it comes to pirate romance, but this was just perfect for me specifically. The dynamic between the hero and the heroine was wonderful (if a bit OTT during the final scene). I also really adored Garett's friend group. They gave the novel so much more life.
TW: non-consent, mental manipulation, graphic physical abuse, discussions about triggering topics such as child abuse and suicide
There are so many reasons this book shouldn't get four stars from me. There's the outlandish ending, the disjointed action scenes, the weird way that some of the animal characters in this book strangely act like human beings... I could go on.
But I seriously loved these characters, and the writing was beautiful and atmospheric, so I'm ignoring the novel's flaws and giving Magic Embrace a higher rating. I'm picky when it comes to historical romance and even more picky when it comes to pirate romance, but this was just perfect for me specifically. The dynamic between the hero and the heroine was wonderful (if a bit OTT during the final scene). I also really adored Garett's friend group. They gave the novel so much more life.
TW: non-consent, mental manipulation, graphic physical abuse, discussions about triggering topics such as child abuse and suicide
May 30, 2020
2.5 stars ...
So one fine day I felt a hankering to read bodice ripper's ... and started off with this one ... six weeks later I am still on my historical romance bender although I am thankful to report that I am done with bodice rippers ... lol
definitely non-PC but enjoyable reading ... though slow at times ...
word of warning ... the book is a bodice ripper ... which usually means that H rapes the h ... which he does in this book ...
So one fine day I felt a hankering to read bodice ripper's ... and started off with this one ... six weeks later I am still on my historical romance bender although I am thankful to report that I am done with bodice rippers ... lol
definitely non-PC but enjoyable reading ... though slow at times ...
word of warning ... the book is a bodice ripper ... which usually means that H rapes the h ... which he does in this book ...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 20, 2011
This is the second book that I have read by this author and she has a nice writing style, albeit that this is not a perfect book.
The heroine, Juliet, lives with her brutal uncle and spoilt cousin. The uncle physically abuses Juliet and whips her regularly and has permanently disfigured her hand. She lives in a world of silence and fear. It becomes clear that the spoilt cousin Clarissa is also abused by her father but in a different way.
Clarissa has an affair and is caught by her father, who then castrates and murders her lover. This turns out to be the brother of Black Garrett, a famous pirate, but who is in reality an English Earl who is providing information on the French to the admiralty. He decides to seek revenge and murders the uncle and kidnaps Juliet in the mistaken belief that she is Clarissa, with the intention of raping and abusing her.
He forces himself on Juliet (although she gets pleasure from the act) and then tries to comfort her as he realises that he has hurt the wrong woman. This is undermined however by the fact he then makes her drink 'a potion' which makes her respond amorously to him and he has sex with her throughout the night.
Thereafter the author does well to portray the impact that the abuse she has experienced has had on Juliet and the way in which this is compounded by the hero's actions. This is not a girl who recovers over night.
There is a 'magical' element to the book which I found frustrating and hard going. There are two scenes where Garrett mesmerises Juliet with his magic into sleeping with him and then convinces her this was a dream. Given that earlier on in the novel he points out he will not do this as it would still be against her will - this left a bad taste as well as being bizarre.
Much of the novel was spent on Juliet's angst about her betrothed Tomas, who had known about the abuse but not done anything to stop it. Garrett refuses to return her to Tomas given his cowardness and a large part of the book is spent in getting Juliet to realise how worthless Tomas is.
Tomas is eventually revealed as a weak villain and this devastates Juliet even further and makes Garrett feel even more guilty. He takes her to his mother and sister to help her recover. In the end she realises that she loves him.
There is a silly end plot device which involved Juliet singlehandedly warning Garrett that his identity has been revealed to the French and saving the day. This was just stupid and I could have done with out it.
Overall I did enjoy this book but there was no doubt it was frustrating at times.
The heroine, Juliet, lives with her brutal uncle and spoilt cousin. The uncle physically abuses Juliet and whips her regularly and has permanently disfigured her hand. She lives in a world of silence and fear. It becomes clear that the spoilt cousin Clarissa is also abused by her father but in a different way.
Clarissa has an affair and is caught by her father, who then castrates and murders her lover. This turns out to be the brother of Black Garrett, a famous pirate, but who is in reality an English Earl who is providing information on the French to the admiralty. He decides to seek revenge and murders the uncle and kidnaps Juliet in the mistaken belief that she is Clarissa, with the intention of raping and abusing her.
He forces himself on Juliet (although she gets pleasure from the act) and then tries to comfort her as he realises that he has hurt the wrong woman. This is undermined however by the fact he then makes her drink 'a potion' which makes her respond amorously to him and he has sex with her throughout the night.
Thereafter the author does well to portray the impact that the abuse she has experienced has had on Juliet and the way in which this is compounded by the hero's actions. This is not a girl who recovers over night.
There is a 'magical' element to the book which I found frustrating and hard going. There are two scenes where Garrett mesmerises Juliet with his magic into sleeping with him and then convinces her this was a dream. Given that earlier on in the novel he points out he will not do this as it would still be against her will - this left a bad taste as well as being bizarre.
Much of the novel was spent on Juliet's angst about her betrothed Tomas, who had known about the abuse but not done anything to stop it. Garrett refuses to return her to Tomas given his cowardness and a large part of the book is spent in getting Juliet to realise how worthless Tomas is.
Tomas is eventually revealed as a weak villain and this devastates Juliet even further and makes Garrett feel even more guilty. He takes her to his mother and sister to help her recover. In the end she realises that she loves him.
There is a silly end plot device which involved Juliet singlehandedly warning Garrett that his identity has been revealed to the French and saving the day. This was just stupid and I could have done with out it.
Overall I did enjoy this book but there was no doubt it was frustrating at times.
Read
June 23, 2023DNF because of my new pet peeve.
h gets cheated on by ex/current bf/fiancé (not H), and of course, the h is tstl to realize what’s been going on.🙄
So sick of this trope, this is becoming as ridiculous as all the virgins.
h gets cheated on by ex/current bf/fiancé (not H), and of course, the h is tstl to realize what’s been going on.🙄
So sick of this trope, this is becoming as ridiculous as all the virgins.
July 30, 2010
With all the good review I've read, I'm beginning to think I may have picked up a defective copy.
Contrary to reviews (from here & other sites), I didn't find this to be well written at all. There seemed to be endless dialogue & the majority of the book failed to set the scene. Most of the time I would become confused about how much time had past & where the scene took place. It was like the characters were in a room talking. Then paragraphs were devoted to one of the characters thoughts only to discover somewhere along the line, we've changed scenes & an unknown amount of time had passed.
The story had potential & I liked how Juliet had grown from a scared innocent mouse to a hero.
Contrary to reviews (from here & other sites), I didn't find this to be well written at all. There seemed to be endless dialogue & the majority of the book failed to set the scene. Most of the time I would become confused about how much time had past & where the scene took place. It was like the characters were in a room talking. Then paragraphs were devoted to one of the characters thoughts only to discover somewhere along the line, we've changed scenes & an unknown amount of time had passed.
The story had potential & I liked how Juliet had grown from a scared innocent mouse to a hero.
September 17, 2009
I absolutely LOVED this book. There was so many good parts to the story. I Loved it so much, that I ran to 3 different UBS's looking for more of Jennifer's books even knowing one was on the way in the mail. No luck at the UBS's. I think when people do get their hands on these books, they keep them. They are also harder to find because they are older. I ended up ordering 4 of them at PBS and figured I just had to wait. Lucky me, when the mail man came, Crimson Rapture was in the mail so now I can see if this book is as good as Magic Embrace was for ME.
February 24, 2012
Spies, Pirates, Magic and a Heroine you will love!
Set in 1805, this is the story of Juliet Stoddard, a 17-year-old innocent who, as a young orphan, is sent from France to England to live with her cruel and twisted uncle. To pay back her mother who he despised as a loose woman (she wasn't), he kept Juliet isolated and beat her for any little thing. She was not even permitted to befriend her cousin, Clarissa, the uncle's daughter, who was living in the same house. Clarissa hates her father and lives a rebellious life including sleeping around. When Clarissa's father catches her with a young man, Eadric, Clarissa cries rape and the uncle brutally murders him. It turns out Eadric was the brother of the infamous pirate Black Garrett, who now seeks revenge on Clarissa and her father. Though Garrett is considered a traitor in England, a pirate for Napoleon, Garrett is really a British lord and a spy. Garrett returns to England to seek his revenge, killing Clarissa's father and kidnapping the young woman he believes is Clarissa--but is really Juliet.
Though Juliet, a sweet saintly girl, protests her innocence and tells Garrett she is not Clarissa (who set her up), Garrett still rapes her. Some might call it forced seduction but Juliet called it rape. (The love scenes, by the way, are very well described.) First, Garrett takes her by force, then by magic as he holds her prisoner on his ship--in his cabin. I include this just so you know we are dealing with a true cad.
Magic and mysticism are bound up with the story and there are dark hints of mysterious happenings. Garrett spent years with Eastern religious men and that forever changed him. He uses the magic to manipulate people when the need arises. Even with the hero being a cad for most of the story, and a few nits I would have changed, this was a compelling tale, a story I could not put down and if you love pirate stories, I believe you will like this one.
Set in 1805, this is the story of Juliet Stoddard, a 17-year-old innocent who, as a young orphan, is sent from France to England to live with her cruel and twisted uncle. To pay back her mother who he despised as a loose woman (she wasn't), he kept Juliet isolated and beat her for any little thing. She was not even permitted to befriend her cousin, Clarissa, the uncle's daughter, who was living in the same house. Clarissa hates her father and lives a rebellious life including sleeping around. When Clarissa's father catches her with a young man, Eadric, Clarissa cries rape and the uncle brutally murders him. It turns out Eadric was the brother of the infamous pirate Black Garrett, who now seeks revenge on Clarissa and her father. Though Garrett is considered a traitor in England, a pirate for Napoleon, Garrett is really a British lord and a spy. Garrett returns to England to seek his revenge, killing Clarissa's father and kidnapping the young woman he believes is Clarissa--but is really Juliet.
Though Juliet, a sweet saintly girl, protests her innocence and tells Garrett she is not Clarissa (who set her up), Garrett still rapes her. Some might call it forced seduction but Juliet called it rape. (The love scenes, by the way, are very well described.) First, Garrett takes her by force, then by magic as he holds her prisoner on his ship--in his cabin. I include this just so you know we are dealing with a true cad.
Magic and mysticism are bound up with the story and there are dark hints of mysterious happenings. Garrett spent years with Eastern religious men and that forever changed him. He uses the magic to manipulate people when the need arises. Even with the hero being a cad for most of the story, and a few nits I would have changed, this was a compelling tale, a story I could not put down and if you love pirate stories, I believe you will like this one.
January 11, 2011
I really like this author. I first became aware of Ms. Horsman when I stumbled across her book Virgin Star in a secondhand store. It had a horrid pink and turquoise cover with a classic Fabio bodice ripper cover, and it ended up being one of my favorite books of all time. I liked this one ALMOST as much. I'm actually giving this book 4.5 stars...just took half a star away because the pacing dragged at a couple points and then the book seemed to end a little abruptly. But still...ALMOST five stars.
Okay, first of all, this is an 80's pirate-type romance. OF COURSE there is a rape near the beginning. It was not as bad as some I've read, and I am not personally offended by heroes who rape, as long as they reform. Heck, even if they don't totally reform. Maybe that makes me a bad person, but there you go. I actually liked the rape scene because of how completely tender he was to her afterward. I liked the magic element...if you don't like magic elements, or the plot being advanced by magic elements, you will want to skip this one. But you may have already been clue'd into that considering this book is called MAGIC Embrace, LOL.
Anyway, I'm glad I read this. It was very touching at many points. I do love when the hero and heroine are stranded somewhere together (in this case, she spends much of the story sharing his cabin on his ship.) I loved how torn down she was, only because it gave her the opportunity to be healed. Yes, some might find her too pitiful or weak but I loved how she summoned up her strength when she had to!! She was so strong at the end. I thought it was a great story and an excellent 80's era romance. I have one more of hers still to read.
Okay, first of all, this is an 80's pirate-type romance. OF COURSE there is a rape near the beginning. It was not as bad as some I've read, and I am not personally offended by heroes who rape, as long as they reform. Heck, even if they don't totally reform. Maybe that makes me a bad person, but there you go. I actually liked the rape scene because of how completely tender he was to her afterward. I liked the magic element...if you don't like magic elements, or the plot being advanced by magic elements, you will want to skip this one. But you may have already been clue'd into that considering this book is called MAGIC Embrace, LOL.
Anyway, I'm glad I read this. It was very touching at many points. I do love when the hero and heroine are stranded somewhere together (in this case, she spends much of the story sharing his cabin on his ship.) I loved how torn down she was, only because it gave her the opportunity to be healed. Yes, some might find her too pitiful or weak but I loved how she summoned up her strength when she had to!! She was so strong at the end. I thought it was a great story and an excellent 80's era romance. I have one more of hers still to read.
March 16, 2014
I have no idea what happened in this book. Which given the fact that I read it until the end is a bit strange. There was something about a pirate who wasn't a pirate, a childish girl, a panther, a parrot who was ironically named Polly, and then something about the French Napoleonic war. And yeah, I really should have stopped reading after the first five chapters but I was so convinced that it was going to change and get better but it just didn't. And the kicker is that I couldn't even make a emotional connection to any of the characters, it just wasn't written in a way for that to happen. So I really wish that I had left this as a DNF but sadly I wasted a good part of 2 days on this book. 1 star if only so that it has a rating.
November 20, 2014
I had never even heard of this author, but found this book on a listopia list and saw the good reviews.
It was very entertaining, even if the heroine was too perfect to be real.
I liked her journey towards the end of the book and I liked the magic elements. It even made me laugh a few times.
Really good book.
It was very entertaining, even if the heroine was too perfect to be real.
I liked her journey towards the end of the book and I liked the magic elements. It even made me laugh a few times.
Really good book.
August 31, 2012
This book changed my life! LOL! I realized how much I loved erotica and wanted to write it. I've been writing it ever since.
October 2, 2022
THIS WAS A BLEND OF WONDERMENT AND CONFUSION. While I enjoyed it, due to my eagerness and I'm afraid some conversations had me skimming, I found the heroine to be rather bland, and their passion started off with a rape, and then blended into dreams that I couldn't discern as truth or just that - dreams.
GARRETT isn't what he seems. An aristocrat who used to be a spoilt and overly indulged boy, his mother sent him to be indentured in order to teach him a lesson and now grown, Garrett's a pirate who strikes fear in the hearts of men, only he has a double identity as you can guess by now. Spurred by rage and grief of his brother's death, Garrett does the unforgiveable and abducts the wrong woman whom he acts the complete villain with, even taking her innocence. Anger makes a man does strange things, because after realizing his faults, Garrett turns into a complete gentleman. It doesn't take a genius to see how deeply Garrett's taken with Juliet, even if he was moonstruck by her beauty. The rest of the story lies with him trying to accomplish his mission to the British navy and that part, I wasn't wholly invested in.
JULIET is the epitome of naivete and innocence. Traumatized and beaten by an uncle who took out his hatred on a dead woman upon his niece, Juliet's only known fear and it changes her irrevocably into a shell of the woman she could have been. Only when she's captured by Garrett through the machinations of a devious cousin, Juliet is forced through another series of trauma and that itself doesn't excuse the hero for his bad behaviour. Sure, he does make it up to her by becoming her protector after, but Juliet's innocence was a hard pill to swallow when she's blinded by her stubborn love for a boy who couldn't save her despite the abuse she had been put through. Her naïve mind and kindness while attractive to Garrett, was also a headache to grasp. Even I couldn't help but want to shake her for being so silly sometimes.
OVERALL this would have been a blast had the author focused more on the relationship development for me. There were hints of magick within the story, that confused me more than ever, and I also didn't quite enjoy having my heroine being such a cowering mouse whose afraid of sex all the time...it kind of took away the fun of everything, because it wasn't till the end that she pulled her head out of her arse and from the clouds to realize what a good man she has in her life.
PS : I do know it's spot on for a woman of her time, but boy did it test my patience. For an intelligent mind, Juliet sometimes had the inclination of a child.
GARRETT isn't what he seems. An aristocrat who used to be a spoilt and overly indulged boy, his mother sent him to be indentured in order to teach him a lesson and now grown, Garrett's a pirate who strikes fear in the hearts of men, only he has a double identity as you can guess by now. Spurred by rage and grief of his brother's death, Garrett does the unforgiveable and abducts the wrong woman whom he acts the complete villain with, even taking her innocence. Anger makes a man does strange things, because after realizing his faults, Garrett turns into a complete gentleman. It doesn't take a genius to see how deeply Garrett's taken with Juliet, even if he was moonstruck by her beauty. The rest of the story lies with him trying to accomplish his mission to the British navy and that part, I wasn't wholly invested in.
JULIET is the epitome of naivete and innocence. Traumatized and beaten by an uncle who took out his hatred on a dead woman upon his niece, Juliet's only known fear and it changes her irrevocably into a shell of the woman she could have been. Only when she's captured by Garrett through the machinations of a devious cousin, Juliet is forced through another series of trauma and that itself doesn't excuse the hero for his bad behaviour. Sure, he does make it up to her by becoming her protector after, but Juliet's innocence was a hard pill to swallow when she's blinded by her stubborn love for a boy who couldn't save her despite the abuse she had been put through. Her naïve mind and kindness while attractive to Garrett, was also a headache to grasp. Even I couldn't help but want to shake her for being so silly sometimes.
OVERALL this would have been a blast had the author focused more on the relationship development for me. There were hints of magick within the story, that confused me more than ever, and I also didn't quite enjoy having my heroine being such a cowering mouse whose afraid of sex all the time...it kind of took away the fun of everything, because it wasn't till the end that she pulled her head out of her arse and from the clouds to realize what a good man she has in her life.
PS : I do know it's spot on for a woman of her time, but boy did it test my patience. For an intelligent mind, Juliet sometimes had the inclination of a child.
October 5, 2022
Difficult to rate as part of the book I’d give a solid 3 and other parts I’d struggle to give a 2.
Like others who have reviewed this I found the story at times addictive and fun, then disjointed and confusing regarding scene and time changes. I stuck with it fully the first half. I don’t mind some the old BR tropes. The H is in a grief rage that makes him treat the h horribly in the very beginning. (not unusual in this fantasy historical genre). Then falls madly obsessed with her. The supporting characters had enjoyable lines and some were endearing- and the animal supporting characters were a treat (must be able to deal with some hokey mystical stuff -as the title implies).
I was disappointed with the ending as the journey described the that the h took to save the H was beyond OTT - I could more believe in a magic panther and love spells than the (thankfully not too long) description of her journey at the end to save the H’s life.
If I were to rate the Bodice Rippers Trigger level I’d say it’s in the middle. There is forced seduction and near the end he leaves her with his family to return to sea for a while and drinks, gambles and mows through “an embarrassing parade of dozens of women” because of his pain for loving the innocent h and wanting her back so much. I’m strangely bothered by this more than the forced seductions for some bizarre Freudian reason-ha!
I mean - I’m aware of the double standards in old bodice rippers but the HEA’s never seem to mention the H giving the love of his life the clap from whoring around while trying to ease his hurting heart. Thankfully it’s barely mentioned in one sentence and not elaborated on….so the ‘not-celebate-during separation’ trigger didn’t ruin it for me.
Overall it had some addictive storylines that were worth reading - had to skim a bit. Not the best but was entertaining if you don’t mind some hokey OTT happenings.
Like others who have reviewed this I found the story at times addictive and fun, then disjointed and confusing regarding scene and time changes. I stuck with it fully the first half. I don’t mind some the old BR tropes. The H is in a grief rage that makes him treat the h horribly in the very beginning. (not unusual in this fantasy historical genre). Then falls madly obsessed with her. The supporting characters had enjoyable lines and some were endearing- and the animal supporting characters were a treat (must be able to deal with some hokey mystical stuff -as the title implies).
I was disappointed with the ending as the journey described the that the h took to save the H was beyond OTT - I could more believe in a magic panther and love spells than the (thankfully not too long) description of her journey at the end to save the H’s life.
If I were to rate the Bodice Rippers Trigger level I’d say it’s in the middle. There is forced seduction and near the end he leaves her with his family to return to sea for a while and drinks, gambles and mows through “an embarrassing parade of dozens of women” because of his pain for loving the innocent h and wanting her back so much. I’m strangely bothered by this more than the forced seductions for some bizarre Freudian reason-ha!
I mean - I’m aware of the double standards in old bodice rippers but the HEA’s never seem to mention the H giving the love of his life the clap from whoring around while trying to ease his hurting heart. Thankfully it’s barely mentioned in one sentence and not elaborated on….so the ‘not-celebate-during separation’ trigger didn’t ruin it for me.
Overall it had some addictive storylines that were worth reading - had to skim a bit. Not the best but was entertaining if you don’t mind some hokey OTT happenings.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2021
Dnf at 25%. I am very surprised by the positive reviews on this book. The writing is terrible IMO - the number of times the author describes the heroine as innocent/innocence and fragile/delicate just made me roll my eyes. The heroine is truly TSTL and constantly in fear - I couldn’t find anything admirable about her. Not my cup of tea even though I am normally a big fan of captor/captive and forced seduction books. For better books with similar plot lines, I recommend So speaks the heart and prisoner of my desires by Johanna Lindsey, royal seduction by Jennifer Blake.
June 1, 2018
Magic Embrace
I have read this book so many times - first in paperback and now on kindle. My paperback fell apart but thankfully that is not a problem with kindle. I love this story so very much and find myself going back to read it several times a year. Best story with characters that live forever in my dreams.
I have read this book so many times - first in paperback and now on kindle. My paperback fell apart but thankfully that is not a problem with kindle. I love this story so very much and find myself going back to read it several times a year. Best story with characters that live forever in my dreams.
August 4, 2018
Amazing story!
Very enjoyable read . This is a real page turner with a magnetic hero and an equally appealing heroine. I fell in love with both Garrett and Juliet - this is fundamentally all about the power of love overcoming all odds. Don't miss this one.
Very enjoyable read . This is a real page turner with a magnetic hero and an equally appealing heroine. I fell in love with both Garrett and Juliet - this is fundamentally all about the power of love overcoming all odds. Don't miss this one.
July 8, 2024
3.5 stars.
I am not sure about the whole magic thing. I enjoyed reading the book but towards the end it was really getting on my nerves that the heroine believed for close to 90% of the book that she was in love with the other man. It was definitely a turnoff for me.
I am not sure about the whole magic thing. I enjoyed reading the book but towards the end it was really getting on my nerves that the heroine believed for close to 90% of the book that she was in love with the other man. It was definitely a turnoff for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2015
I did get what other readers are saying about too many tropes, the story being difficult to follow and the whole rapey part.
However I thought the storyline was engaging and fast paced, I wanted a little more love earlier on, I felt Juliet was in denial for too long but the other parts of the story kept it going and stopped it from feeling dull.
All in all I enjoyed both characters and the political (not too complicated) backstory. I recommend the read as a swashbuckler that's a little bit different. The heroine is very tortured which pulls at the heart-strings in a way I've not encountered in any other HR.
However I thought the storyline was engaging and fast paced, I wanted a little more love earlier on, I felt Juliet was in denial for too long but the other parts of the story kept it going and stopped it from feeling dull.
All in all I enjoyed both characters and the political (not too complicated) backstory. I recommend the read as a swashbuckler that's a little bit different. The heroine is very tortured which pulls at the heart-strings in a way I've not encountered in any other HR.
March 12, 2013
Was an okay read. Old bodice ripper to start. Had trouble with the magic being used in story. I am not into that element. Then using it on the h was not good, either. I didn't care for the h saving the H at the end. Seemed too much for her character thoughout the book of simple, shy and naive. I did like the fact that the H figured things out quickly and started trying to make up for all that he did to her and all that had been done to her in her life. Will keep this book on my shelf for a re-read for the romance part.
December 12, 2015
This was one of the first romance novels I read, many years ago... But, I continue to read and reread this novel. You have to suspend your understanding of reality and open your imagination to magical characters and a hero and heroine that are larger than life. It's definitely not politically correct, with a relationship that begins essentially by a rape... But, I love the two characters and the warmth and caring that grows between them. This story has captured my imagination for years - it remains one of my favorite books.
Want to read
December 20, 2020Good story. Kind of hard to follow sometimes with all the magic stuff. Tells the story of a girl who lives with her Uncle who abuses her. She is captured by the hero who thinks she is her cousin who was killed by the uncle after the cousin said he raped her. He takes her aboard his ship and forces/seduces her. Finding her innocent he decideds to keep her. Meanwhile she is determined to get back to her "lover" who had left her with her uncle even knowing all the abuse that she suffered.
August 3, 2016
3*
I did like it , blocking out the forced sex scenes of course.But this is my first bodice ripper and I`ve read many reviews and guess this is why they are bodice rippers.
I think Tonali(his cat)made the book worth reading-loved the end when she tried to put the ribbon on him and he batted her hand and sneered at her,then wound it around her and tied it making her the hero`s present....
I did like it , blocking out the forced sex scenes of course.But this is my first bodice ripper and I`ve read many reviews and guess this is why they are bodice rippers.
I think Tonali(his cat)made the book worth reading-loved the end when she tried to put the ribbon on him and he batted her hand and sneered at her,then wound it around her and tied it making her the hero`s present....
August 14, 2016
This book got me hooked from the beginning. Interesting characters with a touch of magic. Not the usual heroine that you'd normally find in historical romance. I mean the heroine is scarred in this one, as opposed to scarred hero in most books.
If you are looking for an emotionally engaging and touching read, then this is a must read! Got me in tears and was reading this till 3am!
If you are looking for an emotionally engaging and touching read, then this is a must read! Got me in tears and was reading this till 3am!
December 25, 2014
Awal-awal agak kurang paham sama narasi ceritanya, tetapi begitu masuk ke konflik baru ngeh deh. Dari situ, mulai menikmati deh alur ceritanya yang ternyata selain ada romance juga diselingi beberapa intrik yang mengekspos kejelian si heroine, Juliet. Hero-nya juga nggak kalah menarik, si Garret bahkan punya kucing segede macan sebagai peliharaannya hehehe :)
January 23, 2016
Magical and Mysterious Black Garrett
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