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Emerald Rain
SWEPT AWAY
With fiery hair and a spirit to match, Eulalie Pritchard defies her father and flees London to marry Sir Percival Sterling — a man she hardly knows. Then Lalie reaches Para, Brazil — only to discover that Sir Percival's luxurious rubber plantation is another 3,000 treacherous miles down the dangerous Amazon. And dashing March Addison, the one man who can guarantee her safe passage, is as dangerous and unpredictable as the river itself.
From the moment they meet, Lalie and March are destined to clash. Yet in the sultry tropics, desire grows swiftly and the rules of civilization are swept away by the fierce currents of the river. Soon Lalie finds herself captured by a passion as swift and strong as the mighty Amazon...
With fiery hair and a spirit to match, Eulalie Pritchard defies her father and flees London to marry Sir Percival Sterling — a man she hardly knows. Then Lalie reaches Para, Brazil — only to discover that Sir Percival's luxurious rubber plantation is another 3,000 treacherous miles down the dangerous Amazon. And dashing March Addison, the one man who can guarantee her safe passage, is as dangerous and unpredictable as the river itself.
From the moment they meet, Lalie and March are destined to clash. Yet in the sultry tropics, desire grows swiftly and the rules of civilization are swept away by the fierce currents of the river. Soon Lalie finds herself captured by a passion as swift and strong as the mighty Amazon...
428 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
2 people are currently reading
146 people want to read
About the author
Maggie Osborne
30 books519 followersaka
Margaret St. George
Maggie Osborne is the author of I Do, I Do, I Do and Silver Lining, as well as more than forty contemporary and historical romance novels written as Maggie Osborne and Margaret St. George. She has won numerous awards from Romantic Times, Affaire de Coeur, BookraK, the Colorado Romance Writers, and Coeur du Bois, among others. Osborne won the RITA for long historical from the Romance Writers of America in 1998. Maggie lives in a resort town in the Colorado mountains with her husband, one mule, two horses, one cat, and one dog, all of whom are a lot of aggravation, but she loves them anyway.
Margaret St. George
Maggie Osborne is the author of I Do, I Do, I Do and Silver Lining, as well as more than forty contemporary and historical romance novels written as Maggie Osborne and Margaret St. George. She has won numerous awards from Romantic Times, Affaire de Coeur, BookraK, the Colorado Romance Writers, and Coeur du Bois, among others. Osborne won the RITA for long historical from the Romance Writers of America in 1998. Maggie lives in a resort town in the Colorado mountains with her husband, one mule, two horses, one cat, and one dog, all of whom are a lot of aggravation, but she loves them anyway.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 14, 2019
He doubted she had an inkling of understanding that the woman she struggled to hide was far superior to the woman she labored to create.Brazil, 1897
A prim and proper Victorian lady living and breathing by etiquette handbooks, a handsome and honourable English gentleman gone rough-around-the-edges, ruthless rubber barons, wild river chases, tropical sultriness, jaguars and so much more... this is hands down one of the best jungle romances I’ve ever read.
Written in Maggie Osborne’s usual flawless prose and uncanny ability to "take you there," and with the right balance of humour, adventure, attention to historical and atmospheric details, sensuality, personal growth and poignancy I was engaged from the very first page by Lalie and March’s clash of wills and wits and their passionate and sweet love story.
An older gem (1991) really worth a try if you enjoy these particular sub-genre's settings and tropes.
June 30, 2021
If I met Eulalie Pritchard in real life, I would have had difficulty getting past her snobbishness and headstrong and obstinate personality. She traveled to South America, with no companion, to locate her fiancee. He was a man that she barely knew, but he met her naive visions of true love.
Ms. Osborne managed to mold this plot into an entertaining storyline. And March Addison was the reason for this.
'Lalie' was very beautiful, but, thankfully, she was unaware of this. March knew her father and felt a responsibility for the woman. He believed he could convince her to return to England. Instead, they locked horns on numerous occasions.
Lalie intended to travel down the dangerous Amazon River over a period of weeks and had no intention of giving up. Heat, humidity, insects and the native population engulfed her days. Ever so slowly and I mean slowly, Lalie transformed.
At 428 pages, this historical romance was a considerable length. Like another romance I recently read, I would have liked it if the author deleted about 75 pages. I had a hard time believing Lalie had not smartened up by the time she met the slimy Sir Percival. For this reason I lowered my rating by one star.
I loved March and his friends/cohorts on the Amazon. Ms. Osborne knew how to write a villain. She educated me on rubber plantations. I was unaware of how badly the native population was affected. Thank you, Christina, for recommending this romance to me.
***If you are like us and love jungle-themed romances, may I suggest River of Eden, Amazon Lily, Camouflage Heart, The Book of True Desires, Out of Control, Heart of Fire, The Tiger Prince and The Soldier and the Baby? Some are older contemporary romances and others are historical. For those that love a visit to HPlandia, there is Forever and The Marriage Trap. Just make a note of when the books were first published in case you aren't a fan of romances written in the 1980s or 1990s!***
Ms. Osborne managed to mold this plot into an entertaining storyline. And March Addison was the reason for this.
'Lalie' was very beautiful, but, thankfully, she was unaware of this. March knew her father and felt a responsibility for the woman. He believed he could convince her to return to England. Instead, they locked horns on numerous occasions.
Lalie intended to travel down the dangerous Amazon River over a period of weeks and had no intention of giving up. Heat, humidity, insects and the native population engulfed her days. Ever so slowly and I mean slowly, Lalie transformed.
At 428 pages, this historical romance was a considerable length. Like another romance I recently read, I would have liked it if the author deleted about 75 pages. I had a hard time believing Lalie had not smartened up by the time she met the slimy Sir Percival. For this reason I lowered my rating by one star.
I loved March and his friends/cohorts on the Amazon. Ms. Osborne knew how to write a villain. She educated me on rubber plantations. I was unaware of how badly the native population was affected. Thank you, Christina, for recommending this romance to me.
***If you are like us and love jungle-themed romances, may I suggest River of Eden, Amazon Lily, Camouflage Heart, The Book of True Desires, Out of Control, Heart of Fire, The Tiger Prince and The Soldier and the Baby? Some are older contemporary romances and others are historical. For those that love a visit to HPlandia, there is Forever and The Marriage Trap. Just make a note of when the books were first published in case you aren't a fan of romances written in the 1980s or 1990s!***
October 11, 2024
Emerald Rain by Maggie Osborne (1991) is a big, dramatic and romantic story that I adored… I kept rereading passages to savor them slowly. One of the very best HRs I’ve read in 2024.
🌴 Eulalie Pritchard, 24 defies her father, and travels to Brazil to marry the man she loves, Sir Percival who owns a rubber plantation 3,000 miles up the Amazon River. However, she only met him a few times in London… she has a starry eyed view of their relationship. He never asked her to come to Brazil.
🦜 She hires March Addison, son of an earl, and a friend of her father who’s a been a prosperous trader for 9 years along the Amazon. The epic journey of many months up the Amazon provides the backdrop to this grand story.
🐊 Lalie thinks Addison is crude, rude and boring while he thinks she’s out of her mind to cling to her unyielding, and very proper sensibilities as they travel on his small steam trader. The descriptions of her dining with china and silver on a damask tablecloth that she brought with her, changing dresses several times a day, keeping herself aloof from the other 3 people on the ship .., all priceless.
🌺 This is a very slow burn love story with sexual tension that crackles through out, and is just as steamy as the climate. Superbly written passionate scenes.
🦥 There’s fascinating details… the native people, devastating rubber production by the Europeans, and the richly diverse Amazon rainforest… sloths, caimans, howler monkeys, anacondas, mosquitoes etc. 🐜🦟
“Slowly, bit by bit, the river and this journey were stripping away all she had believed herself to be.”
💚 Most importantly, this is an emotionally satisfying story which kept me reading long after midnight. Osborne’s prose is vibrant, all a marvelous mingling of sensuality, passion and adventure. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌴 Eulalie Pritchard, 24 defies her father, and travels to Brazil to marry the man she loves, Sir Percival who owns a rubber plantation 3,000 miles up the Amazon River. However, she only met him a few times in London… she has a starry eyed view of their relationship. He never asked her to come to Brazil.
🦜 She hires March Addison, son of an earl, and a friend of her father who’s a been a prosperous trader for 9 years along the Amazon. The epic journey of many months up the Amazon provides the backdrop to this grand story.
🐊 Lalie thinks Addison is crude, rude and boring while he thinks she’s out of her mind to cling to her unyielding, and very proper sensibilities as they travel on his small steam trader. The descriptions of her dining with china and silver on a damask tablecloth that she brought with her, changing dresses several times a day, keeping herself aloof from the other 3 people on the ship .., all priceless.
🌺 This is a very slow burn love story with sexual tension that crackles through out, and is just as steamy as the climate. Superbly written passionate scenes.
🦥 There’s fascinating details… the native people, devastating rubber production by the Europeans, and the richly diverse Amazon rainforest… sloths, caimans, howler monkeys, anacondas, mosquitoes etc. 🐜🦟
“Slowly, bit by bit, the river and this journey were stripping away all she had believed herself to be.”
💚 Most importantly, this is an emotionally satisfying story which kept me reading long after midnight. Osborne’s prose is vibrant, all a marvelous mingling of sensuality, passion and adventure. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 26, 2015
"Miss Pritchard is a frivolous piece of fluff held together by rigid convention and a lunatic devotion to etiquette."
The first part of the book description pretty much sums up the basic storyline, so I'll be lazy today and quote from that:
"With fiery hair and a spirit to match, Eulalie Pritchard defies her father and flees London to marry Sir Percival Sterling -- a man she hardly knows. Then Lalie reaches Para, Brazil -- only to discover that Sir Percival's luxurious rubber plantation is another 3,000 treacherous miles down the dangerous Amazon. And dashing March Addison, the one man who can guarantee her safe passage, is as dangerous and unpredictable as the river itself.
I do love a good jungle love storyline, and they're very hard to find - my favorite is still Shadow Play, but this book comes in at a very close second. I have to admit at first the heroine annoyed me to no end, and thisclose to being labeled TSTL, but she really came into her own in the second half when stuff really started flying and the baddies were everywhere. Lots of twists and turns and ups and downs and surprises at every bend in the river. And ants, snakes, jaguars and one very nasty baddie.
The first part of the book description pretty much sums up the basic storyline, so I'll be lazy today and quote from that:
"With fiery hair and a spirit to match, Eulalie Pritchard defies her father and flees London to marry Sir Percival Sterling -- a man she hardly knows. Then Lalie reaches Para, Brazil -- only to discover that Sir Percival's luxurious rubber plantation is another 3,000 treacherous miles down the dangerous Amazon. And dashing March Addison, the one man who can guarantee her safe passage, is as dangerous and unpredictable as the river itself.
I do love a good jungle love storyline, and they're very hard to find - my favorite is still Shadow Play, but this book comes in at a very close second. I have to admit at first the heroine annoyed me to no end, and thisclose to being labeled TSTL, but she really came into her own in the second half when stuff really started flying and the baddies were everywhere. Lots of twists and turns and ups and downs and surprises at every bend in the river. And ants, snakes, jaguars and one very nasty baddie.
July 24, 2017
What a phenomenal romance! I almost set this book aside, because the first 50 pages were a bit slow and I was ready for the story to get moving. I also took an immediate disliking to the heroine. Her holier-than-thou proper ways and her bias against those who were not of her race/station certainly did nothing to endear me to her in the beginning. But Lalie is a perfect example of true character growth. By the end of the story she is nothing like the infuriating Miss Eulalie Pritchard we were introduced to in the beginning. As she came face to face with her own prejudices and changed for the better, she slowly became a character I admired and could root for.
I loved Addison from the beginning, and other than pretending he had a nicely trimmed beard to go along with his 80's mustache, I would change nothing about him. :)
I loved Addison from the beginning, and other than pretending he had a nicely trimmed beard to go along with his 80's mustache, I would change nothing about him. :)
December 29, 2024
Living, breathing plots (this felt more plot-driven) and I enjoyed the lush writing and description for setting.
Lots of colonizer-induced trauma on page, though - so read with caution. Among many other difficult things.
I would say I would have given this much higher stars had it not felt like a woman's journey to discovery, I needed more interaction of differentbetween the couple. As such, I'll be unlikely to revisit
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, and Colonization
Lots of colonizer-induced trauma on page, though - so read with caution. Among many other difficult things.
I would say I would have given this much higher stars had it not felt like a woman's journey to discovery, I needed more interaction of differentbetween the couple. As such, I'll be unlikely to revisit
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, and Colonization
July 15, 2024
Up all night with this one! Absolutely fascinating description of traveling down the Amazon. A kind of African Queen story but much more detail, many more interesting characters, and an insight into what Western Civilization has done to the Amazon, the land and people.
January 13, 2014
I really wanted to like this book, but I don't think I like Maggie Osborne's writing style. I found the writing childish, the story implausible and the characters unreal.
December 2, 2025
I enjoyed the settings of the book. The FMC’s character is kinda contrary, as if she was undergoing puberty at 24 and finding herself. She was a stickler for etiquette but not a racist or bad person. By the end of the book her transformation is pretty drastic, so that was nice. MMC felt kinda perfect, and at times gave off Humphrey Bogart vibes. CW for unexpected toe sucking if that’s your ick
January 5, 2014
Review: Emerald Rain by Maggie Osborne
Rating = 4.75/5
Caliber SEAL: FANTASTIC READ!
Final Verdict: Sensuous and a whole lot of adventurous; Maggie Osborne delivers a tale as steamy as the Amazon itself. Not to be missed!
Review goes live at 00:00 hrs MVT, January 6, 2014!
Rating = 4.75/5
Caliber SEAL: FANTASTIC READ!
Final Verdict: Sensuous and a whole lot of adventurous; Maggie Osborne delivers a tale as steamy as the Amazon itself. Not to be missed!
Review goes live at 00:00 hrs MVT, January 6, 2014!
August 12, 2024
I am here for historical romances that are takedowns of white supremacy and that do it without characters soapboxing or it feeling anachronistic. Emerald Rain is one of them.
I picked this up because I hoped it would scratch the Romancing the Stone itch I've had for some time. It did, kind of, but it was so much more.
Prim and proper Englishwoman Eulalie Pritchard arrives in the Amazonian rainforest on a mission to find her betrothed, Sir Percival Sterling, a rubber baron. She enlists a fellow Englishman, March Addison, who runs a river transport business, to take her to Sir Percival's plantation 3,000 miles up the river. She and March clash immediately; he is a chill dude who is at home in Pará, and she is an uptight miss who dresses completely inappropriately for the heat and insists on proper English tea even on the truly basic boat she's residing on.
I'm not going to lie: Lalie drove me absolutely nuts for a good chunk of the book, inconveniencing everyone and making herself hideously uncomfortable because she refused to let go of English etiquette. But that made it all the more satisfying to watch as she battled common sense and, very slowly, started to loosen her stays. I found it a really satisfying character arc.
So, this is kind of an adversaries-to-lovers story, but nothing of that dynamic felt forced. Both she and March are well-drawn. He is hot and manly (there's one scene with a machete that I just...) but not one-dimensional. He has knowledge to impart about Lalie's fiancee that she doesn't want to hear, namely that Sterling is a racist who abuses his workers, many of whom he enslaved, and is generally Not a Good Man.
Where does the critique of white supremacy come in? It's everywhere, really. It has to be acknowledged that March is still making money off of another peoples' natural resources, but he's doing it in what I think is a fairly responsible way. He employs native people, pays fair wages and treats them well, while we're shown that the rest of the European community in Brazil is living behind gates in luxury while calling the natives "animals" and treating them horrendously. There are some sections of this book that are really hard to read (including one horrific scene toward the end), but this helps contrast the book sharply to many historical romances that never acknowledge where the aristocracy's money actually comes from. (The answer, in many cases, is through the abuse of native populations like the ones in this book.) There's also a lack of white saviorism; Lalie does deliver a native woman's baby, but it's only because the healers in their village were captured into slavery.
It's not all grim, though. There's plenty of romance; Lalie and March's nighttime hammock chats and the river swimming scene are highlights. The dialogue is good, as is the writing, and there is a great supporting cast of characters, namely Maria and Fredo. And there's plenty of adventure, which is exactly what you want from a book set on the Amazon.
I picked this up because I hoped it would scratch the Romancing the Stone itch I've had for some time. It did, kind of, but it was so much more.
Prim and proper Englishwoman Eulalie Pritchard arrives in the Amazonian rainforest on a mission to find her betrothed, Sir Percival Sterling, a rubber baron. She enlists a fellow Englishman, March Addison, who runs a river transport business, to take her to Sir Percival's plantation 3,000 miles up the river. She and March clash immediately; he is a chill dude who is at home in Pará, and she is an uptight miss who dresses completely inappropriately for the heat and insists on proper English tea even on the truly basic boat she's residing on.
I'm not going to lie: Lalie drove me absolutely nuts for a good chunk of the book, inconveniencing everyone and making herself hideously uncomfortable because she refused to let go of English etiquette. But that made it all the more satisfying to watch as she battled common sense and, very slowly, started to loosen her stays. I found it a really satisfying character arc.
So, this is kind of an adversaries-to-lovers story, but nothing of that dynamic felt forced. Both she and March are well-drawn. He is hot and manly (there's one scene with a machete that I just...) but not one-dimensional. He has knowledge to impart about Lalie's fiancee that she doesn't want to hear, namely that Sterling is a racist who abuses his workers, many of whom he enslaved, and is generally Not a Good Man.
Where does the critique of white supremacy come in? It's everywhere, really. It has to be acknowledged that March is still making money off of another peoples' natural resources, but he's doing it in what I think is a fairly responsible way. He employs native people, pays fair wages and treats them well, while we're shown that the rest of the European community in Brazil is living behind gates in luxury while calling the natives "animals" and treating them horrendously. There are some sections of this book that are really hard to read (including one horrific scene toward the end), but this helps contrast the book sharply to many historical romances that never acknowledge where the aristocracy's money actually comes from. (The answer, in many cases, is through the abuse of native populations like the ones in this book.) There's also a lack of white saviorism; Lalie does deliver a native woman's baby, but it's only because the healers in their village were captured into slavery.
It's not all grim, though. There's plenty of romance; Lalie and March's nighttime hammock chats and the river swimming scene are highlights. The dialogue is good, as is the writing, and there is a great supporting cast of characters, namely Maria and Fredo. And there's plenty of adventure, which is exactly what you want from a book set on the Amazon.
January 23, 2026
A great book as to be expected by this author. The setting came alive through the pages with wonderful descriptions that lets us be immersed in this time and place in the world. This book has educated me of the production of rubber and the struggles that has come with it; as well as the entitlement of the rubber barons of this time. The injustices described in this book has made me angry and frustrated. I feel sympathy for the characters and have enjoyed reading about lives different from mine.
The main couple is well-written even if the female character took a long long while for me to root for. I almost wished that she swallowed a taste of her medicine and married the villain in the end. Thats how much I was annoyed by her. I don’t mind rigid and spoiled ladies in the least, especially in a historical book but what I dislike most about her personality is that she refuses to face facts—even if it slaps her multiple times in the face.
I have nothing to say with the MC other than he is a dream man and he is wonderful to read.
I probably won’t visit this book again ever just because the fmc is overbearing for three fourths of the story but I highly recommend this book for lovers of romance adventure.
The main couple is well-written even if the female character took a long long while for me to root for. I almost wished that she swallowed a taste of her medicine and married the villain in the end. Thats how much I was annoyed by her. I don’t mind rigid and spoiled ladies in the least, especially in a historical book but what I dislike most about her personality is that she refuses to face facts—even if it slaps her multiple times in the face.
I have nothing to say with the MC other than he is a dream man and he is wonderful to read.
I probably won’t visit this book again ever just because the fmc is overbearing for three fourths of the story but I highly recommend this book for lovers of romance adventure.
July 16, 2021
Not as good as MO's other BRs. She - prim and annoyingly proper *but of course made a complete turn around after journey through the Amazon. Likeable March - in the recognizable manly hero way. The adventure felt (less ) than the typical rain forest excitement. No too much of anything in this one.
June 4, 2019
"This is the earliest book I've read by Maggie Osborne (1991), and it is not her best. I have read the last 8 books she wrote and have enjoyed them more.
To me, this is the old-style bodice-ripper: 400+ pages of longing and desire. However, Osborne always more to the table than the average writer. She has created a self-centered heroine who has much to learn ... and emerges at the end of her trials a well-rounded, compassionate woman of substance.
The background of this novel VERY interesting: a trip down the Amazon in the 1890's! Ms. Osborne's research efforts show -- the scenery and events are eye-opening and imaginative.
I cannot tell you why I didn't like it as well; the emergence of a fine woman is her usual theme. The plot is complicated and interesting. However, her later novels shine a bit brighter.
Perhaps I got tired of the 3 main characters being "drop dead beautiful/handsome."
In spite of my previous words, it is still a fine book. I enjoyed it."
To me, this is the old-style bodice-ripper: 400+ pages of longing and desire. However, Osborne always more to the table than the average writer. She has created a self-centered heroine who has much to learn ... and emerges at the end of her trials a well-rounded, compassionate woman of substance.
The background of this novel VERY interesting: a trip down the Amazon in the 1890's! Ms. Osborne's research efforts show -- the scenery and events are eye-opening and imaginative.
I cannot tell you why I didn't like it as well; the emergence of a fine woman is her usual theme. The plot is complicated and interesting. However, her later novels shine a bit brighter.
Perhaps I got tired of the 3 main characters being "drop dead beautiful/handsome."
In spite of my previous words, it is still a fine book. I enjoyed it."
March 24, 2013
synopsis:
lalie meets sir percival while he is in london and falls for him. when her father disapproves, lalie sets out to brazil to join sir percival. once she reaches brazil, she discovers that sir percival is another 3000 miles inland on his rubber plantation. she enlists the help of march to take her there safely. along the way, they run into brigands and natives and illness. when lalie meets friends of sir percival and spends time with them, she is persuaded to leave march behind. when she is kidnapped off the dock by ruffians, march saves her and takes her the rest of the way inland. lalie discovers that sir percival is not the knight in shining honour that she thought he was, and flees into the jungle with a sick march.
what i liked: the exotic local. the sympathy for the natives. i'm not sure how accurate the history was, but if it was well researched, the natives definitely got the worst of things. i liked the build of the relationship between march and lalie and that, even though they thought that they didn't like each other, they couldn't help themselves. i liked that lalie was scared of the natives at first, but faced that fear, and didn't let it stop her or form her opinions. i liked that the one particular band of natives had the opportunity to get their revenge.
what i didn't like: sir percival. i realize that i wasn't supposed to like him, but he seemed too much a charicature of a bad guy, rather than an actual bad guy.
lalie meets sir percival while he is in london and falls for him. when her father disapproves, lalie sets out to brazil to join sir percival. once she reaches brazil, she discovers that sir percival is another 3000 miles inland on his rubber plantation. she enlists the help of march to take her there safely. along the way, they run into brigands and natives and illness. when lalie meets friends of sir percival and spends time with them, she is persuaded to leave march behind. when she is kidnapped off the dock by ruffians, march saves her and takes her the rest of the way inland. lalie discovers that sir percival is not the knight in shining honour that she thought he was, and flees into the jungle with a sick march.
what i liked: the exotic local. the sympathy for the natives. i'm not sure how accurate the history was, but if it was well researched, the natives definitely got the worst of things. i liked the build of the relationship between march and lalie and that, even though they thought that they didn't like each other, they couldn't help themselves. i liked that lalie was scared of the natives at first, but faced that fear, and didn't let it stop her or form her opinions. i liked that the one particular band of natives had the opportunity to get their revenge.
what i didn't like: sir percival. i realize that i wasn't supposed to like him, but he seemed too much a charicature of a bad guy, rather than an actual bad guy.
February 15, 2012
Love Maggie Osborne!!
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