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Gabrielle
Betrayed by the aristocratic world that bred her, she was striped of everything but her lush beauty and the wit to use it.There was one man whose pride and passion matched her own. The arrogant Captain Rafe Savage. She hatd him but she could not forget him...not even in the arms of the notorious pirate Jean Lafitte.
Against the stirring backdrop of France and America during the War of 1812,Grabrielle unfolds the saga of a passionate woman's erotic adventures and the bold men who lusted after her.
Against the stirring backdrop of France and America during the War of 1812,Grabrielle unfolds the saga of a passionate woman's erotic adventures and the bold men who lusted after her.
510 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
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99 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 26, 2017
This is one of the most cray cray bodice rippers I have ever read. Sometimes I read stuff just for the sheer shock value. There are enough kidnappings, beatings, and rapes to give you whiplash. It's hard to feel any emotion for characters and actions that are written in such a campy style. This reads almost like a bodice ripper satire. That's why I kept on reading to see what over the top action would happen next. This heroine started out good enough but in the end I think she was brain damaged from all the abuse she endured throughout the book that she convinced herself she was in love with this "hero". I was hoping the author would write another hero into the story and have this one die a horrible death. The beginning started out well enough in France, with the heroine being ravished and setup on a fake charge. Then off to the slave ship she goes only to be kidnapped by pirates. After that she is held captive in a brothel and abused some more. It was enough to make your head spin. If you're in the mood to be shocked give this a read but if you want romance pass this up, it will only piss you off. The things that happen in this book would warrant Lorena Bobbitt style castration. Don't get me wrong, this started out interesting but the last 50 pages just ended up so over the top that I skimmed to the end. Maybe it's just that I lost mood for the story because the author does make such an effort to keep one interested. I give the author three stars for imagination and having the sheer balls to write something this OTT. However, I ended up thinking of this book as a hyper active child who didn't know which way to go so she went everywhere. The hero is such a dick I would have liked to see him die. I even like Sean Culhane from Stormfire better than this pos. Still the book was hilarious and interesting in enough places not to be a total loss. I think I would read others by this author just to see if she gets any better. Read at your own risk. I'd be curious to see what others think of this golden oldie. It's a shame I had to opt for 3 stars because the first half of this book was really interesting. I couldn't put it down.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2015
It was my favorite book during a long period of time until I realised how bad it was when I reached the 15 years old. Made me happy several times, made me restless, excited, alive.
Now it is a memory and I save it.
Now it is a memory and I save it.
August 18, 2018
This book was once something I snuck away to read, knowing I was too young, but interested because the protagonist shared my name. When I first read this as a 13 year old most of the story went over my head.
Since re-reading it as an adult I find very little to like about this book, though it is impossible to say that it is boring!
I find the sex scenes disturbing and the main character very difficult to like or even feel sorry for. At times, the line between consensual sex and rape, (lines which should be completely clear) are crossed, yet the main character seems to enjoy being physically, emotionally and sexually abused. Pirates, aristocrats and parties all sound interesting, but the main character is almost a child when she is thrown (literally in one case) from man to man and is entirely dependent on these men.
This is not a book that I would recommend, but it might just be that it wasn't for me, and others might enjoy reading it.
Since re-reading it as an adult I find very little to like about this book, though it is impossible to say that it is boring!
I find the sex scenes disturbing and the main character very difficult to like or even feel sorry for. At times, the line between consensual sex and rape, (lines which should be completely clear) are crossed, yet the main character seems to enjoy being physically, emotionally and sexually abused. Pirates, aristocrats and parties all sound interesting, but the main character is almost a child when she is thrown (literally in one case) from man to man and is entirely dependent on these men.
This is not a book that I would recommend, but it might just be that it wasn't for me, and others might enjoy reading it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2023
Good grief! How did so many of us apparently read this book as a teen and think it was great?! I read it when I was 12 or so, and thought it was sexy. I found it on Open Library on a whim, and I... Just... Wow. It was more like a train wreck that I just couldn't put down because lord only knew what would happen next. I'm not even sure it belongs under "romance"... maybe I need a shelf for "Stockholm syndrome".
As others have noted, there is rape, abuse, cheating, more rape, more abuse, and just for a change, another rape and then the "hero" (and I use the term very loosely) blatantly cheats on the heroine a few more times and then, just for good measure, slaps her around again.
I have another book by this author and I think I'm going to wait a bit before I read that one. Ooof.
As others have noted, there is rape, abuse, cheating, more rape, more abuse, and just for a change, another rape and then the "hero" (and I use the term very loosely) blatantly cheats on the heroine a few more times and then, just for good measure, slaps her around again.
I have another book by this author and I think I'm going to wait a bit before I read that one. Ooof.
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November 22, 2010Unmistakably Coconis. His work is so distinctinve. This was the same models for the cover of "Savage Sands" definitely need to "ebay" this one.
July 11, 2011
If you like rape scenes and a woman who seems to like being raped, this is the book for you!
March 22, 2020
One of the first naughty books I read as a teenager. It doesn't really hold up in modern times and relies heavily on the rape trope.
March 7, 2022
This was a good story that should have gotten another star, but I couldn't get past a few things,
(NOTE: I still haven't mastered that "spoiler" code, so I'll just say that I might give a few things away in this review, so here's your chance to stop reading.)
One thing I liked a lot (which gives the book its third star) is the historical info, as the story takes place during the Napoleonic Wars, which is a background I'm always drawn to, and it goes on to describe the Battle of New Orleans in detail, including military strategy. Andrew Jackson appears in the later chapters, and you can't help but like him, especially when he gives the h marriage advice, and talks about his beloved wife, Rachel.
What I didn't like was the h, Gabrielle de Beauvoir, getting raped more than once. (Once is too much, as far as I'm concerned.) As this book was written in 1979, it's not surprising; by the mid 80's authors switched to near rapes, where the h manages to get away or is rescued by the H. In this book, much to my chagrin, the H, Rafe St. Claire shows up, and though the rapist (a psycho with a mother fixation) gets his just desserts, he got there too late to prevent the attack. Why she should have to go through two rapes is beyond me. You could say three rapes, if you want to count her first encounter with the pirate Jean Lafitte, though she ended up enjoying herself, which is another 70's thing that I can't stand. The h starts out fighting and ends up f---ing. It happened between Gabrielle and Jason, too their first time, and it gets really annoying. Why does the H have to force the h, and why does the h have to orgasm it up? It's even worse when it happens with the guy she's not destined for a HEA with.
This story goes from Paris to Barataria Island to New Orleans; there's Parisian society, imprisonment (Gabrielle's falsely accused of financing a smuggling operation), pirates, kidnapping, miscarriage, a stay at a brothel, a failed attempt at a courtesan career, a reunion with Rafe after a long separation, New Orleans society, marriage, childbirth, Rafe cheating, Gabrielle almost cheating to get revenge, volunteer work among wounded soldiers, and one heck of a misunderstanding (and a bit of spousal abuse, which could have been done without). Actually, so much trouble could have been avoided (practically all of it, in fact) if Rafe had only been able to admit his true feelings for Gabrielle, instead of waiting until it was almost too late. You may not like everything you read, but you won't be bored.
And just when you think someone disappears from the story, they turn up again, and sometimes that's not good news.
The book would have been better if there hadn't been such a LONG stretch between the time Gabrielle and Rafe part in Paris to when they meet again in New Orleans. During that time, you learn something about Rafe's family life and the OW makes her first appearance. Most of it, though, is devoted to Gabrielle's time as Jean Lafitte's mistress (not that she had much choice in the matter). It went on way too long and I found myself skipping pages. The book's divided into thirds: Paris, Barataria and New Orleans, and the N.O. third was the best.
BTW: this is yet another HR book where Jean Lafitte plays a part, in this case, a pretty long one. He seems to always come off as a man whom women find irresistible, though I saw his picture (courtesy of Wikipedia) and can't see why. He's okay looking, but nothing to swoon over. In these books, if he's not the h's love interest, he's someone she either has a fling with, cheats on the H with, or else comes close to it, or if nothing physical happens, there's still an attraction there. Just what was this guy's charm? I'll have to research his life and find out if he really was such a ladies' man, or if this is just HR fiction.
Anyway, I recommend this book, though with a few reservations.
(NOTE: I still haven't mastered that "spoiler" code, so I'll just say that I might give a few things away in this review, so here's your chance to stop reading.)
One thing I liked a lot (which gives the book its third star) is the historical info, as the story takes place during the Napoleonic Wars, which is a background I'm always drawn to, and it goes on to describe the Battle of New Orleans in detail, including military strategy. Andrew Jackson appears in the later chapters, and you can't help but like him, especially when he gives the h marriage advice, and talks about his beloved wife, Rachel.
What I didn't like was the h, Gabrielle de Beauvoir, getting raped more than once. (Once is too much, as far as I'm concerned.) As this book was written in 1979, it's not surprising; by the mid 80's authors switched to near rapes, where the h manages to get away or is rescued by the H. In this book, much to my chagrin, the H, Rafe St. Claire shows up, and though the rapist (a psycho with a mother fixation) gets his just desserts, he got there too late to prevent the attack. Why she should have to go through two rapes is beyond me. You could say three rapes, if you want to count her first encounter with the pirate Jean Lafitte, though she ended up enjoying herself, which is another 70's thing that I can't stand. The h starts out fighting and ends up f---ing. It happened between Gabrielle and Jason, too their first time, and it gets really annoying. Why does the H have to force the h, and why does the h have to orgasm it up? It's even worse when it happens with the guy she's not destined for a HEA with.
This story goes from Paris to Barataria Island to New Orleans; there's Parisian society, imprisonment (Gabrielle's falsely accused of financing a smuggling operation), pirates, kidnapping, miscarriage, a stay at a brothel, a failed attempt at a courtesan career, a reunion with Rafe after a long separation, New Orleans society, marriage, childbirth, Rafe cheating, Gabrielle almost cheating to get revenge, volunteer work among wounded soldiers, and one heck of a misunderstanding (and a bit of spousal abuse, which could have been done without). Actually, so much trouble could have been avoided (practically all of it, in fact) if Rafe had only been able to admit his true feelings for Gabrielle, instead of waiting until it was almost too late. You may not like everything you read, but you won't be bored.
And just when you think someone disappears from the story, they turn up again, and sometimes that's not good news.
The book would have been better if there hadn't been such a LONG stretch between the time Gabrielle and Rafe part in Paris to when they meet again in New Orleans. During that time, you learn something about Rafe's family life and the OW makes her first appearance. Most of it, though, is devoted to Gabrielle's time as Jean Lafitte's mistress (not that she had much choice in the matter). It went on way too long and I found myself skipping pages. The book's divided into thirds: Paris, Barataria and New Orleans, and the N.O. third was the best.
BTW: this is yet another HR book where Jean Lafitte plays a part, in this case, a pretty long one. He seems to always come off as a man whom women find irresistible, though I saw his picture (courtesy of Wikipedia) and can't see why. He's okay looking, but nothing to swoon over. In these books, if he's not the h's love interest, he's someone she either has a fling with, cheats on the H with, or else comes close to it, or if nothing physical happens, there's still an attraction there. Just what was this guy's charm? I'll have to research his life and find out if he really was such a ladies' man, or if this is just HR fiction.
Anyway, I recommend this book, though with a few reservations.
November 4, 2023
How could anyone rate this more than one star?!? An idiot for a heroine and a misogynistic abusive cheater for the hero. 🤮
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January 15, 2024DNF pg 144
Last year I pledged to drop books that didn't do it for me. This one has way too much rape and seemed gleeful about it. No thanks.
Last year I pledged to drop books that didn't do it for me. This one has way too much rape and seemed gleeful about it. No thanks.
May 17, 2025
beautiful
August 12, 2025
Not my kinda book.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews