A Pirate's Love

Rating:
Summary: Did anyone really find this romantic??
Review: Please someone tell me what is so romantic about a man who repeatedly rapes a woman? I was so discusted by the way that poor woman was treated that I will never read another one of this author's books. And to top it all off, her mother and maid tell her to make the best of it. If my daughter were being raped, I would not stand by and tell her to make the best of it. Is this author smoking weed? No one in this book is loyal to their spouse, everyone is trying to rape someone, and in the end the wretched woman thinks she is in love with her rapist. I am sure a pschologist would have a field day with that one. Really, if this poor author thinks rape is so romantic, I ask her to please get to know someone who has been through it. Pure filth!!!

Rating:
Summary: Not nearly as bad as the reviews say...
Review: This was probably one of the first romance novels I ever read, and I can say quite honestly I still consider it one of the best. For the naysayers, consider what exactly it is that you are reading. This is not a feminist treatise to be sure, but it is quite entertaining. P.S. The writing is on par with the rest of her work; it is not horrible.

Rating:
Summary: So dumb it is funny
Review: This is Lindsey's second novel ever written, and it shows how poor of a writer she was back then (makes you wonder how she EVER got published). The plot of the story is British privateer (pirate) Tristan spies the beautiful Bettina on her ship as she sails from France to St. Martin in the Caribbean to marry her betrothed. Tristan, of course, wants her for himself and steals her away. The rest of the story is rape, escape attempt, rape, escape attempt, rape, escape attempt, and then they fall in love. When I read this 10 years ago or so, I was pretty outraged by the whole thing and hated this book with a passion. So I was rather reluctant to re-read it, but since I'm now re-reading all my Lindsey's, I figured I'd suffer through this story, then move on to an outstanding JL romance, like "Savage Thunder." Little did I know that, instead of being upset all over again, I matured enough to realize this book is just a good example of poor writing and, quite honestly, it is so dumb and so bad it is actually quite funny to read. I mean, Bettina actually stomps her foot in anger -- like every five pages. Not only that, but how many times can she get her clothes ripped off her?!? Worse, every time she escapes, she runs into somebody who also wants to rape her (therefore, making Tristan the lesser evil among the rapists)! Throw in cheesy dialogue and overall ridiculous characterization (Bettina is so-o-o-o innocent she doesn't even know what "rape" or "making love" are at the beginning of the book), and you've got a great book to laugh at. The only thing good about "A Pirate's Love" is the urge it gives you to visit the Caribbean. If you want to read a seafaring JL romance, go with "Gentle Rogue" or "Magic of You." They are a trillion times better than "A Pirate's Love."

Rating:
Summary: I loved it!
Review: I am so glad I didn't go by the reviews of this book and decided to buy it anyway. I loved it! The "rape" scenes were not what I thought they would be. Yes, it's rape because she didn't want to, but in the first scene, during the rape, she's actually thinking how good it starts to feel. Hmmm... If you've ever read Stormfire by Christine Monson, the heroine is raped, no pleasure there. Not so in this story. And it is understandable how she falls in love with him. Tristan is actually very funny, and he does grow to love her. You can see it, if you read the story.

This just proves to me that it's best to read a book you're interested in, and judge for yourself. This is a keeper for me!

Rating:
Summary: Stockholm Syndrome Run Amok
Review: I gave this book three stars precisely because the plot was quite different from that of most romances, thus less predictable. I've read several romances lately where I've been able to accurately guess plot developments long before I reached the point where the author revealed them, which ultimately disappoints. This book, I can safely say, is most definitely not a predictable formula romance.

One does not necessarily need to like or approve of the characters in a book in order to be engaged by the story. This was, after all, a work of fiction, not a prescription of how romance should be.

Though the writing style in this book is not as polished as that of some of Lindsey's more recent works, she pretty much avoids the trap of anachronism I see in many romances: characters with modern sensibilities placed in historical settings.

This book is most definitely not politically correct and those who are offended and distressed by reading about rape even in a fictional setting would do well to avoid this book.

Rating:
Summary: Ugh...I Feel Dirty...
Review: As much as I was morally appalled by this book, I still read the thing all the way through. I think this is evidence that Lindsey is a star storyteller no matter how bad the material might be.

I don't buy into the "pardon the rape, madam, but it's a primitive work" excuse. Relentless violence towards women may be a nasty gritty truth of the real world. So how exactly does it fit into a bit of romantic escape?

One thought I had was that Bettina had fallen into complete dispair. Tristan had altered the course of her life so completely that she understood it was beyond repair. Thinking this and not being a foolish girl, her mind flips over and she begins to make herself think amorous thoughts towards Tristan. She had nothing to lose and possibly a lot to gain. It's the only justification I can think of for Bettina falling in love with the man who has continuously raped her.

This book makes literary history by being so terribly twisted. It's akin to Ed Wood and his films. Pirate's Love is significant in just how awful it is.