Review: SILVER-TONGUED DEVIL by Jennifer Blake

Lies and the tangles they engender abound in Silver-Tongued Devil by Jennifer Blake, a tale of revenge in antebellum Louisiana.

Injured in a steamboat explosion, Angelica awakens in an unfamiliar bedroom to find herself married to Renold, a man she barely knows. With her father and betrothed dead in the same disaster, she must depend on this stranger. But questions abound. She can't remember a wedding, and is her silver-tongued "husband" as kind-hearted as he appears?

With her trademark use of accurate historical detail, Ms. Blake evokes the Louisiana of the past in such breath-taking fashion as to make a fan of someone like me who doesn't care for romances set in America. Like all her other romances, they are fast-paced, gripping, and keep you reading right until the end as we wonder if our hero and heroine will find their happily-ever-after.

That said, I don't care for bad boy heroes. Silver-Tongued Devil also contains one of the motifs I like the least in romance--the hero who takes his revenge on one person by harming an innocent.

While I dislike Renold, I like Angelica. She is the pawn in Renold's scheme, but while she may start out as a puppet, adversary rapidly changes her into a woman more than capable of withstanding anyone's machinations. And the results of his plan surprise and also transform Renold.

The best romances not only knock you off your feet with the story, but also subtly intertwine deeper themes within the main tale. In Silver-Tongued Devil, the deeper theme is revenge. The novel explores its wrongness, its unintended effects, and how revenge changes both the perpetrator and the victim.

Now, as when it was first published in 1995, Silver-Tongued Devil remains an engrossing read.

Thank you all,
Linda
ARC provided by Sourcebooks

Review: MIDNIGHT WALTZ by Jennifer Blake

I've loved every Jennifer Blake book I've read. Midnight Waltz is no exception.

In antebellum Louisiana, young wife Amalie settles into marriage with her new husband, Julien. Handsome, rich and charming, Julien is everything a woman could ask for, but slightly distant--until he comes to her bed at night. Then he turns into the wildly passionate lover of every woman's dreams.

The difference confuses and alarms Amalie, especially when attraction develops between her and Julien's newly arrived cousin, Robert. Secrets abound in a society that owes its existence to strict conformity, and Amalie's placid life ruptures when long-hidden truths surface.

Vivid descriptions and lush storytelling rocket you through this vibrant and compelling historical romance. Ms. Blake's extensive research and detailed descriptions insert you firmly into 1850's Louisiana plantation life. As a product of her time, Amalie starts out as a bit of a doormat, but her difficult situation rapidly transforms her into a woman capable of directing her own course, even if society disapproves. The hero (and I won't tell you who he is) is again my favorite type, the decent man.

While Midnight Waltz is everything a romance novel should be, the story is also a sad commentary on the futility and the tragedy of obeying society's precepts at any cost.

First published in 1984, Midnight Waltz remains a winner.

Thank you all,
Linda
ARC provided by Sourcebooks

Review: FIERCE EDEN by Jennifer Blake

Fierce Eden by Jennifer Blake is a sweeping, vibrant historical tale of love, honor, betrayal and adventure.

In 1729 Louisiana, long-simmering tension erupts into violence as the beleaguered Natchez Indians attack the French Fort Rosalie, destroying the fort and the surrounding farms and slaughtering the settlers.

Widowed French landowner Elise, after suffering marriage with an abusive husband, has no wish to submit to any man. But in the chaos after the massacre, she must accept the attentions of the half-French Natchez prince, Reynaud, as the price for his protection of her and her little band of survivors.

And so begins a far-ranging tale of culture clash and divided loyalties. Rich in in-depth historical detail and fast-paced action, Ms. Blake's superb novel sweeps you away into a vastly different time and place. Never dull, she draws you into the story of Elise's and Reynaud's increasing love for each other against the background of a world in violent transition.

Fierce Eden immerses you in cultures far different from our own, but where human nature remains the same. Elise, while a woman of her time, is no passive victim. She fights against her fate, and fails and succeeds in turn. Reynaud, as both French and Natchez, is torn between two worlds and must make the wrenching decision of where to place his loyalties.

I love Jennifer Blake. Her novels are exactly the kind of meaty read I adore. Ms. Blake wrote Fierce Eden in 1985 and the good news is--she's still writing. Even better, she still writes the same wonderful type of story. May she write for a long time to come, so we fans can enjoy her new novels along with her treasures of the past.

Thank you all,
Linda
ARC provided by Sourcebooks