No, thank you.
After the gang rape I kind of fast forward through reading this :/
It did start off kind of interestingly wild, childhood love, kidnapping, and drama lama but as it approached the half way point it started to drag and the last half just wasn't interesting. Our supposed hero Anthony doesn't really make an appearance, except to kidnap and then rape the heroine, he mostly hangs around waiting for the heroine to agree to marry him. Our heroine Cassie is 18-20yrs old in the story and is written fairly well, it's just that the only material she has is to react to men wanting to rape her and/or marry her. There wasn't even any wild fun shipwrecks or the heroine picking up a sword, although she does shoot hero at one point; it was lacking the wild kookiness dramatic flare that brings me back to these old bodice rippers.
This is best lost to the annuals of time.

I couldn't understand any of the reasoning behind the actions of the hero (anti-hero).

No, please tell me, how, or what could've justified him kidnaping her, repeatedly raping her and then flogging her because she reasonably didn't obey his orders. Mind you, she is to be his wife and he says he loves her! What? From what I've observed he dosn't enjoy hurting women and then again he does that. I actually think he acts a little like a psychopath. Like he's oblivious of other peoples feelings and can't discern right from wrong? Well that's how he acted. I refuse to read on and be subjected to this kind of torture. I've read really depriving books before, but they all had at least some reasonable background. Hell, tell me he's a psychopath then I'll really love to see how it ends, but to make them think and try to make me think they're all sane? Hell, NO!


I've read, well 15 % of this book and I see no future for them. I feel nothing but pure hatered for the hero, and I'm repulsed. Some authors just make you love the (hero) villain, okey? He can sew his skin to that of the heroine and you'll just love to hate him. But here, I just, you know, it was blah!

Okey, I may just give it a second chance lets see....




"I have never been drunk before, you know,” she said aloud, trying to focus her eyes upon his face. “Nor,” she added thoughtfully, “have I ever been beaten before.”

  “I did not want to thrash you, but you gave me no choice.”

  Her hazy thoughts wove themselves together as his gently spoken words penetrated her mind. “No, there was no choice. You did what was just.”

At this words all I wanna do is curl into myself and cry untill my tears run dry, how can they say they didn't have choice? There's always a choice (especially in a book), and to make her feel like there wasn't was so painfull to read...

You did what was just.” She sighed and whispered, her words so slurred that he could barely make them out, “But there have been other things you have done to me, things you have made me feel that I did not wish. There was choice there, I think.”

  Before he could decide how to respond to her, she said, “Your laudanum and French burgundy have worked. I do not hurt now.”


What kind of a man is he? Am I supposed to like him? Hate him? No, I despise him! At this point I'll acept her marry his valet over him.



"Ah, here it is,” he said, grinning at her. “It is fortunate that I thought to add this dowdy garment to your wardrobe, is it not?”

  “It is obvious that you had in mind all along to beat me.”

  “Oh no,” he said cheerfully. “Indeed, I can think of fewer things less pleasurable than beating you. But it is a question of control, is it not, Cassandra? I think we have both learned a lesson.”


How can someone be cheerfull over the fact that his loved one was beaten and is still hurting because of him?





"You are so different from me, so exquisite,” she whispered, scarcely aware that she spoke her thoughts aloud.

  He laughed, a rich sound from deep in his throat. “All of me or just part of me, cara?”

  “All of you.”

  “Ah, we make progress.” He sat down beside her and laid one large hand lightly on her thigh. If only, he thought, gazing at her soft, parted lips, he could make her tell him that she loved him. But it was too soon, much too soon, and he knew that it was the passion he awakened in her that drugged her mind. 

So, make her tell him that she loved him? Because of what?
I can't, okey? I gave it another chance but I couldn't read more than a couple of pages more.

Ridiculous!

Aptly named book from where I stand, he forced her into a relationship he wanted through rape and control. Then spoke about love in the next. She was all set to marry a man she was infatuated with when he steals her and takes what was her right to give, then makes her hate herself by making her enjoy it. I'm clueless over that part, was it because she was so innocent? I had originally thought it was hard for a woman to be raped and achieve orgasm. Then he doesn't keep her safe and she endures rape at the hands of other men. So I'm blank at this point, wtf. The ending is what I give four stars, she evidently makes me believe he knew her better than herself and she get's a happily ever after but hell.... At that point she deserves it.

WARNING! SPOILER IN THIS REVIEW!!


I just finished my reread of this book, which I would not have done if not for the BHB challenge! So I knew about the abduction and rape - what a wonderful lover! (Just in case you didn't recognize it, that was sarcasm!!) - and the gang rape that comes later, and really expected those events to negate everything else. That said, I'm surprised at how much I enjoyed the rest of the book. I loved the sailing activities and descriptions, and almost-travelogue approach to descriptions of Genoa and Italian countryside. And as a history buff, I thoroughly enjoyed the British look at the 'irritating rebellion' in the Colonies. Setting aside the rapes (which it's impossible to do), this would have been a weak 4*, so I'm giving it a weak 3*

I'm sure I will read books worse than this, but at this point, I can't remember being as angry about a novel than I am right now.

Here's how it started: Someone mentioned bodice rippers, and I felt the need to read one. This here was available for some reason, so I started it and have realized that reading rape-scenes comes with degrees of anger.

Most people have some sort of experience with sexual assault and most readers have had to read books where abusive behaviour was romantacised, yet this book - so far - takes the cake and became downright unbearable. It's not that I'm angry, although I am, but that I hate how this book made me feel: Powerless.

I know that a lot of 80ies noves were attempts to get agency back over our experiences with sexual assault and rape and that a lot of authors explored those themes in sometimes unhealthy ways, etc etc. I don't give a fuck, this was bad and made me angry and reading other reviews makes me pretty sure that not all bodice rippers are this fucking toxic.

A more insightful review: this one.

I'm now off, attempting to cope with this awful reading experience; in case it wasn't obvious - I don't recommend.

This book is not what I expected at all. Readers beware of child grooming, kidnapping, rape, Stockholm syndrome, kidnapping again, followed by gang rape, and a miscarriage, oh and attempted suicide towards the end. This has it all and if you’ve read this far, good luck.

I kept reading this book in hopes that it would get better or would show some light as to why this actually got published. Unfortunately it did not.

I was excited when I read the synopsis, but not even 100 pages in and the poor main character, Cassie, is kidnapped, and raped multiple times by her captor. The Earl even says “If I must rape you then so be it.” After the first couple of sexual encounters, Cassie starts to enjoy it. But she doesn’t understand why. She starts enjoying the Earl as they continue their travels. She is slowly falling for her captor, a case of Stockholm Syndrome. The Earl tells Cassie that he was infatuated with her mother, and thus, since Cassie has the same face, loves her. Cassie was, at least, appalled by this but….

They make it to their new home in Italy, Cassie and the Earl are now getting along. Then they find out she’s pregnant. But the Earl’s ex mistress tries to make Cassie jealous, the Earl’s brother wishes that he had a hold of the Earl’s money. So they devise a plan and Cassie is kidnapped and then raped by four men, and badly injured which causes her to miscarry her baby.
The Earl waits about a month before he thinks that Cassie should be able to have sex again. She finds out that she has been groomed from a child of 5 to be the perfect girl for the Earl. Because his cousin was her governess and kept him apprised of all her doings. Issues appear, and more jealousy she manages to escape. She finds her way to Edward and has sex with him because she feels like she should, a handful of times. Although she knows she’s pregnant again with the Earl’s child, she decides for sure she needs to marry. However, Edward has moved on since Cassie was kidnapped, but tries to do the honorable thing and marry her. Still he doesn’t treat Cassie much better than the Earl.

The Earl appears and now she’s saying she loves the Earl but Edward sees them and honor demands the two of them fight. Cassie doesn’t want them to fight and goes to try and stop them by going onto the dueling field and pressing a gun to her head. The two men stop and Cassie is fine. Cassie decides to leave with the Earl because she loves him, they get married and have their baby.

On top of the disturbing plot, I don’t like the characters themselves. The Earl is not nice, and a bit of creep, being older at 34, nearly twice her age. Grooming her since she was a child of five. Rapes her repeatedly just because he loves her—supposedly. Didn’t seem like love, more like infatuation mixed with delusions. As for Cassie, at 18 she doesn’t know much but from the beginning she tries to seduce Edward and then is kidnapped and raped by the Earl. She fights him until she doesn’t, at least during sex. Otherwise she verbally spars-not well I might add. Definitely becomes a case of Stockholm Syndrome when she eventually agrees to wed the Earl since he won’t let her go and she enjoys the intimacy. But then is with Edward cause she wants to know if it’s better with him or the earl. Dissatisfied with Edward she realizes she “loves” the Earl.

This story was honestly awful, the story itself and it’s writing. The author kept changing perspectives from the Earl’s to Cassie, to the evil half brother, ex mistress, shipmates, Edward…. And on it goes. Hard to follow but eventually I got to the end. I will say that the ending for the half brother and ex mistress wasn’t satisfying with the hurt they caused Cassie by having her be kidnapped and raped. They needed to be punished.

Normally I don’t read reviews before reading the book cause I like to make up my own mind, but when rape happens with in the first 100 pages I had to know what others thought. For the people that have given this book a DNF or 1-2 stars I’m sure I agree with you and you with me that this book was overall disturbing.
Not one I will recommend and one I will try to not remember reading.

I am a SUCKER for a she's about to be married or is just married and then is kidnapped before/on/after the wedding. IDK why, but I freaking love these.

I saw some other reviews comparing this book to Stormfire by Christine Monson and her Hero Sean Culhane and I agree with their sentiment. However, I *personally* liked this one much more than Stormfire. Although I do agree that Anthony is not a psychotic as Sean was. But the overall flow and story I meshed with better here.

Cassies is to be married to her childhood friend, someone she has cherish for a very long time when she is kidnapped the day before her wedding.

Anthony Welles has waited a long time to get his bride and when he finally gets her.. he does just that. He takes and takes and takes. Stranded on ship with him doesn't leave much room for her escape, but Cassie is adamant that she will get back to her life. He's not going to let her go that easily.

I absolutely loved the twist in this.. like my mind was SHOOK and I felt her shock as well.

I think my favorite moment in this is when she literally shot the Hero and tried to dip out by jumping into the ocean, only for him to jump in after her bleeding and practically dying. I love a moment when a woman fights back like that.

โอ้ยยยย มึ้ง กุขอหายใจก่อน
จะบ้าตาย5555
ก่อนอื่นนะ เรื่องนี้นะ เรท 737596++++ ค่ะ
55555 มันแรงมาก ถึงใจมาก
ชื่อไทยว่า ในอุ้งมาร
และขอแนะนำว่าให้ลืมตรรกะไปก่อน
แต่ถึงจะพูดแบบนี้ เริ่มแรกกุก็แบบเห้ยยย ได้เหรอ
มารจริง ปีศาจสุด ลักพาตัวสาวที่เห็นมาตั้งแต่เด็กอะ
เหตุผลคือชอบ ซึ่งมันแบบ โห ไอ้ชั่วเอ้ย
ละคือคนใช้ยังพูดนะว่าคุณลักพาเธอมา
ไม่มีใครเห็นด้วยเลย (ก็แน่สิวะ)
ละแบบนางเอกอะ อยู่ๆไปก็โอเคเอง แต่ว่ามึง
เหตุการณ์หลังจากโอเคกันอะ มันโคตรสะเทือน
อยากเตือนไว้เลยว่าอาจจะทริกเกอร์ได้
คุณยายแคทเธอรีนแบบเขียนได้สุด
ซึ่งกุแบบยังคิดว่าต้องตายเท่านั่นถึงจะแก้ไขทุกอย่าง
ไม่น่าเชื่อว่ามันผ่านไปได้ ซึ่งก็ไม่ค่อยสมจริงแหละ
แต่ก็ดีแล้ว มันทำให้เห็นว่าท่านเอิร์ลยอมรับและรักมากจริงๆ
ถึงเรื่องมันจะแรงไปก็เหอะ (ที่จริงซอล์ฟหน่อยก็น่าจะดี กุกลัว)
ละพอกลับมาเจอแฟนเก่า
กุนี่แอบเจ็บเบย ก็อย่างว่าแหละใครจะรอเนอะ
อีเมียใหม่เอาจริงก็น่าตบนะ อินี่ 55555
เห้อ เป็นเรื่องที่สนุก ขัดใจ และสะเทือนใจมาก
ทึ่งที่คุณยายเขียนได้ดี (เห็นว่า81แล้ว)
นี่อยากหานิยายของท่านมาอ่านอีกนะ

Someone compared the H in this book to Sean Culhane of Stormfire so I thought I was in for a ride. But besides the abduction, H bent over backwards throughout the book to win over h's love. Hardly a rival to the Culhane's level of asshole. The heroine's rape at the hands of some thugs was graphically violent without adding much to the overall plot and character development. I liked that the h was a potent mixture of innocence, intelligence, adventurous, sensuality, feisty and stubborn. She went through body-betraying syndrome to Stockholm's syndrome and, to author's credit, an effort to get away from H's influence. All in all it was a good read, bit prolonged as most bodice rippers seem to be. h's struggle to free herself during day hours while surrendering to passion in night were the best parts. The book also tried to incorporate historical bits like barbary pirates and american revolution, though overall it didn't indulge in giving historical lesson.

Finally… I found Cassandra very irritating. Can’t imagine a man can be so in love and so forgiving. Although Anthony took extreme measures to make Cassandra his. He never mistreated her.
I never felt the connection between the two MC.

It’s an interesting story. Though it seems Earl never found out what his half-brother did.

I'm lingering between two and three stars. The first time I read this book I was in fits. I loved Cassie and Edward together. Anthony was a POS to cheat them. However, he redeemed himself in my opinion and Edward behaved pretty abominably in how he treated Cassie in their reunion.

I felt bad for Cassie throughout much of the book and I could not understand how her brother would not have killed the earl when they returned.

The bad:
Rape. It does not discount the act even when the hero (let me use that term loosely) of the story apologizes before it happens. I mean, sorry to hurt you honey but it has to be done? No. Grab yer ye olde flesh light *cough*yourfist*cough* and go to town, sir.

The sailboat's destruction. Is it bad that I was more heartbroken over her boat crashing into the rocks than the loss of her baby? I'm just not interested in a baby belonging to Anthony McCreeperton.

More rape. If one man is not enough, 5 more shall do it...

The lashing scene. Seriously, the scene did not bother me due to the nature of punishment. From the perspective of the setting, it was not uncommon to be flogged for being insubordinate. It did bother me that she made such a big fuss about it. Ok, so I have never had a belt applied six times to my back and I'm probably not going to grab my husband to experiment the extent of pain. Six lashes though? With a controlled arm? You need laudanum for that? But not the rape?

The birthing. I had to roll my eye at Anthony standing over Cassandra, barking that she open up like a PEZ dispenser to give him a son. Dude, what the hell have you endured during the course of this book? Multiple rapes? A miscarriage? An abduction? A lost boat? Estrangement from your family and fiancé? A foil through the shoulder? STFU!

The Good:

Er...Scargill was a pretty cool fellow.
The thrashing never occurred.
Edward got to stick it in someone new.
Anthony died... <---Lies

Despite how angry Coulter's books make me, I cannot stop reading them. On to the next.

WARNING FOR SPOILERS!

"Devil`s Embrace" is the first book i have ever read by Catherine Coulter and would have probably read it anyway if my dear cousin hadn`t recommended it!Its a bodice-ripper,one that made me feel conflicted even when i have read far more hard-core bodice-rippers and loving those more (Gypsy Lady and Lady Vixen is one of them).The first half of the story is my favourite part.The scene where the heroine goes out fishing and the hero kidnapping her after that made me (cough sorry) laugh out loud so much that i fell off my couch.That scene was so well done and hilarious!I also like it when she shoots him to escape,i was applauding her bravery so much for that!

Cassandra Brougham is a very spirited lady.She even reminded me of Scarlett O'Hara sometimes.Her fierce stubborness and passion was met with her captor`s,as she desperately tries to deny her growing love for him.She goes pretty far to do that,and i wish...i SO DAMN HELL WISH that she never succumbed to sleep with her former fiance after she escapes the hero.I hated that so much that i was tempted to throw my cumputer away and dnf this book...but i restrained from doing that despite wanting to vomit...so i kept going.In betraying her hero,she betrayed herself..and along that i just wish she had been more steadfast when it came to her feelings.I know that i should feel more sorry for her,and i do.She have after all been through the worst kind of traumatic experiences and nightmares.But i wish...just wish that the author had left that part out cuz it irks me to the core.

Anthony Welles is one of the most arrogant Anti-heroes i have ever come across in this genre.He is this dark and rugged half-italian pirate rake...and a lord with honor (what sort of honor i also wonder).He falls in love with Cassandra while she grows up into a woman...and when she announces her engagement to another man he kidnapps her and takes her away from everything she loves.Anthony is pretty much unpredictable and too honest and conceited.He understands and forgives easily,and never lets himself become a slave to his temper...despite how many times Cassandra goades him to it.His character is showed in too much resemblance to a demi-god.He knows and feels everything and knows he is right everytime.I believed in his love for Cassandra,it never wavered and stood strong all the way through despite her betrayal and insults.He even treats her as equal and admire her spirit and intelligence.He never treats her roughly or forces kisses on her.But he did force her their first night and he did hit her with his belt at the start just so she would never repeat her disobedience (he hated doing it).It feels kinda strange saying this,but i don`t envy Cassandra having him as her husband.Not for 2 penny.

I am looking forward to reading the sequel "Devil`s Daughter" where Anthony`s and Cassandra`s son and daughter will find their heroine and hero.I know that their daughter Arabella will be kidnapped by (OW) Giovanna`s son Kamal and that their son Adam will find his heroine in (OM) Edwards daughter Rayna.More adventure,romance and excitement to come...and i am looking forward to it!