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The Windflower
SHE LONGED FOR A PIRATE'S KISSES, FOR A GOLDEN ROGUE'S CARESS...
Every lady of breeding knows. No one has a good time on a pirate ship. No one, that is, but the pirates. Yet there she was, Merry Wilding - kidnapped in error, taken from a ship bound from New York to England, spirited away in a barrel and swept aboard the infamous Black Joke....There she was, trembling with pleasure in the arms of her achingly handsome, sensationally sensual, golden-haired captor - Devon. From the storm-tossed Atlantic to the languid waters of the Gulf Stream, from a smuggler's den to a gilded mansion, Merry struggled to escape...to escape the prison of her own reckless passions, the bondage of sweet, bold desire...
Every lady of breeding knows. No one has a good time on a pirate ship. No one, that is, but the pirates. Yet there she was, Merry Wilding - kidnapped in error, taken from a ship bound from New York to England, spirited away in a barrel and swept aboard the infamous Black Joke....There she was, trembling with pleasure in the arms of her achingly handsome, sensationally sensual, golden-haired captor - Devon. From the storm-tossed Atlantic to the languid waters of the Gulf Stream, from a smuggler's den to a gilded mansion, Merry struggled to escape...to escape the prison of her own reckless passions, the bondage of sweet, bold desire...
530 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 1984
161 people are currently reading
3711 people want to read
About the author
Laura London
14 books96 followersLaura London is the pen name for the husband and wife writing team Tom and Sharon Curtis. Married more than forty years, Tom and Sharon published ten historical and contemporary romance novels from 1976 to 1986, many of which have come to be regarded as classics in the genre. The daughter of a petroleum geologist father and historian and magazine editor mother, Sharon was raised overseas and lived in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, the Canary Islands, Turkey and Iran, and attended high school in London. As an adult, she worked in bookstore management. Tom attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison and has worked for a public television station as a writer and on-air reporter. He is currently employed as a semi truck driver for a chemical company and plays guitar with a Celtic band that includes a son on bodhran and a daughter on fiddle. Together they have played eighteen years of annual performances at the largest Irish musical festival in the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 383 reviews
February 3, 2012
"Merry Patricia Wilding was sitting on a cobblestone wall, sketching three rutabagas and daydreaming about the unicorn."
Thus begins what is, in my opinion, the best romance ever written.
For those who know me, they know that I read romance. A lot of romance. Thus, I consider myself to be quite an aficionado. I read almost all types of romance: contemporary, historical, paranormal, almost everything, except inspirational. If I had to guess, I would say that I've read well over 1000 romances in my life.
A few years ago, while visiting the Avon Authors board, one of my favorite romance authors, Teresa Medeiros, mentioned that The Windflower by Tom and Sheila Curtis was her favorite romance. She said that it was one of the most beautifully written books she'd ever read. I immediately decided to track down a copy. It's out of print, and the Curtises don't write romance any more. I ended up contacting Mostly Romance, which is a terrific online UBS (used book store) and Sandy, the owner found my a copy. A week later, I had my very own copy of the book.
One weekend, I sunk in. What do I love about The Windflower? Every single thing. It's a pirate story, it's a loss of innocence story, it's a hero is a spy for the British story, it's a war story. The prose is exquisite. I mean, really exquisite. The authors describe each character and setting in such loving detail that the book could almost be a screenplay. The heroine starts the story as an innocent girl, living with her maiden aunt in Virginia. She quickly gets caught up in an adventure that takes over her life. She's abducted by pirates, almost drowns, tries to shoot someone with a crossbow, and contracts malaria and nearly dies. Throughout, she grows and changes into this wonderful, headstrong character and of course, falls in love with Devon, our hero. Devon is (of course) an English peer who is acting as a spy for the British government. He spends quite a bit of time on his half brother's pirate ship, The Black Joke (awesome pirate ship name, BTW). Of course, since Devon takes Merry as his prisoner, her life is in his hands. And she's having none of it. It makes their interactions fascinating and emotionally charged.
But what really makes the story is the secondary characters. It features Devon's half brother Rand Morgan, easily the best secondary romance character ever written. He's the heartless captain of the Black Joke who has taken a special interest in Merry. He's bitingly sarcastic, mean and what we call in romance a VERY. BAD. MAN. I've never wished harder for a character to get his happily ever after. There's Cat, a sexually ambiguous young man who serves on the ship. He was bought out of slavery by Rand and now is kind of a "pet." He takes Merry under his wing, and at turns protects and castigates her. There's also a host of fun pirates on the ship.
It's a brilliantly executed, fully formed romance. The romance world lost giants when the Curtises decided to stop writing. But thankfully for me, I can revisit the Black Joke anytime I want. It's a ride I love every single time.
Thus begins what is, in my opinion, the best romance ever written.
For those who know me, they know that I read romance. A lot of romance. Thus, I consider myself to be quite an aficionado. I read almost all types of romance: contemporary, historical, paranormal, almost everything, except inspirational. If I had to guess, I would say that I've read well over 1000 romances in my life.
A few years ago, while visiting the Avon Authors board, one of my favorite romance authors, Teresa Medeiros, mentioned that The Windflower by Tom and Sheila Curtis was her favorite romance. She said that it was one of the most beautifully written books she'd ever read. I immediately decided to track down a copy. It's out of print, and the Curtises don't write romance any more. I ended up contacting Mostly Romance, which is a terrific online UBS (used book store) and Sandy, the owner found my a copy. A week later, I had my very own copy of the book.
One weekend, I sunk in. What do I love about The Windflower? Every single thing. It's a pirate story, it's a loss of innocence story, it's a hero is a spy for the British story, it's a war story. The prose is exquisite. I mean, really exquisite. The authors describe each character and setting in such loving detail that the book could almost be a screenplay. The heroine starts the story as an innocent girl, living with her maiden aunt in Virginia. She quickly gets caught up in an adventure that takes over her life. She's abducted by pirates, almost drowns, tries to shoot someone with a crossbow, and contracts malaria and nearly dies. Throughout, she grows and changes into this wonderful, headstrong character and of course, falls in love with Devon, our hero. Devon is (of course) an English peer who is acting as a spy for the British government. He spends quite a bit of time on his half brother's pirate ship, The Black Joke (awesome pirate ship name, BTW). Of course, since Devon takes Merry as his prisoner, her life is in his hands. And she's having none of it. It makes their interactions fascinating and emotionally charged.
But what really makes the story is the secondary characters. It features Devon's half brother Rand Morgan, easily the best secondary romance character ever written. He's the heartless captain of the Black Joke who has taken a special interest in Merry. He's bitingly sarcastic, mean and what we call in romance a VERY. BAD. MAN. I've never wished harder for a character to get his happily ever after. There's Cat, a sexually ambiguous young man who serves on the ship. He was bought out of slavery by Rand and now is kind of a "pet." He takes Merry under his wing, and at turns protects and castigates her. There's also a host of fun pirates on the ship.
It's a brilliantly executed, fully formed romance. The romance world lost giants when the Curtises decided to stop writing. But thankfully for me, I can revisit the Black Joke anytime I want. It's a ride I love every single time.
February 9, 2024
This is such a wild book. An ahistorical (and almost fantasy-driven) view of piracy and power with a tepid bodice ripper threat. (You're never really worried. Canonically everyone loves and wants to protect our heroine.) Tender relationships between men that, even if they aren't queer (I think they are!), feels remarkable in a romance from 1984. Is this progressive? No, but it's also so tonally unique for an 80s romance. It's a screwball comedy that wants you to love all the characters.
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I did not know until today that “having all of the pirates on a ship like me and want to protect me” was a fantasy of mine but here we are.
This felt really special! I’m glad The Windflower is recognized as a classic romance because I think it’s extremely difficult to write something that’s fun and grabs you by the seat of your pants and doesn’t let go.
Merry Wilding is our 18-year-old heroine who acts just how you would expect a teenager that's been roughly abducted by pirates to act: she cries. She cries a lot (even though she wishes she wouldn’t!), she complains, and she tries to bargain. But this is Merry in distress. Left to her own devices, she’s a naturally curious woman who has a talent for drawing and gets a little thrill out of the espionage her brother enlists her in from time to time. Until she was captured and taken to the pirate ship The Black Joke, her world was incredibly small.
Merry’s love interest, Devon, is a classically handsome pirate (There are a lot of those in this book! Must be the sea air) that thinks she’s in over her head and involved in something nefarious, so he makes it his mission to learn the truth from her. Afraid for her brother’s safety, Merry refuses to talk, but she does not refuse to cry. (If it’s not clear, I really like Merry.)
Also on the ship is Cat, an Icelandic Nightmare Pirate Teen with a Secret Soft Heart. I couldn’t help but think that if The Windflower was published in the 2010s, Cat would have quite the Tumblr fanbase. We also have Captain Rand Morgan, who I will call Pirate Daddy, and Raven, the ship’s himbo. (Shimbo?)
Fun. Pure fun. I imagine I will read this a few more times in my life.
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I did not know until today that “having all of the pirates on a ship like me and want to protect me” was a fantasy of mine but here we are.
This felt really special! I’m glad The Windflower is recognized as a classic romance because I think it’s extremely difficult to write something that’s fun and grabs you by the seat of your pants and doesn’t let go.
Merry Wilding is our 18-year-old heroine who acts just how you would expect a teenager that's been roughly abducted by pirates to act: she cries. She cries a lot (even though she wishes she wouldn’t!), she complains, and she tries to bargain. But this is Merry in distress. Left to her own devices, she’s a naturally curious woman who has a talent for drawing and gets a little thrill out of the espionage her brother enlists her in from time to time. Until she was captured and taken to the pirate ship The Black Joke, her world was incredibly small.
Merry’s love interest, Devon, is a classically handsome pirate (There are a lot of those in this book! Must be the sea air) that thinks she’s in over her head and involved in something nefarious, so he makes it his mission to learn the truth from her. Afraid for her brother’s safety, Merry refuses to talk, but she does not refuse to cry. (If it’s not clear, I really like Merry.)
Also on the ship is Cat, an Icelandic Nightmare Pirate Teen with a Secret Soft Heart. I couldn’t help but think that if The Windflower was published in the 2010s, Cat would have quite the Tumblr fanbase. We also have Captain Rand Morgan, who I will call Pirate Daddy, and Raven, the ship’s himbo. (Shimbo?)
Fun. Pure fun. I imagine I will read this a few more times in my life.
April 24, 2020
Purely escapist fantasy, with uneven writing, a TSTL Mary Sue heroine and a nonsensical plot but also with a swoony hero, hot as hell chemistry between the leads, and lots of humor. It sometimes read like a great screwball romantic comedy of the 1930s:
"I’ll rub liniment into your poor bruised body. That will relax you.”
She heard his indrawn breath as she laid a hand lightly on him. Both his eyes were open now and shining.
“You don’t have any liniment… and I don’t have any bruises.”
Or
"You hit your head?” he said.
“No,” she said grouchily. “The wall hit my head."
The writing alternated between lyrical and visual...
Far above the Black Joke the sun was a lonely stranger, a flat circle with sharp edges that were blue and phosphorescent.
...to unnecessarily flowery and cheesy:
Dawn frosted the loft with sun-shot colors that spangled the fragrant rolling surfaces with prisms and sipped night broth from the magenta shadows.
So many laugh out loud funny lines:
There’s more to love than two pelvises in a tussle.
But some sentences were so run-on and confusing that it stopped being reading and became decoding:
Before Merry in Apollonian splendor stood a man who was capable of vivisecting her soul, with creativity, and putting it on to fry like a Punjabi locust.
Uh, what? Brainey hurtey.
Some of the love scenes were hilariously purple:
His words made her arms cling to him as she found herself straining weakly toward his seeking mouth as it found her breast. Fever spread through her, delicious and fruity: sweet cherry juice, apple wine, rosehips, and...
On one hand, the authors go to great length to hammer in the point that these pirates are violent, ruthless, rapey scoundrels. On the other hand, they sometimes talk and act like Peter Pan's band of lost boys, all in childish awe of the heroine's Wendy impersonation. She was very frustrating, the Mary Sue of all Mary Sues, making one big blunder after another that not only put her but also put others in terrible life and death situations and all the male characters just thought it made her even more cute and loveable. Uh, no.
Then we have the Evil, Loathsome, Villain who is so busy making lengthy, self-incriminating, speeches at gunpoint thaf it gives the necessary time for the protagonists to extricate themselves from his clutches.
And then of course, there was that unicorn. *sigh*
I think this novel would have found a teenage or young adult version of myself absolutely captivated, because the book and its characters have a lot of charm, and there is an innocence and purity to the relationship between the h and H that is very appealing. And it's not to say I don't enjoy some sweet, hokey romances. But ultimately, I liked but did not love this book.
"I’ll rub liniment into your poor bruised body. That will relax you.”
She heard his indrawn breath as she laid a hand lightly on him. Both his eyes were open now and shining.
“You don’t have any liniment… and I don’t have any bruises.”
Or
"You hit your head?” he said.
“No,” she said grouchily. “The wall hit my head."
The writing alternated between lyrical and visual...
Far above the Black Joke the sun was a lonely stranger, a flat circle with sharp edges that were blue and phosphorescent.
...to unnecessarily flowery and cheesy:
Dawn frosted the loft with sun-shot colors that spangled the fragrant rolling surfaces with prisms and sipped night broth from the magenta shadows.
So many laugh out loud funny lines:
There’s more to love than two pelvises in a tussle.
But some sentences were so run-on and confusing that it stopped being reading and became decoding:
Before Merry in Apollonian splendor stood a man who was capable of vivisecting her soul, with creativity, and putting it on to fry like a Punjabi locust.
Uh, what? Brainey hurtey.
Some of the love scenes were hilariously purple:
His words made her arms cling to him as she found herself straining weakly toward his seeking mouth as it found her breast. Fever spread through her, delicious and fruity: sweet cherry juice, apple wine, rosehips, and...
On one hand, the authors go to great length to hammer in the point that these pirates are violent, ruthless, rapey scoundrels. On the other hand, they sometimes talk and act like Peter Pan's band of lost boys, all in childish awe of the heroine's Wendy impersonation. She was very frustrating, the Mary Sue of all Mary Sues, making one big blunder after another that not only put her but also put others in terrible life and death situations and all the male characters just thought it made her even more cute and loveable. Uh, no.
Then we have the Evil, Loathsome, Villain who is so busy making lengthy, self-incriminating, speeches at gunpoint thaf it gives the necessary time for the protagonists to extricate themselves from his clutches.
And then of course, there was that unicorn. *sigh*
I think this novel would have found a teenage or young adult version of myself absolutely captivated, because the book and its characters have a lot of charm, and there is an innocence and purity to the relationship between the h and H that is very appealing. And it's not to say I don't enjoy some sweet, hokey romances. But ultimately, I liked but did not love this book.
February 18, 2019
Superb Classic Pirate Romance—A Keeper!
This was the product of the husband-wife writing team of Sharon and Tom Curtis and some believe it was their best. I can tell you this: this pirate romance set in in 1813 during the War of 1812 is one of the finest historical romances I have read. It’s a classic. Originally published in 1984, it was reissued in 1995, and can be obtained in paperback (used). Though you may have to pay a premium, as I did, to get a good copy, for fans of the genre, it is not one to pass up. It’s a keeper among keepers.
It tells the story of innocent, sheltered Merry Wilding, an American living in Virginia with her maiden aunt. Merry has a talent for drawing faces from memory, a talent her brother, an American spy will use to his benefit, exposing her to pirates and worse. Then, on her way to England with her aunt who wants Merry to have a better future, she is kidnapped. Taken to a pirate ship, she meets the English pirate Devon, who remembers her from a night long ago where he encountered her in a tavern. He holds her captive, believing she is involved with his enemy who was also on the ship Merry was sailing on. Protecting her brother, she will not reveal who she is. Devon is intelligent, beguiling and smooth and innocent Merry is powerless to turn away his kisses. The whole crew of pirates comes to love Merry and to teach her many things as she blossoms from shy girl to strong woman.
The writing is superb, the characters courageous, heartwarming and very special; the descriptions of the environs vivid; the metaphors numerous and well done; and the story a wonder to read, and re-read. The plot is intriguing. You will be swept away on a pirate ship to experience many adventures, battles at sea, storms, death, outrageous humor and love. I thought the writing gifted. Here’s a sample from one scene; I bet it moves you though not a word is spoken:
“His fingers whispered over her face, seeking and slowly stroking nerve points, knowing where, how long, how much to caress. Her skin gained color under his touch; her eyes became enormous; her throat tightened. By her nose his little finger encountered a forgotten tear. Gathering the sparkling drop, he smeared it slowly over the curve of her lips and blew it gently dry. One hand came lightly to rest on her neck; the other supported her cheek as he sought her with his kiss.”
Here’s another:
“Tragedy dwelt like a blue flame in her big eyes; the shallow pulsebeat in the golden hollow of her throat was luffing like a spanker on a vessel that was hauled too close to the wind. He had seen the look before on women about to be raped, and he found no charm in having it turned on him.”
If you love pirate romance—or even Regency period romance set mostly outside of England—this historical romance will not disappoint. Pay the premium for a good used copy and put it on your keeper shelf. That’s where it belongs!
This was the product of the husband-wife writing team of Sharon and Tom Curtis and some believe it was their best. I can tell you this: this pirate romance set in in 1813 during the War of 1812 is one of the finest historical romances I have read. It’s a classic. Originally published in 1984, it was reissued in 1995, and can be obtained in paperback (used). Though you may have to pay a premium, as I did, to get a good copy, for fans of the genre, it is not one to pass up. It’s a keeper among keepers.
It tells the story of innocent, sheltered Merry Wilding, an American living in Virginia with her maiden aunt. Merry has a talent for drawing faces from memory, a talent her brother, an American spy will use to his benefit, exposing her to pirates and worse. Then, on her way to England with her aunt who wants Merry to have a better future, she is kidnapped. Taken to a pirate ship, she meets the English pirate Devon, who remembers her from a night long ago where he encountered her in a tavern. He holds her captive, believing she is involved with his enemy who was also on the ship Merry was sailing on. Protecting her brother, she will not reveal who she is. Devon is intelligent, beguiling and smooth and innocent Merry is powerless to turn away his kisses. The whole crew of pirates comes to love Merry and to teach her many things as she blossoms from shy girl to strong woman.
The writing is superb, the characters courageous, heartwarming and very special; the descriptions of the environs vivid; the metaphors numerous and well done; and the story a wonder to read, and re-read. The plot is intriguing. You will be swept away on a pirate ship to experience many adventures, battles at sea, storms, death, outrageous humor and love. I thought the writing gifted. Here’s a sample from one scene; I bet it moves you though not a word is spoken:
“His fingers whispered over her face, seeking and slowly stroking nerve points, knowing where, how long, how much to caress. Her skin gained color under his touch; her eyes became enormous; her throat tightened. By her nose his little finger encountered a forgotten tear. Gathering the sparkling drop, he smeared it slowly over the curve of her lips and blew it gently dry. One hand came lightly to rest on her neck; the other supported her cheek as he sought her with his kiss.”
Here’s another:
“Tragedy dwelt like a blue flame in her big eyes; the shallow pulsebeat in the golden hollow of her throat was luffing like a spanker on a vessel that was hauled too close to the wind. He had seen the look before on women about to be raped, and he found no charm in having it turned on him.”
If you love pirate romance—or even Regency period romance set mostly outside of England—this historical romance will not disappoint. Pay the premium for a good used copy and put it on your keeper shelf. That’s where it belongs!
February 23, 2016
This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance
Summary
Summary
Merry Wilding, is a lady of leisure and espionage. She spends her free time with her aunt, in the countryside of the Colonies in North American. Drawing, painting, spending time in the gardens and when she can sneak out with her brother, drawing images of traitors and British spies in order to aid her brother's cause. She is very proud of being able to contribute someway to fight the English, even if it's just doing some drawings. Merry agrees when her brother comes for a visit, to go to a tavern, posing as a pregnant woman in order to draw certain faces of men that her brother desperately needs. Upon arrival however, their plans go awry. When a band of pirates come into the tavern, she manages to sneak out but is caught by one of them, Devon Crandall. They share a passionate embrace, and then Devon leaves her to her devices and now its been months. Her aunt is determined to go back to her home in London, and Merry can't let her go alone, so she reluctantly agrees to accompany her aunt. However upon boarding, she is taken by ruffians and she is brought into the hands on none other than Devon and his band of pirates or (Privateers for the British she later learns). At first there is much suspicion surrounding Merry. In Devon's mind, she is somehow linked to his enemy. But he can't seem to figure out why or how. She seems to be too innocent to have been his leman or mistress. Merry attempts escape from the dangerous Devon, but she soon craves him, and the family she has gained while aboard their ship. His fellow pirates become close friends, but right when everything seems to be going smoothly for Merry and Devon, a mix of truths and lies come about pertaining to Merry, and Devon will have to decide if his love for her is enough....
Devon Crandall, is a privateer but many would assume he is a pirate. Devon however, is the last man on earth you would expect to be a lord of the Ton. He was raised to be a Duke. But he fights for his country, and his half brother Rand Morgan who is the captain for the Black Joke. Devon and Rand, are brothers but were never able to be raised together. But now they work together and fight together. Devon is a hero you crave more of and I can't honestly say I have read a hero like Devon. Devon is very mysterious for a major part of the book and that quality is what makes his character so intriguing. He definitely has some hidden depths that are slowly revealed with each chapter or so. He seems like a dangerous and sexy pirate at the beginning, but by the end....he is the type of man a woman would want to marry. He is honorable and loyal, dedicated and affectionate. He is charming of course, but he also is genuine too.
Merry Wilding, is a heroine I felt like I could be friends with. She is outspoken and independent and very opioniated. She is also a bit dramatic at times, but I believe that is what makes her such a good match for our Devon here. She isn't shy or reserved, although you do think that about her in the beginning. She does portray those qualities in certain moments. But she can also be high strung (probably due to her overactive imagination and being raised by a highly dramatic aunt). What I liked about her, was her spirit. She is a fighter, and even though she is starting to enjoy the friends she is making on the Black Joke, she wants to return home. And keeps trying to escape. It always seemed so funny to me, because the moments she attempts, well they aren't successful and not planned out at ALL!! They are the spur of the moment. But Merry is not a planner really...she tends to convey a more spontaneous nature that I found very contagious.
I had heard about Laura London, a couple writing team years ago but never picked them up. And after reading Windflower, I am wondering how I could be so idiotic as to delay reading this book for so long. I was browsing through audible, when I saw this book pop up. One of the thing I noticed was that it was a longer book (which I go for, its seems worth my credit to get a book that is over 15 hours long). So I immediately started listening to this book and with each hour I grew more and more hooked on this spell binding story that captivated me.
First off, I love love LOVE pirate themed romances. They are so enchanting and full of passion and adventure and its definitely different from the typical regency romances that are so popular. But this story, won me over from the beginning. At first, I had no idea where this author was heading with this story. They really made me curious about the plot line, and it seemed to be very engaging. There were so many wonderful aspects of this story that made this book a spectacular adventure for me.
I want to talk about the secondary characters first. Now there were quite a few that I loved but I want to mention them. The brother, he was fun. He is a patriot and a fighter and loves his sister. He is very protective of her, and even though we only see him in the beginning and the end of the story, we see how devoted he is to family and country. We also see how much Merry adores him and the lengths she goes to protect him. Then we have the Aunt, now she was a riot. I loved her to death probably because she was so outspoken and passionate about her standing on England. She loved everything about England, and I love how she is so accepting of certain people you wouldn't expect. Then we have the crew of the Black Joke. Now they rocked and I am endeared to them forever. We first have Rand Morgan...now at first I didn't know what to make of his character. But I really wish he had a story. Rand is dangerous, a pirate and has a weakness for children. Rand is a bit of a matchmaker for Merry and Devon. But you don't see that at first....it isn't until the end you realize his machinations were for a greater purpose. But he tends to be a bit of a romantic. Then we have Cat or Kat (Not sure how his name is spelled since I was on Audio format). But he is captivated by Merry. He takes care of her needs, protects her and befriends her. But there isn't any desire or anything between them. Its more of a fast friendship that forms. Then we have Raven. Now he is my favorite. The narrator did a great job in his character. He is barely a man, pretty young kid we have here, but experienced. He also forms a strong bond with Merry, but we see the lengths he will go to in order to protect and defend her. He was very amusing and outrageous and extremely fun to know in this story.
Now for our stars of the show....Devon and Merry were such a wonderful pair and they complimented each other quite well. I think what I found most intriguing about them, was seeing their journey. From a bumpy road to smooth sailing when they learn the matter of trust. Now despite appearances....this is a pretty tame story in the physical intimacy department. It shocked me, because I was expecting some bed scenes happening way sooner than they did. But in a way I was so glad to see a couple where they don't immediately jump into bed together once they figure out they have great chemistry.
It’s at your most lunatic moments that I can resist you least
Their relationship is built more on building affection and trust before they can get to the "whipped cream" of the relationship. I like how Devon takes things slow with Merry, even though he realizes how much he loves her early on in the story, he doesn't act on it. The moments between these two are beautifully woven into a captivating story of adventure on the high seas from the shores of the Colonies to the city of London.
What a beautiful cover....I love the island like theme to the cover with the sunset beaming between the almost kiss. I love the added accent of a flower in the heroine's hair....and man I love the scuff on our hero.
The Windflower is a breathtaking romance that will be heartfelt and utterly captivating from page one!! You won't be able to resist the sensuality, the in depth characters or a memorable romance that will make you crave to be a part of it!! SENSATIONAL
February 29, 2024
Phallic vegetables, a sexy unicorn, a gorgeous blond son of a b*tch, lovable pirates, an alligator, a spirited and whimsical 18-year-old who never crosses the line into McNaught-style irritant… The team behind the Laura London pen name (wife and husband Sharon and Tom Curtis) must have had an absolute blast writing this classic 1984 romance.
It is set in 1813, during the second American revolution, and centers Merry Wilding, the aforementioned teenager, who lives with her Aunt April in Virginia. Merry’s brother and cousins are involved in the American cause and recruit her to sketch some men they believe are working for the British. This is the first time we (and she) meet Captain Rand Morgan, Devon Crandall and Cat (MY BELOVED). Merry and Devon have a run-in and he forces a kiss on her before they go their separate ways. Events transpire, and Merry finds herself held captive on a boat crewed by (you guessed it) the very same pirates. And her adventure begins.
This book is a RIDE. I will say right now that there is a lot of halfhearted threatening of r*pe and other mentions of sexual assault, so maybe skip this one if that is triggering for you. But it never truly felt threatening to me; while there was one scene that made me a little uncomfortable, it’s not like a bodice ripper by, say, Johanna Lindsey, where there’s on-page, disturbingly graphic SA. Just know that it gets play throughout the book, and Devon needs to learn something about consent, too.
As far as the characters: I have little time for manic pixie dream girls or TSTL young heroines (I still harbor a fierce loathing of Jenny in A Kingdom of Dreams), and despite her age and inexperience, Merry is not that. She’s an actual weirdo and I love her.
Counter to traditional expectations, the hero (Devon) is not the most interesting of the male characters. That honor goes to Machiavellian captain Morgan, lovely Raven, and Cat, the young blond pirate with the tragic past who will always have my heart. His and Merry’s relationship is possibly the most beautiful aspect of this book, and I’m sad we’ll never get his full story.
The writing is absolutely unique. This is my first book by the Curtises, and it took me a minute to calibrate to their style, which is by turns odd, beautiful and occasionally … not purple, but magenta. At times it felt like I was in a Lisa Frank fever dream, which is no bad thing, let me tell you.
Interestingly, there is lots of implied queerness throughout, with no judgment (apart from one gross moment at the end), and it was a pleasant surprise given the fact that this was a mainstream romance novel written in the mid-80s. It makes me want to dig into the history of pirates and queerness; was taking to the seas something queer men might have done to escape societal expectations, much as queer folks might have taken refuge in monasteries and convents?
Anyway, I loved it and felt sad when I had to say goodbye to these characters.
It is set in 1813, during the second American revolution, and centers Merry Wilding, the aforementioned teenager, who lives with her Aunt April in Virginia. Merry’s brother and cousins are involved in the American cause and recruit her to sketch some men they believe are working for the British. This is the first time we (and she) meet Captain Rand Morgan, Devon Crandall and Cat (MY BELOVED). Merry and Devon have a run-in and he forces a kiss on her before they go their separate ways. Events transpire, and Merry finds herself held captive on a boat crewed by (you guessed it) the very same pirates. And her adventure begins.
This book is a RIDE. I will say right now that there is a lot of halfhearted threatening of r*pe and other mentions of sexual assault, so maybe skip this one if that is triggering for you. But it never truly felt threatening to me; while there was one scene that made me a little uncomfortable, it’s not like a bodice ripper by, say, Johanna Lindsey, where there’s on-page, disturbingly graphic SA. Just know that it gets play throughout the book, and Devon needs to learn something about consent, too.
As far as the characters: I have little time for manic pixie dream girls or TSTL young heroines (I still harbor a fierce loathing of Jenny in A Kingdom of Dreams), and despite her age and inexperience, Merry is not that. She’s an actual weirdo and I love her.
Counter to traditional expectations, the hero (Devon) is not the most interesting of the male characters. That honor goes to Machiavellian captain Morgan, lovely Raven, and Cat, the young blond pirate with the tragic past who will always have my heart. His and Merry’s relationship is possibly the most beautiful aspect of this book, and I’m sad we’ll never get his full story.
The writing is absolutely unique. This is my first book by the Curtises, and it took me a minute to calibrate to their style, which is by turns odd, beautiful and occasionally … not purple, but magenta. At times it felt like I was in a Lisa Frank fever dream, which is no bad thing, let me tell you.
Interestingly, there is lots of implied queerness throughout, with no judgment (apart from one gross moment at the end), and it was a pleasant surprise given the fact that this was a mainstream romance novel written in the mid-80s. It makes me want to dig into the history of pirates and queerness; was taking to the seas something queer men might have done to escape societal expectations, much as queer folks might have taken refuge in monasteries and convents?
Anyway, I loved it and felt sad when I had to say goodbye to these characters.
August 25, 2014
DNF. Wasn’t working for me.
I read 187 pages and was not enjoying it, so I stopped. I didn’t care enough to look at the end.
Devon (the Adonis/pirate) has several kissing and fondling sessions with Merry. He turns her on and then walks away. He’s a pirate. But he and his co-pirates are keeping her safe after she is accidentally brought to their ship. She is a feisty virgin who refuses to be seduced by Devon.
Devon asks her who she was with at a tavern. She acts like it’s a huge state secret and she’ll go to her death before she tells him. Her secret was so minor it was silly to make it sound so important. She was with her brother who is on the side of America in the war with Great Britain. Most Americans are on that side. It was a reasonable thing. So why the big secret?
I was intrigued with the character Cat, but he was a secondary character.
Many of my friends enjoyed this. So it’s good if you’re in the right mood. It was written in the early 1980s. It was co-written by two authors (husband and wife). My ratings for books by two authors are usually lower than books by one author. I don't intend that, but it is a statistic.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Story length: 522 pages. Swearing language: mild including religious swear words but not often used. Sexual content: don’t know. Setting 1813 U.S. and England. Copyright: 1984. Genre: historical romance, pirates.
I read 187 pages and was not enjoying it, so I stopped. I didn’t care enough to look at the end.
Devon (the Adonis/pirate) has several kissing and fondling sessions with Merry. He turns her on and then walks away. He’s a pirate. But he and his co-pirates are keeping her safe after she is accidentally brought to their ship. She is a feisty virgin who refuses to be seduced by Devon.
Devon asks her who she was with at a tavern. She acts like it’s a huge state secret and she’ll go to her death before she tells him. Her secret was so minor it was silly to make it sound so important. She was with her brother who is on the side of America in the war with Great Britain. Most Americans are on that side. It was a reasonable thing. So why the big secret?
I was intrigued with the character Cat, but he was a secondary character.
Many of my friends enjoyed this. So it’s good if you’re in the right mood. It was written in the early 1980s. It was co-written by two authors (husband and wife). My ratings for books by two authors are usually lower than books by one author. I don't intend that, but it is a statistic.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Story length: 522 pages. Swearing language: mild including religious swear words but not often used. Sexual content: don’t know. Setting 1813 U.S. and England. Copyright: 1984. Genre: historical romance, pirates.
August 16, 2009
[Laura London (a/k/a Tom and Sharon Curtis), "The Windflower" (From an earlier post at Amazon.):]
I PBS'd my copy of "The Windflower" . . . that's how much I liked it! HAHA! Some advice: Pretend you are still a 14 year old teenager and you still think "boys are so cute" when you begin the book. You can then appreciate how many 16-18 year old boy pirate semi-heros are in the story. (You won't have to worry about the "actual" old-guy hero (I think he's about 30) . . . His interaction with the heroine "feels" pretty limited anyway, and besides, she's 18 years old herself, and much more comfortable "hanging" with the "young crowd." LOL! (There is kind of a "hot old guy" captain of the pirate ship though. ;)
I just feel the book is best read as a more innocent love story for a "young-woman" on her first romance novel. I had to do that "eye-squinting" thing to imagine/feel "the love" of the H/h when they got together finally (i.e. suspend your disbelief for the sake of the time you've spent). I read it just a couple of years ago, and although it does have very well-imagined prose (at times a bit too flowery for me) . . . the love story itself was very juvenile in my estimation. I think it would have been better named, "The Adventures of Merry."
K.
I PBS'd my copy of "The Windflower" . . . that's how much I liked it! HAHA! Some advice: Pretend you are still a 14 year old teenager and you still think "boys are so cute" when you begin the book. You can then appreciate how many 16-18 year old boy pirate semi-heros are in the story. (You won't have to worry about the "actual" old-guy hero (I think he's about 30) . . . His interaction with the heroine "feels" pretty limited anyway, and besides, she's 18 years old herself, and much more comfortable "hanging" with the "young crowd." LOL! (There is kind of a "hot old guy" captain of the pirate ship though. ;)
I just feel the book is best read as a more innocent love story for a "young-woman" on her first romance novel. I had to do that "eye-squinting" thing to imagine/feel "the love" of the H/h when they got together finally (i.e. suspend your disbelief for the sake of the time you've spent). I read it just a couple of years ago, and although it does have very well-imagined prose (at times a bit too flowery for me) . . . the love story itself was very juvenile in my estimation. I think it would have been better named, "The Adventures of Merry."
K.
January 6, 2015
"What, in an upbringing of painting root vegetables in watercolors and tapping sugar maples, was there to prepare her for men with hookahs and hoop earings?"
It's a long, complicated history, but the short version is Merry Wilding is a lass of gentle birth (family had to flee England due to debts), and raised in obscurity by her maidenly aunt in a small Virginia village. She's as innocent and naïve as they get. It's 1814 and the US and England are currently at war, and she's with older brother and father (whom she rarely sees) in loyalty to her new country, but her aunt wants to visit the homeland and maybe find Merry a husband, and since there's an English ship visiting that has safe passage back, she gets Merry on board. Another long story you don't need the details of, but Merry is mistaken for another man's mistress and she's kidnapped by a nasty band of baddies who were hired to steal some letters, but she saw them so they took her too.
Whew. Once she's battered and abused a bit, she ends up on the notorious pirate ship the Black Joke and no one, including the ever-so-gorgeous Devon (just who is he anyway that he can speak the king's English and quote Latin at the drop of a hat?). Devon is convinced the Merry is the mistress of the man-he-hates-the-most, and Merry can't tell him the truth, because that would put her brother's life in jeopardy. She'll just bide her time and wait for the perfect chance to escape the ship.
This was a pretty wild ride, and I had a hard time putting it down until about 75% in. While I get that Merry has led a very sheltered life, she's not stupid, but she sure as heck does some very stupid stuff in her escape attempts. Worse yet, she endangers others on the ship (whom she's come to be fond of) with her stupid escape attempts. Over and over and over again. This being an early 80s novel, that's a fairly common trope, but still it wears thin by the end. Just talk to each other all ready.
So...at around 75% they do talk to each other when the action switches to England (lots of surprises about Devon and his pirate captain and mate Cat - didn't see those coming), and Merry and Devon do talk and start on the HEA, the author(s) go on and on and on and on with filler about life on the farm and family and all that really didn't move the story along. Nor did the heavy-handed use of adjectives to club the reader over the head with how pretty Merry is and how clever Regan's fingers and tongue are. Bah. I was skimming, and once the action picked up again for the final wrap-up and another round of Merry-can't-stay-put, I was so bored I skimmed a lot more.
Four stars for the first 75%, two for the final 25% rounded to three.
It's a long, complicated history, but the short version is Merry Wilding is a lass of gentle birth (family had to flee England due to debts), and raised in obscurity by her maidenly aunt in a small Virginia village. She's as innocent and naïve as they get. It's 1814 and the US and England are currently at war, and she's with older brother and father (whom she rarely sees) in loyalty to her new country, but her aunt wants to visit the homeland and maybe find Merry a husband, and since there's an English ship visiting that has safe passage back, she gets Merry on board. Another long story you don't need the details of, but Merry is mistaken for another man's mistress and she's kidnapped by a nasty band of baddies who were hired to steal some letters, but she saw them so they took her too.
Whew. Once she's battered and abused a bit, she ends up on the notorious pirate ship the Black Joke and no one, including the ever-so-gorgeous Devon (just who is he anyway that he can speak the king's English and quote Latin at the drop of a hat?). Devon is convinced the Merry is the mistress of the man-he-hates-the-most, and Merry can't tell him the truth, because that would put her brother's life in jeopardy. She'll just bide her time and wait for the perfect chance to escape the ship.
This was a pretty wild ride, and I had a hard time putting it down until about 75% in. While I get that Merry has led a very sheltered life, she's not stupid, but she sure as heck does some very stupid stuff in her escape attempts. Worse yet, she endangers others on the ship (whom she's come to be fond of) with her stupid escape attempts. Over and over and over again. This being an early 80s novel, that's a fairly common trope, but still it wears thin by the end. Just talk to each other all ready.
So...at around 75% they do talk to each other when the action switches to England (lots of surprises about Devon and his pirate captain and mate Cat - didn't see those coming), and Merry and Devon do talk and start on the HEA, the author(s) go on and on and on and on with filler about life on the farm and family and all that really didn't move the story along. Nor did the heavy-handed use of adjectives to club the reader over the head with how pretty Merry is and how clever Regan's fingers and tongue are. Bah. I was skimming, and once the action picked up again for the final wrap-up and another round of Merry-can't-stay-put, I was so bored I skimmed a lot more.
Four stars for the first 75%, two for the final 25% rounded to three.
April 28, 2012
I can't believe this is the book that's on so many best romance shelves.It didn’t do for me what it did for so many others. It’s not a good sign when you are wishing the secondary character (Cat, I’m talking to you) would end up with the heroine, and knowing darn well that it will never happen. It’s not really the hero’s fault either, he was okay. It’s just that the author made Cat a much more substantial character than Devon. I felt like the heroine spent more quality time with Cat. They had more of a connection. Every time Devon showed up it would only be for some quick banter and a make out session and then he would disappear again. I think knowing that Cat wasn’t going to end up with the heroine made me not really want to read the book.
I lost interest because the guy that I wanted wasn’t going to get the girl. The writing was really good though and I feel bad for having to give this book 2.5 star, but if I don’t enjoy a book, everything else goes out the door. Also, the hero was a little pussycat. He was not as cruel as I was expecting him to be. I only made it to 40% but I don’t care enough to want to finish it. I had it on my dnf will try again later shelf for about a month now, but I doubt that I'll try it again. Maybe it got better, but I couldn't care less. 2.5 stars because the writing wasn't bad.
I lost interest because the guy that I wanted wasn’t going to get the girl. The writing was really good though and I feel bad for having to give this book 2.5 star, but if I don’t enjoy a book, everything else goes out the door. Also, the hero was a little pussycat. He was not as cruel as I was expecting him to be. I only made it to 40% but I don’t care enough to want to finish it. I had it on my dnf will try again later shelf for about a month now, but I doubt that I'll try it again. Maybe it got better, but I couldn't care less. 2.5 stars because the writing wasn't bad.
October 12, 2011
So I realize that this novel is immensely popular, and that it stands out among other earlier Romantic works (as the Smart Bitches say- Old Skool). But perhaps all this praise served me poorly, because I went in looking for something instead of just simply immersing myself within the text. I had no problems with the poetic language of the novel, nor the story itself. The problem for me solely resided in the characters. When the supporting characters surpass your hero and heroine in terms of complexity (hello Cat), you've got yourself a problem.
One earlier review described Merry as a "marshmallow," which is incredibly apt. But whether this is a positive or negative trait solely depends on the reader. For me, Merry was a trifling sweetness, not terribly complex or rich, and in many ways was a lump. Her actions, escaping the ship etc, though proactive, had a weird role in the novel where her escape was depicted as more of a burden and product of general lumpiness. And when I say lumpiness I mean that, like a marshmallow, action was done to Merry, but nothing of real, harrowing consequence was done by Merry.
But there's also weirdness and oddity in Devon's portrayal. Everything about him is abstracted, even his name. His presence in the novel is that of a looming shadow (see Beyond Heaving Bosoms for elaboration of the theory of The Hero as the Shadow-Self of the Heroine). Though I understand that this is normal of the genre, it gives Merry most of the work to do in the novel, which is unfortunate because she's a bit boring. Reactions don't equal personality.
And finally, we have the side characters. Cat and Raven were by far my favorite characters in the novel, and the fact that both of them (especially Cat) seemed to truly care for Merry made her relationship with Devon all the more frustrating. I'm not saying that because Devon was too preoccupied with stifling his raging lust for Merry to spend time with her and therefore is rendered a poor choice for her- I am suggesting that more, truly heartfelt emotional moments are between Cat and Merry, and to see them together would be, by far, more satisfying. It feels like the union between Devon and Merry is a foregone conclusion- he gets her because he is the Hero, he is the Hero because...well..the plot says so.
This was the second Romance novel I've ever read, so my review really comes from my experience as an English Major with a Feminist slant. I'm still interested in the genre, I plan to read more current Romance novels to see the progress of both the hero and the heroine from abstracted roles.
One earlier review described Merry as a "marshmallow," which is incredibly apt. But whether this is a positive or negative trait solely depends on the reader. For me, Merry was a trifling sweetness, not terribly complex or rich, and in many ways was a lump. Her actions, escaping the ship etc, though proactive, had a weird role in the novel where her escape was depicted as more of a burden and product of general lumpiness. And when I say lumpiness I mean that, like a marshmallow, action was done to Merry, but nothing of real, harrowing consequence was done by Merry.
But there's also weirdness and oddity in Devon's portrayal. Everything about him is abstracted, even his name. His presence in the novel is that of a looming shadow (see Beyond Heaving Bosoms for elaboration of the theory of The Hero as the Shadow-Self of the Heroine). Though I understand that this is normal of the genre, it gives Merry most of the work to do in the novel, which is unfortunate because she's a bit boring. Reactions don't equal personality.
And finally, we have the side characters. Cat and Raven were by far my favorite characters in the novel, and the fact that both of them (especially Cat) seemed to truly care for Merry made her relationship with Devon all the more frustrating. I'm not saying that because Devon was too preoccupied with stifling his raging lust for Merry to spend time with her and therefore is rendered a poor choice for her- I am suggesting that more, truly heartfelt emotional moments are between Cat and Merry, and to see them together would be, by far, more satisfying. It feels like the union between Devon and Merry is a foregone conclusion- he gets her because he is the Hero, he is the Hero because...well..the plot says so.
This was the second Romance novel I've ever read, so my review really comes from my experience as an English Major with a Feminist slant. I'm still interested in the genre, I plan to read more current Romance novels to see the progress of both the hero and the heroine from abstracted roles.
July 27, 2022
What an epic saga filled with so many wonderful characters and all of them deep and nuanced.
Merry is a young sheltered American girl who is thrown into one big adventure and her path leads her into the arms of a pirate called Devon.
Their relationship was not at all what you would expect from bodice ripper kind of cover. Magnetic, passionate but also held in check for a long time.
There were long passages in which I felt the book was dragging as if the authors were hesitant to get on with the plot.
But towards the end the plot gets its legs back and I read it with a breath held in.
Even though Merry and Devon were interesting and sort of fun, their story was slightly dragging and they never quite got to resolve their emotional issues (until the very end) however who stole the book for me was Cat, youngish beautiful, hardened pirate who was taking care of Merry as if he was her mother.
I wish there was a story about him. He was captivating.
Would recommend it and will likely reread it again.
Merry is a young sheltered American girl who is thrown into one big adventure and her path leads her into the arms of a pirate called Devon.
Their relationship was not at all what you would expect from bodice ripper kind of cover. Magnetic, passionate but also held in check for a long time.
There were long passages in which I felt the book was dragging as if the authors were hesitant to get on with the plot.
But towards the end the plot gets its legs back and I read it with a breath held in.
Even though Merry and Devon were interesting and sort of fun, their story was slightly dragging and they never quite got to resolve their emotional issues (until the very end) however who stole the book for me was Cat, youngish beautiful, hardened pirate who was taking care of Merry as if he was her mother.
I wish there was a story about him. He was captivating.
Would recommend it and will likely reread it again.
August 11, 2018
Oh, The Windflower, you crazy, delightful book. I have to admit, I was pretty skeptical going in. The book comes from the same era as The Flame and the Flower, which I hated, and the basic premise -- innocent, virginal young woman kidnapped and taken against her will on high seas adventures -- was similar. This book is so much better than The Flame and the Flower, though, from prose style to plotting to characterization. Also, unlike in the Woodiwiss book, the hero of The Windflower doesn't rape the heroine. So yay for that! :P
It didn't take me long to get over my skepticism and get swept up in the crazy ups and downs of Miss Merry Wilding and the pirates who become basically the adoring dwarves to her Snow White. There's a lot of humor in the story, along with the drama, and the book never takes itself too seriously. (Merry's unicorn fixation alone...I mean, come on. What can her dreams of riding a muscular unicorn with a thick, long horn possibly mean? It's a mystery!)
The book worked for me less as a romance novel, and more as an adventure, a coming-of-age story, and a friendship story. The most compelling thing about the book wasn't the romance between Merry and Devon, the golden-haired Adonis pirate with an aristocratic backstory. I was pretty indifferent about Devon, actually. What really drew me in were the secondary characters, particularly the pirates on board the ship the Black Joke. The leader, Rand Morgan -- dark, dangerous, with mysterious and intriguingly opaque motivations for the things he does and the way he manipulates the lives of others. Morgan's protege, former child prostitute Cat, whose icy, shut-down demeanor is breached by his growing friendship with the girl he kidnapped. Raven, the sweet-natured young man who gets himself into trouble more than once thanks to his crush on Merry. Sails, Cook, Valentine...the community on the Black Joke is vibrant and interesting.
Cat in particular is a rich, compelling character. He puts most of the others in the shade, really, and Devon especially pales in comparison. Cat's nuanced and complicated in a way Dev never is, with his heartbreaking past, dry sense of humor, and cynical view of the world. Merry's innocence and his growing affection for her crack his shell and lead to a scene toward the end of the book, that made me tear up and feel genuinely emotional. Cat is the standout character, in my opinion, and would make a great hero in his own right. His scenes with Merry are some of my favorites in the novel. She seems to spend more time with him than with Devon, and their relationship is a lot more interesting to me.
As for our heroine, Miss Merry, I like her a lot. Sure, she has many of the traits that make people roll their eyes at romance novel heroines, especially those from this time period. She's incredibly beautiful and nubile, and all the men who see her either fall in love with her or want to protect her in a fatherly way. She's virginal and innocent, and gets herself into all kinds of stupid situations from which she has to be rescued. I liked her anyway, though, because in spite of those things there's a level of self-awareness about her that I appreciated. After she is kidnapped, for instance:
She was ashamed of her cowardice, her crying, the whimper in her voice. There were probably a hundred spunky things that a woman of spirit would have thought of to say, and all she had managed to do was plead pitifully for her life. In a bitter epiphany, she saw herself as she was, an inexperienced, awkward teenager, endowed with more imagination than poise.
She does dumb things at times, but I never felt that she was "too stupid to live." She's lived a sheltered life, so of course she's not going to know exactly how to deal with life on a pirate ship, being stranded on a desert island, etc. She did better than I probably would've, to be honest! I also like that, though her attempts always seem to go wrong, she never gives up on standing up for herself, whether by trying to escape, confronting the hero with an ancient harpoon wrenched off a wall, or refusing to be cowed by the group of foul-mouthed, dangerous men she's surrounded by. She actually matures a bit over the course of the story, which makes her beginning as a sweet little naif less annoying.
This book is far from perfect -- the prose is often very purple, especially during the sex scenes. And if you're looking for some kind of realism, you aren't going to find it here. The plot is engaging and full of twists and turns that kept me flipping the pages, but the likelihood of any of it plausibly happening is pretty slim. Some of the coincidences and contrivances are just too much! But really, who cares? You don't read this kind of book for verisimilitude. You read it for escapist fun, and I had a lot of that.
It's intriguing to me that The Windflower was written by two people -- a husband and wife team, no less. It had a consistent voice throughout and I would never have guessed it wasn't written by one author. I have to admire people who can collaborate like this. I'm such a control freak that the thought of co-writing something gives me hives. "Laura London" did a great job, though -- flowery sex scenes notwithstanding.
It didn't take me long to get over my skepticism and get swept up in the crazy ups and downs of Miss Merry Wilding and the pirates who become basically the adoring dwarves to her Snow White. There's a lot of humor in the story, along with the drama, and the book never takes itself too seriously. (Merry's unicorn fixation alone...I mean, come on. What can her dreams of riding a muscular unicorn with a thick, long horn possibly mean? It's a mystery!)
The book worked for me less as a romance novel, and more as an adventure, a coming-of-age story, and a friendship story. The most compelling thing about the book wasn't the romance between Merry and Devon, the golden-haired Adonis pirate with an aristocratic backstory. I was pretty indifferent about Devon, actually. What really drew me in were the secondary characters, particularly the pirates on board the ship the Black Joke. The leader, Rand Morgan -- dark, dangerous, with mysterious and intriguingly opaque motivations for the things he does and the way he manipulates the lives of others. Morgan's protege, former child prostitute Cat, whose icy, shut-down demeanor is breached by his growing friendship with the girl he kidnapped. Raven, the sweet-natured young man who gets himself into trouble more than once thanks to his crush on Merry. Sails, Cook, Valentine...the community on the Black Joke is vibrant and interesting.
Cat in particular is a rich, compelling character. He puts most of the others in the shade, really, and Devon especially pales in comparison. Cat's nuanced and complicated in a way Dev never is, with his heartbreaking past, dry sense of humor, and cynical view of the world. Merry's innocence and his growing affection for her crack his shell and lead to a scene toward the end of the book, that made me tear up and feel genuinely emotional. Cat is the standout character, in my opinion, and would make a great hero in his own right. His scenes with Merry are some of my favorites in the novel. She seems to spend more time with him than with Devon, and their relationship is a lot more interesting to me.
As for our heroine, Miss Merry, I like her a lot. Sure, she has many of the traits that make people roll their eyes at romance novel heroines, especially those from this time period. She's incredibly beautiful and nubile, and all the men who see her either fall in love with her or want to protect her in a fatherly way. She's virginal and innocent, and gets herself into all kinds of stupid situations from which she has to be rescued. I liked her anyway, though, because in spite of those things there's a level of self-awareness about her that I appreciated. After she is kidnapped, for instance:
She was ashamed of her cowardice, her crying, the whimper in her voice. There were probably a hundred spunky things that a woman of spirit would have thought of to say, and all she had managed to do was plead pitifully for her life. In a bitter epiphany, she saw herself as she was, an inexperienced, awkward teenager, endowed with more imagination than poise.
She does dumb things at times, but I never felt that she was "too stupid to live." She's lived a sheltered life, so of course she's not going to know exactly how to deal with life on a pirate ship, being stranded on a desert island, etc. She did better than I probably would've, to be honest! I also like that, though her attempts always seem to go wrong, she never gives up on standing up for herself, whether by trying to escape, confronting the hero with an ancient harpoon wrenched off a wall, or refusing to be cowed by the group of foul-mouthed, dangerous men she's surrounded by. She actually matures a bit over the course of the story, which makes her beginning as a sweet little naif less annoying.
This book is far from perfect -- the prose is often very purple, especially during the sex scenes. And if you're looking for some kind of realism, you aren't going to find it here. The plot is engaging and full of twists and turns that kept me flipping the pages, but the likelihood of any of it plausibly happening is pretty slim. Some of the coincidences and contrivances are just too much! But really, who cares? You don't read this kind of book for verisimilitude. You read it for escapist fun, and I had a lot of that.
It's intriguing to me that The Windflower was written by two people -- a husband and wife team, no less. It had a consistent voice throughout and I would never have guessed it wasn't written by one author. I have to admire people who can collaborate like this. I'm such a control freak that the thought of co-writing something gives me hives. "Laura London" did a great job, though -- flowery sex scenes notwithstanding.
November 11, 2010
Ok... I put off reading this one for a looooong time, mostly because I really have to be "in the mood" to read anything pre-1990 (aka, bodice ripper bonanza era): I hate it when the hero (usually a pirate, duke, sheik,...) rapes the heroine, where the heroine is physically abused, etc, and while I read them, wide-eyed, when I was in my early teens, it's been a while since that kind of storyline has attracted me.
That said, The Windflower was not your average bodice ripper AT ALL, and did not contain any of the previous scenarios!!!
I honestly thought it would, up to the point where Merry is kidnapped and brought to the Black Joke.. But then... Wow!!! The writing and descriptions were amazing, and I was sucked into Merry and Devon's world in a heartbeat: Merry did sometimes grate on my nerves, and I sometimes wanted to smack Devon, but he was so honorable that it was hard not to like him... And Cat! OMG, lol... I think I almost fell more in love with Cat than Devon! The secondary characters were deep and realistic, and perfect:-)
So if anyone out there is reluctant to read a book about pirates, abductions, and sea voyages, think again: this is definitely a book to read: it will make you laugh and take you on a voyage you won't forget... Loved this book, and it's definitely going into my favorites! Now I just need to find a hard copy, lol.
That said, The Windflower was not your average bodice ripper AT ALL, and did not contain any of the previous scenarios!!!
I honestly thought it would, up to the point where Merry is kidnapped and brought to the Black Joke.. But then... Wow!!! The writing and descriptions were amazing, and I was sucked into Merry and Devon's world in a heartbeat: Merry did sometimes grate on my nerves, and I sometimes wanted to smack Devon, but he was so honorable that it was hard not to like him... And Cat! OMG, lol... I think I almost fell more in love with Cat than Devon! The secondary characters were deep and realistic, and perfect:-)
So if anyone out there is reluctant to read a book about pirates, abductions, and sea voyages, think again: this is definitely a book to read: it will make you laugh and take you on a voyage you won't forget... Loved this book, and it's definitely going into my favorites! Now I just need to find a hard copy, lol.
May 10, 2016
American Merry Wilding is kidnapped by the English pirate, Devon.
An old favorite of many. If I had read this back in the 80s when it was published I probably would have given it 5 stars but my taste have changed some through the years. Written in the heyday of bodice rippers, this has some elements often found in them. But more of a soft bodice ripper. I liked it but I did feel it lagged in a few places. There were a lot of interesting characters and they really added to the story.
An old favorite of many. If I had read this back in the 80s when it was published I probably would have given it 5 stars but my taste have changed some through the years. Written in the heyday of bodice rippers, this has some elements often found in them. But more of a soft bodice ripper. I liked it but I did feel it lagged in a few places. There were a lot of interesting characters and they really added to the story.
dnf
August 11, 2018I know this is a favorite classic, but I just couldn't get past the overly descriptive prose detailing everything in each scene. Everything! Talk about tedious.
In addition, the heroine seemed like THE airhead of all airheads.
In addition, the heroine seemed like THE airhead of all airheads.
dnf
March 24, 2023DNF @ 30% - this SHOULD be perfect for me but it’s not grabbing me. The H and h don’t spend much time together and there’s a secondary character that she seems to have more chemistry with…. I’m bored and not invested in the main characters. 🤷🏼♀️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2022
I read The Windflower since Alexis Hall recommended this book in the article Romance Recommendations for Very Specific Reding Moods (July 28, 2022). He summarizes it perfectly and I therefore quote him:
“For when you want to read an old-school pirate romp, and I do mean old-school and I do mean romp. There is much that has not aged well about this book, including its queer-coded villain. But it is also utterly bananas and has bags of charm. It opens with its hyper-innocent, red-haired heroine, Merry, trying to sketch exceptionally phallic rutabagas and daydreaming about a unicorn. She is soon captured by a smorgasbord of hot pirates. I don’t know what else to tell you. If you like suspending your disbelief and exquisitely purple prose, this is the pirate romance of your (suggestive) dreams.”
If you are looking for a historical romance with a side of realism, please exit stage right and look elsewhere.
I cannot complain that I was not forewarned concerning the purple prose. The beginning of the novel was quite purple, but also quite hilarious, and clearly the intentional kind of hilarious. It contains the lewd vegetables and other not so subtle innuendos:
“Merry Patricia Wilding was sitting on a cobblestone wall, sketching three rutabagas and daydreaming about the unicorn.”
“Setting down her pencil, Merry spread and flexed her fingers and watched as a tiny yellow butterfly skimmed her shoulder to light on the ground, its thin wings fluttering against the flushing bulge of a carrot. The beans were heavy with plump rods, and there would be good eating from the sturdy ruby stalks of the rhubarb. Merry looked back to her drawing and lifted her pencil. The rutabagas weren’t coming out right. The front one had a hairy, trailing root that jutted upward at an awkwardly foreshortened angle. Though she had corrected the drawing several times, the result remained an unhappy one. It would make a better exercise to continue reworking the picture until she had captured the very essence of the vegetable, in all its humble, mottled-purple symmetry … Merry was disappointed to discover in herself a flagging interest in the rutabagas … discipline, discipline.”
However, the flowery prose also lead to some of the most bewildering love scenes that I ever read (this was clearly not the intended effect), and often managed to throw me out of the story.
I was not a fan of the romance. There was no sexual tension, it rather started as a case of insta-lust. The hero (Devon) kisses the heroine when they first meet and then vacillates between fondling the heroine and “absenting” himself so that the romance does not progress too quickly. The hero was also the least interesting character and had few defining characteristics besides being classically handsome.
I can nevertheless understand why this is a favorite for a lot of readers. The key reason might be the rest of the cast, said “smorgasbord of hot pirates”. There is also a young hot Nordic pirate (Cat), a young hot West Indies pirate (Raven), and a hot stern daddy pirate (the captain Rand Morgan). The secondary characters were realized better than the hero, and it is therefore not surprising that numerous reviewers rather seem to be rooting for the side characters, especially Cat. The book goes to some lengths to make you like all the characters, including Dennis the pig.
“At Merry’s feet there stood a grunting, sniffling pig, its ears flapped forward like blinders, trotters clicking angrily on the deck. “Away with ye, Dennis! If that’s the way ye have with the ladies, it’s as well ye are a pig,” said an old sailor, who had been sewing, his back to the gunwale and nested in the ecru hills of a sail.”
“Merry cleared her throat. “Dennis?” she said. The older man gave her an encouraging grin. “Aye. Aye. He came aboard as a wee ruddy porker, with a yaller ribbon ’round his neck. We mean to eat him sometime, but who can do it with him being such a pet and all?” “Oh,” Merry said. “But—Dennis?” “If there’s a pig on a ship, everyone calls it Dennis,” said Cat. “Don’t ask me why.” “It’s the porcine moniker,” agreed the old man.”
Although this is an abducted by pirates story, it is always clear that the heroine is not really in danger. There is this supposedly dangerous bunch of pirates, but we never see them doing anything degenerate, and Dennis illustrates that they won’t even eat innocent pigs.
It also seems that at least two of the pirates are bisexual, and that they may or may not be in a relationship. This is rather surprising for an eighties bodice-ripper.
Read this if you are looking for some escapist fun and if you do not mind the purple prose. It is often entertaining and can be funny in a an old-fashioned screwball comedy kind of way.
“There is more to love than two pelvises in a tussle.”
“”Would it surprise you to know, my little friend, that having you stare at my legs is the most uplifting thing that’s happened to me all day?” It was not the kind of remark she had remotely conceived a man might make to a woman, but there was something in his matter-of-fact delivery that made her suspect that he had participated in a great many conversations in precisely this style. Wishing she could match the ease of his tone, she said, “It’s a pity your days are so dull.””
“For when you want to read an old-school pirate romp, and I do mean old-school and I do mean romp. There is much that has not aged well about this book, including its queer-coded villain. But it is also utterly bananas and has bags of charm. It opens with its hyper-innocent, red-haired heroine, Merry, trying to sketch exceptionally phallic rutabagas and daydreaming about a unicorn. She is soon captured by a smorgasbord of hot pirates. I don’t know what else to tell you. If you like suspending your disbelief and exquisitely purple prose, this is the pirate romance of your (suggestive) dreams.”
If you are looking for a historical romance with a side of realism, please exit stage right and look elsewhere.
I cannot complain that I was not forewarned concerning the purple prose. The beginning of the novel was quite purple, but also quite hilarious, and clearly the intentional kind of hilarious. It contains the lewd vegetables and other not so subtle innuendos:
“Merry Patricia Wilding was sitting on a cobblestone wall, sketching three rutabagas and daydreaming about the unicorn.”
“Setting down her pencil, Merry spread and flexed her fingers and watched as a tiny yellow butterfly skimmed her shoulder to light on the ground, its thin wings fluttering against the flushing bulge of a carrot. The beans were heavy with plump rods, and there would be good eating from the sturdy ruby stalks of the rhubarb. Merry looked back to her drawing and lifted her pencil. The rutabagas weren’t coming out right. The front one had a hairy, trailing root that jutted upward at an awkwardly foreshortened angle. Though she had corrected the drawing several times, the result remained an unhappy one. It would make a better exercise to continue reworking the picture until she had captured the very essence of the vegetable, in all its humble, mottled-purple symmetry … Merry was disappointed to discover in herself a flagging interest in the rutabagas … discipline, discipline.”
However, the flowery prose also lead to some of the most bewildering love scenes that I ever read (this was clearly not the intended effect), and often managed to throw me out of the story.
I was not a fan of the romance. There was no sexual tension, it rather started as a case of insta-lust. The hero (Devon) kisses the heroine when they first meet and then vacillates between fondling the heroine and “absenting” himself so that the romance does not progress too quickly. The hero was also the least interesting character and had few defining characteristics besides being classically handsome.
I can nevertheless understand why this is a favorite for a lot of readers. The key reason might be the rest of the cast, said “smorgasbord of hot pirates”. There is also a young hot Nordic pirate (Cat), a young hot West Indies pirate (Raven), and a hot stern daddy pirate (the captain Rand Morgan). The secondary characters were realized better than the hero, and it is therefore not surprising that numerous reviewers rather seem to be rooting for the side characters, especially Cat. The book goes to some lengths to make you like all the characters, including Dennis the pig.
“At Merry’s feet there stood a grunting, sniffling pig, its ears flapped forward like blinders, trotters clicking angrily on the deck. “Away with ye, Dennis! If that’s the way ye have with the ladies, it’s as well ye are a pig,” said an old sailor, who had been sewing, his back to the gunwale and nested in the ecru hills of a sail.”
“Merry cleared her throat. “Dennis?” she said. The older man gave her an encouraging grin. “Aye. Aye. He came aboard as a wee ruddy porker, with a yaller ribbon ’round his neck. We mean to eat him sometime, but who can do it with him being such a pet and all?” “Oh,” Merry said. “But—Dennis?” “If there’s a pig on a ship, everyone calls it Dennis,” said Cat. “Don’t ask me why.” “It’s the porcine moniker,” agreed the old man.”
Although this is an abducted by pirates story, it is always clear that the heroine is not really in danger. There is this supposedly dangerous bunch of pirates, but we never see them doing anything degenerate, and Dennis illustrates that they won’t even eat innocent pigs.
It also seems that at least two of the pirates are bisexual, and that they may or may not be in a relationship. This is rather surprising for an eighties bodice-ripper.
Read this if you are looking for some escapist fun and if you do not mind the purple prose. It is often entertaining and can be funny in a an old-fashioned screwball comedy kind of way.
“There is more to love than two pelvises in a tussle.”
“”Would it surprise you to know, my little friend, that having you stare at my legs is the most uplifting thing that’s happened to me all day?” It was not the kind of remark she had remotely conceived a man might make to a woman, but there was something in his matter-of-fact delivery that made her suspect that he had participated in a great many conversations in precisely this style. Wishing she could match the ease of his tone, she said, “It’s a pity your days are so dull.””
October 31, 2010
I was wavering between 4 and 5 stars on this one, and went with the higher rating. Because I HATE pirate romance, and yet I enjoyed every moment of this book.
Here's the premise: Innocent Merry Wilding is accidentally kidnapped and brought aboard a pirate ship during the war of 1812, where she falls in love with a hot blonde pirate who is actually a titled Englishman.
I know!! It's ludicrous. But lots of good stuff is (exactly where are the cameras during the Hunger Games, pray tell?!?). So please ignore the premise and treat it for what it is: a vehicle for telling a terrific story.
Things I loved:
*It was *long*. What ever happened to long, drawn-out historical romance? This was 400+ pages and the print was tiny. It took me--hm--probably at least 6-8 hours to read, possibly longer. Most everything I buy now takes 3 hours, tops--and usually more like 2.
*That's part of the reason why I felt it was worth every penny I paid for it. It's OOP and hard to find. I have been looking for it in used bookstores for about 2 years, then gave in last week and bought it from Amazon for over $20. Worth it, worth it, worth it. It's not going on the gr bookswap, that's for sure!
*Coming-of-age. Yes, this is a romance because it tells the story of a relationship, but it's just as much the story of Merry growing up. And yeah, it's totally unbelievable that her coming-of-age happened so gradually and on a pirate ship. Nonetheless, I had no problem suspending my disbelief.
*Rich details of setting. I don't give a darn about setting, generally speaking--but these authors made me care. I felt no desire to race through the description; instead, I wanted to sink into the worlds that the authors created.
*Writing. Sometimes overwrought, but often crisp and perfect: "No one ever has a good time on a pirate ship; no one except the pirates." I love that semicolon. And this, on the same page: "She splashed [water] into the washbowl and then onto her face, and it ran down her cheeks and trailed down her throat. There was no towel. Pirates, probably, liked to air dry."
*Characters. Somehow, these 1984 publishers let Tom & Sharon Curtis take so much time with this book that they were able to develop virtually every character that shows up on stage into someone believable and complex. Good grief, even the villain--present on the page briefly at best--is allowed some humanity.
*Cat and Raven and Morgan. Technically, they belong under characters, but I think they deserve a separate bullet. Three secondary characters who are each fascinating in their own right. I've seen some reviews that point out that this is an unusual romance (or even not really a romance) because the hero and heroine spend so much time apart. True. But that gives Cat, especially, more page time--which is a good thing.
*Chemistry. That's always the element that moves a romance into the 4- or 5-star category for me. I think it's a combination of convincing initial attraction, believable obstacles to consummation, and slow development of genuine emotion. This book has it, for sure.
*Hero & Heroine. I really liked both Merry and Devon--although, now that I think about it, they're they're the one element that made me waver on my 5-star rating. Neither is my favorite type of romance h/h these days. Merry's awfully sweet and innocent; Devon's a bit too alpha. But hey--it was 1984. (And they would have been exactly to my taste when I first began reading romance!) I think I grew to like them because over the course of the book they grew beyond those 80s-romance tendencies in gradual and convincing ways.
This is a keeper for sure. I only wish that some of the money I spent on it went to the original authors--they deserve it.
Here's the premise: Innocent Merry Wilding is accidentally kidnapped and brought aboard a pirate ship during the war of 1812, where she falls in love with a hot blonde pirate who is actually a titled Englishman.
I know!! It's ludicrous. But lots of good stuff is (exactly where are the cameras during the Hunger Games, pray tell?!?). So please ignore the premise and treat it for what it is: a vehicle for telling a terrific story.
Things I loved:
*It was *long*. What ever happened to long, drawn-out historical romance? This was 400+ pages and the print was tiny. It took me--hm--probably at least 6-8 hours to read, possibly longer. Most everything I buy now takes 3 hours, tops--and usually more like 2.
*That's part of the reason why I felt it was worth every penny I paid for it. It's OOP and hard to find. I have been looking for it in used bookstores for about 2 years, then gave in last week and bought it from Amazon for over $20. Worth it, worth it, worth it. It's not going on the gr bookswap, that's for sure!
*Coming-of-age. Yes, this is a romance because it tells the story of a relationship, but it's just as much the story of Merry growing up. And yeah, it's totally unbelievable that her coming-of-age happened so gradually and on a pirate ship. Nonetheless, I had no problem suspending my disbelief.
*Rich details of setting. I don't give a darn about setting, generally speaking--but these authors made me care. I felt no desire to race through the description; instead, I wanted to sink into the worlds that the authors created.
*Writing. Sometimes overwrought, but often crisp and perfect: "No one ever has a good time on a pirate ship; no one except the pirates." I love that semicolon. And this, on the same page: "She splashed [water] into the washbowl and then onto her face, and it ran down her cheeks and trailed down her throat. There was no towel. Pirates, probably, liked to air dry."
*Characters. Somehow, these 1984 publishers let Tom & Sharon Curtis take so much time with this book that they were able to develop virtually every character that shows up on stage into someone believable and complex. Good grief, even the villain--present on the page briefly at best--is allowed some humanity.
*Cat and Raven and Morgan. Technically, they belong under characters, but I think they deserve a separate bullet. Three secondary characters who are each fascinating in their own right. I've seen some reviews that point out that this is an unusual romance (or even not really a romance) because the hero and heroine spend so much time apart. True. But that gives Cat, especially, more page time--which is a good thing.
*Chemistry. That's always the element that moves a romance into the 4- or 5-star category for me. I think it's a combination of convincing initial attraction, believable obstacles to consummation, and slow development of genuine emotion. This book has it, for sure.
*Hero & Heroine. I really liked both Merry and Devon--although, now that I think about it, they're they're the one element that made me waver on my 5-star rating. Neither is my favorite type of romance h/h these days. Merry's awfully sweet and innocent; Devon's a bit too alpha. But hey--it was 1984. (And they would have been exactly to my taste when I first began reading romance!) I think I grew to like them because over the course of the book they grew beyond those 80s-romance tendencies in gradual and convincing ways.
This is a keeper for sure. I only wish that some of the money I spent on it went to the original authors--they deserve it.
February 16, 2025
far be it from me to give anything less than a glowing review to any book in which sugar crystals "cuddle thirstily down the line of [the heroine]'s young breasts" but this unfortunately used up all the erotic agita by like 55% of the way in, which, incidentally, was the time by which-- spoilers--
a) our heroine imagines riding a unicorn with a "poised and thick" horn (this is on the first page)
b) is kidnapped by pirates because she is sleeping in the bed of a man whose documents they are stealing, little do they know she is only sleeping in his bed due to the ant infestation in her luggage, put there by a wily irishman targeting her aunt
c) this after a previous erotic run-in with same pirates (when she is helping her american soldier brother out by looking at the pirates an an unsavory inn so she can later draw them for their wanted posters-- she's a really good drawer)
d) she is bound and gagged in an apple barrel
e) all her clothes are cut off by a twink pirate saving her from pneumonia by vigorously & professionally rubbing her down
f) she is drugged with opium
g) she fights off said opium by remembering her mother's funeral, which enables her to try to shoot the hero (devon) with a crossbow (she misses)
h) she learns how to do pirate stuff including fire a cannon and is adopted beloved by the entire crew although we are introduced to them with the hero observing bitterly that he no longer has any moral code or emotional sensitivity thanks to said pirate crew's evils
i) she tries to steal the hero's letters and escape by setting her cabin on fire and almost drowns
j) she is rescued by the hero but he notices his soggy letters in her ass
k) she adopts a pet squid
l) she tries to escape again by jumping in with another random pirate's escape during a battle with another pirate ship over a merchant ship (a battle our evil pirates start because they see there are CHILDREN on board)
m) they get lost because his map isn't real and he's holding it upside-down
n) they get marooned on an uninhabited island where he is eaten by crocodiles in the night
o) she lives on the island alone for two weeks starving to death before the hero finds her naked curled up dying of malnutrition but still mouth kisses her after noting her very soft breasts brushing his leg
p) she gets MALARIA from the ISLAND and the whole crew pulls to shore so she can die in a real bed and the twink is making all kinds of arsenic potions for her and then they remember about a secret remedy from india but they're worried it will kill her so the hero recommends they try it out on him first but the twink points out she, unlike the hero, already has all this arsenic in her system which won't make it an accurate test
q) she recovers
r) she learns the hero is not at her bedside because he has spent three days in his own sickbed recovering from eating arsenic
by this point we are 55% of the way into the book and the rest of the book is just like, the hero calling her "love" and "my dear" and "merry friend" (her name is merry btw) and "Windflower" (i still have no idea why on this one) and gently ministering to her and oh my gosh, he is secretly a duke, which is no good because she is american and hates the british... she gets love advice and kisses from both the evil (?) pirate captain and the twink... she and the secretly ducal hero have to get married.... they do.... they only fuck after marriage... i just see absolutely no reason why we should have run out of both plot and character conflict so early.
there was also something weird happening where whenever she got horny her lungs filled with rainbow fluids.
a) our heroine imagines riding a unicorn with a "poised and thick" horn (this is on the first page)
b) is kidnapped by pirates because she is sleeping in the bed of a man whose documents they are stealing, little do they know she is only sleeping in his bed due to the ant infestation in her luggage, put there by a wily irishman targeting her aunt
c) this after a previous erotic run-in with same pirates (when she is helping her american soldier brother out by looking at the pirates an an unsavory inn so she can later draw them for their wanted posters-- she's a really good drawer)
d) she is bound and gagged in an apple barrel
e) all her clothes are cut off by a twink pirate saving her from pneumonia by vigorously & professionally rubbing her down
f) she is drugged with opium
g) she fights off said opium by remembering her mother's funeral, which enables her to try to shoot the hero (devon) with a crossbow (she misses)
h) she learns how to do pirate stuff including fire a cannon and is adopted beloved by the entire crew although we are introduced to them with the hero observing bitterly that he no longer has any moral code or emotional sensitivity thanks to said pirate crew's evils
i) she tries to steal the hero's letters and escape by setting her cabin on fire and almost drowns
j) she is rescued by the hero but he notices his soggy letters in her ass
k) she adopts a pet squid
l) she tries to escape again by jumping in with another random pirate's escape during a battle with another pirate ship over a merchant ship (a battle our evil pirates start because they see there are CHILDREN on board)
m) they get lost because his map isn't real and he's holding it upside-down
n) they get marooned on an uninhabited island where he is eaten by crocodiles in the night
o) she lives on the island alone for two weeks starving to death before the hero finds her naked curled up dying of malnutrition but still mouth kisses her after noting her very soft breasts brushing his leg
p) she gets MALARIA from the ISLAND and the whole crew pulls to shore so she can die in a real bed and the twink is making all kinds of arsenic potions for her and then they remember about a secret remedy from india but they're worried it will kill her so the hero recommends they try it out on him first but the twink points out she, unlike the hero, already has all this arsenic in her system which won't make it an accurate test
q) she recovers
r) she learns the hero is not at her bedside because he has spent three days in his own sickbed recovering from eating arsenic
by this point we are 55% of the way into the book and the rest of the book is just like, the hero calling her "love" and "my dear" and "merry friend" (her name is merry btw) and "Windflower" (i still have no idea why on this one) and gently ministering to her and oh my gosh, he is secretly a duke, which is no good because she is american and hates the british... she gets love advice and kisses from both the evil (?) pirate captain and the twink... she and the secretly ducal hero have to get married.... they do.... they only fuck after marriage... i just see absolutely no reason why we should have run out of both plot and character conflict so early.
there was also something weird happening where whenever she got horny her lungs filled with rainbow fluids.
May 16, 2020
REALLY close to 5 stars. I'll say 4.5. This a longer than the average book out there now. I enjoyed the generous time that the authors gave to the story/plot. There are several characters in this book. That surprised me, since I had pictured a lone rogue pirate (redundant?) seducing an innocent young woman. I had that almost correct. There are many "minor" characters that play key roles. Devon is the H, Merry is the h. The plot build up was at first exciting and had some mystery. Devon is serving on a pirate ship-seems to be 2nd in command. Merry encounters Devon while she's assisting her brother in observing the British 1813 in Virginia. Of course, due to Merry's beauty, she stands out, even though disguised as an "ordinary" pregnant woman. Devon immediately suspects her. They meet again & A good deal of the book, Devon, tries to bargain with her true identity for her freedom.
She may be young, but knows enough not to reveal her full name or who she was seen with. The plot seemed to wander away from them while juggling the other pirates' roles. I love Cat- a young pirate that is a protege' of the pirate Captain Rand Morgan. There is intrigue and drama, and some funny moments. The romance between Merry and Devon is common knowledge to all on board the ship, the "Joke". Cat and Merry form a friendship and is encouraged by Capt Morgan and Devon. Cat's relationship to Devon & Morgan is at times vague. The book seems to peak early while there's a side plot involving the "real bad guy" being hashed out. I thought that this was bringing the main plot down-at about the 75% mark. The actual real relationships of the characters is revealed and the side plot to my relief has a great outcome. I would have placed some details in a different order- moving up the "feelings" reveal & consummation OR dealing with the "real" bad guy sooner then the lovin'/smexing. But what do I know? I'm just the reader> The language is updated from early 1800s & some phrases that may or may not be how they spoke in that day. This is 3rd person POV, mostly Merry but some of the others' POV as well. (that confused me a little).
As long as this book was, I wish that there would have been an epilogue! There is an ending and it is not rushed- but I would have liked a peek into their future.
I recommend The Windflower and a BIG thanks to JLC! ^_~
and to mjbett for making me get off my butt & read this already!
She may be young, but knows enough not to reveal her full name or who she was seen with. The plot seemed to wander away from them while juggling the other pirates' roles. I love Cat- a young pirate that is a protege' of the pirate Captain Rand Morgan. There is intrigue and drama, and some funny moments. The romance between Merry and Devon is common knowledge to all on board the ship, the "Joke". Cat and Merry form a friendship and is encouraged by Capt Morgan and Devon. Cat's relationship to Devon & Morgan is at times vague. The book seems to peak early while there's a side plot involving the "real bad guy" being hashed out. I thought that this was bringing the main plot down-at about the 75% mark. The actual real relationships of the characters is revealed and the side plot to my relief has a great outcome. I would have placed some details in a different order- moving up the "feelings" reveal & consummation OR dealing with the "real" bad guy sooner then the lovin'/smexing. But what do I know? I'm just the reader> The language is updated from early 1800s & some phrases that may or may not be how they spoke in that day. This is 3rd person POV, mostly Merry but some of the others' POV as well. (that confused me a little).
As long as this book was, I wish that there would have been an epilogue! There is an ending and it is not rushed- but I would have liked a peek into their future.
I recommend The Windflower and a BIG thanks to JLC! ^_~
and to mjbett for making me get off my butt & read this already!
May 14, 2015
Now that I'm a "woman of a certain age", I tend to shy away from teen-aged heroines, too-handsome-to-live heroes, and - for Pete's sake- pirates, of all things! This book should have hit every "NO!" button I have. But it didn't. I enjoyed every single cliched page of it.
Merry is a silly little 18-year-old girl, who is kidnapped and held captive on a pirate ship. Do the frightful pirates rape and torture her? Heck, no! They teach her how to sail, how to climb the rigging, and how to live like a pirate, yo-ho! There is - naturally - a to-die-for handsome pirate who falls for Merry like a ton of bricks. (He's also a spy. Of course.) Then there is Cat (blond and gorgeous), who was supposed to have had his own book, but the Curtises broke up before it could be written, and Rand, the (darkly handsome) Captain who is kind of a father figure...if fathers hold the option on keel-hauling his kids when they don't follow orders. And so much more...desert islands, crocodile attacks, dangerous illnesses, spies, sword fights and evil villains, plus the usual mis-understandings and hidden agendas...as another reviewer asked, "what's not to like?"
Call me a hopeless romantic with a galloping case of arrested development. I don't care. I liked this book.
Merry is a silly little 18-year-old girl, who is kidnapped and held captive on a pirate ship. Do the frightful pirates rape and torture her? Heck, no! They teach her how to sail, how to climb the rigging, and how to live like a pirate, yo-ho! There is - naturally - a to-die-for handsome pirate who falls for Merry like a ton of bricks. (He's also a spy. Of course.) Then there is Cat (blond and gorgeous), who was supposed to have had his own book, but the Curtises broke up before it could be written, and Rand, the (darkly handsome) Captain who is kind of a father figure...if fathers hold the option on keel-hauling his kids when they don't follow orders. And so much more...desert islands, crocodile attacks, dangerous illnesses, spies, sword fights and evil villains, plus the usual mis-understandings and hidden agendas...as another reviewer asked, "what's not to like?"
Call me a hopeless romantic with a galloping case of arrested development. I don't care. I liked this book.
May 3, 2024
3.75 Stars
A weaker first half with an explosion of loveliness in the second.
While normally a fan of multiple viewpoints, I sometimes found it frustrating in this book. The authors didn't utilize the practice of "head-hopping," yet the POV would sometimes shift and I found myself scrambling to figure out what was suddenly going on. In the first half of the book, there were too many emotional heroine moments with an overly brusque, forceful, and hot/cold hero. Also, the overall dynamics on the ship were odd. I accepted everything as I continued reading and greatly enjoyed the second half when facts came out and the romance embraced honesty.
October 1, 2015
This book is going on my favorites shelf. I found this book in an article on NPR about great romance books. Oh Windflower where have you been all my life?
Let me say this: I don't read pirate romances. I think they suck. They are almost always stupid with OTT idiot heroines. I took a chance on this book and YOWZA!
The thing that makes this book stand out is the writing. The prose is gorgeous. The author develops the characters so well, you feel like you know them. The setting is done so well, you feel like you are sitting in a canoe in a tropical paradise. And the romance is so slow-burn and well plotted that by the time they get together I was swooning!
Merry our MC is such a sweet and amazing girl. She grows and learns about herself and hardly ever does anything stupid. She has her secrets that she has to keep from Devon. She charms all the pirates on the ship including Devon. But let me say this about these pirates: They are real. These men and violent and do bad things. They are not disney pirates. And Devon is a real SOB for a lot of the book. They did things that shocked me on Merry's behalf. The many side characters were well developed and I loved them. I wish we could get them their own books! Captain Morgan and Raven and especially Cat.
Love this book!
Let me say this: I don't read pirate romances. I think they suck. They are almost always stupid with OTT idiot heroines. I took a chance on this book and YOWZA!
The thing that makes this book stand out is the writing. The prose is gorgeous. The author develops the characters so well, you feel like you know them. The setting is done so well, you feel like you are sitting in a canoe in a tropical paradise. And the romance is so slow-burn and well plotted that by the time they get together I was swooning!
Merry our MC is such a sweet and amazing girl. She grows and learns about herself and hardly ever does anything stupid. She has her secrets that she has to keep from Devon. She charms all the pirates on the ship including Devon. But let me say this about these pirates: They are real. These men and violent and do bad things. They are not disney pirates. And Devon is a real SOB for a lot of the book. They did things that shocked me on Merry's behalf. The many side characters were well developed and I loved them. I wish we could get them their own books! Captain Morgan and Raven and especially Cat.
Love this book!
February 18, 2008
THE best romance I've ever read. Even after 20 years, Devon, Merry, Cat and Raven still make me cry, laugh and long to be a part of their world. I've never read anything that compares to what the characters in this story make me feel. I love it, I love it. A must-read for any romance writer.
January 14, 2024
Great book. Should have been gayer.
July 6, 2014
Coming up with a rating for The Windflower is one of the more difficult decisions I've had to make for a book. It's one of those books dependent on so many things: its historical context, the reader's personal state of mind, and how much fantasy the reader feels comfortable consenting to.
Personally, I have a pretty tough suspension of disbelief. I do make an active attempt to go where a writer is trying to take, with more success sometimes (Catherynne Valente, for example) than others (right now, I'm making side-eye at Joe Hill's NOS4A2U). The Windflower was one of those rare books that, when it worked for me, it REALLY WORKED. And when it didn't? Well, it was frustrating in the extreme.
To start with, if you're not a regular romance reader, I can't imagine The Windflower working well for you. It's a product of its time: florid descriptions, the ever-present specter of rape and pillage, and over-the-top for all of its 500 plus pages. At the same time, that's what can also make it great - it's larger than life, and when you get sucked into the story it feels epic in a way modern romances rarely do.
But again, context can be difficult. Whereas early romances often featured rape as a shortcut for "she wants it, but good girls don't, so here's how we're going to have it both ways," to the modern reader (especially the modern reader who has had quite enough of all of the misogyny that seems to be growing like a cancer in society again) it's really hard to read portions where the "hero" threatens to sexually assault the heroine, and not throw the book across the room.
On a lighter complaint, thinking too much about how perfect and innocent the heroine is, and how a ship full of pirates could turn into a bunch of friendly, Disneyish pirates can also lead to eye-rolling of a particularly epic nature.
Yet, even with the above complaints, I couldn't put The Windflower down once I got into it. There's a lushness to it that reminds me of my early days reading romance, and the tension between the hero and the heroine is incredible - especially compared to today's romances, which use simple lust as a shortcut for the kind of desire which the authors of The Windflower excel in depicting. Because of that, I can't give it less than four stars, even with quibbles. If you're going to read it, go in with an open mind and a willingness to engage in fantasy, and I think you'll enjoy it too.
Personally, I have a pretty tough suspension of disbelief. I do make an active attempt to go where a writer is trying to take, with more success sometimes (Catherynne Valente, for example) than others (right now, I'm making side-eye at Joe Hill's NOS4A2U). The Windflower was one of those rare books that, when it worked for me, it REALLY WORKED. And when it didn't? Well, it was frustrating in the extreme.
To start with, if you're not a regular romance reader, I can't imagine The Windflower working well for you. It's a product of its time: florid descriptions, the ever-present specter of rape and pillage, and over-the-top for all of its 500 plus pages. At the same time, that's what can also make it great - it's larger than life, and when you get sucked into the story it feels epic in a way modern romances rarely do.
But again, context can be difficult. Whereas early romances often featured rape as a shortcut for "she wants it, but good girls don't, so here's how we're going to have it both ways," to the modern reader (especially the modern reader who has had quite enough of all of the misogyny that seems to be growing like a cancer in society again) it's really hard to read portions where the "hero" threatens to sexually assault the heroine, and not throw the book across the room.
On a lighter complaint, thinking too much about how perfect and innocent the heroine is, and how a ship full of pirates could turn into a bunch of friendly, Disneyish pirates can also lead to eye-rolling of a particularly epic nature.
Yet, even with the above complaints, I couldn't put The Windflower down once I got into it. There's a lushness to it that reminds me of my early days reading romance, and the tension between the hero and the heroine is incredible - especially compared to today's romances, which use simple lust as a shortcut for the kind of desire which the authors of The Windflower excel in depicting. Because of that, I can't give it less than four stars, even with quibbles. If you're going to read it, go in with an open mind and a willingness to engage in fantasy, and I think you'll enjoy it too.
October 31, 2014
Sheltered, innocent, naïve to the point of
Merry Wilding is mistakenly kidnapped by Devon Crandall, a/k/a
(only he's blond)
Devon also mistakenly believes Merry is in cahoots with a guy he really, really hates . She's obviously hiding something. So he spends the first half of the book alternating between scaring her into puddle of quivering goo, or seducing her, which has more or less the same result.
When it comes to fighting for herself, this girl is about as effective as a one-legged bunny against a pack of wolves. Still, she's amusing enough that she wins the hearts of the rest of the pirates on the ship, and manages to get herself into various kinds of trouble.
The writing in this one is occasionally elegant, but also at times a bit too dense for my tastes. I admired passages like this: August passed like a dancer, graceful and sweating. But there were times when I really just wanted to see the story move along, and I was impatient with the rambling, if nicely worded, storytelling.
There are moments of real humor—I laughed aloud, for example, when Aunt April, herself a sheltered spinster, tried to explain the facts of life to Merry. Merry's spats with various pirates were also delicious at times.
A number of side characters also add to the story and one, the pirate captain, is about as meddlesome and manipulative as the most domineering dowager (as well as being, let's say, ambiguous in his orientation—evidently he once loved a woman, but now he talks like a campy extra in Glee). I never did figure out how I felt about him but he always either pissed me off or entertained me.
I liked this book, even though, despite the abduction and pirating and all, I found myself skimming quite a bit, when I got tired of the flowery descriptions and just wanted to see what happened next. In short, If this had been just a little better paced (and more stringently edited), it could have earned 4 stars or better, but as it stands I'll leave it at 3.5.
Merry Wilding is mistakenly kidnapped by Devon Crandall, a/k/a
(only he's blond)
Devon also mistakenly believes Merry is in cahoots with a guy he really, really hates . She's obviously hiding something. So he spends the first half of the book alternating between scaring her into puddle of quivering goo, or seducing her, which has more or less the same result.
When it comes to fighting for herself, this girl is about as effective as a one-legged bunny against a pack of wolves. Still, she's amusing enough that she wins the hearts of the rest of the pirates on the ship, and manages to get herself into various kinds of trouble.
The writing in this one is occasionally elegant, but also at times a bit too dense for my tastes. I admired passages like this: August passed like a dancer, graceful and sweating. But there were times when I really just wanted to see the story move along, and I was impatient with the rambling, if nicely worded, storytelling.
There are moments of real humor—I laughed aloud, for example, when Aunt April, herself a sheltered spinster, tried to explain the facts of life to Merry. Merry's spats with various pirates were also delicious at times.
A number of side characters also add to the story and one, the pirate captain, is about as meddlesome and manipulative as the most domineering dowager (as well as being, let's say, ambiguous in his orientation—evidently he once loved a woman, but now he talks like a campy extra in Glee). I never did figure out how I felt about him but he always either pissed me off or entertained me.
I liked this book, even though, despite the abduction and pirating and all, I found myself skimming quite a bit, when I got tired of the flowery descriptions and just wanted to see what happened next. In short, If this had been just a little better paced (and more stringently edited), it could have earned 4 stars or better, but as it stands I'll leave it at 3.5.
March 11, 2012
By Laura London (the husband and wife team of Sharon and Tom Curtis), The Windflower is my all time favorite romance. It's worth reading again and again. It's true. I've probably read it a half dozen times over the years. I recently saw it mentioned in a blog and decided to dig it out to read yet again. I don't know why I waited so long. My aged copy is in pieces and held together with a rubber band and strangely, the print seems to have shrunk considerably since the last time I thumbed thru its pages, but oh my, what a great read.
No one has fun on a pirate ship....well, unless you're on the Black Joke and technically, with a few lapses, they are privateers, not pirates. The story takes place during the War of 1812. The characters are wonderfully written. You can't help but like Merry and Devon, Cat, Raven, Morgan, Will, Sails and the others.
The dialog is witty, rife with sarcasm and very amusing. The story is a 'marvelously tender romp' thru Virginia, New York, the Caribbean and England. There are numerous attempted escapes requiring rescue along the way and a crew that will do about anything for their 'captive'. It really is a great story.
The book is out of print and it is my hope that the powers that be will reissue it. I would love to read about these characters again - especially Cat's story. I doubt it will ever get written, but I'll continue to hope.
I'll just have to revisit these characters in this story every year or so.
No one has fun on a pirate ship....well, unless you're on the Black Joke and technically, with a few lapses, they are privateers, not pirates. The story takes place during the War of 1812. The characters are wonderfully written. You can't help but like Merry and Devon, Cat, Raven, Morgan, Will, Sails and the others.
The dialog is witty, rife with sarcasm and very amusing. The story is a 'marvelously tender romp' thru Virginia, New York, the Caribbean and England. There are numerous attempted escapes requiring rescue along the way and a crew that will do about anything for their 'captive'. It really is a great story.
The book is out of print and it is my hope that the powers that be will reissue it. I would love to read about these characters again - especially Cat's story. I doubt it will ever get written, but I'll continue to hope.
I'll just have to revisit these characters in this story every year or so.
January 28, 2016
DNFed when I got to the part where she willingly gave herself up right after Devon humiliated her, emotionally tortured her and basically treated her like trash.
My pride as a woman couldn’t take it. Watching her defenses and logic go crumbling down because of what?
I don’t really care if he’s handsome and sexy af. If he looks like a greek god straight out from Olympus. I don’t care if there were times when he treated her right, when he showed her compassion. It all ends up with Devon semi-forcing himself to her anyway. Very close to rape, mind you. But thank god it didn’t came down to that.
So why 3 stars?
:3
I actually like the story. I love pirate ships and tales from the high seas. The protagonist is weak but I think she was realistically written. She is, after all, someone who has spent her entire life sheltered from the harshness of the real world. She is meek but sometimes there comes a fire within her when she’s got enough (too bad its not consistent when it comes to Devon). She cries a lot but she does not necessarily break. And seriously, if you have a thing for an alpha male British guy? This one is probably for you.
And dat slow burn romance doe. Im a total sucker for it :))
My pride as a woman couldn’t take it. Watching her defenses and logic go crumbling down because of what?
I don’t really care if he’s handsome and sexy af. If he looks like a greek god straight out from Olympus. I don’t care if there were times when he treated her right, when he showed her compassion. It all ends up with Devon semi-forcing himself to her anyway. Very close to rape, mind you. But thank god it didn’t came down to that.
So why 3 stars?
:3
I actually like the story. I love pirate ships and tales from the high seas. The protagonist is weak but I think she was realistically written. She is, after all, someone who has spent her entire life sheltered from the harshness of the real world. She is meek but sometimes there comes a fire within her when she’s got enough (too bad its not consistent when it comes to Devon). She cries a lot but she does not necessarily break. And seriously, if you have a thing for an alpha male British guy? This one is probably for you.
And dat slow burn romance doe. Im a total sucker for it :))
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