Pirate Booty! (The Windflower by Laura London)

June 12, 2014 Romance, Trashy Romance Novels 26

Ahoy, Bookworms!

Who’s up for a little romance on the high seas? You’re not? Well, TOO BAD! A few weeks ago, I ran across an article on NPR books discussing the re-printing of a well loved romance novel from the early 1980s called The Windflower. After that kind of review, I couldn’t NOT read this, so  I downloaded a copy for myself. I must recommend reading this digitally as the cover art is so far beyond cheesy it may as well have Fabio photo-bombing the background. Don’t be fooled by the cover, though. This book was pretty fantastic.

windflower

I make no apologies for the cheesiness of this cover. At least it isn’t Fabio.

Merry Wilding lives in Virginia with her spinster aunt in 1813. The British are still kind of ticked about the whole Revolutionary War thing and are stirring up another fuss. Merry’s patriotic heart causes her to join her brother on a little scheme to help the cause when she accidentally meets with a band of pirates. Being the charming little thing she is, Merry manages to escape the situation with no more harm to her dignity than having had her first kiss (a not so chaste one, at that!)

A few months later, however, Merry’s Aunt April decides that going back to England would be the safest option for them with conflict looming. On the eve of their departure, however, Merry is kidnapped by that very same band of pirates, with the issuer of that scandalous first kiss becomes her warden.

Devon (Mr. Kissyface) and Merry spend as much time sparring as trying to deny their attraction to each other. While the two are on the outs, Merry has a chance to meet and endear herself to the rest of the pirate crew, the jolliest lot of rapscallions ever to tipple a bottle of rum.

Readers of Outlander, take note! While there are no sci/fi elements and a great deal less political intrigue, The Windflower offers the same sort of breath-catching romance that makes Outlander readers’ hearts go pitter-pat. Sure, it’s a bit ridiculous with the pirate element, but my word, I LOVED some of those pirates. Cat and Raven and Cook?! If I were ever to sail the seven seas, I’d want those scallywags on my crew!

If you have ever enjoyed a historical romance, you simply must read The Windflower. Or walk the plank. Take your pick, you scurvy dogs!

Talk to me, Bookworms. Who’s got a favorite romance? Who is willing to admit indulging in the occasional bodice ripper? Who thinks Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow was a hottie? 

 

26 Responses to “Pirate Booty! (The Windflower by Laura London)”

  3. Jennine G.

    I went through an entire stage of reading the thin little paperback romances when I had my first child…I blame hormones. Haven’t read one since, but my MIL is a huge fan of them and gave me her complete collection to trade on my swap site. They go quickly!

    Funny side story, which I think I’ve mentioned before, but my husband was named after a character in one of these types of novels. So I read the book to see…the character is a ship captain who, basically forces himself upon a girl on the ship. I harassed my husband forever, telling him he’s named after a rapist character! Hahaha! But my MIL says No! The two characters fall in love by the end of the novel, so it’s all good. I’m laughing as I type this!

    Reply

    • Words For Worms

      Oh my word, your husband was named after a rogue rapist?! LOL that is hilarious. Soap operas use that storyline all the time. WHY IS THAT A THING?

      Reply

  4. AMB (Koiviolet)

    Wow, that really is a horrible cover! A Fabio photobomb would be hilarious (and I’d buy the book — a hard copy for my coffee table — just for that!). I like romantic elements in fiction, but I don’t read novels that are purely romance. In the romance category, I’ve had a few successes (like Dianne Vennetta’s Jennifer’s Garden) and some dismal failures (like Wife by Wednesday, which I should’ve ignored based on the title alone).*

    *That book didn’t work for me, but it was a NYT and WSJ bestseller.

    Reply

  5. April @ The Steadfast Reader

    I’m going to attempt a serious first go at the romance genre with ‘A Rogue by Any Other Name’ (already, seriously, that title?) because it came in the Book Riot box. I’m probably going to need a young priest and an old priest. 🙂

    Reply

  6. Megan M.

    That IS a terrible cover. It communicates nothing about pirates. This book sounds awesome and I’ll have to add it to my list. My granny used to mail me her old books when I was younger and many of them were romances. I still have a fondness for several Barbara Delinsky novels – For My Daughters, The Carpenter’s Lady, and The Passions of Chelsea Kane.

    Reply

  7. thatashgirl

    I totally enjoy the odd bodice ripper. I’m a huge Julie Garwood fan when it comes to my historical romances. I clearly have a THING for hot historical Scots 😉

    Reply

  8. Christine

    Ah, yes, the bodice ripper. I cut my fiction teeth on Kathleen Woodiwiss lo these many years ago, and The Wolf and the Dove remains my favorite of all of the 1970’s, slightly rapey, classic bodice rippers. Wulfgar was swooney.

    Reply

    • Megan M.

      I read my mom’s copy of “Nothing Lasts Forever” as a teen. It was so great! But I never tried any of his others.

      Reply

  12. Jenny @ Reading the End

    Oh I am totally willing to confess to the occasional bodice-ripper. Not so many of the ones from the 1980s though — the trend then seems to have been a lot of dubiously consensual sex scenes and very very VERY alpha male heroes. But bodice-rippers by more recent authors: Yep. They are totally soothing because I always know what’s going to happen in the end.

    Reply

Talk to me, Bookworms!

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