What do you think?
Rate this book
The Wildest Shore
In the England of 1811, it's perfectly sensible for a gardener's
daughter to accept a post as lady's maid. Indeed, it's a great
opportunity for a respectable upper servant's position. But Anne Hazlett's reasons for accepting the post have little to do with either sense or propriety. All her life, Anne has been haunted by a dream of a tropical island: a place with white sands and green palms, where she is queen. When her mistress sets sail to India, Anne is eager to accompany her, hoping for the chance to see exotic places like the island of her dreams. When the ship sinks, Anne is abandoned by her mistress, rescued by the handsome, ne'er-do-well Lt. Horatio Merivale, then picked up by pirates along with a handful of other survivors. Amid such a whirlwind, Anne finds little time to think of her dream. Little does
she know, but destiny is finally sweeping her toward her island -- and making sure the queen-to-be will have her king. Events in The Wildest Shore are all a little larger than life: full of adventure, swashbuckling, and feats of daring, in a story where love can make even the wildest dreams come true.
daughter to accept a post as lady's maid. Indeed, it's a great
opportunity for a respectable upper servant's position. But Anne Hazlett's reasons for accepting the post have little to do with either sense or propriety. All her life, Anne has been haunted by a dream of a tropical island: a place with white sands and green palms, where she is queen. When her mistress sets sail to India, Anne is eager to accompany her, hoping for the chance to see exotic places like the island of her dreams. When the ship sinks, Anne is abandoned by her mistress, rescued by the handsome, ne'er-do-well Lt. Horatio Merivale, then picked up by pirates along with a handful of other survivors. Amid such a whirlwind, Anne finds little time to think of her dream. Little does
she know, but destiny is finally sweeping her toward her island -- and making sure the queen-to-be will have her king. Events in The Wildest Shore are all a little larger than life: full of adventure, swashbuckling, and feats of daring, in a story where love can make even the wildest dreams come true.
393 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2001
About the author
Lisa Cach
49 books200 followersLisa Cach grew up in a farm near Portland, Oregon, a place she loves although she'd always trying to leave it. Wanderlust has led her to sail the Sargasso Sea, teach English in Japan, and trek the leech-infested jungles of Borneo. She has degrees in both English and psychology, two subjects that were fun to learn about but that guaranteed her low-paying jobs. Her father, she admits, may have been right about the MBA.
Lisa started to writing romances in her parents' basement during snatched moments from work. Since her writing career began her free time has become less and less as her novels become more and more popular. She's loved romance novels since Junior High School, and at least now she doesn't have to worry about getting caught reading one. Lisa married, and bought with her husband a home in Seattle, Washington. She describes her personal paradise as "...a pile of books, a plate of brownies, and the free time in which to enjoy them".
Lisa started to writing romances in her parents' basement during snatched moments from work. Since her writing career began her free time has become less and less as her novels become more and more popular. She's loved romance novels since Junior High School, and at least now she doesn't have to worry about getting caught reading one. Lisa married, and bought with her husband a home in Seattle, Washington. She describes her personal paradise as "...a pile of books, a plate of brownies, and the free time in which to enjoy them".
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 21, 2010
Reviewed for THC Reviews
The Wildest Shore is definitely not your average, run-of-the-mill, historical romance novel. Although it takes place during the Regency era, there is nary a ball or house party to be found, because the entire book is set either in the middle of the Indian Ocean or on one of the tropical islands in that part of the world. It gets off to an exciting start with the hero and heroine being shipwrecked, along with a handful of motley crew members in the very first chapter. The couple are from opposite sides of the track with Horatio being a British military officer stationed in India who is from a wealthy family, and Anne being a mere lady's maid who had been attending to her mistress on board the ship before it foundered. The story also contains a hint of the paranormal in the form of a recurring dream that Anne had about becoming the queen of an exotic island. This dream was the catalyst which made her choose to travel with her employer to India. Once she is stranded, she begins to have visions of a red kingfisher that seems to be leading her to her destiny, which does end up being a bit of mythological fantasy combined with a pseudo-Cinderella story. There are many things that occur in the narrative that are lighthearted and obviously not meant to be taken too seriously. All-in-all it made for a very unusual and different sort of read.
Horatio is quite possibly the most cheerful hero I've ever encountered in my romance reading. He has a blithe, devil-may-care attitude about nearly everything, including almost drowning in a shipwreck and being stuck in the middle of the ocean miles from land. I liked that he had a good sense of humor and was able to lighten Anne's mood, but sometimes he was almost a little too cavalier for my taste. Horatio also has a habit of spinning tall tales about their sea adventures which left me with mixed feelings. On the one hand it was rather endearing that he placed Anne in the lead as the grand heroine of his stories, but on the other hand, I'm not terribly fond of embellishing the truth. Another thing about Horatio that I went back and forth on was his unwavering belief in Anne's dream. Again, it was rather sweet that he had that much faith in her, but at the same time it was a pretty fanciful idea that just as easily could have been a mere fantasy which made him seem quite impulsive. At times there were hints of something deeper within Horatio. He seemed to have a bit of a rebellious streak, not truly wanting to return to his army post in India, and he believes himself a failure because of his father berating him as such many times over. If this part of his back story had been explored further, I think it would have given Horatio a fuller, more complex personality. As it was, these events were simply something that happened to him and made him feel bad occasionally, but in the end, were easily overcome by him saving the day. Horatio was definitely a beta hero which I normally love, but in this case, I only partially connected with him. I think this was because he seemed to be a man completely adrift with no plan or purpose in life and very little self-confidence until he met Anne. Then she and her dream became his sole reason for living. I ended up feeling like he was emotionally relying on Anne a little too much which made him seem somewhat weak. However, the one thing I absolutely, and without question, adored about Horatio is that he was a scrumptious lover who really knew how to treat a woman right. The love scenes were very hot, romantic, and as creative as the book itself. Even Horatio's fantasies of what he would like to do to Anne before it ever happened were wonderful.
Much like Horatio, I had a rather difficult time getting a lock on Anne's personality too. She was certainly the more serious of the two characters, being the foil to Horatio's blitheness, but to have traveled with her mistress in hopes of finding the island she had dreamed of for so long, showed that she had a bit of impulsiveness in her as well. What bothered me about her was how she kept pushing Horatio away for the better part of the story and even once she realized she was in love with him, she was still exerting her independence which I felt left a certain distance between them as a couple. I understood Anne feeling somewhat unworthy of him because of her lower social station, but that was probably the least of her objections. On some level I also understood how difficult it might be to blindly follow ones dreams and to believe in a man who appeared to be so careless, but I felt like her repeated protestations made it seem like she had absolutely no confidence in either Horatio or herself. Near the end of the story, she finally has an epiphany, but just like with Horatio, I felt like there wasn't enough self-discovery taking place during the narrative and then it was just a magical thing that occurred. Maybe I'm being too picky since this is a pretty fanciful story to begin with, but I just prefer to see characters growing slowly rather than fighting it or worrying about what might happen only to have all their cares just disappear in a puff of smoke at the end. I never, at any point, disliked either Horatio or Anne. They were both decent characters, but they just didn't fully resonate with me.
The Wildest Shore has an eclectic international cast of secondary characters whose diverse backgrounds and personalities brought to mind another group of castaways from one of my favorite TV shows of all time, Gilligan's Island. There was the gruff, big-built Dutch sailor, Ruut; the pretty boy Norwegian sailor, Ulrich; and the Chinese cabin boy, Kai, who is harboring a secret that I never would have predicted. I was just as shocked as Anne when it was revealed. Unfortunately, there were no details or explanations given after Kai's revelation which left me feeling rather disappointed. Later the mismatched group takes on an enigmatic native headhunter named Imsa. There was also the eccentric, or perhaps mad, French privateer, Philippe Chartier, who became Horatio and Anne's arch nemesis. Last but not least was Chartier's pet monkey, Mango, who develops an instant fondness for Anne. Mango was yet another unique thing in this already unusual book, because I don't believe I have ever read a monkey character in a romance novel before. He was good for a lot of laughs, as initially no one can stand the spoiled little beast, but eventually he seems to grow on them, especially Anne.
In my opinion, The Wildest Shore had what I would term roller-coaster pacing. One minute something exciting would be happening and the next there would be a lull in the story where my mind would begin wandering a bit. Or perhaps something emotional or romantic would happen, but before it could amp up to the next level, Horatio and Anne would start arguing or Anne would simply pull away. It made the narrative a little uneven for me, and could be a bit frustrating, because I would just be getting caught up in the moment only to have it end too quickly. Other than this and the issues I had with the characters, I did enjoy The Wildest Shore. I have to give the author kudos for trying something new and different and for doing hands on research. Much of the action and adventure of the tale is based on Lisa Cach's personal escapades sailing the Caribbean on a schooner and trekking through the jungles of Malaysia where she apparently experienced some of the same things as her heroine, Anne, did in the book. Also in spite of how incredible Anne and Horatio's ultimate destiny might have seemed, the author's note at the end indicates that something similar actually did happen to an Englishman around that same time period, so I guess she did her research well. Anyone who can suspend disbelief for a little while to just have fun and enjoy the ride should appreciate The Wildest Shore, and I would certainly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a historical romance that is out of the ordinary. This was my first read by Lisa Cach, but I will be on the look-out for others by her in the future.
The Wildest Shore is definitely not your average, run-of-the-mill, historical romance novel. Although it takes place during the Regency era, there is nary a ball or house party to be found, because the entire book is set either in the middle of the Indian Ocean or on one of the tropical islands in that part of the world. It gets off to an exciting start with the hero and heroine being shipwrecked, along with a handful of motley crew members in the very first chapter. The couple are from opposite sides of the track with Horatio being a British military officer stationed in India who is from a wealthy family, and Anne being a mere lady's maid who had been attending to her mistress on board the ship before it foundered. The story also contains a hint of the paranormal in the form of a recurring dream that Anne had about becoming the queen of an exotic island. This dream was the catalyst which made her choose to travel with her employer to India. Once she is stranded, she begins to have visions of a red kingfisher that seems to be leading her to her destiny, which does end up being a bit of mythological fantasy combined with a pseudo-Cinderella story. There are many things that occur in the narrative that are lighthearted and obviously not meant to be taken too seriously. All-in-all it made for a very unusual and different sort of read.
Horatio is quite possibly the most cheerful hero I've ever encountered in my romance reading. He has a blithe, devil-may-care attitude about nearly everything, including almost drowning in a shipwreck and being stuck in the middle of the ocean miles from land. I liked that he had a good sense of humor and was able to lighten Anne's mood, but sometimes he was almost a little too cavalier for my taste. Horatio also has a habit of spinning tall tales about their sea adventures which left me with mixed feelings. On the one hand it was rather endearing that he placed Anne in the lead as the grand heroine of his stories, but on the other hand, I'm not terribly fond of embellishing the truth. Another thing about Horatio that I went back and forth on was his unwavering belief in Anne's dream. Again, it was rather sweet that he had that much faith in her, but at the same time it was a pretty fanciful idea that just as easily could have been a mere fantasy which made him seem quite impulsive. At times there were hints of something deeper within Horatio. He seemed to have a bit of a rebellious streak, not truly wanting to return to his army post in India, and he believes himself a failure because of his father berating him as such many times over. If this part of his back story had been explored further, I think it would have given Horatio a fuller, more complex personality. As it was, these events were simply something that happened to him and made him feel bad occasionally, but in the end, were easily overcome by him saving the day. Horatio was definitely a beta hero which I normally love, but in this case, I only partially connected with him. I think this was because he seemed to be a man completely adrift with no plan or purpose in life and very little self-confidence until he met Anne. Then she and her dream became his sole reason for living. I ended up feeling like he was emotionally relying on Anne a little too much which made him seem somewhat weak. However, the one thing I absolutely, and without question, adored about Horatio is that he was a scrumptious lover who really knew how to treat a woman right. The love scenes were very hot, romantic, and as creative as the book itself. Even Horatio's fantasies of what he would like to do to Anne before it ever happened were wonderful.
Much like Horatio, I had a rather difficult time getting a lock on Anne's personality too. She was certainly the more serious of the two characters, being the foil to Horatio's blitheness, but to have traveled with her mistress in hopes of finding the island she had dreamed of for so long, showed that she had a bit of impulsiveness in her as well. What bothered me about her was how she kept pushing Horatio away for the better part of the story and even once she realized she was in love with him, she was still exerting her independence which I felt left a certain distance between them as a couple. I understood Anne feeling somewhat unworthy of him because of her lower social station, but that was probably the least of her objections. On some level I also understood how difficult it might be to blindly follow ones dreams and to believe in a man who appeared to be so careless, but I felt like her repeated protestations made it seem like she had absolutely no confidence in either Horatio or herself. Near the end of the story, she finally has an epiphany, but just like with Horatio, I felt like there wasn't enough self-discovery taking place during the narrative and then it was just a magical thing that occurred. Maybe I'm being too picky since this is a pretty fanciful story to begin with, but I just prefer to see characters growing slowly rather than fighting it or worrying about what might happen only to have all their cares just disappear in a puff of smoke at the end. I never, at any point, disliked either Horatio or Anne. They were both decent characters, but they just didn't fully resonate with me.
The Wildest Shore has an eclectic international cast of secondary characters whose diverse backgrounds and personalities brought to mind another group of castaways from one of my favorite TV shows of all time, Gilligan's Island. There was the gruff, big-built Dutch sailor, Ruut; the pretty boy Norwegian sailor, Ulrich; and the Chinese cabin boy, Kai, who is harboring a secret that I never would have predicted. I was just as shocked as Anne when it was revealed. Unfortunately, there were no details or explanations given after Kai's revelation which left me feeling rather disappointed. Later the mismatched group takes on an enigmatic native headhunter named Imsa. There was also the eccentric, or perhaps mad, French privateer, Philippe Chartier, who became Horatio and Anne's arch nemesis. Last but not least was Chartier's pet monkey, Mango, who develops an instant fondness for Anne. Mango was yet another unique thing in this already unusual book, because I don't believe I have ever read a monkey character in a romance novel before. He was good for a lot of laughs, as initially no one can stand the spoiled little beast, but eventually he seems to grow on them, especially Anne.
In my opinion, The Wildest Shore had what I would term roller-coaster pacing. One minute something exciting would be happening and the next there would be a lull in the story where my mind would begin wandering a bit. Or perhaps something emotional or romantic would happen, but before it could amp up to the next level, Horatio and Anne would start arguing or Anne would simply pull away. It made the narrative a little uneven for me, and could be a bit frustrating, because I would just be getting caught up in the moment only to have it end too quickly. Other than this and the issues I had with the characters, I did enjoy The Wildest Shore. I have to give the author kudos for trying something new and different and for doing hands on research. Much of the action and adventure of the tale is based on Lisa Cach's personal escapades sailing the Caribbean on a schooner and trekking through the jungles of Malaysia where she apparently experienced some of the same things as her heroine, Anne, did in the book. Also in spite of how incredible Anne and Horatio's ultimate destiny might have seemed, the author's note at the end indicates that something similar actually did happen to an Englishman around that same time period, so I guess she did her research well. Anyone who can suspend disbelief for a little while to just have fun and enjoy the ride should appreciate The Wildest Shore, and I would certainly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a historical romance that is out of the ordinary. This was my first read by Lisa Cach, but I will be on the look-out for others by her in the future.
February 10, 2023
Every night for the past few months the heroine has had the same dream. Her island, a paradise where she would be free of her position as ladies made and treated like a queen. It's why she volunteered to follow her mistress to India, to be given the chance to see if her dreams are only a delusion or truly reality. On the way to the foreign land, their ship capsizes in a vicious storm and the heroine is left to die by her employer. Then, she is saved by the hero- a man whom she once considered empty headed and a tad bit useless. Now, she looks to him as her savior-if a bit addled in the brain.
The hero has been a disappointment to everyone in his life up until this point. He is a rake, a man completely without motivation and a man whom no one can depend on. Then he finds himself as protector to the mousy servant who so captured his attention on board the ship for the hidden strength and fire he saw beneath the veil of meekness. Indeed, her vulnerability and inexperience with any level of the danger they find themselves in now has made him her guardian in a way. And the idea of this beautiful yet painful timid woman needing him makes him feel 10 feet tall and he vows that no matter what happens, he will never let her down.
Their adventure sees them adrift on the sea until they are captured by French pirates. And while the hero is tied up below, it's the heroine who drugs the men and always her crew to steal the ship. They find themselves on land for a time and suddenly the heroine finds herself wed despite her objection to the hero's proposal. Though she can think of many reasons why such a man would want to marry- the idea that he could love her isn't one of them. She doubts his affections and the hero is wise enough to acknowledge that he went about things incorrectly. He hides himself behind the mask of humor and portrays a picture of a man who has no worries or care for the world or his troubles- of course she doubts a man of his station could love a servant. But love her he does and he vows to prove it to her. Together they sale the seas until she at last finds her mythical island. It's there that the heroine must search herself for the place where she truly belongs but the hero has always known that wherever she is is where he's meant to be.
I adored this story. I found it was really funny, witty, exciting and heartwarming. The hero was such a charmer and there's no way anyone couldn't fall in love with him. His smile, his dramatic and lavish retelling of their adventures and his devotion to the heroine made him a lovely character and one that I adored from start to finish. The heroine was also a lovely character which her mixture of insecurities and timid nature at the start as well as her strength and opinionated character by the end. Though she desired the hero, she was admirable in her denying him until she could be certain that his 'love' or lust wasn't just another fleeting enough and that he could love her for being herself. Together they made a great pairing with a lot of chemistry and the cast of supporting characters were just as charming as the leads. A fantastic book with a lot of action and adventure on the vast sea.
The hero has been a disappointment to everyone in his life up until this point. He is a rake, a man completely without motivation and a man whom no one can depend on. Then he finds himself as protector to the mousy servant who so captured his attention on board the ship for the hidden strength and fire he saw beneath the veil of meekness. Indeed, her vulnerability and inexperience with any level of the danger they find themselves in now has made him her guardian in a way. And the idea of this beautiful yet painful timid woman needing him makes him feel 10 feet tall and he vows that no matter what happens, he will never let her down.
Their adventure sees them adrift on the sea until they are captured by French pirates. And while the hero is tied up below, it's the heroine who drugs the men and always her crew to steal the ship. They find themselves on land for a time and suddenly the heroine finds herself wed despite her objection to the hero's proposal. Though she can think of many reasons why such a man would want to marry- the idea that he could love her isn't one of them. She doubts his affections and the hero is wise enough to acknowledge that he went about things incorrectly. He hides himself behind the mask of humor and portrays a picture of a man who has no worries or care for the world or his troubles- of course she doubts a man of his station could love a servant. But love her he does and he vows to prove it to her. Together they sale the seas until she at last finds her mythical island. It's there that the heroine must search herself for the place where she truly belongs but the hero has always known that wherever she is is where he's meant to be.
I adored this story. I found it was really funny, witty, exciting and heartwarming. The hero was such a charmer and there's no way anyone couldn't fall in love with him. His smile, his dramatic and lavish retelling of their adventures and his devotion to the heroine made him a lovely character and one that I adored from start to finish. The heroine was also a lovely character which her mixture of insecurities and timid nature at the start as well as her strength and opinionated character by the end. Though she desired the hero, she was admirable in her denying him until she could be certain that his 'love' or lust wasn't just another fleeting enough and that he could love her for being herself. Together they made a great pairing with a lot of chemistry and the cast of supporting characters were just as charming as the leads. A fantastic book with a lot of action and adventure on the vast sea.
April 14, 2016
This was my first Lisa Cach book and I read it on a suggestion from a fellow Goodreads member and I have not been disappointed! I loved it very much and intend to get more Lisa Cach books.
Anne is a ladies maid on her way to India because she has had dreams about an island for years and she secretly hopes to find it. Horatio is a Lieutenant in the British army who is on his way back to his station in India. Along the way they are in a terrible shipwreck and end up with three other sailors on a haphazard raft made up of wood pieces, crates, and wine barrels. Despite the gravity of the situation them floating around on the ocean drunk off their butts was pretty funny. Horatio is a very sunny hero and not at all brooding which made for a nice change. There was tons of adventuring and lots of humor and romance. Everything from shipwrecks, pirates, monkeys, opium, battles, head hunters, and more happen to the five of them and it is a very engaging and descriptive story the whole way. This is one you won't want to miss!
Anne is a ladies maid on her way to India because she has had dreams about an island for years and she secretly hopes to find it. Horatio is a Lieutenant in the British army who is on his way back to his station in India. Along the way they are in a terrible shipwreck and end up with three other sailors on a haphazard raft made up of wood pieces, crates, and wine barrels. Despite the gravity of the situation them floating around on the ocean drunk off their butts was pretty funny. Horatio is a very sunny hero and not at all brooding which made for a nice change. There was tons of adventuring and lots of humor and romance. Everything from shipwrecks, pirates, monkeys, opium, battles, head hunters, and more happen to the five of them and it is a very engaging and descriptive story the whole way. This is one you won't want to miss!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews