Kidnapped from her plantation home on the eve of the Civil War, lovely April Jennings found herself the unwilling partner of reckless adventurer Rance Taggart. But April was determined that even his sensual fire and bold caresses wouldn't stop her from trying to reclaim her beloved home -- or escaping her own passionate hungers.
Rance had every intention of letting April go after she helped him carry out a dangerous, high-stakes deal with the Yankees. But once she branded him with her courage and fiery innocence, he would search desperately across the war-ravaged South to find her -- and gamble all to seize desire's glorious promise.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. Please see:Patricia Hagan
Pat is the published author of over forty books of romantic fiction. Several of her titles have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller list. One of her books, "Ocean of Dreams", is based on her own shipboard romance when she met her former husband, a Norwegian engineer.
She is also a former Radio/TV Motorsports Journalist, covering NASCAR Grand National Stock Car Racing. Her work has won many awards by the National Motorsports Press Association.
Pat has cruised the eastern and western Caribbean extensively, as well as the Greek Islands, the fjords of Norway all the way to the North Cape, and has made several transatlantic crossings.
She prefers traveling single, because it gives her more opportunities to meet and make new friends. While she admits going solo is not for everyone, she says for her it is perfect, because she is an outgoing person, and, being a writer, enjoys meeting new "characters."
The only thing she does not like about traveling is having to leave behind her best friend and companion, Krysy, a 14-year old Wire-haired fox terrier.
Passion’s Fury is a difficult book to review. There is much to like about this book: the story is interesting and keeps the reader thoroughly involved, and the historical setting feels authentic.
But regardless, as a romance, this story has a fatal flaw. The hero is such a cad, almost any of the other men in the book seem a preferable choice. A relationship built on rape, kidnapping, and ownership seems unlikely to be a foundation for love. And there is so much rape and attempted rape in this book, that I found it a bit of a bitter pill to swallow. And the amount of attempted, unsuccessful rapes the heroine endured stretches the limits of believability.
Contains violence, graphic sex, attempted rape, and rape.
"I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review."
One of the reasons I read Ms. Hagan's books is because she gives enough historical background, where you feel you're learning something, not just reading a fiction story. I learned about some Civil War campaigns and battles I hadn't been aware of before, and I like adding to my knowledge of American history, while being entertained at the same time.
I had suspected something when I started reading her books, and had it confirmed when I found out Ms. Hagan was from Atlanta. So many of her leading ladies are loyal southern women, ever faithful to the Confederate cause, and only someone born in the south could put such strong emphasis on this. It reminds me of Margaret Mitchell, who I'm sure had a few Confederate flags in her home.
Being a native "Yankee", I can't share that opinion, and find it rather tiresome to hear the beloved confederacy so idealized, but that was a reflection of the times. She does, however, make it clear that her main characters, while loyal to south, don't really approve of slavery, and always treat their black "servants" well. There must have been a real paradox back then: southerners who didn't like slavery, but at the same time liked the life they had, which they couldn't have without owning slaves. What a mess!
The storyline was good, but it could have been better. The "happy couple" could have been a lot happier if they had admitted their true feelings a long time before they finally did, and it didn't help that for most of the novel they're separated; when they find each other again, next thing you know, they're apart again. It got to be a bit too much, and so did April's love for her plantation home, that she'd do anything to get back to. Had her life there been a good one, that would have made sense, but it was a real nightmare. Her father and sister were both insane; dad almost raped her and sis almost killed her (as well as kidnapped her more than once, also too over the top) and yet she keeps forgiving them and wanting to get back home and straighten it all out. (Even a total lobotomy couldn't have helped those two!)
Ironically, when she does run away, it's from the man she loves, though she won't admit it, because he hasn't said he loves her. He, in turn, is waiting for her to say it to him, but he won't admit he cares, because the last time he cared about a woman she died. This silliness got dragged on too long, but the in between situations when they were apart were interesting enough to keep you reading, if a bit frustrating.
So it's worth the time, but it could have been better.
I could not get past how brain dead April was. She literally trips and fumbles into multiple prisoner scenarios the entire book.
EVERYONE: Just leave your sister alone, she's a crazy bitch April: Maybe I should talk to her
She can't even get it through her thick skull that her sister hates her and wants her dead. JUST STAY AWAY FROM HER APRIL!!!
The entire book is April being held prisoner. Even if her captor is different, it's always the same thing. Poor, naive April...too stupid to use her wits. Too stupid to lie to get out of a situation. Too stupid to sneak into a building rather than barge in. Too stupid to just fucking leave a dying man alone in the hospital instead of causing an enormous scene.
the only reason I finished this book was due to the GoodReads book challenge. The hero was a complete jerk the whole book. The heroine keep becoming a prisoner over and over. The plot was just one basic scene. I gave it two stars because I did complete the book.
It's an interesting read but the hero, Rance Taggart, was too crude and a complete jerk to for my liking. The heroin, April, was kidnapped by her twin sister from their home and sent to the monastery as a revenge against her and their dad. Along the way, she was wagered off as the price to a horse race bet. And her nightmare continues... "I received this book from eBook discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review ".
I expect a heroine in a bodice ripper, to protest, struggle, fight for her dignity or anything when H rapes her, NOT to melt from the encounter, that really turned me off.
I am giving this silliness 3 stars because it helped me get through difficult time. Just about everyone in this book acted nonsensically at one time or another, all of them tugging at the plot rope and dragging it into a wall. The worst of the lot was of course the spoiled April. Please ignore reviews that whine about rape. There was none though April deserved it in loads.
The pace of the book was fast, I enjoyed refreshing my memory of the Civil War generals but the ending was surprisingly abrupt. I'd probably read it again.