Desire in the Sun

by Karen Robards

“Karen Robards writes spellbinding romance.”
 — Publishers Weekly   A Karen Robards classic—a gem of historical romance from the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author— Desire in the Sun is a magnificently sensual love story about a gentleman cruelly betrayed and enslaved, and the beautiful, pampered daughter of privilege whose passion saves him.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Forbidden Love, Forbidden Romance

400 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Karen Robards is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than fifty books and one novella. She has won multiple awards including six Affaire de Coeur Silver Pen Awards for favorite author.
Karen has been writing since she was very young, and was first published nationally in the December 1973 Reader's Digest. She sold her first romance novel, ISLAND FLAME, when she was 24. It was published by Leisure Books in 1981 and is still in print. After that, she dropped out of law school to pursue her writing career.
Karen was recently described by The Daily Mail as "one of the most reliable thriller....writers in the world."

Reviews

[Floripiquita · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 estrellas

[Regan Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Forbidden Love and a Tropical Isle—Formula for a Lasting Love!

Set in 1792, this tells of Delilah Remy from the British island of Barbados who visits her great aunt in Virginia with the hopes of finding a suitor she actually wants (having previously turned down two dozen proposals and not being very thrilled with her father’s choice). One night she encounters Joss San Pietro, the first man she’s ever been attracted to. He’s tall, dark and terribly handsome and much more mature than the fops who she’s been exposed to and better that the oh-so-dull man her father would see her marry on Barbados where they have a plantation. But the night they meet, Lilah and Joss learn a terrible secret about him that means they can never be together: Joss is not entirely white.

Robards deals well with a sensitive issue at a time when England had no slaves but America did. Joss is an educated businessman, a merchant sea captain with his own ships, but the one drop of African blood in his veins rules him out as a suitor and throws him into slavery. On the ship voyage south to Barbados, where Joss accompanies Lilah as a slave, they will be shipwrecked on a tropical island for months where none of the rules apply.

Robards tells a great tale with wonderful characters and a deep romance that defies the rules of the day. I’m giving it 4 stars because the ending seemed a bit rushed (yes, there was an epilogue but still it seemed something was lacking). I can recommend it and it did keep me turning pages.

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me ha encantado no le he puesto 5 estrellas porque el final me ha parecido muy precipitado , tiene de todo aventuras,colera ,naufragio, isla desierta, Piratas, el Caribe.
Es un libro de los que ya no se hacen algunas escenas no serían bien vistas hoy en día pero yo no tengo problema con ellas porque tengo la mente muy abierta y se que eran otros tiempos (me refiero a los que está escrito la novela) es el segundo libro que me leo de la autora después del enigma de la luna que me lei hace unos días y por ahora la autora me está encantando de echo me lo he empezé ayer y hoy los he terminado y eso que tiene 509 páginas pero se lee muy rápido

Spoiler


Por comentar me parece un poco incongruente que Joss dice ser un caballero pero la primera vez me parece que se comporta muy violentamente por muy enfadado por una tontería a mi parecer que este pasa de ser tierno y no querer llegar a más para no deshonrarla aun con el permiso de ella a prácticamente forzarla aunque ella quisiera y no se quejara y al final disfrutará y más adelante luego cuando le da las cachetadas en el trasero en las novelas antiguas estaba bien visto esto que el protagonista le diera cachetadas en el trasero a la protagonista a modo de castigo y a mi a estas alturas eso me choca, no obstante disfrute igualmente de la lectura

Pd perdón por los acentos pero escribo desde la tablet y no los encuentro manualmente.

[R · Rating 3 out of 5]

This... was definitely not quite what I had expected from the blurb. Although I'd guessed he was mixed race ("the dark secret that ran in his blood" and all), I certainly had no inkling of what was to come. But once what happened did happen, I was hoping for a bit more exploration on views of people of a different race and maybe some abolition thrown in. However, it was made pretty clear that the heroine would never have fallen in love with the hero if he had actually looked black, rather than looking completely white and just happening to be 1/32 African, and even the hero still seemed to be fine with slavery at the end, as long as it didn't apply to him. The characters' feelings may be historically accurate, but it definitely made the heroine a seem bit unsympathetic.

The book had some surprising twists in places, but for the most part it was pretty obvious what would happen next. I was expecting some pirate gang rape, though, so at least in that I was spared. (I can't believe I just typed that.)

So not a bad book, just not what I had hoped it would be.

But also, what kind of English gentleman in 1792 has a mustache?! Not any that I've heard of, certainly. And the fashions were off, too. Swallowtail coats are Victorian, and the name "empire dress" also didn't come along until much later, even if it described the style of the time.

[Emiliya Bozhilova · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 ⭐️
Истински расизъм в исторически любовен роман! Че и без много захар. Въпреки робската захарна плантация на Барбадос. И нито един херцог! Да, лудите бабки, щурели на воля с неполиткоректни сюжети, все още си го могат. Даже с хепи енд и пирати.

Малко не ми хареса, че все пак нямаше много вой срещу робството, и все пак африканската кръв не личеше особено, но като за жанра си е супер.

[jenjn79 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read a ton of Robards' books. She is one of my favorite authors. But...this book is probably one of my least favorite of hers. I don't necessarily think it's bad, writing or storyline wise. I think I just didn't particularly care for the theme and content because it deals with slavery and all those prejudices and actions of that time, and being a very open-minded person, I had a hard time comprehending and understanding the mind-sets. With that type of subject matter, you just end up reading it - seeing a guy who lived a white life, believed he was white, then be told he had some black in him and become a slave - and thinking 'that's so fucking ridiculous!'

Along that line, I had a hard time with Lilah at times and how she responded to Joss and the black/slavery aspect. I'm sure there was authenticity to it, but it's just hard to follow that way of thinking in today's world. The moment Joss' heritage comes out, he becomes persona non grata to her. She often seems unbelievably dispassionate toward him - a man she has instant intense feelings for. She's like - oh, you'll come be a slave on our plantation, we'll treat you right, it'll be fine, no biggie. And as a reader, you're just like, what? How can she be so clueless and unempathetic? And fickle. The poor guy's whole life was destroyed and his freedom taken away, but she shrugs it off most of the time. Then sometimes, she's like, poor Joss.

I'm sure it makes it all authentic and that's they way thoughts and actions were; I just found it kind of depressing to read and hard to comprehend that mind-set.

The plot was pretty typical...forbidden romance, a shipwreck, disapproving relatives, etc. There wasn't anything unique or stand-out about it.

Aside from all that, not a bad book. Kinda interesting sometimes, but it's skippable in my opinion.

[Suzy Vero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Desire in the Sun (1988) is an unputdownable love story in which the horrors of slavery and prejudices of the era feature prominently.., all really rare for a HR.

☀️ Delilah’s the daughter of a wealthy sugar plantation owner in Barbados … while visiting her great aunt in Virginia she meets Joss San Pietro. He’s English and owns his own shipping business in Bristol… they’re instantly attracted to each other. Then details of his ancestry are revealed that he doesn’t even know… although he looks white, far back in his family tree he has some African blood.

☀️ In the 1790s slavery was legal in Barbados and Virginia but not in England. Robards has written a big emotional book very uncomfortable to read .., agony when Joss is brutally made a slave, sold, and treated harshly. Despite everything his forbidden love with Lilah survives as they endure untold horrific events, as well as several months marooned by themselves on a small tropical island… and the scorching sex heats up.

☀️ Minor quibble .., the last couple of chapters and the two page epilogue abruptly end the HEA …, I needed more!

☀️ Overall, a deeply moving HR, well researched with two really nice main characters who show inner strength …. succeeding against the odds of their forbidden love. A heartfelt story! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cover of the paperback by the artist Roger Kastel.

[Isabel Luna]

Lilah Remy, una joven y hermosísima dama que vive en Barbados, se encuentra de visita en la casa de su tía abuela en Boxhill, en Virginia. Ella esperaba encontrar allí un hombre que le descubriese los misterios y las maravillas del amor, sin embargo todos sus pretendientes de Boxhill despiertan en ella el mismo interés que sus pretendientes de Barbados: absolutamente ninguno. Hasta que una noche, de forma totalmente accidental y algo humillante, conoce a Jocelyn (Joss) San Pietro, un caballero inglés que despertará las emociones en Lilah que tanto ella anhelaba sentir.
Sin embargo, la razón de Joss para presentarse en la casa de los tíos abuelos de Lilah es personal, y ninguno de los dos esperaba que sus motivos revelarían que contiene en sus venas unas pocas gotas de sangre negra, de sangre esclava, y de la noche a la mañana Joss se verá completamente privado de su libertad e incluso de su condición de ser humano, y Lilah verá derrumbarse ante ella la oportunidad de su vida de ser realmente feliz.
Este libro fue una mejoría en relación a otros de la autora q leí antes. Aunq nunca fui fan de las historias con elementos de pirateria, barcos e islas de por medio, la historia toca el tema de la esclavitud y lo hace de manera excelente, respetuosa pero no por eso menos crítica. Yo esperaba leer un libro donde el morbo residiese en la relación ama (Lilah) – esclavo (Joss), y nada más lejos de la realidad (lo cual ha resultado tremendamente positivo. Aunque Joss se vea obligado a vivir ciertas circunstancias como esclavo, no perderá en ningún momento su esencia de caballero y no se resignará a ser la propiedad de nadie. Por otro lado, Lilah no será una altiva princesa sino todo lo contrario, pues bajo ninguna circunstancia tratará a Joss como un esclavo; tanto es así que deberá repetirse continuamente la condición del hombre y la suya propia como bálsamo para intentar olvidarse de él.
No hay mucha tensión sexual entre los protagonistas, así q no esperen mucho picante, existe pero no es lo fundamental de la historia, lo q prima son las aventuras y los sentimientos de amor y de impotencia por las diferencias sociales, y he de reconocer que me terminó gustando también x eso. No todas las historias necesitan q sus protagonistas caigan fulminados de amor y pasión al segundo de conocerse y necesiten salir corriendo a buscar una superficie plana.

[Cristina Contilli]

La cosa migliore di questo romance è, secondo me, lo spunto iniziale: dopo la morte della madre il protagonista, Joss, rintraccia il nonno, a cui vuole consegnare delle lettere, scritte appunto dalla madre che ne era la figlia illegittima, ma, avendo una piccola impresa commerciale e comandando personalmente una delle navi che posasiede, Joss non immagina certo che sua nonna era una schiava né che il nonno, sconvolto dall'emozione nel conoscerlo, venga colto da un infarto e muoia quasi all'istante... a quel punto cominciano per il protagonista un bel po' di guai, perché la moglie legittima del nonno, contando sul fatto che la nonna di Joss era una schiava mai affrancata di sua proprietà, fa valere di fronte alla legge il fatto che anche lui come suo discendente sia uno schiavo e per completare la propria vendetta lo mette anche in vendita... il resto è un susseguirsi di sfighe incredibili per il povero Joss: la nave su cui viene trasportato fa naufragio, sull'isola dove finisce, per fortuna in dolce compagnia, approdano i pirati, quando viene salvato da una nave inglese, rischia l'impiccagione per complicità con i pirati e per finire mette pure incinta la sua compagna di naufragio, nonché nipote di suo nonno e soprattutto nonché figlia di un ricco proprietario terriero e fidanzatissima con un certo Kevin che è davvero odioso oltre ad essere l'amministratore del padre...
in conclusione: l'isola deserta, i pirati, i maltrattamenti contro gli schiavi, un naufragio e persino un'epidemia di colera mi hanno dato la sensazione che l'autrice, pur scrivendo bene, abbia concentrato troppi avvenimenti e soprattutto troppe situazioni stereotipate in un unico libro...

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great - right up to the end. Lilah is a Barbados belle, in the deep south to visit family. She is instantly attracted to Joss San Pietro - until she learns he is the grandson of a runaway "high yellah" slave. Suddenly, everything she is and everything she believes in is under siege. One moment Joss is a fairly well-to-do businessman, and the next he is nothing but a piece of property. Robards does a fair job of exploring the inequities of slavery in the plantations of the south and the islands. But then Lilah's parents do something horrible and unforgivable - when that happens in a story, I NEED to see them face consequences in order to be satisfied, and in this case, they do not (not really, anyway; they do lose Lilah, as they should, but we don't get a sense that they really might feel that loss, and they may face some social censure, but again, we don't get to SEE them endure it, nor is that a true consequence of their action). So while we have the requisite happy ending, I was left feeling a bit disappointed.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starts with a humorous encounter that leads to an instant connection. No sooner than barely meeting Joss becomes a slave due to the times and a crazy woman. Lilah and Joss have to overcome some pretty gigantic obstacles but it made a great story. They need to get through slavery, cholera, shipwrecks, pirates, and more plus terrible circumstances in general in order to be together. I loved every word. Another great Karen Robards book that has me wanting more!

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading historical romances and this story pulled me in from the beginning. I don't want to give any spoilers because it would ruin the fun of all the different turns of events in the story for other readers. It sure was interesting and such a wonderful love story that it kept me reading into the early hours of the morning.

[Carmen Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gustó, la protagonista tiene una personalidad muy específica, no abusan de recursos y malos entendidos para alargar la obra, tiene mucha trama, pasan muchas cosas y de verdad las sientes orgánicas y posibles, me entretuvo un montón

[M.A. Levi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was Wonderful, The most Amazing Book i have read so far. It was when true love showed it's true "colors"

[Welzen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una historia muy interesante aunque la premisa de que él fuera un esclavo no me terminó de convencer.

[Annette Summerfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in one day...just couldn't put it down

[kimberly grider · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for being completely different, I don't recall ever reading another HR where the man lead is half African American

[Lucia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is worth reading not only for the entertaining story itself, but for what it teaches you about the foolishness of social bigotry, much worse in the time of the story (late 18thc) than today, but still existing.

The story starts in Virginia, where southern belle Delilah (Lila) Remy is visiting her great-aunt and uncle, and taking part in then usual social entertainments, that offer little in the way of variety or excitement, and that includes her many suitors. This all changes one evening, when Josslyn (Joss) St. Pietro, a handsome, charming, captain/businessman pays a visit in the midst of a party, to speak with Lila's great-uncle. He and Lila meet under amusing circumstances (won't give that away) and it's soon apparent they're more than a little attracted to each other. Could this be the man of her dreams?

Her dream's shattered when Joss reveals that he's her great-uncle's grandson, and he has letters to prove it. This angers the older man and enrages his wife, as she's embittered by her husband's past infidelity, made worse by the woman being part black, or octaroon, as they said back then, who was one of her slaves. In a belated act of vengeance, she has Joss arrested and then claimed as her property, later to be sold at auction. To make matters worse, Joss was completely blindsided, not knowing of his grandmother's mixed racial heritage. According to the laws at that time, Joss is now considered to be black (or high yellow), as well as enslaved, and has his rights taken away. Next thing you know, he's being auctioned off, and is purchased by Lila, of all people, much to the disapproval of Kevin Talbot, her father's overseer on their Barbados plantation, who is also the man her family expects her to marry!

And if that isn't enough of a complication: on the way home to Barbados, they endure a cholera epidemic, a shipwreck, and a stay on a deserted island, which becomes a romantic paradise for Lila and Joss, at least until pirates show up. More adventure ensues, as they have to go along on the pirate ship (Lila disguised as Remy, Joss's mentally traumatized nephew), unwillingly participate in an attack on a British ship, endure a horrible explosion, and have to face the wrath of Lila's father when he finds out about their relationship.

I won't give away the rest of how this plays out, but I want to emphasize the way the theme of racial injustice is handled, in a way that makes you think about what people had to go through, and how undeserved it was. As Joss stated at one point, he was 31 parts white, yet according to the law back then, the 1% made him black, and he had to suffer all the injustices black people did at the time.

There was also the way Lila felt, at least at first, a product of her upbringing. as soon as she learned the truth, she started feeling differently toward Joss, could no longer consider him as someone she could have a future with, even if he got his freedom, as the racial stigma would still be there. The idea that she didn't consider him good enough for her naturally had an effect on their relationship, despite their intense physical desires. It took her some time to overcome a lifetime of bias.

I would have given the book another star, except that there was something in the story that bothered me, though I see why it was necessary, as it was what gave Lila the motivation for a final break with her family. When she discovers she's pregnant, her father refuses to accept a grandchild with even the least amount of non white blood, so he talks his weak wife (Lila's stepmother) into fixing Lila tea laced with abortifacient herbs, and she loses the baby. That was horrible, and really made me feel sick, so I took away one star. (Ridiculous as it sounds, that baby would have been 1/64th non white and still be considered black.) Other than that horrible racism, this is a book that will leave you both entertained, informed (you learn quite a bit about ships, pirates, and Barbados) and with a deeper understanding of prejudice and how destructive it is.

[Shalena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done Karen Robards! One of my all time favorite authors who knows how to tell a romance story. Other authors should take notes. A page turner, I couldn't but it down. The main characters come alive, their likable, not boring, they weren't doing stupid stuff to frustrate the reader and they communicated, and by the end of the story you truly felt their love for one another with a HEA. One of my all time favorite books.

[kimberly collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romantic

This book had plenty of romance that was compelling and complicated due to the era of that time period. Plenty of thrills with islands and pirates to add to the adventures of this couple.

[LadyAileen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Questo romanzo mi ha deluso.
Manca di suspense e tensione inoltre mi è sembrato tutto troppo veloce. In breve tempo il protagonista maschile ne ha vissute di tutti i colori.
Noioso e i personaggi non sono per niente simpatici.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much more interesting and complex than your normal historical romance "beach read." The depiction of the role of slavery and its continuance to the 1/32nd part is key to the novel but really well done and unexpected in this romance novel.

[Louise Mullins · Rating 5 out of 5]

An old skool romance of the Bodice ripper generation. Sexy, seductive, and dubious consent-free. A welcome change. A wonderful story. I've fallen back in love with Alpha hero's.

[Liesmina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very exotic story.

[Judith Matulewicz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it. Karen Robards writes good historical novels, and i loved this one. Really good love story. Good page turner that I couldn't put it down.

[Jen Hanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was an amazing read! So much adventure. 💕

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was just too much going on and I could never really get into it. The ending was mediocre at best. This one just wasn't for me.

[Amanda Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a romance written in 1988 and it certainly reads as such so go in with that knowledge.

All that aside it was a wild ride and it had so many ups and downs it was like a roller coaster. That kept it very engaging. And I really wanted the HEA to happen, I was rooting for them the whole way.

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

J'ai vraiment beaucoup aimé cette histoire il y a plein de rebondissement et on reste suspendu au livre

Joss est un hero simple, il est franc, droit, honorable sans être un surhomme comme dans certain roman. Lilah m'a un peu agacée par moment avec ses grands air, elle fait trop attention à l'opinion publique etc

Je suis partie avec un gros à priori sur l'histoire parce que je ne suis vraiment pas fan du tout des histoires situées en Amérique du temps de l'esclavage. Même si la relation maître - esclave est l'enjeu du livre elle passe un peu au second plan dans une bonne partie du livre, du coup c'est passé pour moi.

A mon avis il manque au moins 20-30 pages au livre. La fin est trop rapide, trop brusque. C'est dommage parce que à par ça j'ai beaucoup aimé le style de l'auteur. La fin est juste frustrante, on est suspendu au livre pour finalement avoir un dénouement bâclé, torché en 5 pages.

[Cindy Woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good story

This was a hard book for me to read due to the subject matter involving slavery and mixed race relationships. I cannot imagine the heartbreak or the injustice heaped upon this couple, let alone the population of slaves on Barbados. It overwhelmed me. The romance is seductive, steamy, sensual. The characters are believable even as the plot is a bit farfetched. The writing is good and I would definitely recommend it to others.