Bold Breathless Love

Love #1

by Valerie Sherwood

He called her his Golden Bird of Love and he had wanted her from the day he'd first seen her on the balcony next to his in Amsterdam. Clad only in her nightdress, her golden hair catching the rays of the sun at dawn, her voice softly raised in song. And so Verhulst Van Rappard married Imogene and carried her off to America as his prize. He did not know that the song she sang was for another man, a copper-haired Englishman who had made her his on the sea-washed sands of a distant isle and who had promised to come to her again on the wings of Bold Breathless Love.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance

576 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 1, 1981

About the author

A pseudonym of Jeanne Hines.

Reviews

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Discovered historical romance at 17...gave them up at 20. This series was my all time favorite.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Published in 1981 and enormously successful, "Bold Breathless Love" launched a four-part series focusing on the adventures of blonde beauties Imogene Wells and her daughter Georgiana from the late 1650s-early 1670s. This first novel sets up the storyline, taking headstrong Imogene from the Scilly Isles of Southwest England to Amsterdam to an estate along the Hudson River in then-New Netherland and ultimately to the Caribbean. Unusual in its time for its romantic red herring, the novel will nevertheless put off 21st century readers because of forced sexual encounters that were tropes of bodice rippers in the late 20th century. The other fault is that its prologue, although suspenseful, lays out too clearly the events of the mid-section of the novel, when it would've been more suspenseful for the reader to discover them without foreknowledge. Nevertheless, the book is complemented by Sherwood's lively dialogue, detailed descriptions, and confidence in the period and the action never flags. Already an accomplished writer of gothics and several previous historical romances, with this series, Sherwood hit her stride as one of the leading 1980s writers of historical novels.

[Loudice · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only thing that got me to read this was to find out who got the girl in the end, so I had to skip pages, lol! I didn't connect with the heroine though since I thought she was spoiled and very reckless. The only character that I liked here was Bess, although she only got small parts in the book, I felt that her scenes really made an impact.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG!!!Love, love, love Valerie Sherwood!!! Old school historical romance at it's finest!!! And she dedicated every book to one of her cats❤

[Melody · Rating 3 out of 5]

well i never thought she'd ended up with the german. :-D
i did root for him anyway. geez! :-D

[Valerie Cornide · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ella esperaba que volviera el hombre de su vida. Un ingles de roja cabellera que la habia poseido sobre las arenas de aquella playa virgen en una isla lejana. Ese hombre le habia prometido amor eterno..

[Stephanie Lacroix · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read this book so many times and it’s still one of my all time favourites! Valerie Sherwood is one of my favourites authors and this might be my favourite of her novels. The “love triangle” and twists really keeps you on your toes for the whole book.

[Diane Wachter · Rating 3 out of 5]

PB-B @ 1981, 7/91. A buckaneer falls in love with a fickle young woman and sets out to win her over. Okay.

[Andrea AKA Catsos Person]

NTS: Part of story takes place in Dutch NY Hudson valley. Heroine's name is "Imogene" and she marries a sinister old Patroon.