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Library of Alexandria #2
The Book of True Desires
To get funding from her stodgy grandfather, Cordelia agrees to locate three Mayan stones with the help of his arrogant butler, Hartford Goodnight, whom she soon discovers is far more than a servant as they battle the competion and the passion that rages between them to get the prize. Original.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 29, 2006
9 people are currently reading
199 people want to read
About the author
Betina Krahn
60 books312 followersKrahn, born Betina Maynard, is the second daughter of Dors Maynard and Regina Triplett. Krahn learned to read at the age of four, and began making up her own stories when she was only six. In fifth grade she won a silver "Noble Order of Bookworms" pin for her achievements in reading, and the following year she began writing down her stories.
Krane was graduated from high school in Newark, Ohio and received a B.S. in Education (Biological Sciences) at Ohio State University. After college, Krahn taught science in Newark, and studied for a graduate degree at Ohio State in the summers. It was during those summers that she met her future husband, physics graduate student Donald Krahn.
The family moved to Oklahoma, where Krahn finished the work for her Masters of Education in Counseling in 1973. In 1974, she gave birth to her first child, Nathan, with the second son Zebulun arriving in 1978. With two young children, Krahn became a stay-at-home mother for a time, also finding time to volunteer on a community board working to get funding for mental health care in part of Western Oklahoma. Once the funding was secured, Krahn worked as an HR director for a mental health center.
Krane was graduated from high school in Newark, Ohio and received a B.S. in Education (Biological Sciences) at Ohio State University. After college, Krahn taught science in Newark, and studied for a graduate degree at Ohio State in the summers. It was during those summers that she met her future husband, physics graduate student Donald Krahn.
The family moved to Oklahoma, where Krahn finished the work for her Masters of Education in Counseling in 1973. In 1974, she gave birth to her first child, Nathan, with the second son Zebulun arriving in 1978. With two young children, Krahn became a stay-at-home mother for a time, also finding time to volunteer on a community board working to get funding for mental health care in part of Western Oklahoma. Once the funding was secured, Krahn worked as an HR director for a mental health center.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 4, 2016
This is a big thank you to my GR's friend, Christina, for reminding me of Betina Krahn. I read The Enchantment in 2010 and enjoyed her love story during the Viking era. I don't know why I never thought of reading more romances by this author. Until now.
This adventure was a fun romp with a dose of jungle-love at the end of the nineteenth century. And it started off, of all places, Tampa, Florida; a city we had just visited this weekend!
Tampa: with its deep Hispanic heritage. Then on to Cuba with the conflict between its people, Spain and America. Then, the steamy setting of Mexico.
Cordelia O'Keefe was an adventuress. My, oh, my, someone with beauty and brains. With her Aunt Hedda and an appointed sidekick, the very proper and British, Hartford Ignatius Goodnight, she was on a mission to find the mysterious 'Gift of the Jaguar'.
Of course, with any risky undertaking, all was not what it seemed. There was the underlying reason for Cordelia's involvement with her financial backer, Hardacre Blackburn. And Goodnight, Blackburn's crackly 'butler', "his presser of pants and sock folder extraordinaire." He had some secrets, too.
Threatened, shot at, chased, with runaway carts and snake bites, poisoned plants and a Big Cat, there was plenty of action. Added into the mix was the odious blackguard and all-over evildoer, Castille.
And then there was the romance. *Sigh.* I simply loved Goodnight's entries into his personal journal with the quips and confusion. And Cordelia's initial naivety. At times, the tension between this twosome felt like snaps of electricity when they were around each other. When you combined everything together, it was love on the run.
Oh, the epilogue. I loved that, too!
This adventure was a fun romp with a dose of jungle-love at the end of the nineteenth century. And it started off, of all places, Tampa, Florida; a city we had just visited this weekend!
Tampa: with its deep Hispanic heritage. Then on to Cuba with the conflict between its people, Spain and America. Then, the steamy setting of Mexico.
Cordelia O'Keefe was an adventuress. My, oh, my, someone with beauty and brains. With her Aunt Hedda and an appointed sidekick, the very proper and British, Hartford Ignatius Goodnight, she was on a mission to find the mysterious 'Gift of the Jaguar'.
Of course, with any risky undertaking, all was not what it seemed. There was the underlying reason for Cordelia's involvement with her financial backer, Hardacre Blackburn. And Goodnight, Blackburn's crackly 'butler', "his presser of pants and sock folder extraordinaire." He had some secrets, too.
Threatened, shot at, chased, with runaway carts and snake bites, poisoned plants and a Big Cat, there was plenty of action. Added into the mix was the odious blackguard and all-over evildoer, Castille.
And then there was the romance. *Sigh.* I simply loved Goodnight's entries into his personal journal with the quips and confusion. And Cordelia's initial naivety. At times, the tension between this twosome felt like snaps of electricity when they were around each other. When you combined everything together, it was love on the run.
Oh, the epilogue. I loved that, too!
July 5, 2020
There were a lot of fun, snarky moment in this little gem of a book. I have had this on my TBR forever and I am glad I finally picked it up and read it.
February 23, 2015
I discovered this little gem of a book while I was doing a little bit of weeding at my library. It’s always fun discovering a new author serendipitously and this one was a delightful surprise. The Book of True Desires was an absolute hoot. This was a tale of adventure and romance, and my absolute favourite part, how about a butler for the hero?
Cordelia O’Keefe is your average lady Indiana Jones (quite a feat in 1898) and is hoping to be off on a new adventure; however, this time she wants the support of her estranged grandfather. Cordelia’s grandfather isn’t exactly thrilled to see his granddaughter, he disowned his son when he married Cordelia’s mother. That said, the grandfather is a manipulative old coot and decides that if Cordelia wants his money she’s going to have to earn it. Only by locating the Mayan “Gift of the Jaguar” will Cordelia receive a penny, and she’ll have to take along her grandfather’s surly, proper, British butler to serve as financier.
Hartford Goodnight is not your average butler. He’s disrespectful, grumpy, and altogether too stuffy to be off on a jungle adventure. However, his employer dangles his freedom: find the cure for his gout and Hart will be released from his indenture. Now if only that woman weren’t leading the expedition.
The Book of True Desires was a fantastic adventure novel that moves from Tampa to Cuba and finally to Mexico. It was so entertaining to see Cordelia and Hart deal with one another throughout their adventure. Cordelia was an unlikely heroine. She wasn’t the meek and innocent miss that you associate with historical romance; she was smart and courageous and determined to make her own path in the world. Cordelia has been traveling for years and her adventures have graced the pages of famous magazines. It was utterly hysterical watching Hart deal with her “antics” and his constant shock at her actions:
“Try slouching a bit, will you?” she hissed. “You’re drawing attention.”
“Well, excuse me” – he stretched a defiant bit taller – “but my height is not exactly within my control.”
“You stick out like a sore thumb. If the soldiers stop you and find you’re carrying a pistol, they’ll arrest you.”
“A pistol?” He gave a “tsk”. “It so happens, I’m not carrying a gun.”
The news, delivered in his customary tight-jawed tones, rasped her last intact nerve. It was all she could do to keep from punching him.
“Then it’s a good thing I am.”
Hart stood immobilized, watching her head for the stone arch visible at the end of the street, grappling with the twin realizations that she had been serious in her suggestion that he carry a loaded firearm in the streets and that she was actually carrying one herself, somewhere on her person. He had difficulty swallowing. As if she weren’t already dangerous enough. (p. 57-58).
Hart, for his part, is rather ill-equipped for his jaunt in the jungle. Instead of the helpless female that you expect in the romance genre, you get the helpless butler/chemist/indentured servant. Hart does not adapt to jungle living quickly, he does not like the heat and he’s sea sick every time they board a boat. Quite frankly, it was refreshing to see a hero in this more secondary role and kind of unexpected in a romance novel that I would have labeled “old school” based on the horrible cover alone. But the real treat of Hart’s character is his journal recording their travel expenses; it’s that and more. In this journal readers are privy to Hart’s thoughts on the jungle, the expedition and Cordelia herself – they were highly entertaining, sarcastic comments abound.
January 24, Day 4
Bathing water for three: $2.00. Afternoon tea: $1.50. Dinner: ?
Found the university. Entire place could use a coat of paint. Found Arturo Valiente. More like a waiter than a professor, the way he dishes it up. Wretch pointed out there was a cat head in the drawings – DO SAY – then announced he was coming along to look for it. Tried in vain to get O’Keefe to see what a bad idea that is. He took us to a restaurant, fed us stuff that turned my mouth inside out, and introduced us to a Yank on the government’s enemy list. Place was raided by government soldiers.
Blasted woman really does carry a firearm – strapped to her thigh! Just yanked up her skirts and hauled the damned thing out!! I nearly had a heart attack. God help me – every time I close my eyes for the next month I’m going to see her naked leg (p. 75-76).
With asides like these, how can you not be entertained by this book? Seriously, if you in the mood for a great adventure story, you cannot go wrong with The Book of True Desires.
And on that note I simply have to mention the title. I have no idea how it relates to the book, which is my only gripe about the book. The title really doesn’t reflect the story at all. While I assume the title refers to Hart’s journal, I still think it could have been more aptly named.
The Book of True Desires was a book of pure escapism and one I would recommend if your looking for a romance with a heavy dose of armchair travel. I can't wait to check out Krahn's other adventure novel, The Book of Seven Delights (sounds like another bad title?).
Originally reviewed at The Book Adventures.
Cordelia O’Keefe is your average lady Indiana Jones (quite a feat in 1898) and is hoping to be off on a new adventure; however, this time she wants the support of her estranged grandfather. Cordelia’s grandfather isn’t exactly thrilled to see his granddaughter, he disowned his son when he married Cordelia’s mother. That said, the grandfather is a manipulative old coot and decides that if Cordelia wants his money she’s going to have to earn it. Only by locating the Mayan “Gift of the Jaguar” will Cordelia receive a penny, and she’ll have to take along her grandfather’s surly, proper, British butler to serve as financier.
Hartford Goodnight is not your average butler. He’s disrespectful, grumpy, and altogether too stuffy to be off on a jungle adventure. However, his employer dangles his freedom: find the cure for his gout and Hart will be released from his indenture. Now if only that woman weren’t leading the expedition.
The Book of True Desires was a fantastic adventure novel that moves from Tampa to Cuba and finally to Mexico. It was so entertaining to see Cordelia and Hart deal with one another throughout their adventure. Cordelia was an unlikely heroine. She wasn’t the meek and innocent miss that you associate with historical romance; she was smart and courageous and determined to make her own path in the world. Cordelia has been traveling for years and her adventures have graced the pages of famous magazines. It was utterly hysterical watching Hart deal with her “antics” and his constant shock at her actions:
“Try slouching a bit, will you?” she hissed. “You’re drawing attention.”
“Well, excuse me” – he stretched a defiant bit taller – “but my height is not exactly within my control.”
“You stick out like a sore thumb. If the soldiers stop you and find you’re carrying a pistol, they’ll arrest you.”
“A pistol?” He gave a “tsk”. “It so happens, I’m not carrying a gun.”
The news, delivered in his customary tight-jawed tones, rasped her last intact nerve. It was all she could do to keep from punching him.
“Then it’s a good thing I am.”
Hart stood immobilized, watching her head for the stone arch visible at the end of the street, grappling with the twin realizations that she had been serious in her suggestion that he carry a loaded firearm in the streets and that she was actually carrying one herself, somewhere on her person. He had difficulty swallowing. As if she weren’t already dangerous enough. (p. 57-58).
Hart, for his part, is rather ill-equipped for his jaunt in the jungle. Instead of the helpless female that you expect in the romance genre, you get the helpless butler/chemist/indentured servant. Hart does not adapt to jungle living quickly, he does not like the heat and he’s sea sick every time they board a boat. Quite frankly, it was refreshing to see a hero in this more secondary role and kind of unexpected in a romance novel that I would have labeled “old school” based on the horrible cover alone. But the real treat of Hart’s character is his journal recording their travel expenses; it’s that and more. In this journal readers are privy to Hart’s thoughts on the jungle, the expedition and Cordelia herself – they were highly entertaining, sarcastic comments abound.
January 24, Day 4
Bathing water for three: $2.00. Afternoon tea: $1.50. Dinner: ?
Found the university. Entire place could use a coat of paint. Found Arturo Valiente. More like a waiter than a professor, the way he dishes it up. Wretch pointed out there was a cat head in the drawings – DO SAY – then announced he was coming along to look for it. Tried in vain to get O’Keefe to see what a bad idea that is. He took us to a restaurant, fed us stuff that turned my mouth inside out, and introduced us to a Yank on the government’s enemy list. Place was raided by government soldiers.
Blasted woman really does carry a firearm – strapped to her thigh! Just yanked up her skirts and hauled the damned thing out!! I nearly had a heart attack. God help me – every time I close my eyes for the next month I’m going to see her naked leg (p. 75-76).
With asides like these, how can you not be entertained by this book? Seriously, if you in the mood for a great adventure story, you cannot go wrong with The Book of True Desires.
And on that note I simply have to mention the title. I have no idea how it relates to the book, which is my only gripe about the book. The title really doesn’t reflect the story at all. While I assume the title refers to Hart’s journal, I still think it could have been more aptly named.
The Book of True Desires was a book of pure escapism and one I would recommend if your looking for a romance with a heavy dose of armchair travel. I can't wait to check out Krahn's other adventure novel, The Book of Seven Delights (sounds like another bad title?).
Originally reviewed at The Book Adventures.
April 11, 2016
3.5 stars
Beautiful, independent, globetrotting explorer, Cordelia O’Keefe, would be the most unconventional female even in our times and much more so in 1898. In her words:"I’ve rafted down the Colorado River just after the spring thaw, when the river’s still running full and wild. I’ve packed and canoed the length of the Grand Canyon, climbed a volcano in Hawaii, and trekked across the Moroccan desert on a camel. I’ve dined with sultans and Hawaiian princesses and Indian chiefs. I’ve wagered with riverboat card sharps, Kentucky horse breeders, and Barbary pirates..and won.”
She is in on the verge of her most promising exploration yet: finding King Solomon’s Mines but needs to secure a financial backing for the expedition. Her feisty old tycoon grandfather has the funds but would only give them on one condition –she would have to first find something for him to prove herself worthy of his investment. That something is called “the Gift of the Jaguar.”
"It’s Maya Indian. South Mexico and the Caribbean. There’s stones and a legend that says the spirit of the jaguar gave a gift to mankind…a great and terrible gift. The old Mayans gave offerings to the jaguar to thank him. Treasure. Centuries of it. All piled up.”
She would need to find the stones and learn what the Gift of the Jaguar is and also bring back whatever valuables she finds along the way. He also wants his representative to come along on the expedition to “authenticate” the finds and to keep account of expenditures. This representative is no other than his stuffy, sarcastic, and always superior looking butler Hartford Goodnight. He entrusts the funds to Goodnight so Cordelia is not tempted to ditch the butler somewhere along the way.And thus the expedition begins. It would more appropriately be characterized as non-stop action, adventure galore a la `The Raiders of the Lost Ark' where the characters lurched from one predicament to another, always just one step ahead of calamity. Their adventure is peppered with interesting facts about map-making, archaeology, early pharmaceuticals and lush descriptions of tropical flora and fauna.
As exciting and thrilling as it all sounds, the story wasn’t a page-turner for me. I found the non-stop action to be over-the–top, relegating romance and character development to obscurity.
The first third of the story was very promising. The characters animosity combined with their forced close proximity produced palpable tension, made them constantly match their wits and wiles. Hartfords’ utterance of cheeky one-liners was priceless and his journal entries were a real treat. I wish the dynamic continued this way. But the farther they went on their expedition the less they seemed to interact with each other. I wish the clever one-liners would turn into enjoyable dialog so I can see their graduate falling in love. As it is, the romance was not really romantic for me. Renegaded to a back burner, it was hard for me to see its progression from animosity to love. Even though the romance didn’t work for me, I have to mention these journal entries again. They were utterly hysterical and highlights of the book for me.
November 20, 2020
4.5 stars
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May 9, 2018Cordelia O'Keefe entered the Tampa Bay Hotel in search of her grandfather. She spotted him playing chess and interrupted his game to move a few pieces and call 'check-mate'. They played another game and she beat him again and invited him to meet her for dinner. When he arrived, she introduced herself to him.
Samuel P. "Hardacre" Blackburn had disowned his son when he married Cordelia's mother and he refused to acknowledge their daughter. He was wealthy and asked her how much money she wanted from him. She was with her aunt and they took him to their room and showed him a rubbing from stones that she thought revealed where Solomon's mine was located. She asked him to fund an expedition to find the mine.
Hartford Goodnight was Hardacre's indentured servant and he was waiting in the hotel room when Hardacre returned from dinner with Cordelia. Hart was serving as butler to Hardacre and was sarcastic and disrespectful to Hardacre who was suffering from gout.
Hardacre went back to Cordelia's room the next morning with a counterproposal. He told her that he would fund the trip if she would first prove herself by going to Mexico in search of a Mayan treasure. He wanted the stones known as 'The Gift of the Jaguar'. He would fund that trip where she could prove herself worthy of his funding her going to Africa in search of Solomon's mine. Cordelia agreed letting someone go along who would watch over his interest. Then she found out it was Hart. She was not happy to have his butler along on the expedition and was determined to convince him to remain behind. Hart wasn't thrilled either. Hardacre told Hart that he would let him out of the remainder of their contract if he would bring back a cure for gout. Hart would be allowed to market and retain any profit he made from marketing any medical cures he brought back with him from Mexico.
Their first stop was Havanna, Cuba. Cordelia wanted to meet with a professor there. They met and went to dinner. It was interrupted by soldiers. Cordelia and Hart ran out and ended up kissing in a doorway to avoid suspicion and getting caught. She liked the kiss and found that she couldn't get how she felt about it out of her head. She had found out that Hart had gone to Oxford and had started medical school but switched to chemistry. She knew that he owed a debt to her grandfather but she didn't know why he owed her grandfather.
They went back to the hotel and eventually the professor brought her aunt back. Her aunt had been taken with the professor to see the governor of Cuba and there was another man there with him, Don Alejandro Castille. Castille came to see Cordelia in the morning and told her that the rubbings she had been given by her grandfather were stolen property and he had two thugs hold her while he ransacked the room looking for them. She was knocked out and Hart arrived to take up the fight until they left. Her aunt arrived to see the mess after Hart treated and bandaged her cuts. Cordelia and Hart had almost kissed again.
Cordelia, her aunt, Hedda, the professor, Arturo Valiente, and Goodnight all snuck out of the hotel and headed toward the south end of Cuba to catch a boat ride to Mexico. The journey took a few days and they were followed by Castille and Cuban soldiers. They were shot at as they boarded the ship. They found out that the captain, O'Brian, was wanted by the Cuban government for supplying weapons to the rebels. They were taking another look at the rubbings when they noticed that Castille was on another ship following them. It was Goodnight who suggested that the writings they were looking at were really geographic drawings of the land. They stopped at a map shop and purchased some maps of Veracruz that seemed to show the same pattern as lines on the rubbings. The owner of the map store reported their location and purchase to Havana.
They started on their journey and Hart was bitten by a snake. He was sick for a few days. They found some vanilla plants and orchids. Hart spent a lot of time collecting plants that he thought might have medicinal purposes. Cordelia was wandering alone one evening and ran into a jaguar. Their guides burro went into labor and Hart helped deliver the baby donkey. It was then that Cordelia realized that she was falling in love with Hart. She was wondering how things were going to work out. She had no home and no money. All she had was a reputation as an eccentric adventuress. He had no home, no money and was a failed businessman turned butler. She felt it was better to keep how she felt to herself.
They found some ruins and used the maps they had to plot a trip to another location. Hart went looking for plants one night and Cordelia followed him. She grabbed some leaves and bit into them. They were called 'dumb cane' and cause her lips and throat to swell. They were running back to camp and came upon the jaguar again. The watched them for a minute and seemed to disappear. They arrived in camp where Hart put wet tea leaves in her mouth to reduce the swelling. She was left without her voice but she survived.
In another part of the jungle, Castille was following them. He held the local tavern keepers wife and daughter as hostage for his obedience and they followed the trail left by Cordelia and her group.
Cordelia's swollen larynx slowly got better and she felt confident that it would soon be back to normal. They arrived at the village of their destination and met with the elders. They also met the local witch. They toured the village and looked at the stones that built the houses.
Cordelia was taking a nap and Hart went in search of plants and the jaguar found him climbing a tree. The cat pissed on his backpack so Hart took his things out of it because it would no longer be useful due to the smell. He headed back to the campsite and saw a boa about ready to drop onto sleeping Cordelia. Hart shot it and the jaguar attacked it. Their guides later found the boa and it had a bullet hole in the back of it's head. The snake was close to 100 pounds in weight.
They waited until nightfall and found a hidden temple. The witch was there and spoke with them about her secrets. It was not secret that the old lady with no teeth was admiring Hart. Cordelia was left out of their conversation and waited outside the woman's house for Hart. He appeared drunk and she kissed him as they went back to their campsite. She wouldn't let in go any further and he thought it was because he had nothing to offer her. She had noticed that her aunt, Hedda, and the professor seemed to be getting closer too. She was feeling left out and a bit frightened of her feelings for Hart. She saw the jaguar again and felt that it was watching her. She knew now that it was following her. The witch, Yazkuz, noticed too.
Yazkuz's attitude toward Cordelia changed after she saw the jaguar walk close enough to Cordelia for her to reach out and touch it. Yazkuz asked to see the rubbings they had. She then told them that she knew of the place they were searching. She told them that she would take only Cordelia and Hart to the location, and she did. They traveled upward while chopping vegetation, fording streams, climbing steep hill and in some cases, carrying Yazkuz. It was towards the end of the second day when they were shown the stones of the rubbing.
They went through the opening in the cave and looked around. They didn't really find anything but the next morning, Yazkuz told them they needed to climb up through an opening. They climbed up where Cordelia found hand and footholds. It was harder climbing for Hart but he made it up too. His back was pretty scratched up because it was wet near the top and Cordelia fell onto him. The arrived to find a green valley surrounding a pool of water. Cordelia saw something in the bottom of the clear water and dove in. She found various pieces of gold jewelry. They felt they had found the treasure that people had brought. They deposited their offerings to the jaguar into the water.
They had pulled Yazkuz up to the top of the opening where they were. They had found some writings and it appeared that the gift of the jaguar was that of healing. There were pictures that they decided were that of butterflies in various stages of pupa and caterpillar until they became butterflies. They were swept up in the moment and the passion they felt led to them making love.
Hart woke up in the morning to find Cordelia gone. He soon found her naked and watched her body be completely covered with golden butterflies. He came and took her hand. The butterflies swarmed him where his skin was bare above his pants. The butterflies flew off and Cordelia dressed. They followed the butterflies and some came back as of to make sure they were being followed. They were led to a tree covered red orchids. Hart climbed the tree and put some of the flowers on his snakebite that was still bothering him. Cordelia went to find Yazkuz to show her what they had found. They returned to the tree to find Hart unconscious. Yazkuz took some with roots from the flowers out of his mouth. They waited to see what would happen to him. The gave him all the water they could get down his throat.
Meanwhile, back in the village, Castille and his men had arrived and demanded to know where Cordelia and Hart were. Hedda had thought that something was happening between her and the professor. She Castille made it out to look like the professor was helping him. Cordelia and Hedda's guides had refused Castille's order to track Cordelia even after being beaten up. They agreed to track Yazkuz, Cordelia and Hart after Castille hit Hedda.
Cordelia's guides tracked her with Castille and his men following as well as the professor and Hedda. The found the cave entrance and were surprised to see that Castille had the headstone of the Jaguar that was missing from the entrance but was on the rubbing. Once it was put back in place, a doorway opened but very little. Castille had his men use dynamite to enlarge the opening. I did and they headed through. Castille convinced his men to keep clearing out rubble on the promise that there was treasure ahead. The professor noticed that it was getting wetter and the going was getting slippery. He tried to get away and take Hedda with him. He was forced back and slipped Hedda into a crack. It wasn't long before the water broke loose and it created a flood. The professor was swept away and Hedda thought he was dead.
Within the crater of a volcano the lake was formed was where Cordelia and Yazkuz were with Hart. They had put him in the cold water to try and reduce his temperature. The water was quickly running out after the dynamite blast so they pulled Hart out of the water. It was then that they saw Castille and his men. They had drug Hedda up too. Cordelia ran to her and they hugged. Castille demanded to know where the treasure was and didn't accept the fact that the gift was healing. He noticed a bracelet in Hart's pocket and threatened to shoot him if he wasn't told where it came from. Cordelia was told to dive into the lake and recover more gold pieces. She dove in a few times and then said she had to rest when she noticed the water warming quickly. Castille convinced his men to take up where she left off. It wasn't too much longer before they were badly burned and an opening shot up water hot enough to boil one of the men. They decided to leave then with what they had collected. Hart was left behind.
The guides had not been helping in the clearing of the rubble and they found the professor. They decided to carefully find the women and ended up finding Hart. He was beginning to regain consciousness and they told him that Cordelia was in trouble. They tracked the group as they were leaving and decided to attack before they reached Yazkuz's village. Castille had pushed her down Cordelia thought that she was gone too.
Cordelia was shot during the fight. Hart gave her some of the flowers to help her heal and she was soon unconscious. They stayed with her for a couple of days until she recovered. Castille had run off when he realized he was losing the fight because Hart had guns. His own men had turned on him too due to his treatment of the women. Castille ended up as the jaguar's enemy and was killed.
Cordelia and Hart returned back home to Hardacre as a married couple. They told him about the flowers and Cordelia had some that he ate. He was unconscious but for a much shorter time than Hart and Cordelia had been. His gout was cured and he accepted their marriage and he knew he had a second chance to have a family.
Hart went on to study the plant and use it to create medicine. They had two children over the next 8 years. Olivia came first and Max was 3 years younger. Hardacre told Max that he would grow up to be a tycoon and Olivia would be an adventurer like her mother was.
Samuel P. "Hardacre" Blackburn had disowned his son when he married Cordelia's mother and he refused to acknowledge their daughter. He was wealthy and asked her how much money she wanted from him. She was with her aunt and they took him to their room and showed him a rubbing from stones that she thought revealed where Solomon's mine was located. She asked him to fund an expedition to find the mine.
Hartford Goodnight was Hardacre's indentured servant and he was waiting in the hotel room when Hardacre returned from dinner with Cordelia. Hart was serving as butler to Hardacre and was sarcastic and disrespectful to Hardacre who was suffering from gout.
Hardacre went back to Cordelia's room the next morning with a counterproposal. He told her that he would fund the trip if she would first prove herself by going to Mexico in search of a Mayan treasure. He wanted the stones known as 'The Gift of the Jaguar'. He would fund that trip where she could prove herself worthy of his funding her going to Africa in search of Solomon's mine. Cordelia agreed letting someone go along who would watch over his interest. Then she found out it was Hart. She was not happy to have his butler along on the expedition and was determined to convince him to remain behind. Hart wasn't thrilled either. Hardacre told Hart that he would let him out of the remainder of their contract if he would bring back a cure for gout. Hart would be allowed to market and retain any profit he made from marketing any medical cures he brought back with him from Mexico.
Their first stop was Havanna, Cuba. Cordelia wanted to meet with a professor there. They met and went to dinner. It was interrupted by soldiers. Cordelia and Hart ran out and ended up kissing in a doorway to avoid suspicion and getting caught. She liked the kiss and found that she couldn't get how she felt about it out of her head. She had found out that Hart had gone to Oxford and had started medical school but switched to chemistry. She knew that he owed a debt to her grandfather but she didn't know why he owed her grandfather.
They went back to the hotel and eventually the professor brought her aunt back. Her aunt had been taken with the professor to see the governor of Cuba and there was another man there with him, Don Alejandro Castille. Castille came to see Cordelia in the morning and told her that the rubbings she had been given by her grandfather were stolen property and he had two thugs hold her while he ransacked the room looking for them. She was knocked out and Hart arrived to take up the fight until they left. Her aunt arrived to see the mess after Hart treated and bandaged her cuts. Cordelia and Hart had almost kissed again.
Cordelia, her aunt, Hedda, the professor, Arturo Valiente, and Goodnight all snuck out of the hotel and headed toward the south end of Cuba to catch a boat ride to Mexico. The journey took a few days and they were followed by Castille and Cuban soldiers. They were shot at as they boarded the ship. They found out that the captain, O'Brian, was wanted by the Cuban government for supplying weapons to the rebels. They were taking another look at the rubbings when they noticed that Castille was on another ship following them. It was Goodnight who suggested that the writings they were looking at were really geographic drawings of the land. They stopped at a map shop and purchased some maps of Veracruz that seemed to show the same pattern as lines on the rubbings. The owner of the map store reported their location and purchase to Havana.
They started on their journey and Hart was bitten by a snake. He was sick for a few days. They found some vanilla plants and orchids. Hart spent a lot of time collecting plants that he thought might have medicinal purposes. Cordelia was wandering alone one evening and ran into a jaguar. Their guides burro went into labor and Hart helped deliver the baby donkey. It was then that Cordelia realized that she was falling in love with Hart. She was wondering how things were going to work out. She had no home and no money. All she had was a reputation as an eccentric adventuress. He had no home, no money and was a failed businessman turned butler. She felt it was better to keep how she felt to herself.
They found some ruins and used the maps they had to plot a trip to another location. Hart went looking for plants one night and Cordelia followed him. She grabbed some leaves and bit into them. They were called 'dumb cane' and cause her lips and throat to swell. They were running back to camp and came upon the jaguar again. The watched them for a minute and seemed to disappear. They arrived in camp where Hart put wet tea leaves in her mouth to reduce the swelling. She was left without her voice but she survived.
In another part of the jungle, Castille was following them. He held the local tavern keepers wife and daughter as hostage for his obedience and they followed the trail left by Cordelia and her group.
Cordelia's swollen larynx slowly got better and she felt confident that it would soon be back to normal. They arrived at the village of their destination and met with the elders. They also met the local witch. They toured the village and looked at the stones that built the houses.
Cordelia was taking a nap and Hart went in search of plants and the jaguar found him climbing a tree. The cat pissed on his backpack so Hart took his things out of it because it would no longer be useful due to the smell. He headed back to the campsite and saw a boa about ready to drop onto sleeping Cordelia. Hart shot it and the jaguar attacked it. Their guides later found the boa and it had a bullet hole in the back of it's head. The snake was close to 100 pounds in weight.
They waited until nightfall and found a hidden temple. The witch was there and spoke with them about her secrets. It was not secret that the old lady with no teeth was admiring Hart. Cordelia was left out of their conversation and waited outside the woman's house for Hart. He appeared drunk and she kissed him as they went back to their campsite. She wouldn't let in go any further and he thought it was because he had nothing to offer her. She had noticed that her aunt, Hedda, and the professor seemed to be getting closer too. She was feeling left out and a bit frightened of her feelings for Hart. She saw the jaguar again and felt that it was watching her. She knew now that it was following her. The witch, Yazkuz, noticed too.
Yazkuz's attitude toward Cordelia changed after she saw the jaguar walk close enough to Cordelia for her to reach out and touch it. Yazkuz asked to see the rubbings they had. She then told them that she knew of the place they were searching. She told them that she would take only Cordelia and Hart to the location, and she did. They traveled upward while chopping vegetation, fording streams, climbing steep hill and in some cases, carrying Yazkuz. It was towards the end of the second day when they were shown the stones of the rubbing.
They went through the opening in the cave and looked around. They didn't really find anything but the next morning, Yazkuz told them they needed to climb up through an opening. They climbed up where Cordelia found hand and footholds. It was harder climbing for Hart but he made it up too. His back was pretty scratched up because it was wet near the top and Cordelia fell onto him. The arrived to find a green valley surrounding a pool of water. Cordelia saw something in the bottom of the clear water and dove in. She found various pieces of gold jewelry. They felt they had found the treasure that people had brought. They deposited their offerings to the jaguar into the water.
They had pulled Yazkuz up to the top of the opening where they were. They had found some writings and it appeared that the gift of the jaguar was that of healing. There were pictures that they decided were that of butterflies in various stages of pupa and caterpillar until they became butterflies. They were swept up in the moment and the passion they felt led to them making love.
Hart woke up in the morning to find Cordelia gone. He soon found her naked and watched her body be completely covered with golden butterflies. He came and took her hand. The butterflies swarmed him where his skin was bare above his pants. The butterflies flew off and Cordelia dressed. They followed the butterflies and some came back as of to make sure they were being followed. They were led to a tree covered red orchids. Hart climbed the tree and put some of the flowers on his snakebite that was still bothering him. Cordelia went to find Yazkuz to show her what they had found. They returned to the tree to find Hart unconscious. Yazkuz took some with roots from the flowers out of his mouth. They waited to see what would happen to him. The gave him all the water they could get down his throat.
Meanwhile, back in the village, Castille and his men had arrived and demanded to know where Cordelia and Hart were. Hedda had thought that something was happening between her and the professor. She Castille made it out to look like the professor was helping him. Cordelia and Hedda's guides had refused Castille's order to track Cordelia even after being beaten up. They agreed to track Yazkuz, Cordelia and Hart after Castille hit Hedda.
Cordelia's guides tracked her with Castille and his men following as well as the professor and Hedda. The found the cave entrance and were surprised to see that Castille had the headstone of the Jaguar that was missing from the entrance but was on the rubbing. Once it was put back in place, a doorway opened but very little. Castille had his men use dynamite to enlarge the opening. I did and they headed through. Castille convinced his men to keep clearing out rubble on the promise that there was treasure ahead. The professor noticed that it was getting wetter and the going was getting slippery. He tried to get away and take Hedda with him. He was forced back and slipped Hedda into a crack. It wasn't long before the water broke loose and it created a flood. The professor was swept away and Hedda thought he was dead.
Within the crater of a volcano the lake was formed was where Cordelia and Yazkuz were with Hart. They had put him in the cold water to try and reduce his temperature. The water was quickly running out after the dynamite blast so they pulled Hart out of the water. It was then that they saw Castille and his men. They had drug Hedda up too. Cordelia ran to her and they hugged. Castille demanded to know where the treasure was and didn't accept the fact that the gift was healing. He noticed a bracelet in Hart's pocket and threatened to shoot him if he wasn't told where it came from. Cordelia was told to dive into the lake and recover more gold pieces. She dove in a few times and then said she had to rest when she noticed the water warming quickly. Castille convinced his men to take up where she left off. It wasn't too much longer before they were badly burned and an opening shot up water hot enough to boil one of the men. They decided to leave then with what they had collected. Hart was left behind.
The guides had not been helping in the clearing of the rubble and they found the professor. They decided to carefully find the women and ended up finding Hart. He was beginning to regain consciousness and they told him that Cordelia was in trouble. They tracked the group as they were leaving and decided to attack before they reached Yazkuz's village. Castille had pushed her down Cordelia thought that she was gone too.
Cordelia was shot during the fight. Hart gave her some of the flowers to help her heal and she was soon unconscious. They stayed with her for a couple of days until she recovered. Castille had run off when he realized he was losing the fight because Hart had guns. His own men had turned on him too due to his treatment of the women. Castille ended up as the jaguar's enemy and was killed.
Cordelia and Hart returned back home to Hardacre as a married couple. They told him about the flowers and Cordelia had some that he ate. He was unconscious but for a much shorter time than Hart and Cordelia had been. His gout was cured and he accepted their marriage and he knew he had a second chance to have a family.
Hart went on to study the plant and use it to create medicine. They had two children over the next 8 years. Olivia came first and Max was 3 years younger. Hardacre told Max that he would grow up to be a tycoon and Olivia would be an adventurer like her mother was.
September 4, 2022
Compelling characters. Sweeping romance. Adventure. There’s really nothing more I want in a romance. May add more later.
September 13, 2021
This book was fun, but I think I was being a little bit nitpicky.
I liked the swashbuckling Cordelia and the trope-y butler take on Goodnight's character, and the story was romantic and fun. However, I think I know too much about Central America to really enjoy this book. The scenes were they just found pineapples and bananas (and even mangoes, I believe?) growing in the uncharted jungle bothered me. Bananas and mangoes are indigenous to India, not Central America. They were introduced in the 1600s but would probably not be found in the heart of the jungle in the 1890s, especially when the author stresses that people travel very rarely because its so dangerous. These scenes could have been used to educate readers about cool fruits that ARE indigenous to Central America, instead of just using stereotypically tropical fruits. Also, I felt the scene near the end where Cordelia and Goodnight are "involved romantically" while on top of the Mayan temple was a little... disrespectful. I felt this book was pretty good, but it could have been great if the author had more carefully researched. I get that this is just supposed to be a fun romp in the jungle, but some of the inaccuracies pulled me out of the book and ruined the experience for me.
Overall, a fun read, but maybe skip it if you know a lot about bananas?
I liked the swashbuckling Cordelia and the trope-y butler take on Goodnight's character, and the story was romantic and fun. However, I think I know too much about Central America to really enjoy this book. The scenes were they just found pineapples and bananas (and even mangoes, I believe?) growing in the uncharted jungle bothered me. Bananas and mangoes are indigenous to India, not Central America. They were introduced in the 1600s but would probably not be found in the heart of the jungle in the 1890s, especially when the author stresses that people travel very rarely because its so dangerous. These scenes could have been used to educate readers about cool fruits that ARE indigenous to Central America, instead of just using stereotypically tropical fruits. Also, I felt the scene near the end where Cordelia and Goodnight are "involved romantically" while on top of the Mayan temple was a little... disrespectful. I felt this book was pretty good, but it could have been great if the author had more carefully researched. I get that this is just supposed to be a fun romp in the jungle, but some of the inaccuracies pulled me out of the book and ruined the experience for me.
Overall, a fun read, but maybe skip it if you know a lot about bananas?
January 31, 2011
Very adventure-heavy, this one. also, I don't think the man on the cover looks anything like the hero lol. But to each their own, or something.
I have given this a three, personally, because adventure isn't necessarily my cup o' tea. If it had more romance, I'd likely give it four.
I have given this a three, personally, because adventure isn't necessarily my cup o' tea. If it had more romance, I'd likely give it four.
February 15, 2023
3.5 stars
A fun Indiana Jones/The Mummy with fun combative leads and adventure in a South American jungle.
Enjoyed the byplay between main couple, the second half brought in more of the adventure and the romance got left behind a little; the "I love yous" felt suddenly said.
Fun time overall though, the heroine was a blast with her competence along the hero's befuddlement turned attraction to her capabilities.
A fun Indiana Jones/The Mummy with fun combative leads and adventure in a South American jungle.
Enjoyed the byplay between main couple, the second half brought in more of the adventure and the romance got left behind a little; the "I love yous" felt suddenly said.
Fun time overall though, the heroine was a blast with her competence along the hero's befuddlement turned attraction to her capabilities.
January 24, 2019
Perfect historical romance. Unique, engaging characters with palpable chemistry; fantastic travel plot; superb writing; fascinating and detailed historical setting; and minute details seamlessly woven in.
March 16, 2020
Set in 1898, and beginning in Tampa Florida, Krahn's historical romance reminded me of: Romancing the Stone.
Cordella O' Keefe is an explorer. Hartford Ignatius Goodnight is a chemist/pharmacist.
The action is fast paced and the romance builds slowly, turning steamy at the right moment.
Cordella O' Keefe is an explorer. Hartford Ignatius Goodnight is a chemist/pharmacist.
The action is fast paced and the romance builds slowly, turning steamy at the right moment.
February 2, 2022
I started this book three times and illness got me down and i could not concentrate. I finally got done with it mid Jan 2022. It was awesome. I love archaeology and this one hit the spot for Mayan in Mexico drama.
July 4, 2018
Cool setting to the story, sort of like an Indiana Jones meets romance.
September 16, 2020
Goog read
Kept the reader engaged with it's original story and unique choice of location. The build up to the hea was great.
Kept the reader engaged with it's original story and unique choice of location. The build up to the hea was great.
October 20, 2024
#164 - 2024
Genre: Historical Romance, Adventure
Genre: Historical Romance, Adventure
August 10, 2012
Treasure and Love in the Jungles of Mexico, a Great Romp!
This is the second in Krahn’s Library of Alexandria/High Victorian Romantic Adventures duology (THE BOOK OF THE SEVEN DELIGHTS was the first), and it won the RITA for the best historical romance in 2007. It’s a wonderful Indiana Jones type treasure hunt that begins in Cuba (at the outset of the Spanish-Cuban-American War) and continues through the jungles of Mexico.
Set in 1898, it tells the story of Cordelia O’Keefe, a beautiful American explorer and adventurer extraordinaire, who strikes a deal with her feisty old tycoon grandfather to fund an expedition to find King Solomon’s Mines if she will first go into Mexico and discover the secret, and perhaps the treasure, of the Mayan stone carving called the Gift of the Jaguar. She agrees before he tells her he must have as his representative on the expedition his butler, the Englishman Hartford Goodnight (love that name). Goodnight, who she continually calls Good___ (fill in the blank; it varies), is anything but your typical butler. He’s clever, impudent and smart—and very well educated and knowledgeable about plants. Cordelia and Goodnight find themselves neck deep in adventure, bandits, jungle animals and mysterious Mayan legends, all the while fighting their attraction for each other.
Krahn very cleverly injects humor though Goodnight’s curt, sarcastic remarks and his journal writings, which are priceless. I laughed out loud at some of them. So well done. There are wonderful secondary characters and a very mean villain. It’s a fun romp and a good love story and you Walter Mitty types will love it.
This is the second in Krahn’s Library of Alexandria/High Victorian Romantic Adventures duology (THE BOOK OF THE SEVEN DELIGHTS was the first), and it won the RITA for the best historical romance in 2007. It’s a wonderful Indiana Jones type treasure hunt that begins in Cuba (at the outset of the Spanish-Cuban-American War) and continues through the jungles of Mexico.
Set in 1898, it tells the story of Cordelia O’Keefe, a beautiful American explorer and adventurer extraordinaire, who strikes a deal with her feisty old tycoon grandfather to fund an expedition to find King Solomon’s Mines if she will first go into Mexico and discover the secret, and perhaps the treasure, of the Mayan stone carving called the Gift of the Jaguar. She agrees before he tells her he must have as his representative on the expedition his butler, the Englishman Hartford Goodnight (love that name). Goodnight, who she continually calls Good___ (fill in the blank; it varies), is anything but your typical butler. He’s clever, impudent and smart—and very well educated and knowledgeable about plants. Cordelia and Goodnight find themselves neck deep in adventure, bandits, jungle animals and mysterious Mayan legends, all the while fighting their attraction for each other.
Krahn very cleverly injects humor though Goodnight’s curt, sarcastic remarks and his journal writings, which are priceless. I laughed out loud at some of them. So well done. There are wonderful secondary characters and a very mean villain. It’s a fun romp and a good love story and you Walter Mitty types will love it.
March 28, 2014
I probably should have reviewed this right after I read it, as I can't really remember character names or, like, the plot. So that's the sort of book it was.
I kind of liked it though. The hero was a butler! Only he was kind of a fake butler. He had to be a butler to repay a debt or something. But he was still repressed and butlery enough for me.
The heroine was kind of stupid though. At the beginning she was all strong and independent. She was an adventurer! And had taken care of herself on many expeditions! But I had to wonder how she'd survived as long as she did when kept doing such dumb stuff and kept having to be saved by the butler. And, okay, she did her share of saving his life too, but at least he had an excuse for getting into stupid situations. She should have known better.
Anyway, it was like Indiana Jones + a butler + attraction that could not be denied + stupidity. So, you know, not amazing. But still fun! I read it over a week or so whenever I was working out on the stationary bike, and it kept me entertained, so that's something.
I kind of liked it though. The hero was a butler! Only he was kind of a fake butler. He had to be a butler to repay a debt or something. But he was still repressed and butlery enough for me.
The heroine was kind of stupid though. At the beginning she was all strong and independent. She was an adventurer! And had taken care of herself on many expeditions! But I had to wonder how she'd survived as long as she did when kept doing such dumb stuff and kept having to be saved by the butler. And, okay, she did her share of saving his life too, but at least he had an excuse for getting into stupid situations. She should have known better.
Anyway, it was like Indiana Jones + a butler + attraction that could not be denied + stupidity. So, you know, not amazing. But still fun! I read it over a week or so whenever I was working out on the stationary bike, and it kept me entertained, so that's something.
April 12, 2011
Cordelia O'Keefe Blackburn & Hartford Goodnight
Cordelia is an explorer and treasure hunter who goes to grandfather she never met asking him to finance an expedition for her. He agrees if she will search for the "Gift of the Jaguar" first to prove herself. But he also insists she take his butler to confirm she's really trying. In the jungles of Mexico they look for treasure. Some very funny parts!
Review
Cordelia is an explorer and treasure hunter who goes to grandfather she never met asking him to finance an expedition for her. He agrees if she will search for the "Gift of the Jaguar" first to prove herself. But he also insists she take his butler to confirm she's really trying. In the jungles of Mexico they look for treasure. Some very funny parts!
Review
May 6, 2011
Not fast enough for me to keep turnign the pages, or wanting to.
I liked the characters, but they didn't seem as if they had a true enough spark to light a romantic fire between them.
The archaeological business was what drew me to the book, but it fell short for me, too.
Sorry, maybe I read this at an off time.
I liked the characters, but they didn't seem as if they had a true enough spark to light a romantic fire between them.
The archaeological business was what drew me to the book, but it fell short for me, too.
Sorry, maybe I read this at an off time.
December 23, 2015
Main thing that gave this book 4 stars was Hart. I love me a snarky British hero.
March 31, 2018
Fast, exciting plot, great characters, and adventure around every turn. I read this one based on a rec from the Smart Bitches review site and wasn't sorry. Loved the two main characters, the rich setting, and the painstakingly researched historical details that were not painful at all to read. I will be checking out more from Betina Krahn.
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