Found! The Windflower
Ladies and gentlemen, after many hours of fruitless searching I have found the out-of-print classic that is a must-read for any who would call herself a romance novel aficionado. The Windflower by Laura London (AKA Tom and Sharon Curtis) is now in my hot little paws. (And I bought it for a buck fifty!) I confess I am a Windflower virgin. So many people have named it the Best Romance Ever Written, including authors Teresa Medieros and Joanna Bourne and fellow DIK blogger MaryKate. All About Romance wrote “From its very first sentence, The Windflower seduces the senses with lush, lyrical, evocative prose. It is a brilliantly-plotted work full of wonderful details, subtle eroticism, clever humor, and heart-wrenching emotion, yet it is the characters that really capture the reader.”
How do I approach a book that has so many rabid fans? It will be like criticizing Shakespeare. It’s a bodice ripper. How can this live up to such lofty expectations? But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is a ravishing pirate hero who will deliver punishing kisses upon the innocent naive heroine! What joy! What rapture!
Seriously though, I will brave these turgid waters and share with you the pleasure-full details sometime soonish. Until then, reacquaint yourself with the back copy of this illustrious tome (it’s even better if you read it out-loud):
She longed for a pirate’s kisses, for a golden rogue’s caress…
Every lady of breeding knows: no one has a good time on a pirate ship. No one, that is, but the pirates. Yet there she was, Marry Wilding- kidnapped in error, taken from a ship bound from New York to England, spirited away in a barrel and swept aboard the infamous Black Joke…. There she was, trembling with pleasure in the arms of her achingly handsome, sensationally sensual, golden-haired captor - Devon. From the storm-tossed Atlantic to the languid waters of the Gulf Stream, from a smuggler’s den to a guilded mansion, Merry struggled to escape… to escape the prison of her own reckless passions, the bondage of sweet, bold desire….
Tags: "romance novels", Historical Romance, Laura London, The Windflower, Tom and Sharon Curtis
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May 12, 2008 at 1:22 am
Where in the world did you find it? I have been trying to get a copy but can’t find it. I live in the UK and there is nowhere I can find an used copy so I have to rely on Amazon and let me tell you, they are charging top bucks for used copies. I have no idea if I would like it or not, given that it’s a bodice ripper but it is such a must read. Argh, very jealous. Any chance of a book swap once you are done? *cheeky*
May 12, 2008 at 7:44 am
Sounds intriguing! Love the new header, btw.
You know what? we should get together sometime.
May 12, 2008 at 8:12 am
Ana - I’ve been combing used bookstores and happened upon it after sifting through stacks of unorganized, unalphabetized romance novels. They obviously didn’t know what a treasure they were hiding! Ha. I’d be happy to do a book swap, if you promise to chitchat with me about the book after you read it! We could do a Windflower chain-mail - each person promises to send it on to a new uninitiated romance lover.
I think there are a few other DIK gals who haven’t read it yet.
Nicola - That would be fun! We could talk about Romance Novels! I’m desperate to find friends who like romance as much as I do. :0 My email is ciara.stewart at gmail.com.
May 12, 2008 at 8:47 am
Nicola - are you going to this? I haven’t read Charlaine Harris yet, but she’s been on my TBR pile for a while now.
Tuesday • May 13 • 7pm
Charlaine Harris
From Dead to Worse (ACE HARDCOVER)
Reading & Book Signing
U District store
This is the eighth book in the Sookie Stackhouse series—where the deep South meets the undead, blood is always being supped upon, and there’s always a new mystery to solve. Can Sookie’s vampire friend help her find her boyfriend Quinn?
May 12, 2008 at 11:24 am
Ciara!!! Fantastic find! I really like the second cover version you posted. Its so pink! =) If you’re serious about a Windflower-chain-mail thing, count me in!
May 13, 2008 at 9:13 am
This sounds like a fun pirate adventure, but it’ll have to be the UBS which would stock this. Another one to hunt down …
May 13, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Oh, WOW! I can’t believe you found this. That is so wonderful. So they still exist out there. Congrats. I can’t wait to hear what you think!
May 13, 2008 at 2:25 pm
ZOMG!!! Seriously, I just bought a second copy on eBay for $19.95, and that’s a bargain!
Oh, I SO envy you! I hope you end up loving it as much as I do.
May 13, 2008 at 11:03 pm
Ciara!!What a fantabulous idea! Let’s do it. Let’s start the Windflower Chain and reviews! Drop me an email so we can discuss???
May 14, 2008 at 4:18 am
Oooh - what a great find!! My copy is front and centre on my bookshelf and I would never let it go!