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chels_ebooks's review
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
"They don't call me Rolfe the Relentless for nothing."
Starts so strong! Bodice rippers published in the 90s are so different from the earlier works. The biggest difference I've noticed is that the hero (villain) is a bit more toothless. Less frightening, less overtly evil, and because of that the violence that the hero commits is justified by the book, rather than being a cause for revulsion.
This is a "we are on opposite sides of the war" romance between Rolfe the Relentless, a Norman conqueror, and Ceidre, a Saxon. He tries to rape her almost immediately, but it's an event that is told through his perspective through almost a comedic lense. That tone made this a weird reading experience for me. It's not quite funny enough to make me want to laugh (aside from the quoted line above), but it's definitely not scary or very honest about the cause and effect of sexual violence.
What really tanked this for me was Alice, Ceidre's sister. Rolfe marries Alice because she's legitimate and Ceidre is not, but he's so clearly carrying a torch for Ceidre that Alice retaliates. Brenda Joyce doesn't seem to care that Alice is also a victim, and she villainizes Alice in ways that are frankly quite cruel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Violence, and Domestic abuse
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