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A review by katiev
The Prize by Brenda Joyce
3.0
I really liked this although it was VERY long and there were times when I wanted to kill both the H and the h. However, it kept my interest. (I had the audible version, so I listened to it whenever I was in the car or doing housework).
Some may have considered the h TSTL, but I liked her. I think Joyce had the skill to pull off a heroine who did some really silly/impetuous things and still have her be sympathetic and likeable. She is only 18yrs old and had been sheltered, her naivety was understandable. Too often these heroines are 30-year-olds in a 18yr old body. Although, there were times I wanted to shake her just as much as I want to shake my own teenage niece at times.
The H was harder to like. He had a sympathetic back story (father murdered in front of him), but he took the revenge thing too far. His mother and brother did not agree with his actions and they lost the H's father too. Even though he seemed to think so, he wasn't the only victim in the world. He also should have known his father would never have condoned the way he hurt innocents in his determination to avenge him. He did feel a lot of guilt over what he was doing to the h, but kept on doing it for FAR too long. In the end, he does realize all of his mistakes and is on the path to making amends, but things had to get pretty bad first.
He kidnapped the h off an American ship sailing to England because she was the niece of the man who killed her father. He was a British navel officer and this was just before the War of 1812 started, so he had no need or excuse to attack that ship and kill some of the crew - aside from his revenge plot. He brought the heroine onto his ship and then had one of his men sail the American ship. However, there was a big storm and due to the damage the H had done to the American ship, it sank killing everyone aboard. Pretty bad, but not enough to stir his conscience.
He planned to ransom the h to her uncle who he knew could not afford it because the H had been slowly destroying him. (His revenge plan had been to ruin the man financially and basically torment him every way possible (like screwing his wife) rather than just outright kill him.) The h told him that she was going to lose her plantation if her uncle couldn't afford to help save it and if he had to pay a ransom she was pretty much screwed. He had a twinge of guilt,but not much.
He took her to his home in Ireland and finally gave into his desire for her and took her virginity. It wasn't rape, but the way he behaved afterward was horrible. He went and told his brother (who was falling in love with Virginia) that he should marry her (to assuage his guilt and give his child a name if she was pregnant). Then he sailed away without a word to her, leaving her broken hearted. His brother, Sean, was a real gentleman, however, and was a great friend to Virginia during the months the H was away. Although, he was hoping she'd someday forget about Devlin and consider him. When Devlin came back, he treated the h like a whore out of jealousy and asked his brother what it was like to f*ck her. He got punched for that one. once again, some guilt and self disgust, but not enough to stop his crap
He takes Virginia to London to try and ransom her and the uncle refuses. So, he decides to parade her around England as his mistress (they weren't really sleeping together) to humiliate the uncle and Virginia was just collateral damage. This one really does blow up in his face and he starts to make amends and do the right thing at that point, but is still obsessed with his vengeance and there are several more examples of his being a stubborn jackass before the HEA finally comes.
Some may have considered the h TSTL, but I liked her. I think Joyce had the skill to pull off a heroine who did some really silly/impetuous things and still have her be sympathetic and likeable. She is only 18yrs old and had been sheltered, her naivety was understandable. Too often these heroines are 30-year-olds in a 18yr old body. Although, there were times I wanted to shake her just as much as I want to shake my own teenage niece at times.
The H was harder to like. He had a sympathetic back story (father murdered in front of him), but he took the revenge thing too far. His mother and brother did not agree with his actions and they lost the H's father too. Even though he seemed to think so, he wasn't the only victim in the world. He also should have known his father would never have condoned the way he hurt innocents in his determination to avenge him. He did feel a lot of guilt over what he was doing to the h, but kept on doing it for FAR too long. In the end, he does realize all of his mistakes and is on the path to making amends, but things had to get pretty bad first.
He kidnapped the h off an American ship sailing to England because she was the niece of the man who killed her father. He was a British navel officer and this was just before the War of 1812 started, so he had no need or excuse to attack that ship and kill some of the crew - aside from his revenge plot. He brought the heroine onto his ship and then had one of his men sail the American ship. However, there was a big storm and due to the damage the H had done to the American ship, it sank killing everyone aboard. Pretty bad, but not enough to stir his conscience.
He planned to ransom the h to her uncle who he knew could not afford it because the H had been slowly destroying him. (His revenge plan had been to ruin the man financially and basically torment him every way possible (like screwing his wife) rather than just outright kill him.) The h told him that she was going to lose her plantation if her uncle couldn't afford to help save it and if he had to pay a ransom she was pretty much screwed. He had a twinge of guilt,but not much.
He took her to his home in Ireland and finally gave into his desire for her and took her virginity. It wasn't rape, but the way he behaved afterward was horrible. He went and told his brother (who was falling in love with Virginia) that he should marry her (to assuage his guilt and give his child a name if she was pregnant). Then he sailed away without a word to her, leaving her broken hearted. His brother, Sean, was a real gentleman, however, and was a great friend to Virginia during the months the H was away. Although, he was hoping she'd someday forget about Devlin and consider him. When Devlin came back, he treated the h like a whore out of jealousy and asked his brother what it was like to f*ck her. He got punched for that one. once again, some guilt and self disgust, but not enough to stop his crap
He takes Virginia to London to try and ransom her and the uncle refuses. So, he decides to parade her around England as his mistress (they weren't really sleeping together) to humiliate the uncle and Virginia was just collateral damage. This one really does blow up in his face and he starts to make amends and do the right thing at that point, but is still obsessed with his vengeance and there are several more examples of his being a stubborn jackass before the HEA finally comes.