by Cynthia Wright
Series: Rakes & Rebels #1 / Raveneau #1
Pub. Date: July 12, 1979
Audio Pub.: Feb. 13, 2014
Publisher: Self-Pub
Narrator: Emily Beresford
Length: 11 hrs 5 min
Format: Audiobook
Source: Audible
My Rating:
Sultry Scale:
Set in 1781, during the Revolutionary War, SILVER STORM is the passionate tale of Andre Raveneau and Devon Lindsay who are thrown together when she stows away on his privateer after the British burn her home in New London, CT. The irresistible Captain Raveneau agrees to take her to Virginia to find her childhood sweetheart, but fate has other plans. Through intrigue, misunderstandings, and swashbuckling sea battles, Devon and Andre are swept away by a love that won’t be denied.
I was stoked to find this old bodice ripper for free on Amazon with audible narration available for a discount rate. Unfortunately, I wish I hadn't spent my money on this one. The writing was extremely juvenile to me and wholly lacking the maturity I would expect from a 38 y/o hero and a historical heroine over the age of 18. Set during the time of the Revolutionary War, there is a lot of room for action and world building... but both were severely lacking in this story. When you think you are about to get some fast-paced action, it halts abruptly and goes in another direction.
The heroine, Devon, hit all of my annoying heroine traits. She acted childish, had no common sense, and was always yelling at the hero. She acted entitled and threw a temper tantrum at every turn. She was fickle and seemed to fall in like/lust/love with men at the drop of a hat. Or she is passionately kissing the hero, then slapping him. Or begging him to take her virginity, then yelling that he took advantage. I don't think I have ever wanted to shake a character quite so much.
I can't really say much about the hero, Andre Raveneau, other than that he is a French privateer. His personality was flat and aloof, and I didn't really understand his attraction to Devon. If I was him, I would have thrown her overboard after the first or second temper tantrum. However after reading some of the other reviews, Andre turns into a big ol' douche canoe sleeping with the heroine's best friend, sneaking into the marriage bed, and all kinds of other creeptastic behavior.
The narration of this story was way off for me as well. These old bodice rippers tend to have a darker theme so I think you need a somber, or at least serious, narrative tone. This narrator was way too animated and brought out the immaturity of all the characters. It was odd - I am not used to these books sounding so upbeat. It didn't match the story at all. And why do half the characters sound like Ellie Mae and Jethro Clampett with even some Opie Taylor thrown in? Seriously - they are in Connecticut, not the deep south. And our French privateer hero had no French accent at all (unless he was calling her "mon petit chat"). Not only were the accents off, but the whole manner of speech seemed wrong for the time period. It was weird.
I'm sad to say that this insipid book gives good ol' bodice rippers a bad name. DNF at Chapter 13 - approximately 60% I think. Hard to tell w/ the audible version.
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