BEYOND THE WILD WIND

Author: Sasha Lord ISBN: 0451217853 2/2006 HISTORICAL Publisher: NAL/SIGNET ECLIPSE
Time Period: Medieval

Beautiful, brave, and wildly impetuous, Istabelle O’Bannon is the daring captain of her own ship, a ‘Robin Hood’ who protects coastal villages from those who raid them. She calls no port home and does as she pleases. But now she is desperate to reclaim one of her most precious treasures from a vicious outlaw named Horik—and she trusts only one man to help her... That man isn’t the warrior Ruark Haagan—even though she’s under the mistaken impression that he is. And now it’s too late for Ruark to explain his deception and reveal his true identity. All he can do is help the untamed beauty triumph in this brutal clash—even as he resists succumbing to the fiery passion Istabelle has ignited in him...

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

An 'easy read'; sexual; character driven; strong characters; simple plot, but unique; sexual tension; good fight scenes; attention getting. My simply put impression of this book.

I had no problem getting through it, even if there were a few quirky parts that gave me pause. This is one of those books that I read without questioning things. It's in the script, so to speak, and that's that.

From the beginning I had the impression that Sasha Lord is an author who has a story to tell and is going to tell it the way she wants—you can take it or leave it. Good for her.

The story centers on Istabelle and Ruark. You'll find that the secondary characters are just that—secondary. But it works. What goes on between the two was enough to hold my attention. They are interesting, strong willed and sexy.

This author is not shy when it comes to the sex scenes, either. Nor was there a shortage of such scenes. At the same time it's not constant sex. It is balanced nicely with lively interaction between the two, sword fights, discovering the dilemma that brought about their situation and the solution.

If you are looking for a book that is very descriptive, dives deep into its characters, environment and plot, this isn't the book for you. If you want a story to take you away for a little while, that doesn't make you think too hard about where you are going or how, and you can take at face value, this may be what you are looking for. I don't mean that as an insult, either. Every now and again I need a book like this. Now I know I can find one that is entertaining, regardless, because it is still different for its type.

Sue Cloud