A woman with surging desires of the spirit, the flesh,
and the heart...
The only child of an 18th-century sugar baron, lovely
Shanna Trahern is given a year to find a suitable husband in London or to be
married off to a dull planter. Instead, she contrives to marry Ruark Beauchamp,
condemned to die for the supposed murder of a barmaid.
Certain her concocted story of a romantic elopement and
marriage, followed by Ruark's accidental death, will satisfy her father, Shanna
embarks for home -- the lush, intrigue-filled Caribean island of Los Camellos.
But unknown to Shanna, her husband has escaped the gallows and under another
name is among the bondsmen purchased by her father's agent. Once home, Shanna
is tormented by Ruark's playful taunts -- and his threat to collect "The
night of love" she had promised him in prison. But when she is carried off
by pirates; Ruark risks his life to save her. Now Shanna must deal with the
searing passion the proud, virile Ruark has aroused...
RUARK
A man burning to possess her in vengeance and in
ecstasy...
SHANNA
A romance of passion beyond wildest dreams!
This was a long overdue reread of an oldie but goodie.
Shanna is more than just a classic historical romance; it is also an adventure
story that goes from Newgate Prison to a Caribbean island to a pirate island
and finally to the wilderness of the Colony of Virginia. The descriptions are
rich with detail, making it easy to visualize each scene, and the characters
are vividly portrayed.
Shanna is the daughter of a wealthy merchant who owns an
island in the Caribbean. He sends her to London each year in hopes that she
finds a titled husband, but each year she returns unwed. This year he gave her
an ultimatum - find a husband, or he will find one for her. Unwilling to bow to
his dictates, Shanna buys time to find the man she wants by marrying a man
condemned to die.
Ruark is in prison for a murder he is sure he didn't
commit but expects to die for. When Shanna makes her proposal to him, that in
exchange for his name, she will ensure his final days are more comfortable, he
counters with a requirement of his own. He will marry her, but she must grant
him a wedding night.
In this first part of the book, Shanna is a spoiled brat,
as well as being somewhat naïve. She makes promises to Ruark that she has no
intention of keeping. Her attitude is arrogant, and she certainly looks down on
him. She begins to sense that she has bitten off more than she can chew when
she meets the "cleaned up" Ruark for the wedding. Ruark has
understandably looked forward to the marriage and the aftermath and is in a
cheerful, flirty mood throughout the wedding. There are sparks between them,
though Shanna doesn't recognize the attraction for what it is. I loved Ruark's
teasing and gentleness and couldn't help thinking about how lucky Shanna was. I
was furious with the way she double-crossed Ruark and understood his fury. It
was interesting to see how Shanna tried to justify her actions in her mind, but
there was that niggling sense of guilt that gave me hope for her. She thinks
she has it made because of his scheduled hanging, but Fate has other plans. It
was an interesting plot twist that had Ruark avoiding the hangman and ending up
bound for her home as a bondservant.
Once she reaches Los Camellos, the story picks up. Ruark,
now going by the name John Ruark, is satisfied to be so close to Shanna, making
it easier to plot his revenge. He is a smart and talented man and quickly makes
himself indispensable to his employer. Shanna gets quite a shock the first time
she sees him and realizes that she is not a widow after all and that her
husband is determined to claim what he is owed. I loved watching his persistent
actions as he gets closer to Shanna's father, and therefore closer to her. He
also takes every opportunity to fan the sparks of attraction between them,
until Shanna is desperate to stop him. She finally realizes that the only way
is to pay her debt in full. That scene is romantic and steamy and opens her
eyes to what is possible between a man and a woman. But the strength of those
feelings also scares her, and she tries unsuccessfully to stay away. By this
time, Ruark is head over heels for her, but can't make any headway in getting
her to admit her feelings. She may claim that she doesn't want him, but
certainly demonstrates a great deal of jealousy when she thinks he is with
someone else. Her hotheaded behavior leads her into another rash action that
has Ruark kidnapped and turned over to a pirate ship.
This is one of the most exciting parts of the book, as
Ruark does what he must to stay alive. He tries to hedge his bets with the
pirates, but it backfires and ends up with the pirates attacking the island and
taking Shanna captive. I loved his quick mind as he found a way to bring her
under his protection while preserving his cover with the pirates. Of course,
Shanna is just as willful and stubborn as ever and nearly succeeds in getting
them both killed. His confrontation with the pirate captain was intense, but
the outcome was never really in doubt. He also knew that he had to get them
away from the pirate island as soon as possible. I loved the unexpected help
they received, and the escape was a real nail-biter. I was worried that Shanna
was going to stand back and let him take the blame, but she did finally come
through in the end. Her experiences on the pirate island opened her eyes, and
she began to see just how spoiled and selfish she had been. I liked seeing the
changes as they happened, and Ruark's reaction to them. He was understandably
wary, but also hopeful.
A complication during this period was the presence of an
Englishman, Sir Gaylord Billingsly, who is looking for financing for a shipyard
his family owns. He is quite supercilious and has set his sights on marrying
Shanna. He is a parasite of the worst sort and rapidly wears out his welcome as
far as Shanna is concerned. There were some very satisfying moments when she
finds ways to make her displeasure known. She doesn't know, however, that he
has joined forces with Ralston, who has promised his help for a piece of
Shanna's dowry. There are some devious and dangerous plans underway that could
put a permanent end to Ruark's marriage to Shanna. There is also a visit from a
sailing ship out of Virginia, where its captain is very interested in the story
of Shanna's marriage. He also tells stories about life and opportunities in the
colonies and invites the Traherns to visit them there.
My favorite part of the book is the visit to Virginia.
Shanna and Ruark have come to an understanding, but she hasn't quite made that
final leap. It was great fun to watch Shanna watch Ruark in his natural element
of the Virginia wilderness. At last, she accepts what her heart has known all
along, but there are still a few surprises in store for her. I enjoyed her
growing appreciation for the land, and her acceptance by the family they visit
makes her feel even more at home. There were some hilarious moments involving
Ruark and various family members that all came home to roost with the arrival
of one of the sisters. I ached a little for Shanna as the entire truth came
out, as she felt foolish, but Ruark soon convinced her of the truth of his
feelings. The excitement isn't over, however, as the murder charge against him
rears its head once more, thanks to outside interference. There is more to the
story still as the actual murderer uses Shanna as a hostage to attempt to
escape. The final confrontation was a nail-biter, as Shanna's calm confidence
in Ruark's rescue of her drives her kidnapper over the edge. The end to that
was very satisfying, with nothing left but to tie up loose ends. I loved the
epilogue and the surprise that Mr. Trahern received one morning at church.
Though Shanna spent a good bit of time on the disliked
side of the tally sheet during the book, I enjoyed seeing the growth of her
character. It wasn't fast, and it wasn't easy, but it was believable. On the
other hand, I loved Ruark from the beginning. He is an honorable man, and that
honor plays out again and again throughout the book. I loved his patience and
persistence in winning Shanna.
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