The Windflower

This book is a *must read* for anyone who loves historical romance. The "innocent kidnapped by pirates" theme has been done to death, but never so delightfully as in "Windflower". Merry Patricia Wilding, an 18 year old American, is accidently kidnapped by a band of pirates led by ruthless Captain Rand Morgan and his second-in-command (and half-brother), the drop-dead gorgeous Devon Crandall. The majority of the book takes place aboard the pirate ship, the "Black Joke", as Merry gradually and believably matures from a innocent, helpless girl to a more capable, confident young woman. The secondary characters in this book are some of the best in the genre--I read this book at least six months ago and I *still* think about Rand, Raven and (especially) Cat, while I can barely recall the names of the *main* characters of many of the other books that I have read since then. I really liked the character of Merry as well, although I am not usually fond of beautiful but somewhat dimwitted ingenue heroines. The book was written in the 1980's when romantic heroines tended to be much less capable gals than the current crop of ladies, but Merry's character (sweet, unaffected and plucky) is so well-drawn that I could not help liking her and I could see why the pirate crew ended up being her champions. Devon was a worthy love interest, although a bit harsh to our sweet heroine some of the time (but hey, he was a pirate!) The dialogue in this book is *inspired*, the plot action-packed and the sexual tension delicious but not overdone. It is a long book but I read it twice in a row when I first got it--it's *that* good! Very, Very Highly Recommended!!

This book is listed as one of the 100 best romance novels, and rightly so. When Merry Wilding is accidently abducted by pirates, she faces challenges that make her a engaging heroine worthy of the hero's love. If you enjoy Woodwiss's " Shanna" , or Susan Wiggs " The Charm School" this is not to be missed.Although the plot has been done( woman ends up on pirate ship, matures, falls in love) what makes it unique is first of all, its lyricism. The description and dialogue are poetic, poignant, and vivd. Not to mention there are some really funny moments( "You might try giving it a lump of sugar".) It also has an incredible cast of supporting characters, who you may become so attached to, you might like them more than the protagonists. The characterization is nothing short of beautiful, the characters actually develop over the course of the novel, and I thought it was great that the heroine is given time to develop away from the hero.This is a must read for any romance reader, and the only problems I see with it are it's hard to get a hold of and it ends. I wish the Curtis' work was still in print.

A collaboration of the husband and wife writing team of Thomas and Sharon Curtis, "The Windflower" is arguably their best effort to date. It is post-War of 1812 and we are introduced to 18 year-old Merry Patricia Wilding who was raised by her maternal aunt and influenced by her mostly-absent brother and father, both key figures in American military intelligence. Merry's skills as a portrait artist are utilized by her brother to expose British spies and agents. On one such mission in a seedy beachside tavern, Merry, much to her horror, meets the notorious pirate captain Morgan Rand and his half-brother Devon Crandall (Duke of St. Cyn) by accident. Devon captures her when she attempts to escape the tavern, and although she is released unharmed, memories of this man haunt her dreams and thoughts. When Merry's aunt decides to travel to England with her niece, Merry is kidnapped from the ship by cutthroats hired by Captain Morgan Rand to steal sensitive documents from the officer's cabin she had been unwittingly given to sleep in. Once aboard the BLACK JOKE, Merry recognizes her captors and schemes to escape. She is given to Devon to "question" about her association with the officer in whose cabin she slept on the ship from which she was taken. Merry knows Devon is a British spy and realizes the peril to her family should she expose her identity. She steadfastly keeps her secret, yet yearns for Devon's touch. Her courage and innocence endear her to the ship's crew and especially the seemingly emotionless Cat, rescued from a brothel by Morgan as a child. Devon's quest to learn the girl's true identity and Merry's stubborn loyalty to her family cause many problems. By the time Devon learns Merry's identity, both are secretly in love with the other. Both learn that Morgan has manipulated them and has known from the beginning that Merry was the child of a woman he once loved dearly. Devon also learns that Merry's trip to England had been orchestrated by his grandmother (even though she had no idea that the two had previously met) to see him finally married and begotten of an heir. Merry and Devon's marriage, it seems, was fated from the beginning... This book ranks among my all-time favorites because of it's humanity and realism--especially with Cat's character. A boy born in a brothel, thrown away until his teenage body became an asset for the business, cruelly used for men's sexual pleasure, forced to grow up far too early and finally saved by Morgan Rand, manipulator extraordinaire. Cat finds an outlet for his never-before-felt emotions and love in Merry, an innocent and a pawn--much like himself. Cat's non-sexual love for her is something pure and unsullied, his hope for the future. Oh, how I would love to read a sequel with Cat as the main character! A beautiful, well-written story that demands an emotional committment from the reader and is not cheapened by repeat and unnecessary graphic sex scenes. This is a true ROMANCE. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

I detest pirate books. I loathe the heroine that falls for the man that constantly berates her. However, this book is so much more. Wonderfully round, diverse characters, lots of action, steamy and suggestive sex scenes, touching secondary stories, historically relevant details, sub-plots and suspense and the result is a novel I couldn't put down. I've been rereading it several times a year ever since. Whatever happened to Sharon and Tom Curtis? This is their best novel and it is a shame they stopped writing. They were a wonderful team capable of producing believable, diverse characters from male and female, cynical and naive perspectives. The female characters were somewhat stereotyped but the heroine in this novel does evolve. The male characters in THE WINDFLOWER are incredibly round and interesting. The Curtis' other books were pretty good but this one outshines all of them as well as most of the historical and romantic novels I've read in the past and present. **Does anyone know what happened to Sharon and/or Tom Curtis?**

I first read this novel 10 or so years ago and was blown away by it. It replaced The Flame and The Flower as my all time favorite historical romance. I stopped reading new romance novels about 5 years ago because they cost too much and were boring, but I keep copies of all my old favorites and when I need a pick me up, I pick them up! I'm on my third copy of F & F and second copy of The Windflower. First, the great descriptions of sailing and the pirate atmosphere suck you into the story. The psychological description of Merry's agony, Cat's history and the Duke's double identity are really well done and entertaining. All the side plots are meaningful and relate to the main story. Most amazingly, no explicit sex scenes and the sexual tension throughout the book is very high. I would recommend this book to everyone who loves romance novels, especially historical romance novels. In fact, I think I'll start it again tonight. Note: If you can't find this on the shelf, try used book stores, that's where I got my last copy. Enjoy