Title: Beautiful Tempest
Author: Johanna Lindsey
Series: Malory Family #12
Utterly charming! Only a few issues
Jacqueline “Jack” Malory has been obsessed with getting revenge on the man who stole her away from her family two months ago with the objective of luring her father to his death. She can’t believe her luck when he shows up in London and tries to bait her to come to him again. She goes—she can’t resist going—but she goes prepared, armed to the tooth and escorted by her older brother Jeremy and several guards. But it’s not enough; her captor surrounds them with an army of pirates, and once again she’s taken prisoner. Except, something’s different this time…and as she butts heads with a man who infuriates her all the more because she finds him the most attractive she’s ever met, she’s determined to discover the rules and level their playing field—so that she can kill him.
I loved this book! I loved the last few Lindseys as well, and I’m actually quite surprised I’m not more obsessed with her work. But there were a few things that gave me misgivings, though they’re quite minor and entirely subjective.
First – so many characters. But what else can you expect from the twelfth book in a series about a gigantic family that’s been written across twenty years? Lindsey must have been aware of it, because for the most part she didn’t give time to any Malorys who didn’t serve a purpose. But still, I’m familiar with this series, and I still had a hard time keeping track of who’s who and remembering everyone’s backstory. Eventually I gave up and focused on the key players. It’s impossible to ignore the fact that this is only a tiny portion of a much larger story. It’s a little frustrating, but again—I didn’t expect it not to be.
Second – I was confused about Damon’s motivations, mostly regarding his personal feelings for Jack. It was obvious from the start that he didn’t in any way wish her ill, and seriously regretted that he had to use her to achieve his own goals. He treated her with as much generosity and compassion as he could, so I never doubted that he respected her, and he really wanted her to truly trust him. But I got a strong vibe that he was in love with her from the get-go, and that he was aware of it, to the point that I thought part of the reason he’d stolen her away again was because he’d missed her and wanted an opportunity to win her over. I waited and waited for the revelation, but it never came, and I realized he hadn’t taken her because he loved her. He’d just…really liked her, I guess. I’m not sure; I got major mixed messages from him.
Third – Jack’s taking Damon to bed the very moment she “allowed” herself to. It seemed rather abrupt and threw me. I knew she’d been attracted to him, which had grown into desire, and that she’d been resisting fond feelings for him, but still, as soon as they’d agreed to be allies, a red light had switched to green in her mind and she’d thrown herself at him. I would have thought she’d have a little more dignity, at least. At most, I expected a little hesitation, because it had to be strange to know you’re about to take to bed a man you’d sworn to kill—and enjoy killing. I also expected a moment of hesitation from her because she was a virgin! I don’t care how brazen and bold and forward a woman is, or how willing she is—that first time is scary.
But to read it, I’d have never known for sure she was a virgin if she hadn’t mentioned blood on the sheets. She sure hadn’t acted like it. She’d acted like she knew what she was doing. It was jarring—and I was a little disappointed in her. I was also a little disappointed that Damon didn’t prove to be as chivalrous and gentlemanly as I’d come to believe. I thought he’d respect her enough to resist her for her own good, that he’d NOT want to ruin her, whether he loved her or not. But he didn’t put up a fight at all. And once that light was green, it stayed bright green, and Jack was spinning her wheels trying to jump him. In my opinion, she crossed the line between brazen and whorish, to be completely honest. I mean, this was the 1800’s right? Propriety was still a colossal deal? I know she wanted to be a rake like her father, but she knew she couldn’t, that there was a double standard between men and women regarding casual sex. So I thought that…that she’d have more self-respect, I guess. I don’t know. I was just overall disappointed that they had sex when and how they did.
Fourth – speaking of being a rake—I got REALLY sick of every man who opened his mouth—except Percy and Damon… Okay, let me rephrase. I got REALLY sick of every Malory man gloating about having been a rakehell. Like it was a badge of honor earned for being so goddamn masculine that they felt they were entitled to screw every woman on the planet. It was disgusting (literally—all I could think about were the diseases they must have! Their poor wives!). I know it’s kind of what men do, or at least what we expect from men—something about them being biologically programmed to procreate as often as possible—but that doesn’t mean I like it, find it acceptable, or least of all, find it a sexy characteristic. And I can’t believe their wives do, either. I think we’re evolved enough, civilized enough, that we can give men a little credit, give them the benefit of the doubt by expecting them to have some self-respect and self-restraint. Lindsey made them sound like animals who rutted every chance they got, and we should immediately fawn over them upon learning of their prowess. Damon wasn’t a rake, or he didn’t make mention of it, anyway, and I think that’s why I was so disappointed when he didn’t try to do the “right thing” and resist Jack’s advances. I wanted him to be different than the Malorys.
I know it sounds like I hated the book at this point, but I really did love it—the rant above was me blowing minor issues out of proportion. The characters were charming, endearing, and sympathetic (though I honestly didn’t warm much toward the Malory men because of the rake thing). The plot was intriguing and held me captive. The subplots kept the tension high. I was reading late into the night, and when I started to nod off, I got mad at myself because I wanted to keep reading! Lindsey’s writing was excellent, keeping the story moving along. She didn’t describe things in much detail, but that was okay with me, because paragraphs and paragraphs of description usually take me out of the story and make me space off.
Overall, I can’t wait for next summer and the next Lindsey novel. I’m seriously considering tracking down as many audiobooks as I can get my hands on…
