I'm sorry, but I just can't get past the idea of four women sharing one man--and then actually liking each other, too! Yes, I have a Western bias and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Slave auctions, spouse splitting, isolation, harem intrigue, and --don't forget, this is a Bertrice Small novel--unequalled beauty? Color me clueless, but how romantic is any of that? A 13 year-old girl sold naked on a slave auction block may have been in vogue for those times, but I think it should thoroughly repulse the modern reader. Then I reached the part where Cyra Hafise returns to her native Scotland and becomes Janet Leslie again--and I could almost feel the sudden plunge of the plot thread.

Unfortunately, I read The Kadin after reading several of Small's other harem obsessions...I mean, novels partly set in the East (Skye O'Malley, All The Sweet Tomorrows, This Heart of Mine, Lost Love Found, The Love Slave, Love Wild and Fair). The whole concept of harem intrigue didn't really intrigue me to begin, and I became even less inclined to the idea as in reading book after book I encountered the same circumstances. Maybe life in bondage appeals to some women, but it does not appeal to me. Sorry, Bertie.

I read this book after I had read Small's *steamier* novels, like "Skye O'Malley", "All The Sweet Tomorrows", etc. Wow, this is very different. Oh, "Kadin" still had all the wonderful historical details (I can probably remember the embroidery and color of the damask in the harem), but, shall we say, there were no explicit adult scenes that seem to be the trademark of her other books. I'm not griping about it; I love this book above all the others she has written since.

The romance between Cyra and Selim was tender and sweet, and gave me an interesting look in harem life and politics. The plotting and scheming by Besma and other girls in the harem were very interesting.

NOW comes my only gripe with this book, and that's the ending, when she returns to Scotland. I find it hard to believe that the people in her society have nothing to say about that fact that she was once a slave, even though she did come up with a story about a kind Christian man buying her and marrying her. Also, I don't think returning to Scotland was true to the spirit of Cyra because that left Khurrem to all her machinations. I believe the real Cyra, the feisty Cyra, would never have consented to the Kind of Scotland's desires (yes, once again, a lusty Scottish King rapes a subject who has no choice in the matter, a la "Love Wild and Fair") or left Khurrem to ruin the empire with her plotting. I like to pretend the part about Cyra returning to Scotland was never written.

This is the best one of Bertrice Small's books other than the "Skye" series. I have probably read this book 10 times or more. If you've never read any of Bertrice Small's books before, I recommend this as your first one. Once you read it you'll be hooked for life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blaze Wyndham is Awesome! I Love Bertrice Small, she is one of my very favorite authors. Once in a while, I will get on a different author kick and I will not read a Small book for months, but then I go back and I am always glad I did. Blaze...the perfect name for her. It is always hard to say who is better for the heroine. You love them all. Tony was destined to have her but Edmund made you melt. I am always reminded after reading one of Miss Small's books just exactly why I love her so much. This book is out of print, but definitely worth your search. Read it!

Blaze Wyndham is a ravishing beauty who came to the lavish and lustful court of Henry VIII to become the mistress and confidante of the most powerful man in England. Although he demanded her surrender with all the awesome power of his position, the King could not have her love. And when he commanded she marry a man she professed to hate-dashing and rakish Lord Anthony Wyndham-she dared not refuse...yet Blaze's growing passion for the sweet enemy would soon becomer her destiny. Captivating love story. Couldn't put it down!

Blaze Wyndham, a woman not only strong in heart but also beautiful in spirit. At a very young age she is arranged to marry the wealthy Edward Wyndham. This marriage is not for the sake of love but to produce an heir for his vast estates. Having been told time and time again what her duty will be, she still hopes for love. Marrying by proxy she see her husband only after her arrival at Riversedge. Edward realizes he could take what he wants but is reluctant because he falls in love with Blaze. Blazes only worry is Tony, Edwards cousin, he upsets her in a way she can't understand. All is happy at Riversedge until the untimely death of Edward, her now beloved husband. Blaming his death on Anthony Wyndham, She flee to King Henry's court and discovers a world quit different from what she is used to. Catching the eye of the King holds dangers she has never known. I fell in love with her spirit and the awakening of her soul. I felt part of Blazes family. Her sisters and their husbands began to sound like my relatives. I only hope that soon there will be a story for Delight(Blazes misguided sister). I love this author and recommends the story to all with a romantic heart.

This book is great - it is like the Kadin and of course the skye o'malley books (it is of that series) It is very rich in history, costume description, the usual stuff that I love about Bertrice Small. It is among the best of her books concerning characters - I really love all of them - conn & aidan as well as the british court and the easterners. Also, it is about 600+ pages! and no fluff!

I got a hold of this Hard-to-find book on eBay (auction) after failing to get it on amazon auction - check often at these places though, because there is always a copy up for auction, and it is definitely worth it!

I read somewhere that even though it was hard to find, it wasn't really that important a book in the series, I think that person was just trying to make everyone feel better in case they couldn't find a copy - you must try to get a copy of this book!

It all started when I read Wild Jasmine. Before that, I'd never read one of those romance novels. Afterward I read Skye O'Malley and its sequel. Then came this book. Oh man, I love this book. I love Conn and Aidan. In my eyes, Aidan is a better heroine than Skye and Conn is just wonderful. I read this book over and over and dont get enough

I started reading the Skye O'Malley series back in early series. I have all her O'Malley books up but excluding her newest book that was just published. All her Skye books were great up to her book Wild Jasmine,after that I only bought the books to keep up with the series. When I read Darling Jasmine I could not believe her to be the same woman that she portrayed in a Love for all Time. She forgot all of her own children,grandchildren and focused on one Jasmine. I wanted to here about her other grandchildren,but I guessed that if she had done that the series would never have been completed. This book and her earlier ones are my favorites in this series. I hope that in her next book that she writes about Fortune and her family and how Skye's family did in the new colonies. But I'm rambling now, but I just wanted to say that I have had this book since it came out in the eighties and I still have the book ,creased but in good shape and I still read it.

Absolutely the very best book I've ever read. With a deep love for history, Bertrice Small, weaves a wonderful tale of romance. The historical characters come alive before us and bring us even deeper into the magical storyline that is wrought with intrigue, murder and love. This is one book that should be included in every romance reader's library. NOT TO BE MISSED.

I really enjoyed this book! If you are an avid historian, love wild sex scenes, and love a sense of spicy danger this book is for you! It's interesting to see Henry VIII in this light. Good book!

Mrs. Small, this is your best work. I will always treasure this book. It was a lovely story, very romantic, no air heads heroines, just a down to earth beautiful story.

Let me preface my comments by saying that I usually adore Bertrice Small's books...but not this one! I truly don't understand my fellow readers who thought this was such a terrific read.

I found Patrick to be a true man of the times (me Tarzan, you Jane) and so detested him immediately. But I was completely disappointed with Francis. What a wimpy name for a hero...FRANCIS. I found him rather boring, since Cat had him totally whipped. If he was soooooooo in love with her, why was he sleeping with any woman he could find? His affair with Angela was directly responsible for Cat's enslavement! Even after marrying Cat and helping her out of her depression, he was on the prowl the entire time, satisfying his "manly needs". What a jerk!

I challenge any of you who found this book so "wonderful" to find another Small book with such disgusting and frequent rape scenes. Patrick rapes Cat after many years of marriage because he finds the king raping her...yeah, what an understandable reaction to your wife's rape. Then Cica rapes Cat's body, but not her emotions...ho hum, how many times have Small readers heard that old story? Even Cat's poor maid didn't miss out on the action, being raped 9 times in one day when Cat was captured, then again by the Turks towards the end of the book. Disgusting.

I picked up this book out of boredom over 10 years ago, and was intstantly entranced by the story and the characters. It is more than a typical "romance" novel, as there is a good story, and much historical detail as well. I have re-read it many times since, and consider it to be the best of Ms. Small's books, even better than the first "Skye O'Malley" books! I highly recommend it.

I first read this book when I was about 12. I loved the passion and intruige and it captured my imagination. My sister loaned it to me. Her copy was battered and the cover hanging off. I read it and read it until she demanded to have it back - then it got lost!

How pleased I was to find it again and a brand new copy - we cannot get them here in the UK and a booksearch found me a used copy (possibly first edition) for which they wanted [price]! I think next I shall try The Kadin - the prequel so I can find out all about Cat's grandmother, whom she resembled so much.

Thank you Amazon, keep it there!

Bertrice Small is my favorite author right now. I have read almost all her books, and this was my least favorite. I don't know why exactly, but I just found it a little boring and hard to get through. (but I HAD to finish it, and the ending was kind of weak) I didn't like ANY of the characters, I didn't care if Murad and Adora ever lived happily ever after at all. Still, it is a Bertrice Small book, so it is still better than almost any other romance out there. Full of history and intrigue, but the characters just weren't as full of life as usual. Adora just kept going on about how smart & clever she is, thanks to her Greek ancestry, and Murad was just a big jerk. And it just wasn't believable that Adora would enjoy getting so brutally raped at a funeral--and she even saw swirling colors of passion & so on at her "crisis". (Huh? What was that? Now you really want to read it, right?) I see a lot of other reviewers really enjoyed this book, and to me that goes to show that even my least favorite Bertrice Small book is still pretty darn good...So give it a read, but read some of her other books, like the Kadin, Love wild and Fair etc. too! I enjoyed them much more! I think that her other novels were just so good, that this one just didn't live up to them for me. Maybe if I had read this book first, I would have liked it more.

ADORA, one of Ms. Small's earlier works, is a grand, sweeping epic in much the same vein as THE KADIN, her debut novel. ADORA is an exciting, well-written story which, when I read it years ago, made me a diehard Bertrice Small fan.The central character, Theodora Cantacuzene (did I spell that correctly?) is the daughter of the emperor of the decaying Byzantine Empire. The nearby Ottoman Empire is rapidly expanding, forcing Byzantium to live under the constant fear of conquest and absorption. To appease Osman, the Ottoman sultan, Adora (Theodora's nickname) is offered up as his third wife. She is still a child at the time of the marriage, but it is agreed that the union won't be consummated until she is older.Along the way, Adora falls for Murad, Osman's charming son. But fate deals Adora one blow after another. Without going into the convoluted details -- they'll make for interesting reading! -- Adora eventually is reunited with Murad.But he loses points with me here because, in the early stage of their reunion at least, he holds against Adora things that weren't her fault and were completely beyond her control: the arranged marriage to his father; the flight to Alexander, a passionate man and one of the few people willing to give her shelter; and other purported crimes.I loved the ending. It was very moving.

This was my first book by Small and it will not be my last. Not only was there a great love story involved but also some great history. This book is also not your average everyday romance. It was refreshing to read a book where you got to view a persons whole life and not just a couple of years (or however long it takes to meet there love). Whenever I finish reading a romance I cant help wondering "what happens next?" Well in this book you view Adora's life from age 4-90. So you get to know what happens next. It was a great read and one of the only books that made me cry. It was very touching if you can get into the characters, not to mention some hot sex sceens. I have never written a review for a book before but once I read Adora I had to share my thoughts. If you can get a hold of this book it will be worth it.

Of the four "super-erotic" stories in this book, only two are worth your time. Susan Johnson's "Risking it All" is standard writing for her - lots of sex, and a reasonably interesting story. This actually is not my favorite thing I've ever read by her, but after Bertrice Small's indescribably silly "Mastering Lady Lucinda," it seemed like a masterpiece. I will admit to not being terribly interested in bondage/kink, but even a friend who is into it found Small's story laughable. And please, Ms. Small, if you're reading this, do everyone a favor and stop using the phrase "love lance." I laughed so hard I spit out my beer when I read that.

Thea Devine's "The Pleasure Game" is marginally better, but not much. Boredom set in quickly (the sex isn't good or original enough to make up for the lack of a story), and frankly I didn't even finish it - bad news in a short story. "A Man and a Woman," Robin Schone's contribution, however, was intriguing enough to make me want to read more of her writing. It is graphically sexual, but the story connected to it is subtly beautiful. Also, the writing is good enough to incorporate the sex into the story, rather than use the story as a pretext to have lots of sex.

I'm giving it 5 stars for the first three novellas. Small, Johnson and Devine really knows how to write erotic romance. When it comes to historical erotica, Small is the best there is. Mastering Lady Lucinda is a deliciously naughty novella about a woman who experienced the most erotic month of her life when she was kidnapped and brought to the Master of the Devil's Disciples to be taught obedience. Here, Lucinda had multiple partners and in some parts of the story, had sex with 3 men at the same time. This might turn off some readers, but hey this is erotica. I enjoyed this novella immensely and is my favorite of the three. Susan Johnson's Risking it All is a sweet surprise. The story is too short and I was actually sorry when it ended. I wanted to read more of the two characters. The only thing is Ms Johnson should be more inventive when it comes to lovemaking. Thea Devine's The Pleasure Game is also quite good. The sex scenes are kinky and there's lots of them. Though the characters are constantly bickering, they are actually likable.

Robin Schone's novella is not a favorite and it actually ruined the satisfaction I had after reading the previous three (happy) novels. I know she's really into dark and troubled characters but the overpowering agony and despair of the characters are way too much that I almost found myself laughing. I also couldn't relate with the characters because of their age (48 year old widow and 53 year old eunuch). I'm 24 and my mom is 49 so you can just imagine how I felt when I was reading the book, it wasn't comfortable. Besides, I don't think I want a Eunuch to be the hero in my erotic romance. Erotica is suppose to titillate your senses - none of that here. There is way too much anguish and despair in this story. ROBIN, HAPPY NORMAL PEOPLE HAVE SEX TOO YOU KNOW!

Imagine this scene: I order early and patiently (yeah right) wait for this book to arrive. Finally, it's here. I rip open the packaging, turn directly to the last story, and devour Robin Schone's new novella, "A Man And A Woman". She has done it again! This story is sinfully entertaining. The characters weave a delightful seduction that draws you in from the very start. You can feel Connor's need to possess and satisfy Megan. His triumph over his fears leave you smiling secretly to yourself. As always with Robin's characters, you find yourself able to see them, enjoy experiences through them, and of course, feel their emotions when they realize they have found love.

Connor is a character from Robin's previous novel, "A Lady's Tutor" which I would have to value as my favorite romance novel of all times, and highly recommend to everyone. Though you don't have to read "A Lady's Tutor" before this story, you might want to pick it up afterwards to add more depth and understanding to Connor's character. Watch out, Ramiel just might steal your heart away in that one!

Skye O'Malley is not your average heroine. She has the responsibility of heading her family thrust upon her at an early age, yet holds that responsibility with grace and determination. Skye is a reflection of Elizabeth I of England who must rise above the men who would fight her for her throne. Skye's life although more adventurous and sexually exciting, mirrors much of Elizabeth's life and the common threads of their lives are frequently commented upon. With great historical accuracy, Bertrice Small shows us many different cultures during this time period by giving us a strong, central character who triumphs not despite being a woman, but because she is a woman. In real life, very few women love just one man in their lifetime. Neither does Skye. This book is not your average happily-ever-after. Bertrice Small goes beyond the average romance formula and creates her own. I have yet to find an author like her and continously read and reread all of her books.

I was never one for historical romance novels. When a friend loaned me Skye O'Malley to read, it came with her review of "The best sex book she has ever read". I thought I'd give it a shot. Heck, I didn't have to pay for it. Well, let me tell you something, Skye has been passed around quite a bit by now and I myself have bought every other book in the series (except "A love for all time, cant' find it"). I find them extremely interesting reading from the historical people and places to her beautiful descriptions of fashion and decor. I can picture it so vividly in my mind. Of course the SEX is very imaginative and makes me wonder what Bertrice's research consisted of. I was particularly amazed when I ran across an actual picture of the real Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. I have taken an interest in this period of time and would like to see for myself who actually existed in these novels. When I finished one book I couldn't wait to start the next. I missed my "family" as I like to call them. I am now looking forward to immersing myself in another of Bertrice Small's stories and cannot wait. Thank you Bertrice.

I am not usually a Historical Romance reader but a friend of mine said to me, "You HAVE to read this book". Boy, was I ever glad she did. It was one of the best books I ever read. Bertrice Small is a great story teller. The heroine Skye O'Malley is so strong and independent that I found myself admiring her even though I knew she's only a fictional character. The plot of this book has so many twists and turns that there is never a dull moment. I was amazed at all this woman went through but she survived it all. I also learned alot about history from this book. I knew who Elizabeth I was, but this book told me things I never learned in any history class. And that made the book all the better. So, if you like Historical Romances, I will tell you what my friend told me...you HAVE to read this book. You won't regret it!

Do yourself a favor. Buy this book, but save Robin Schone's "A Lady's Pleasure" for last. If only it were a full-length novel! "Captivated" by Beatrice Small seems to suggest that erotica is best served in a fantasy setting. It didn't take long before the incessant focus on the Prince's manhood became laughable. The "hero" of Susan Johnson's "Bound and Determined" was so vulgar at the beginning of the story that I never came to care for him. If you like lots of bondage and what amounts to mental abuse, you may enjoy Thea Devine's "Dark Desires." Too bad the "hero" couldn't figure out a more romantic way than keeping his unwilling wife naked and in a thrall collar to make her love him. I won't deny that the first three stories lack in plenty of sex. They're just completely devoid of heart. Robin Schone proves time and again that erotic tales can have emotional depth, that the two people involved can truly care for each other and increase the depth of that caring even as they satisfy each other sexually. In "A Lady's Pleasure," Robert Coally is a true hero and Abigail a true heroine. Their happy ending was the only one that brought me a sense of joy. Thank you, Robin.

Captivated is the correct title for this book. From one story to the next this book held my interest. I read this book in one sitting. I caution the reader that does not like explicit sex acts or explicit language, this is not the book for you. My favorite stories from this book were the first by Bertrice Small and the last From Robin Schone. Both ladies told interesting stories but the real clincher for me was the explicitness of the stories. Ms. Johnson and Ms. Devine both had very interesting stories to tell and because of this book Ms. Devine now has a new fan. I will look for her books and hopefully they will be as interesting as the short story was. I have always been a fan of Ms. Johnsons and Ms. Schone so of course I will continue to read their works. Ms. Small is a new author to me. When I was a teenager I read Skye O'Malley and did not appreciate it but as with age, all good things come, and so does my level of appreciation for her stories. Thank you ladies for a interesting days reading.

Readers DON'T MISS THIS ONE!!!!

I bought this book because i have been following the work of great new author ROBIN SCHONE and once again i wasn't disappointed. I have not even had a chance to read the other 3 stories yet, but even if you don't follow their works,,buy it for Ms. Schones contribution. Ladies,,this is what we have been missing in our historical romances lately. i've already read "The Lady's Pleasure" three times.

In "The Lady's Pleasure" Ms. Schone introduces us to 2 characters. Abagail, a virgin spinster, has dreams of finding a man that she can share all her secret fantasies. She secretly collects "erotic" writing, which is considered completely taboo for a lady of her time. Approaching her 30th birthday, Abagail faces the fact that she may have to settle and marry a well to do,staid, upstanding friend of the family or die a virgin spinster.

Abagail decides to retreat to a cottage in the countryside for a week and spend time saying goodbye to her favorite pasttime, knowing that once married to that type of man, she will have to give up her dreams. She brings with her a trunk filled with her treasures, "journal upon journals of erotic writings. Bitterly facing the change she is going to have to make in her life, she takes her journals out one by one and begins reading them for the last time.

Colonel Robert Coally, a man that has spent his whole life in the british military, war after war, is convalesing nearby. Robert, tired of war, pain, and bitterly cynical about how he has spent his life, decides to take a ride on his horse about the countryside in search of whore to lose himself in. To take away the pain of thought even for a while. He is thrown from his horse and suddenly is caught in a violent night storm, forcing him to seek immediate shelter. he stumbles upon Abagails cottage just as she is reading her journals and forces himself into her cottage for shelter.

Without giving too much of the storyline away, what follows is a wonderfully erotic meeting of two people who, even facing the bitter regret of the current turn of their lives, see in each other, abet even for one night, a chance to reach out and take and share for once something they both have always desired in life. Robert becomes the man for abagail who will introduce her first hand to the type of erotic love she has only read about. Abagail becomes for Robert, the woman, a lady untouched by type of life he has lived so far, someone he can share and give pleasure to, instead of death and pain. Until the storm ends, they live out their most secret desires and share their souls.

Ms. Schone gives us once again, not just your typical erotic read. She shares with us a wonderfully steamy story that combines our erotic fantasies with the romance of falling in love. And ultimately, how two very lost and bitter souls can come together and heal each other by sharing their bodies and minds.

For a "short" story, this one packs a powerful punch. I thouroughly enjoyed "The Lady's Pleasure" and can't wait until Ms. Schones next book. KUDOS ONCE AGAIN ROBIN SCHONE!!!!

NEW BERN NC

Choosing a rating for this book is very difficult because I don't want to scare anyone away with only 3 stars, BUT BE WARNED, this story is NOT for everyone. Beatrice Small has always been extremely graphic in her stories, and if you don't like highly detailed erotic scenes, stay away from this story.

Thus saying, the attention to detail, sights, smells, feelings, and tastes, that Ms. Small is known for in her earlier stories, are all here in The Love Slave. Regan is a no-nonsense woman who takes what could be an extremely bleak future, and molds it into something, if not desireable for everyone, then atleast sucessful. I found it much more realistic to see how her character progresses, even having to take the lovers she must in order to be more than just someone's whore in the white gold trade. Some might see her as prostituting herself (and thus be turned off), but Ms. Small tries very hard to disuade us of thinking of Regan in that light. It is the more practical I-will-do-whatever-I-have-to-to-survive light that is striving to surface here.

Regan and Karim are both interesting characters to get to know, and to empathise with, as the story unfolds. By the end of the story, the plot seems to turn a little too pat with first the one, and then the other needing each other to pull them out of a depression, but we can work around that. In a time when you can't simply buck the system or win all the time, this story might pull at our democratic ideals of the freedom to chose to live our lives as we see fit, but it makes it all that more realistic in my eyes. I enjoyed this story, but as I warned above, stay clear if you don't like VERY graphic sex.

I almost didn't try this one because I get tired of the overdone woman imprisoned in a harem storyline. But Bertrice Small makes it work with her great writing style and attention to detail. She does a fabulous job of describing the life and customs of the muslim culture that I felt like I was right there. She does a good job of balancing the history and way of life back then with the romance. The Love Slave is definitely intended as a sort of erotic romance, but Small skillfully weaves a story with these scenes. I hate when authors get so wrapped up in writing sex scenes that they forget that they actually need to write some kind of story also.

The only problem I had with The Love Slave is some of the descriptive words used when writing some of the love scenes. Words like "love pillar," "mound of venus," and "love juices" are unnecessary and ruin the erotic moment they are supposed to be.

Other than that, this was a great book. It's my first story by Bertrice Small, and I intend to read more by her.

Bertrice Small is not afraid to show us that women can enjoy sex, too. This book is highly erotic and very sexual yet told in a such a well written manner that I was instantly sucked in. Young Regan is sold to a slaver and renamed Zaynab. She is trained to be a Love Slave, the most talented of the courtesans. The lush writing and exquisite detail of Mrs. Small swept me into Zaynab's world. I felt like I was actually there! Though the courtesan is usually a woman that average society looks down upon, Mrs. Small showed us a world of sex and survival through the eyes of such a woman. If you are someone who does not approve of sexually detailed writing, you will not enjoy this book. However, if you are a woman who wants to see through the eyes of a Love Slave, you will truly enjoy this book.