“Spencer is my new auto-buy!” —New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Hoyt He could be her ruin Hugh Redvers is supposed to be dead. So the appearance of the sun-bronzed giant with the piratical black eye patch is deeply disturbing to Lady Daphne Davenport. And her instant attraction to the notorious privateer is not only wildly inappropriate for a proper widow but potentially … wildly inappropriate for a proper widow but potentially disastrous.Because he is also the man Daphne has secretly cheated of title, lands, and fortune.
She could be his salvation
Daphne Redvers’ distant, untouchable beauty and eminently touchable body are hard enough to resist. But the prim, almost severe, way she looks at him suggests this might be the one woman who can make him forget all the others. His only challenge? Unearthing the enemy who threatens her life . . . and uncovering the secrets in her cool blue eyes.
Praise for the first book in The Outcasts series
“Minerva Spencer’s writing is sophisticated and wickedly witty. Dangerous is a delight from start to finish with swashbuckling action, scorching love scenes, and a coolly arrogant hero to die for.”
—New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Hoyt
“Readers will love this lusty and unusual marriage of convenience story.”
—New York Times bestselling author Madeline Hunter
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I loved this sequel to DANGEROUS as much as I did the first book! The heroine is delightfully brainy, and the hero deliciously roguish. I adore the way Spencer uses the manners of the Regency era to make wry jokes, like this one:
“If you don’t take your hand off my leg, I will stab it with my fork.”
He surveyed the array of silverware. “Tell me, my lady, which of these many forks is meant for such a purpose? I’m afraid I’ve quite forgotten.”
This book is funny, sexy, full of wonderful characters – and some of them are pirates! And the romance is to die for. This is everything I love about historical romance. Highly recommend.
Minerva Spencer does it again! After reading the first book in this series, I waited anxiously for Hugh’s story, and it didn’t disappoint. Ms. Spencer’s writing is smooth and descriptive, a pleasure to read!
Hugh Redvers, Baron Ramsay, is a privateer who has been gone for a long time. He returns to make sure his widowed uncle’s wife is safe from an unknown threat but is surprised by the lovely Daphne. Daphne has her own issues since she’s been living a lie that would turn her life upside down. She’s a strong female character that has made choices to protect her sons. I have to admit I have a soft spot for rogues who have wicked smiles and are witty so I was smitten by Hugh immediately, while Daphne is a survivor. Fantastic secondary characters and a pet monkey round out the cast.
Spencer has done it again. Barbarous is a very enjoyable read with an intriguing plot, relatable characters, and a steamy romance. It’s also a love story between two characters who are a little older than the norm, have survived a difficult past, and behave like adults. I loved Hugh and Daphne’s story and rooted for their HEA throughout the book. Can’t wait for the next book!
If you read the previous book, Dangerous, then you already have met Hugh and Daphne – the story begins a short time before that book and seems to run concurrently.
Daphne Redvers, Lady Davenport is fending off an attack by her vile cousin Sir Malcolm when her late husband’s nephew, Hugh Redvers, Baron Ramsey returns from the dead. The man from whom she has stolen everything from.
Hugh has returned to England (and from the dead) for one reason, to protect Daphne and her sons. He was sent away by his uncle almost 20 years ago and when he was captured by corsairs and enslaved, he let everyone believe he had died. The stablemaster and Hugh’s childhood friend Will is the only one who knew the truth – he contacted Hugh because he has been receiving anonymous letters saying Daphne and her boys are in danger. Hugh is surprised by his immediate attraction to Daphne, but tries to fight it – there can be nothing between them, not only because she is technically his aunt and forbidden by ecclesiastical law but because he has no plans on staying in England – he will leave once the threat to her is taken care of and continue on his quest for vengeance against the man that betrayed him – Emile Calitain. Calitain was a slave with Hugh and turned on him, costing Hugh his eye, freedom and the lives of his friends. Hugh escaped and became the privateer “One Eyed Standish”, and for the last 15 years he has been roaming the seas in search of Calitain.
Daphne is being blackmailed by Sir Malcolm, her marriage to Hugh’s uncle Thomas was in name only – she was raped by her cousin at 17 and Thomas married her to protect her. Sir Malcolm threatens to expose the truth of the boys birth if she doesn’t marry him. But now that Hugh is back, she knows that she must tell him the truth – her sons Lucien and Richard are not Thomas’, so Hugh is really the new Earl of Davenport – she is sure he will think that she duped his uncle and wishes she had proof that he was aware that the boys were not his. For this reason, she holds off telling him. She needs to make plans for herself and the twins before she confesses.
They grow closer after an attempt on Hugh’s life and she is on the verge of telling him the truth when an unexpected visitor arrives and Daphne catches Hugh with the woman in his arms. Unable to tell her the truth about Mia, he leaves her a vague note and takes Mia to London. Daphne believes the worst about Hugh and Mia, which motivates her to step up her plans to move to Yorkshire. She takes the boys and goes to London. They are reunited with Hugh and she gets the proof she needs to confess to Hugh. When Hugh saves her from an attack by Malcolm, she knows she has run out of time and confesses. Hugh assures her that he doesn’t want the earldom and that Thomas’ considered the boys his and Hugh will never challenge Lucien’s right to the title. He is in love with Daphne and asks her to marry him. She agrees and it seems like a HEA is within sight. But ghosts from both their pasts will return and threaten their newfound happiness.
I loved this story, it has a bit of everything, mystery, action, pirates, secrets, steamy love scenes, likable characters, betrayal, blackmail, laugh out loud moments, really nasty and demented villains and finally a very hard earned HEA. My only complaint would be that while this story seems to run concurrently with Mia’s story, major scenes involving Hugh from her story are not in this story, which I found a little odd – but not enough to diminish my enjoyment. This is the second book in the Outcast series and while there is a connection to the first book, this title can easily be read as a standalone. I would happily recommend this book and am eagerly awaiting the next book!!
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*
A rakish, foreboding, good-hearted, bad boy. What else do you want? Fun read!
Minerva Spencer can write the heck out of an action-adventure love story!
Fascinating and excellent again! I loved this book! Barbarous was just as captivating as Dangerous! Due to the excellent wit and descriptions in this story, I read slowly so I wouldn’t miss a thing. I enjoyed learning new vocabulary. This story line was refreshing with plenty of adventure, romance and humor. I would highly recommend reading this series.
Barbarous by Minerva Spencer
The Outcasts #2
What a delight for me to return to a memory of a book read long ago – one written by Rafael Sabatini titled The Sea Hawk. Why did it take me back? Both main characters were captured and enslaved and both rose above what happened to them to become “more” than they might otherwise have been. AND, both were charming heroes that ended up with happiness and true love in their lives.
Back to this book now and why I liked it.
Daphne has a secret…a HUGE secret that perhaps never would have been an issue if Huge had not come back from the dead. Trying to figure out how to share this secret with Hugh was not easy for Daphne, especially since she was so very attracted to him. Her life and the lives of her twin sons could be upended and ended if the secret comes out. His reaction to her secret could have dire consequences. Add into the mix the fact that Daphne’s cousin Malcolm is out to create trouble, there is a woman to save in Oran, there is attraction between Daphne and Hugh that is socially taboo and a revenge issue that Hugh needs to deal with and you have a swashbuckling, action-packed, thrilling romance that had me riveted from beginning to end. I loved Hugh as a book boyfriend and I loved Daphne’s strength and character. The relationship that developed between the H/h took some time but was so delicious in the making.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing – Zebra Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
This is Minerva Spencer’s second book and it may be better than the first one (Dangerous), which was a “couldn’t put it down” read. This is also a read all night book.
Daphne was married at a young age to the much older Thomas, Earl of Davenport. She has twin sons, Lucien and Richard, almost 10. Thomas was a good husband and father, but he died leaving Lucien as his heir. Daphne is hounded by her older cousin, Malcolm, whom she detests for good reasons as he has threatened her.
Hugh Redvers, nephew and heir to the Earl, is believed to be dead. His uncle banished him 17 years ago. He was captured, enslaved and brutalized by Barbary Corsairs. When he escaped he became the Captain of the Batavia’s Ghost, and sank more French ships than the British navy. He’s known as the King’s Privateer.
Imagine his surprise when he returns home and discovers his uncle had married and has heirs. In his eyes, Daphne robbed him of his title, lands and fortune but he likes her twins and they adore him. She wants to tell him the truth, but her cousin is still threatening her as he wants money to pay off his debt.
This is a short synopsis as there is so much going on in this book and I won’t spoil a wonderful story. Favorite line: “Hugh Redvers was danger distilled into human form”. I highly recommend this book and can’t wait for the next one Minerva writes.
Highly anticipated since the previous book Dangerous, the wait is over and I cannot say enough about Daphne and Hugh’s story. It only took a couple of paragraphs and I was hook! Seeming returning from the dead after twenty years, Hugh Redvers, the cousin of Daphne’s late husband came upon Daphne at an inopportune time. She had know him when she was very young and had been infatuated with his good looks. and could not believe the tall handsome man he had turned into. Even with his eye patch and scars she could tell he was use to getting his way. But Daphne had a secret and when it came out, she knew it would hurt Hugh and affect her sons. Oh yes terrible secrets.
What a wonderful story!! These two really needed each other because they were both wounded and and had endured a lot. Emotional and suspenseful with underlying plots, it will make you tense but also happy. I am so enchanted with the humorous phrases the author throws in that makes me laugh out loud! Yes like a hungry weasel invading a henhouse, I cannot wait until the next book in this series! Loved it!
Nothing but a FIVE star for this new fantastic read by Minerva Spencer! . Barbarous had everything I look for in a historical romance, a sexy slightly older – I like the more mature experienced man- roguish pirate, a feisty smart heroine an intriguing plot with plenty of twists a witty dialogue that had me smirking and a steamy romance. I loved Hugh -where can I get my own Hugh?- and Daphne’s story. Can’t wait for the next book!
I recieved a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest unbiased opinion
Hugh Redvers is supposed to be dead. So the appearance of the sun-bronzed giant with the piratical black eye patch is deeply disturbing to Lady Daphne Davenport. Daphne Redvers’ distant, untouchable beauty and eminently touchable body are hard enough to resist. But the prim, almost severe, way she looks at him suggests this might be the one woman who can make him forget all the others.
This is the second book in the series & only the author’s second book. It could easily be read on its own. Another very accomplished book that drew me in from the first page & had me hooked until the last. The characters are very well portrayed & have great depth. I particularly loved that both Hugh & Daphne were at first attracted to each other, then liked each other before falling in love but they both thought the other wasn’t interested it led so some delightful scenarios & conversations. The secondary characters were also well fleshed, the twins delightful & Martin needs a woman to bring him to his knees! The pace of the book is so good & it’s certainly not a book to start late at night if you want to sleep. I look forward to more books from this new author who is on my must read list
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
Barbarous is book two in The Outcasts series by Minerva Spencer. I hardly know how to review this absolutely breathtaking story. I was spellbound almost from the beginning. Spencer weaves the tale of Hugh Redvers, the Baron Ramsay also known as One-eyed Standish from the first book in the series “Dangerous”. Several of the characters from the first book appear in this one. Although it can be read as a stand alone, it is much richer if one reads the series in order.
What happens when a man long thought dead is suddenly resurrected? “This man was tall – remarkably so – golden, and devastatingly attractive. Not even almost two decades, brutal scarring, and the black patch over his eye could obscure the truth. He was, without doubt, Hugh Redvers, her dead husband’s true heir: a man everyone had believed dead for almost twenty years.”
There are a number of triggers in this book, and by that I mean issues that some may struggle through. Rape and slavery are themes that run throughout. Both are seen as the evil that they are and are not glorified in anyway. There are several intimate sex scenes. If they bother the reader, then just read the dialogue.
I hated coming to the end of this story and am looking forward to the third book in the series “Scandalous”.
After all these years that he’d been presumed dead, Hugh Redvers, the true Lord Davenport, was alive! That dreadful shock could not have come at a worse time for Lady Daphne Davenport, right after an altercation with Sir Malcolm Hastings, would was becoming too persistent. Had Hugh discovered Daphne’s secrets? What would happen to her and her ten year-old sons? And why did Hugh have to look so impossibly gorgeous, even with his eye patch, his scars, and his missing finger!
Dangerous, the first book of The Outcasts, was very good, but BARABAROUS is fantastic! Although it takes place in the same timeline as Dangerous, BARBAROUS stands perfectly on its own. The luscious cover is partly to blame for my decision to read this book, and what a delight that the contents is just as scrumptious! BARBAROUS is fabulously intriguing right from the beginning when Hugh arrives, accompanied by his colourful entourage, and Daphne displays her fortitude and strength of character. Minerva Spencer’s prose is impossibly gorgeous, and her eloquence paints stunning and unforgettable visuals; it’s also very witty, and I laughed several times. The secondary characters are amazing: Rowena, Daphne’s cantankerous maid; Kemal, Hugh’s valet; Hugh’s aunts: the eccentric and forgetful Amelia or the formidable Letitia. I can hardly wait – hopefully not in vain – for Two Canoes’ story; let’s just say he made an impression on me. The villains are stupendously horrid, and outstandingly complex – crafted with as much care as the principals.
Hugh and Daphne are both fascinating characters who have enthralling backstories, and their chemistry jumps off the page. The privateer-bad boy Hugh is a softie at heart, and a man I would like to have on my side any day. Daphne is magnificent! She is a proper widow, a serious philosopher, and nothing leaves her discombobulated. Well, actually Hugh does just a little bit. What a superb couple they are, exchanging witty and flirtatious banter; the dialogues throughout are positively stellar! BARBAROUS has it all: kidnappings, murder attempts, smouldering passion, a grand romance, spectacular adventures, and writing that will make you swoon! I am giddy at the thought of the SCANDALOUS story of Martín Bouchard, which will be the next instalment in the series!
Rcvd an ARC at no cost to author..(netgalley) I enjoyed this book and was happy to have a read a historical fiction book. Daphne has a secret to keep from Hugh, and it is a secret to protect her and her twins. Hugh is back from the dead, or that is what the ton and his family thought, he hasn’t been in England for 20 years. He was sent to return home to protect Daphne who is being threatened by some letters that she knows nothing about, only Hugh is the one to get the shock of his life when he meets Daphne or sees, he remembers her as nothing more than a little girl who was his neighbor but now she is a gorgeous woman who was married to his uncle who was about 6 decades older than her and he is instantly attracted but knows that he should not engage in it since it would be scandalous and he has no intention of staying in England. Daphne is also attracted to him and trying to fight it, she has stolen from him and does not know how to tell him the truth. We have lies, betrayals and eventually love. I am looking forward to next book, I didn’t know that this one was the second book however I was not lost, but I want to know what happens with Mia, and also what happens with Martin.. Til next one..
Just finished reading all three books in the series. Complex characters, swoon-worthy love scenes, fabulous location settings, and action-packed adventures await you! I devour this author’s books!
Another wonderful story from an author I follow religiously. Bravo, Minerva Spencer!!!!
Romance, secrets, abductions, and two villains! Story kept me riveted. Enjoyed it.
I had SO MUCH FUN reading this book! I adored Hugh and Daphne. They had wonderful chemistry and they were just fabulous. Who couldn’t love a clever, vengeful, pirate hero and a bespectacled, mama-bear heroine, who has the BEST taste in books to swipe? The action was fun and the writing was amazing. I adored all of it-especially the unique side characters. I want a Rowena in my house. Even the late Thomas has a distinct and wonderful voice in his kind letters. This is a total recommend!
Seething Passion in the Reserve
Barbarous begins with a head butt and doesn’t let up until you turn the last page. Hugh and Daphne’s relationship couldn’t be any more complicated. Daphne is the widow of Hugh’s deceased uncle, the Earl of Davenport, but little, lost nephew he is not. He actually is the rightful heir to the bequeathed Lessing Hall—what Daphne has claimed. Herculean, one eyed, chiseled like a Greek god, she’s irresistibly spellbound, yet feisty, astute, and cerebral—qualities Hugh finds immensely enticing. Seductive passion, overwhelming chemistry, erotic sensuality—their attraction pushes and pulls but never lets up. The presence of either torments the other. I found myself begging, hoping, and yearning for their love’s consummation as much or more than the characters. Spencer masterfully builds tension on tension, folds humor onto wit, and challenges your regency era vocabulary. I felt I was in 1811 Sussex England with Hugh and Daphne. I’ve enjoyed Spencer’s first two books of this series and can’t wait for the third.