The Pirate and the Pagan
by Virginia Henley
On This Page
Description
Fiction. Romance. Historical Fiction. HTML:Wild as a pagan goddess, Lady Summer galloped her stallion along the Cornish coast. She had dabbled in the smuggler's game to save her family estate, but a wealthy marriage would better serve her purpose now. Lord Ruark Helford seemed the answer to her reckless prayers. But as his hot, hungry kisses drew her toward deception and irresistible acts of love, she had to hesitate. Would this arrogant, handsome lord be her ticket to show more heaven—or hell? show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
There is just something about these old [a:Virginia Henley|83397|Virginia Henley|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1266448096p2/83397.jpg] romances that I love. You feel like you have read a whole series by the time you have finished one book. They just don't write books last this anymore... and that makes me sad.
Like most heroines in these type of books, our leading lady in this story is a survivor. Lady Summer St. Catherine (Cat) is forced into a life of theft and smuggling to put food on the table for her and her younger brother, Viscount Spencer St. Catherine (Spider). Children of a wretched father who has gambled and mortgaged their property and ancestral estate, the pair have become a bit wild to survive. So when the father dies, show more Cat takes on her greatest undertaking yet, learning to be a lady so she can land a rich husband or protector. When she finds him, it all goes according to plan... until it doesn't.
Ruark is tall dark and broody... and a bit schizophrenic. I can't say much about his character without giving away spoilers, but I loved his dual-natured personality (even though sometimes I really didn't understand him).
This book was filled with the dramatic and catty court intrigue that I love so much. It takes place during the Restoration Period during the reign of Charles II. Our characters are intimates of the King, so we get a lot of the history of the monarch, not to mention London society. We go thru plague, the Great Fire of London, and the war with the Dutch. There was so much action and activity going on that I couldn't stop turning pages. When you pair that with the emotional roller coaster of our love story, you will be put through the ringer with this book (in a good way).
Full review posted at Bambi Unbridled show less
Like most heroines in these type of books, our leading lady in this story is a survivor. Lady Summer St. Catherine (Cat) is forced into a life of theft and smuggling to put food on the table for her and her younger brother, Viscount Spencer St. Catherine (Spider). Children of a wretched father who has gambled and mortgaged their property and ancestral estate, the pair have become a bit wild to survive. So when the father dies, show more Cat takes on her greatest undertaking yet, learning to be a lady so she can land a rich husband or protector. When she finds him, it all goes according to plan... until it doesn't.
Ruark is tall dark and broody... and a bit schizophrenic. I can't say much about his character without giving away spoilers, but I loved his dual-natured personality (even though sometimes I really didn't understand him).
This book was filled with the dramatic and catty court intrigue that I love so much. It takes place during the Restoration Period during the reign of Charles II. Our characters are intimates of the King, so we get a lot of the history of the monarch, not to mention London society. We go thru plague, the Great Fire of London, and the war with the Dutch. There was so much action and activity going on that I couldn't stop turning pages. When you pair that with the emotional roller coaster of our love story, you will be put through the ringer with this book (in a good way).
Full review posted at Bambi Unbridled show less
can be summed up in a few simple words: Wonderful, breathtaking, alluring, exciting, loving, passionate......need I go on?
Loved it!!!!!!!!!!
Loved it!!!!!!!!!!
Ratings
Members
- Recently Added By
Author Information

43+ Works 5,396 Members
Romance novelist Virginia Henley was born in England in 1935. Her novels, many of them set in medieval England, Scotland or Ireland, are often published in hardcover as well as paperback, a rarity in the romance genre. Henley won the Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award for Historical Fiction in 1996. Her titles "Seduced" & "Desired" were New show more York Times Bestsellers. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Pirate and the Pagan
- Original title
- The Pirate and the Pagan
- Original publication date
- 1990-12
- People/Characters
- Lord Ruark Helford; Lady Summer St. Catherine; Charles II, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland; Viscount Spencer St. Catherine; Barbara Palmer, duchess of Cleveland
- Important places
- Cornwall, England, UK
- Epigraph
- Five and twenty ponies trotting though the dark —
Brandy for the Parson, 'baccy for the Clerk;
Laces for the Lady, letters for a spy
Watch the wall, my darling, while the Gentlemen go by!
Them that asks no quest... (show all)ions isn't told a lie.
Watch the wall, my darling, while the Gentlemen go by!
Rudyard Kipling,
A Smuggler's song. - Dedication
- Dedicated to Adele Ellis, my very first fan, and to all my readers who are so loyal. I deeply appreciate it.
- First words
- What a beautiful cock! she murmured under her breath.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)She would cleave to him forever and there would be no more nightmares in his safe arms.
- Canonical DDC/MDS
- 813.54
- Canonical LCC
- PS3558.E49635
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 252
- Popularity
- 128,189
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.83)
- Languages
- English, Spanish
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 4
- ASINs
- 1



























































