You did it! We figured this one out! It is a truth universally acknowledged (by me for certain) that the Bitchery pretty much knows everything, and really, it's true. Scroll down to see the solution for this HaBO - and many thanks!
Remember all the harem books? I was a huge crack-addicted fan of Silver Angel (though I don't think this description matches that book), and I remember a few other kidnapped-and-sold-to-a-harem stories at about the same time. TrippingOutMySoul is looking for a harem book – and I kind of like the sound of the heroine in this one:
I'm hoping you can help me identify a historical romance I read some time in the past 8 years or so.
From what I'm able to recall, a young English girl-child is kidnapped while on a trip abroad (somewhere…) with her family. I think she was snatched from a marketplace and sold to a harem because blonde white girls were such a hot commodity.
Meanwhile, back in England, her family keeps paying people to look for her, and there was a young man, who I guess would have been a young teen during the kidnapping and I think is either a ward or very close friend of the girl's family. He never stops looking for her.
I *think* I remember him being the one (all grown up) to check out her identity claim, to spare her family the pain of more false applicants, when she (somehow) pops up in England again as a young woman.
The girl reunites with her family, including her vapid, bitchy sisters, and everyone is all scandalized by how 'shameless' she is, talking about sex and body parts.
Somewhere along the line I think there is a carriage accident and the Family Friend Guy gets all pissed off because Harem Girl doesn't stay safely out of the way, and instead jumps in to help.
I've been racking my brain for weeks, going through books I own and Googling every possible variation of this summary, to no avail. I have the impression that it was of the more recent variety of romance novel- no crazysauce or purple prose, so maybe published some time in the past 15 years or so? I hope this is enough to go on!
This heroine is like an EMT in the Regency! With sexy talk! Do you recognize this book?
It sounds like Loretta Chase’s Don’t Tempt Me.
I want to read this book!
I agree with Lindleepw- Loretta Chase, Don’t Tempt Me. (I’m pretty excited because I never get these.)
I second Lindleepw: sounds like Loretta Chase. 🙂
Yep. Definitely Loretta Chase’s Don’t Tempt Me. ( I never get anything either, so whee!)
Definitely Loretta Chase’s Don’t Tempt Me!
Gah, I finally knew one and everyone beat me to it. It’s absolutely the Loretta Chase book.
@Lindleepw:
Awesome job! I’ll email to confirm!
Woohoo!! My first correctly answered HaBO!
Dammit! I finally knew one and an eleventybilliony people beat me to it!
Just had to buy this one.
I downloaded a sample “out of curiosity”. Yeah – that delaying tactic worked – NOT.
No wonder my TBR pile is getting huge, you guys give me such good book rec’s.
How does a girl keep up?
Loretta Chase wrote a kidnapped book? Head of the TBR line.
Wouldn’t growing up in a harem make you MORE ashamed of about talking about sex and body parts because of the whole isolation from all non related males thing?
Not my favorite Chase, but you have to appreciate a heroine known as the Bolter.
I totally read and loved this one, but all I was able to come up with was that yes, that book definitely exists. So impressed with all the people who know the answers to these.
@Karenmc The appropriation of the nickname The Bolter was one of my least favorite things about the book! I love how differently you felt about it. I’m curious, did you like it as a Mitford homage, or just like it as a name?
sounds like a lifetime movie
Yeah, just Loretta Chase in general. She writes some fantastic heroines and fun, quick stories!
I came here (late) to be like, Loretta Chase’s Don’t Tempt Me!!!! I NEVER get these!!!! And then there are like 15 comments already with the right answer. BUT, since I never get these, I’m gonna comment anyway (indulge me)! It’s Loretta Chase’s Don’t Tempt Me.
Now I’m going to have to go find my copy of LC’s Don’t Tempt Me for a reread…
@kkw I haven’t read Mitford’s books. I just found the name funny.
@ Karenmc omg, you should totally check out Pursuit of Love/Love in a Cold Climate. So so funny, and you’ll get another Bolter! Although who knows, maybe you’ll find it distracting because it’ll keep reminding you of this book when you’re trying to read that one.
Loretta Chase’s Don’t Tempt Me, it is! Thank you, ladies! I could have sworn I had this in eBook form, but I couldn’t find it when I looked for it in my library, and confirmed I didn’t own it once I had a title to search for- I must have read synopses for every historical on my Kindle (and ended up rereading a lot of them, incidentally), but this one must be floating around my house/garage/car in paperback form. Thanks again!
Speaking of Loretta Chase, anybody read “Vixen in Velvet” yet? Can we get a review, por favor? I work at a bookstore of the national chain variety, and for some reason, we haven’t gotten so much as ONE copy in yet – and the book came out a week and change ago! *flails in rage*
Has anyone else had availability issues with new books? I wish I was the romance buyer… I’d have WAY MORE romances in the aisle than we currently do. Romance, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways… LOL
As far as I’ve seen, Vixen in Velvet has a pub date of June 24. But if it’s out somewhere, I want to know!
It’s not The Kadin by Beatrice Small, but it sounds very similar, so I’m taking this opportunity to HIGHLY recommend The Kadin. There are probably some snark-worthy aspects, but still it’s great.
Here’s the link to the book synopsis on Loretta Chase’s website:
http://www.lorettachase.com/dont-tempt-me
Lovely book!