I think Judith James writes with a very distinctive style, which makes her stories very interesting for me. It can be a little trying to follow though. I find it interesting all the same. Whether I love it, I cannot say. But it certainly makes interesting reads.

Broken Wing has a man whore for a hero. I have seen quite a few courtesan books but this is my first book which has the male lead cast as a male prostitute at the time when the story begins. I did not know what to expect so I read on with a certain level of anticipation.

I think 3 things bothered me:

1. Gabriel's inferiority complex: it is only normal that he felt he was not worthy of Sarah. I understand that. I don't always need an alpha hero to like the book. But I do want to see that the characters not pity themselves. When the characters are so harsh on themselves to the point where they exhibit self-pity.....I have trouble holding respect for them. Speaking of a beta hero who I love, Harry from [b: The Leopard Prince|156565|The Leopard Prince (Princes Trilogy, #2)|Elizabeth Hoyt|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1311811634s/156565.jpg|2673256], is a servant in love with the lady of the manor, his employer, no less. But you never, ever, feel that he felt he was really beneath her. Yeah he felt the differences in their social classes, he regonized that she was out of his league. But he did not pity himself or whine about how he did not "deserve" her. Maybe I am too harsh on Gabriel, but I am never one for pity party.

2. Sarah's "wild behaviors": she considered herself unmarriagable. So she enjoyed her freedom, wearing men clothes. That immediately turns me off. I like my girls girly. I have trouble liking heroines who are too "wild". Unconventional, ok, but not feminine, no go. I could not see Sarah as the lady that she was supposed to be. She sounded more like a young lad than a lady.

3. The plots: Like other reviewers have said, Gabriel and Sarah were seperated for a LONG time in this book. Gabriel went on the ship to make a life for himself. I get that. I think it is important too. It is just About 70% of the book is spent on first, getting Gabriel to Sarah's house so that they could get to know each other and second, getting Gabriel to "find a place for himself" to be worthy of Sarah. Where is the romance? I imagine this was necessary for the story, which means, this is probably not my kind of story.

I have mixed feelings about this book.

On one hand, I LOVED Lizzie and William. They are really great characters, especially William. I could almost see them in my mind. I think William's wild "sexecapades" bothered some readers, but I give Judith James a lot of credit for writing William to be the rake that he was. It would be just unnatural if all of a sudden William promised to be faithful. Sometimes our hearts already know what we want, but our minds don't. Then you end up saying things you don't mean or not being able to verbalized things that you actually are dying to say. I think William's hesitation rings truth and makes his "coming-around" more precious. I really like the ideas of Lizzie and William as individuals and a couple. I wanted to know more and more and more, even though the writing style did not appeal to me so much. Lizzie and William are really interesting characters. I wanted to see them happy so much that I stuck with the book.

While I loved the characters dearly, I have trouble with how the story was told. I don't think Judith James writes poorly at all. It is more of a style thing. I wish she would tell the story in a different way. I felt sometimes Lizzie and William act or talk just a tad much. There was too much "explanations", not enough showing. I honesty think this was more a 3 star read, but I really like Lizzie and William, I am going up.

I will however, continue reading Judith James. She created a very interesting couple in this book and I admire how she weaves historical details with fictional characters. Very cleverly done.

Africa is a big place. Lots of love there.

 

Eygpt gets tons of action in Historical Romance but not so much all the other countries. 

 

Here are some wonderful Historical Romances set in Africa. May there be more!

 

My lists are never in any particular order. Enjoy!

 

1. Men of Valor Boxset: Books 1 - 3 by Kiru Taye

 

HIS TREASURE 
IN A TIME when men ruled their households with firm hands, can a quiet man tame his rebellious wife with persevering love?

 

HIS STRENGTH 
WHEN A WARRIOR seeks to claim a free-spirited woman, he soon discovers a tigress unwilling to be caged. Is the hunter about to be hunted?

 

IS PRINCESS 
WITH THE WEIGHT of a kingdom on his shoulders and his honour at stake, can a Prince truly love a slave? 

 

2. The Bargain by Vanessa Riley

 

 

ime is running out for Port Elizabeth. A missing chief and his daughter, tensions among frightened colonists, and the trembling of a difficult labor, threaten to break the fragile bonds of its survival. 

Precious Jewell will do what is right to protect those she cares for, even for the man she won't admit to needing. 

For Gareth Conroy, death doesn't matter anymore, and he purposes that his spilt blood will bring salvation for the colony, but will he realize too late that no single man of flesh and blood can bring redemption? 

Will the burgeoning hope of two stubborn, wounded souls fray or smolder in this exciting conclusion of The Bargain? 

 

3. Broken Wing by Judith James

 

 

4. Flawless by Carrie Lofty

 

Sir William Christie, ruthless tycoon and notorious ladies' man, is dead. Now his four grown children have gathered for the reading of his will. What lies in store for stepsiblings Vivienne, Alexander, and twins Gareth and Gwyneth? Stunning challenges that will test their fortitude across a royal empire . . . and lead them to the marvelously passionate adventures of their lives. 

Lady Vivienne Bancroft fled England for New York, hoping to shed the confines of her arranged marriage to unrepentant rogue Miles Durham, Viscount Bancroft--though she never forgot the fiery desire he unleashed with his slightest touch. And when the gambling man arrives on her doorstep for a little sensual revenge for her desertion, he is met with Vivienne's dilemma: She must earn her father's inheritance by profitably running a diamond business worth millions in colonial South Africa. Swept together in an exotic undertaking filled with heated passion and hungry temptation, will Vivienne and Miles discover that the marriage vows they once made are the greatest snare--or the most treasured reward?

 

5. What the Earl Desires by Aliyah Burke

 

Najja, a warrior, comes to England from Africa, with the sole purpose of keeping her charge safe. Finding love is not even in the equation, it’s an impossible dream. Colin Faulkner, the new Earl of Clifton doesn't see it that way. Damn Society’s rules, she is…What The Earl Desires.

 

6. With Every Letter by Sarah Sundin

 

Lt. Mellie Blake is looking forward to beginning her training as a flight nurse. She is not looking forward to writing a letter to a man she's never met--even if it is anonymous and part of a morale-building program. Lt. Tom MacGilliver, an officer stationed in North Africa, welcomes the idea of an anonymous correspondence--he's been trying to escape his infamous name for years.

As their letters crisscross the Atlantic, Tom and Mellie develop a unique friendship despite not knowing the other's true identity. When both are transferred to Algeria, the two are poised to meet face-to-face for the first time. Will they overcome their fears and reveal who they are, or will their future be held hostage by their pasts?

 

7. The Doctor's Mission by Debbie Kaufman

 

Medicine or marriage? For Mary, the choice was clear. Far away from the patriarchal medical community, she resolves to be of real service. She'll willingly go head-to-head with the handsome, opinionated missionary, even in the face of deadly danger. Yet the greatest tests lie in trusting God's plan--for the mission, and her future happiness in this untamed, beautiful land....

 

8. The Lacemaker by Sukey Hughes

 

The year is 1748. Feisty Dutch girl Saskia Klaassens, 19, flees from her abusive home to take a job as nursemaid, sailing with her young charges and Mistress to the Cape of Good Hope. When Saskia begins her new life at the beautiful wine estate in southern Africa, no one knows she hides a secret skill - making exceptionally beautiful lace. 
The willful and spirited Saskia feels compassion for the suffering of the slaves, one of whom is Titus, the handsome young stable master. As they grow close, Saskia finds that Titus has secrets of his own – dangerous secrets. Saskia struggles against the narrow-minded whims of her wealthy employers, especially their arrogant son, Pier. For solace, she makes lace; and finds mentors in two unusual older women. When secrets at the estate are uncovered, events spiral out of control, and Saskia must decide where her loyalty lies – with her increasingly violent Dutch kinsmen, or with Titus, the man forbidden to her, the one who ignites her deepest passion. 

Throughout, Saskia sees life through the prism of lace; and weaves what peace and beauty she can to the rhythm of her bobbins – while Africa weaves its primeval magic around everyone. 

 

9. Sentimental Journey by Jill Barnett

 

U.S. Army officer J.R. Cassidy is man known for his stealth, until he finds himself on the run in the deserts of North Africa with Kitty Kincaid, the daughter of a U.S. scientist he has vowed to protect, but who is destined to be used by anyone who wants to control her father. 

Barnstormer Charlotte Morrison follows her passion to the skies over England, where she and other women pilots choose to volunteer for the war effort. But ferrying planes for the RAF is not the only thing that strikes a sharp passion in Charley. When her path crosses with RAF pilot George 'Skip' Inskip and small town Texas patriot Red Walker, she finds her most difficult choices have nothing to do with duty and patriotism. 

From the battlefields of Europe to the blue skies of the English countryside, from solid hometown roots in the American West to the shifting sands of the Sahara Desert, five ordinary men and women risk their lives for honor and their country, and find themselves changed forever, not merely by the circumstances of war, but by the deepest trials of the human heart.

 

10. A Spear of Summer Grass by Deanna Raybourn

 

The daughter of a scandalous mother, Delilah Drummond is already notorious, even among Paris society. But her latest scandal is big enough to make even her oft-married mother blanch. Delilah is exiled to Kenya and her favorite stepfather's savanna manor house until gossip subsides.

Fairlight is the crumbling, sun-bleached skeleton of a faded African dream, a world where dissolute expats are bolstered by gin and jazz records, cigarettes and safaris. As mistress of this wasted estate, Delilah falls into the decadent pleasures of society.

Against the frivolity of her peers, Ryder White stands in sharp contrast. As foreign to Delilah as Africa, Ryder becomes her guide to the complex beauty of this unknown world. Giraffes, buffalo, lions and elephants roam the shores of Lake Wanyama amid swirls of red dust. Here, life is lush and teeming—yet fleeting and often cheap.

Amidst the wonders—and dangers—of Africa, Delilah awakes to a land out of all proportion: extremes of heat, darkness, beauty and joy that cut to her very heart. Only when this sacred place is profaned by bloodshed does Delilah discover what is truly worth fighting for—and what she can no longer live without.

 

Historical Romance Set in Africa

When William de Veres turns up at Elizabeth’s home late one night, she asks no questions, but instead takes him in, tends his wounds, and gives him one glorious night of passion. William never knew that Elizabeth’s act of charity cost her greatly. Once Cromwell’s men discover that Elizabeth gave aid to one of Charles’ cavaliers, they seize her family’s estates, thus forcing Elizabeth into an unwanted marriage in order to survive. As a widow, Elizabeth arrives in the Merry Monarch’s court hoping to convince the king to restore her lands. William, now Earl Rivers and the court’s official poet, knows he must help his old friend. He knows exactly how to repackage Elizabeth so that she can capture the king’s attention, but what this infamous libertine doesn’t expect is that he will fall in love with his new creation instead.

My review contains spoilers and they're mostly my thoughts as I went with the book...

“The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees,
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
The road was a ribbon of moonlight, over the purple moor,
And the highwayman came riding—
Riding—riding—
The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.”

Much like the book itself, I’d like to start by quoting Alfred Noyes’s famous and hauntingly beautiful poetry “The Highwayman”, though I’ll have to give the credit to Loreena McKennitt and her equally hauntingly beautiful rendition of this poem for introducing it to me. Though I’ve read romance novels with a highwaymen hero before, ever since I’ve read this poem, I’ve come to have a different sort of perspective about them. Previously I don’t remember having any particular fondness for highwaymen heroes but somehow Judith James’ story made me think differently, be it the poem itself, the storyline or the fact that her novels are almost always rich with history.