Lucy Snow is a woman who hides her passions below an icy exterior in order to win her Admiral father's love. The more she tries the less she succeeds as the Admiral is on a power trip to avenge his wife's infidelity on their innocent daughter. Lucy's life is thrown into turmoil when she's abducted by the infamous pirate Captain Doom; thoroughly kissed and then let go in order to send a message to the Admiral. Secretly romantically infatuated with Captain Doom, Lucy finds that her father has hired her a bodyguard Gerald Claremont to prevent further abductions. Gerald is bespectacled, handsome, definitely not of Lucy's class, sardonic and determined to break Lucy's icy calm. Lucy and Gerald battle from the word go, and as they get thrown into each others company more often, they discover hidden depths in each other. And the attraction grows, and smoulders. Meanwhile Captain Doom is wreaking havoc on the coastline with his daring escapades. Circumstances lead Lucy to be abducted again and she has to decide whom she loves - Captain Doom or Gerald. We are treated to accounts of battles on the high seas, life on a pirate frigate, and much high drama before we edge towards the HEA delayed by jail time and courtroom antics. Ms. Medeiros writes really well, drawing one into caring for her characters, even secondary ones who are given multi dimensional characters. There are descriptions of people, places and environment and these meld into the story, enhancing rather than interrupting it. I really liked Gerald's character and appreciated how Lucy grew up through the experiences she was put through. An entertaining read, with both light and intense moments.
THIEF OF HEARTS - VGMedeiros, Teresa - StandalonePrim and pampered, Lucinda Snow knew little of men and nothing of danger, until the fog-shrouded night she found herself abducted - and at the mercy of the legendary Captain Doom. Ruthless and mocking, tender and virile, the notorious pirate awakened all Lucy's passionate longings, then abandoned her with nothing but a kiss...Now, safely at home, the alluring waif is tormented by treacherous memories - and by the presence of Gerard Claremont, her mysterious new bodyguard. Everything about him, from his forbidding size to his impertinent manner, sparks her defiance. And even when Gerard's smile turns seductive, no one can make her forget Doom...Yet only when Lucy's path crosses the captain's once more, will she learn who is on a voyage of retribution, and who is out to steal her heart.Medeiros is one romance author whose books I generally enjoy.
What do You think about Thief Of Hearts (1994)?
I would say this was a 3.5 more than a four, I really liked it stars for me. The main reason being that I found some parts of this one really s l o w. I was able to put it down and leave it (or fall asleep while reading it) and then come back to it.I liked the heroine, Lucy a lot. While she was demure and obedient to a fault with her "father" deep down she had a lot of spunk and wit that the hero, Gerard brought out in her.I also liked Gerard and figured out who he was right at the start having already read the first one in this series and expecting the "surprise" that I didn't see coming in the first. The relationship took a looooooooooooooooooong time to develop. Waiting until 79% for the first sex scene is a little tedious regardless of character and story development and I don't know that I could say that a wait that loooooooong was really worth it!!
—crashqueen73
This is my favorite by this author. All the cliched moments turn out completely fine. The misunderstandings and family drama all blended well. No ridiculous or frustrating hidden motives. The cool prim beauty and the humourous sardonic hero are not one dimensional types. They grow and change and react in engaging ways. I lost this book before I finished reading it. When I found it and reread the rest of the story it was a pleasant change from the same old misunderstandings and plotlines in most romances with hidden identities.This plot is similar to The Hidden Heart in some ways but the plot and character development is way more advanced
—Ebony
I read this around 2008 (a junior in high school (or 3rd year in high school), 15 years old, and just newly introduced to the world of historical romance novels thanks to Johanna Lindsey's 'A Loving Scoundrel' (but half of the book I couldn't understand because this adult book is very different from the usual children's/middle grader's books I often read)). I remembered loving the premise, the intrigue on the first half of the book. By the second half I grew tired and skimmed the rest (and skipped the love scenes because I had no idea what the words "shaft", "female folds", "deep thrust", and etc meant until I reached the age of 17 and my friends introduced porn/hentai/male magazines/HBO original series to me). Although this isn't one of my favorite historical romance novels (and I'm really just not a fan of pirates, except Captain Jack Sparrow) and I couldn't remember the title until I saw the cover, the basic plot of Thief of Hearts kept tingling in my memory. So, basically, this book wasn't really that forgettable.
—RaiRaiKen
