There are, generally speaking, two types of historical romance. 19th century British romance (subdivided into Regency and Victorian romance), which is all about lords and ladies and balls; and there is also 19th century Western romance, which is about cowboys and settlers and Indians. There is not, however, a particularly dedicated outflow of historical romance about 19th century Australian penal colonies, and after reading Night in Eden, I really must wonder why the hell not? In this book, Candice Proctor delivers a sensual tale of two broken people brought together by death and loss and a cruel society who, somehow, forge a life together. This book is well-written and sexy, and maybe even more importantly: unique.Convicted with manslaughter on account of her husband’s death, Bryony is transported to New South Wales to serve a 7 year sentence, during which time she’s basically the property of anyone who wants her. Like, literally a man can show up and decide he wants her and then legally rape her, because being a convict in Australia is not like being a convict back in England. Luckily, the dominating and powerful man who claims Bryony to serve as his infant son’s wetnurse isn’t much of a rapist, otherwise I would have been done with Night in Eden before it even began. Hayden St. John, as I said, is a controlling man with a forceful personality, and he wants Bryony from the very moment he sets eyes on her, but he wants her to choose him. So he hauls her back to his homestead in the bush and does his very best to stay away from her, because he knows that a) she wants him, but b) is terribly afraid of him and the power he has over her. So he waits. For months. And probably drives himself crazy with horniness, but whatevs.Not being a reading particularly drawn to the Alpha Male character type, I think I was wary of the power dynamics between Bryony and Hayden from the start. Proctor has already established a scenario in which the woman is powerless: she is his servant and his prisoner. And while, in 1808, even being a wife rendered you little better than your husband’s slave, in Night in Eden it’s so very pronounced and palpable. Not only is Hayden a dominant, assertive man, he’s also in a position of extreme power over Bryony. And he pushes it—they both do, honestly. Like I said, the sexual attraction between these two characters is nearly instantaneous, even though they don’t particularly like each other in the beginning. There’s a lot of sexual tension and a lot of scenes that end abruptly because, at the last minute, Bryony says “No”—but here’s what’s important. Hayden respects Bryony’s nonconsent. Every time. He never blames her for “teasing” him or “leading him on”. Ever.That is so important.Uncomfortable as the relationship dynamic might have initially made me, I loved that Proctor used it in this way, and didn’t fall into the easy Alpha Male trap of “dubious consent” (that is not even a thing, okay?) or pressuring the female protagonist into sex. Night in Eden does it right, and so this book is thick with tension and lust, and it makes you wait for that consummation, but it’s sweeter for knowing it wasn’t coerced or rushed into.And I very, very much loved both Bryony and Hayden. At the outset, they’re both grieving. Him for his wife, and her for her freedom and her children. Bryony resists Hayden’s authority over her and her conflicted fear and desire for him. Hayden wrestles with guilt for wanting a woman so soon after his wife died. But on the homestead in New South Wales, manned by thieves and murderers and cheats, Bryony and Hayden learn about each other and come to respect and admire each other, and they make it work And I’m not going to lie, I really did wonder how the author was going to pull it all off, because if there were ever a couple stuck in impossible circumstances, it seemed to be this one. I was not sure how the requisite Happily Ever After was going to work. But it worked; it really did.While I think the unique setting and premise pulled me in, Candice Proctor was able to hold me because of these characters and their story. Night in Eden is, I think, one of the best historical romances I’ve ever read, for many reasons. I loved the Australian setting and the slow burn romance and the way the characters came together in partnership. Even the things that seemed tricky came out all right in the end. I am very, very impressed by this book.Reviews & more at Respiring Thoughts
5++ stars historical romance I just love it when a book ends up being a real treasure worth savoring. This book was suggested on one of the discussion forums on Amazon and from the synopsis itself, it sounded like a book that I would love. And from the first page itself, this book captivated me by its wonderful charm and didn’t let go long after I finished the book.Bryony Wentworth is unjustly sentenced to spend her life in servitude in New South Wales for the murder of her husband Oliver Wentworth. With her daughter Madeline snatched right out of her arms screaming for her mama, the only thing that keeps Bryony going is the unborn babe inside of her. But life and its cruelty took Philip her son away in death and it nearly drives Bryony mad with grief and anger.Captain Hayden St. John visits the Parramatta prison to find a nursemaid for his son Simon whose mother had died soon after prematurely delivering Simon. Hayden’s wife Laura was a beautiful delicate woman and her death had changed Hayden into a man colder and harder than he was before. The spirited woman who stands before him who undoubtedly was still grieving for her son stirs something deep within Hayden that he doesn’t want to recognize.Bryony can’t believe it when she is sold to the tall bronze man who stands before her with a wicked looking knife strapped to his thigh. There is a wildness about him that called out to the woman inside of her, a call Bryony refuses to pay heed to because Bryony was a woman who vowed to uphold the values she had been taught as a child.Hayden at first refuses to believe that his body is clamoring for the attention of the convict woman who now looks after his son. But when he sees the answering fire that smolders within Bryony’s eyes, Hayden requests Bryony to become his mistress. The attraction that simmers between Bryony and Hayden is so hot that I found myself captivated by the heady magic of it. The final showdown when it all comes to head is a scene not to be missed as it answers every craving the previous pages invoke in the reader.Its when Hayden makes Bryony his lawfully wedded wife and brings back Madeline from England that stirs up the trouble. Madeline refuses to connect with Bryony accusing her of abandoning her and vehemently hates Hayden for the position he holds in her mother’s life. And the final twist in the story comes when Oliver returns from the dead, wanting to take his wife and child back to England with him.This is a wonderful story set in the rough Australian terrain that is beautiful and wild at the same time like the love that is described so vividly between two characters that are definitely made for one another. Hayden is a hero that would stir any woman’s dreams and Bryony is a heroine who would win the affection and admiration of the reader. The side characters are well developed, the story a moving one which had me up all night to finish the book.This book is very highly recommended for all romance lovers out there. If you haven’t already read this story, get a copy and indulge yourself in one of the finest love stories out there.
Do You like book Night In Eden (1997)?
Night In Eden, by Candice Proctor★★★★★ Five full stars! An exceptional book; one of the best I’ve read so far this year. A realistic look at life in 1808, New South Wales and the struggle to carve out a life in a strange, forbidding land. Within just a few pages I was enthralled with the story! The harsh brutality of the beautiful Australian setting is not just a “wallpaper” backdrop, but actually a vital ingredient to the flavor of this book.The Government House, Parramatta, Australia One of the things I loved about it is that our heroine, Bryony, is at first truly afraid of our hero, Hayden. She’s not swooning with lust and sighing over his masculinity like so many romance novel heroines do when they are in close proximity of the hero. As a woman convict, grief-stricken from the loss of her children, in a land where rape is the expected norm, she is in a truly precarious situation and she is smart enough to realize it; so much more realistic! (I know I’d be scared s#itless!) Still, Bryony is a woman of strong character; her resistance to Hayden, a to-die-for-hero, is credible, not a plot device to increase the sexual tension of the book. Their tumultuous love story is filled with unrelenting passion. For despite the cultural horrors of this new frontier, there is an underlying theme of hope, strength, endurance, and love; all the things one needs to survive.Thank you, Jill, for the rec. Not wasting time asking myself: “Why have I never read anything by her before?” I jumped on the computer and ordered four more books by the talented Ms. Proctor. Definitely a good read!
—Lisa Kay
I'm at 8%, Bryony just got manhandled and threatened by St. John and then the next hour these are her thoughts about himHe stood at the bow of the boat, his spurred boots spread wide, his arms folded across his chest in that aggressively masculine stance of his.. As she watched, the sailor beside him said something, and a quick, wicked smile flashed across St. John's face. Then he tipped back his dark head and laughed. The deep, throaty sound of it reached her across the length of the boat. She glanced quickly away, conscious of a tumult of feelings, deep down in her belly. God help her, she knew nothing about this man except that he was hard and mean and dangerous, and that he frightened her terribly. Yet she belonged to him. I can make you my mistress.... Bryony remembered the weight of his hands on her bare shoulders, and she felt her insides quiver. As if drawn by some kind of awful fascination, her gaze returned to settle on Hayden St. John.I think I'm going to cut my losses and not invest more time in this book. I have a feeling it's not going to get a favorable rating from me, I have no patience for characters being described as something while their actions and thoughts contradicts at every turn what the writer wants me to think.
—R.
Loved it! A epic story about the Australian frontier. More of the old fashion style romance, not quite a bodice ripper. A strong alpha male falls madly in love with his wrongly accused convict he has rescued from a women's camp. She is to be a wet nurse and caretaker to his infant son after his own wife has died in child birth. There is so much sexual tension, honor and passion that when they finally get together it is beautiful. As typical with this style of romance there are a lot of conflicts that are always being thrown at the H&h and the conflicts are resolved quickly. There was also a lot of choke up moments because of deaths and separations.If you like the older style romances, I would highly recommend this one.
—Splage
