This is quite a fun romance. Barbarous is a bit of a slow starter and it does spend a lot of time building conflict between the two main characters that does not come to fruition but other than that I enjoyed this book.

There was great chemistry between the characters and I loved Hugh's banter. The book moved along at a good pace with some nice action towards the end.

Barbarous is a decent historical romance that fans of the genre will enjoy.

Spencer's follow-up to "Dangerous" proves that she is a rising star in romance. She's smart, and it shows in her prose and her story-telling. "Barbarous" has it all: compelling characters, layered plots, passionate love story. A great addition to this series.

Thoroughly enjoyed it love how strong Daphne was to stand up against Malcolm and not just play a victim. I would have liked a bit of back story on Hugh. I think he was a great match for Daphne

Be still my beating heart!

A reread because I'd lost my review notes confirmed that Minerva Spencer is a fantastic historical romance writer. The opening is brilliant and I just read it through again for the sheer joy of the moment.
This time the focus of the novel is Captain Hugh Redvers first met in Dangerous.
A privateer, Barbary coast pirate, ex slave and a man not to be taken lightly meets his match when he makes the acquaintance of his aunt by marriage. Hugh had reportedly died. He'd eschewed his heritage for the high seas and making his own way.
Lady Daphne Davenport is torn. How to tell her story to this man who takes her breath away. How to do justice for the real Baron Ramsay, not her young son (the older of twins BTW--and what a lively pair they are!)
Of course there's a few villains along the way including the disgusting Cousin Malcolm.
But all that is put to one side when it seems she might be in danger. And Hugh is a definite added danger--the sort Daphne wants to flee from even as she leans in for more. A decidedly steamy relationship develops between these two when not fighting each other, brigands, pirates and nasty, nasty Lords.
A witty, vibrantly entertaining, read!

A Kensington ARC via NetGalley

Barbarous is the second book in Spencer's Outcast series and shows Spencer is definitely a voice in historical romance to be reckoned with. Told in the same time frame as book one, Spencer builds a delightfully fun and witty romance that offers two damaged souls a chance at happiness if they are willing to take a chance. Strong leads, a clever mystery, and well fleshed secondary characters keep the story moving a tidy clip with plenty of humor and some sorrow to give it the emotional depth many readers enjoy. I can't wait to read book three which involves a certain French pirate.

Once again, Minerva Spencer has turned out a terrific romance with characters introduced in her first book, DANGEROUS. I enjoyed #1, but #2 held me spellbound. There is less backstory here, and Spencer seems to have come into her own as an author. BARBAROUS has a plot that sucked me in, and her characters (Hugh a pirate who’s returned home, and Daphne, his “aunt” by marriage), are a bit older than normal and actually act their age. The romance is steamy and enjoyable.

Minerva Spencer is a Canadian author, who writes Regency Era romance. With two of her published works out, both in the series entitled The Outcasts, I came across her work when acclaimed historical romance author Elizabeth Hoyt recommended her books in one her tweets. I have loved almost everything that I have read from Hoyt and believe her to be a sensational author. So when she recommends an author whose books have spoken to HER, well, needless to say, I needed no further urging.

I did not read this series in order and read Barbarous first. In doing so, I did not feel like I had missed out on understanding the characters or felt that any of the story line was missing. So it is safe to say that this can be read as a standalone.

Barbarous begins when Hugh Redvers returns from the “dead” fifteen years after he was presumed to be so. A handsome daredevil who had stolen bits and pieces of Lady Daphne Davenport even when she had been an impressionable child when Hugh had been banished by his uncle, the older and mature version of him, scarred as he is, is a sight to behold.

Daphne’s first impression of Hugh upon his return is explained in a manner that does justice to what his character brings to the story. “Daphne knew she was gawking, but she couldn’t stop. His sun-bronzed skin and golden hair were an exotic surprise against the pallid gray of the spring sky. But it was the black eye-patch that covered his left eye and the savage scar that disappeared beneath it that were truly arresting. He lacked only a battered tricorn and cutlass between his teeth to be every maiden’s fantasy of a handsome pirate. Was he lost on his way to a masquerade ball?”

Daphne’s biggest fear upon Hugh’s sudden return is that he would find out her “deception” and the fact that she had robbed him of his rightful inheritance. Daphne’s marriage to Hugh’s uncle is one that Hugh cannot wrap his head around, and he knows that he no right to be entertaining such wicked thoughts about his “aunt” – spread for him to feast upon, in all her wanton glory.

Daphne knows that she is not the type of woman that would excite a man like Hugh. But the manner in which Hugh slowly seduces her is reason enough to drive her ever slowly out of her mind. Even if she is determined to stay unmoved, there is no helping the fact that her body responds to the proximity and wicked looks that Hugh throws her way. However, for Daphne and Hugh to have their happily ever after, the need to face their past and reconcile with it is a must, before the dangers closing in from all sides could destroy what they have, even before their entwined life could begin.

Before I start gushing about this book, I just have to put this out there. I have the utmost respect for Canadian authors. The few Canadian authors, whose books I read, have wowed me in ways I cannot even comprehend. Some of them are the reason I continue to read the genre even when most tales in the genre today have grown pale in comparison to what my reader tastes are like. In Minerva Spencer, I believe I have found one more author that I will continue to watch out for, because she has a flair for bringing all the elements together that makes a romance work, which makes reading no hardship at all.

Barbarous was amazing in its prose and delivery – no two ways about it. I loved how both Daphne and Hugh’s characters were crafted. Daphne is the ultimate bookworm, a bit lost inside her head, and has a heart that is warmth itself. Her difficult past, the way she had found a sanctuary in being married to her deceased husband, and the twins that had been borne out of horrible circumstances, but whom she would give her very own life for; all this and more define Daphne. The way she responds to Hugh, that innocence of hers, her curiosity, and the way she loves and accepts Hugh wholeheartedly, for all that and more, I loved her character.

When it comes to Hugh, he is a man who strides into the story, giving it a vitality that I am hard pressed to explain. He is like a warm beating heart, pulsating with life, giving energy to the rest of the elements that makes up the story. His kindness above everything else, made me fall like a ton of bricks for him. His wicked, wicked nature when it came to the slow seduction of Daphne made me want to hoot and give out a catcall, especially when he strip teased for her. A hero doing the teasing in that manner is something I have seldom come across in romance novels, especially when it comes to the historical genre. His possessiveness was just the right touch, the balm that soothes the heart and soul of someone like Daphne who considers herself to not have anything much to offer a man like Hugh.

The cast of secondary characters definitely brings added color to the story, with every character multi-faceted in a way that lends credence to the unfolding story. Even the “villain” had his own story to share, which makes one think along the lines of how under similar circumstances, good and bad can thrive and persist, even beyond human comprehension.

If scrumptious love scenes, an interesting cast of characters, and excitement of the kind that would keep you turning the pages is what you want, Minerva Spencer is the author for you. I cannot wait for the next couple of books (which I am hoping the author is working on) to be out!

Final Verdict: In Barbarous, Minerva Spencer delivers a delectable tale of a larger than life hero who returns home to find himself scandalously in lust with his uncle’s widow. To say that sparks fly would be an understatement. Definitely recommended!

Favorite Quotes

Tendrils of her luxuriant hair had come loose as she played. Some spiraled wildly, glinting pale gold in the light, some lay damply against the exposed skin of her throat. Each time Hugh turned a page, he bent lower than necessary, breathing her in, inhaling her. She smelled clean, unper-fumed with anything but the vague scent of soap. Never had Hugh realized just how heady another human’s natural scent could be.
By the time the final notes came to a crashing conclusion, Hugh ached with the effort of holding his body in check. The cavernous music room was silent but felt crowded and small, the atmosphere heavy with a maelstrom of emotions he had no interest in examining.
Her arms trembled with the mere physicality of the past moments and a slight shudder passed through her, as if she’d just come out of a trance. She followed his hand—which rested on the piano—up to his face and blinked, surprised to find she wasn’t alone.
Hugh gazed into her heavily lidded eyes and was astounded by the violence of his need to touch her—embrace her. Instead, he took a small step back, even that much a struggle.
“You are magnificent,” he said, his voice hoarse.

His handsome features were taut and intense, but no longer angry. “Daphne—” He stopped and shook his head. Daphne stared into his emerald eye, mesmerized by the gold shards that glinted in the green, like slivers of sunlight through a forest canopy. His fingers tightened and his disconcerting gaze traveled from her eyes to her mouth and then back.
He gave a low groan of frustration. “Oh, bloody hell,” he muttered, just before his mouth crushed hers.
Daphne closed her eyes.
Finally
. The word echoed so loudly inside her head that, for a moment, she feared she’d spoken out loud.
If she had, Hugh did not appear to notice.

Daphne shuddered and grabbed onto his body to steady herself as his gentle sucking set off colorful explosions behind her eyelids. The tautly bunched muscles of his upper body were hard and hot beneath the smooth wool of his coat and her hands traveled the broad expanse of his shoulders toward his neck, lightly grazing his cravat before she pushed her fingers into his thick, surprisingly wiry curls.
He growled and inched even closer, releasing her lip and then pushing at the seam of her mouth with his tongue, as if he was trying to . . . enter her.
Daphne inhaled sharply and the room shifted beneath her feet as he took her face in both hands and tilted her, stroking into her . . . tasting her . . . licking her.

He traced the gentle curves with the tip of his tongue, teasing the thin silk barrier that molded to her lithe body. As he’d suspected—a million years ago at the wretched dinner—her nipples were less than an inch below the tissue-thin fabric of her gown.
Daphne shifted and arched as he suckled her through the silk, bringing the tip to tantalizing hardness before moving to the other, working her until the noises coming from deep in her throat were so hungry he had to see her.
He held her at arm’s length, staring into her sleepy eyes. “You are so beautiful,” he said, his hands moving to the damp, stretched fabric that barely covered her.

She lightly dragged the very tip over his lips, as if drawing his features, leaving a searing trail of heat as she kissed and licked and nipped her way up his scar, pulling his head lower and feathering the torn, tender skin with the lightest of kisses. Before Hugh knew what she was doing she’d untied the ends of the strap that held the patch over his eye.
He moved to grab it, but she flung it away and then clutched his face in both hands and pulled him lower.
“I want all of you.”
He hadn’t believed he could become any harder; he’d been wrong.

He circled his hand over her, stroking her pelvis from side to side until her hips pressed against his palm on the next sweep over her sex.
Hugh smiled at the familiar gesture of need and cupped her in his hand before dipping a finger between her swollen lips. She reacted with a convulsive thrust and he probed deeper, working her with a gentle but persistent rhythm, each stroke a little deeper, a little harder. She swelled around him and her hot wetness told him when she could take more. A second finger joined the first and her hips responded eagerly, thrusting in time to the motion of his hand.
“God, you’re so wet. So sweet and tight,” he whispered, the words causing her body to shake.
Hugh felt as though he’d barely begun when she contracted, her hips bucking hard, as if she couldn’t get him deep enough.

Holding her gaze, he withdrew almost all the way and then filled her with a single slick thrust. Her eyelids fluttered and her body tightened around his and a groan tore out of his chest.
“Touch me, Daphne. Stroke me while I stroke you.” Again he pulled all the way out and drove himself home, harder this time. Her hands began to roam his body, exploring his torso, his chest, his buttocks. He moved faster and pumped harder, driving into her with powerful, deep thrusts, holding nothing back.

She met him stroke for brutal stroke, until his body was about to fly apart. He was afraid he could no longer wait when she contracted around him.
“Yes, Daphne, yes. Come for me.” He punctuated his words with one savage thrust after another. She sank her teeth into his chest, her crisis coming fast and hard and triggering his own petite mort.
Hugh threw back his head and yelled something mindless as he drove himself home and spent deep inside her.

The sculpted muscles of his back and shoulders bunched with controlled power as his blond head moved rhythmically, his skilled tongue and fingers working their magic. Daphne gave herself up to pure pleasure and rode the crest of the wave that had been a long time coming. A wave that built and built until it crashed, taking her with it and pummeling her body over and over, until she was weak, breathless, and limp.
“Hugh,” she whispered, her hands slipping from his hair, where they’d somehow become tangled.

“I—I want . . .” Daphne had no recollection of what she’d meant to say.
He laughed wickedly. “You want . . . this?” He entered her in one slick, endless thrust, driving her in to the mattress with the force of his action.
Daphne groaned, her head falling back, her eyes closing. It was . . . too much, too intense, too—
And then he began to pound her with merciless, measured thrusts, each invasion deeper than the last.
“Your body is heaven,” he gasped, halting his savage thrusting and instead pushing slowly into her, inch by inch by inch. “Take all of me, darling.”
She wrapped her legs around him, tilted her pelvis, and tightened.
“My God, Daphne!” He shuddered violently enough to shake the four-poster bed, lifting her higher, his fingers digging into her hips while he drove into her, his body taut and slick with the strength of his need.

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Rating = 4/5 [GREAT READ]

Loved, loved, loved this book. Once I started it, I couldn't put it down. Right from the opening chapter, where the long lost Lord, Hugh, returns from the dead to find his widowed dear Auntie (who is younger than he by 10 years), Daphne, fending off unwanted attentions from a cousin, you could tell this book was going to be non stop action.
You had Pirates and Corsairs. You had blackmail and revenge. You had a monkey, a parrot, and 2 adorable twin boys. You had a love story you were drawn into.
Can't wait for Martin's story.

Simply put - I loved this story! It was emotional, sexy, and had sexy pirates, too! Minerva Sencer has a wonderful historical voice and I look forward to many more from her.

Minerva Spencer does it again! After reading the first book in this series, I waited anxiously for Hugh's story, and it didn't disappoint. Ms. Spencer's writing is smooth and descriptive, a pleasure to read!

Hugh Redvers, Baron Ramsay, is a privateer who has been gone for a long time. He returns to make sure his widowed uncle's wife is safe from an unknown threat but is surprised by the lovely Daphne. Daphne has her own issues since she's been living a lie that would turn her life upside down. She's a strong female character that has made choices to protect her sons. I have to admit I have a soft spot for rogues who have a wicked smile and are witty so I was smitten by Hugh immediately, while Daphne is a survivor. Fantastic secondary characters and a pet monkey round out the cast.

Barbarous by Minerva Spencer is book Two in The Outcasts series. This is the story of Daphne Redvers, Lady Davenport and Hugh Redvers. I haven't yet read the previous book, so for me this was a standalone book.
Daphne was raped when she was around 17 years old by Sir Malcolm, which made her pregnant. Hugh's Uncle stepped up to marry her. Now a few years later the Earl is dead, Sir Malcolm is threatening Daphne. Then Hugh, her husbands nephew turns up...everyone had thought him dead. Now Daphne knows she must confess that her children are not the Earl's to allow Hugh the chance to take the title. Hugh who was contacted by his friend Will who knew his status of being alive to report that Daphne and her boys were in trouble, so he came out of hiding to help them. Hugh has his own enemy who he is trying to locate too while protecting Daphne. Sparks are flying between the two but as his 'Aunt' it would be turned upon for a relationship between the two, also Hugh doesn't plan on staying around long.
Good read...enjoyed it.

After reading Barbarous, I feel as though I need a cup of tea and a lie down. It’s an absolutely rollicking adventure of a historical romance, complete with dastardly relatives, pirates, old blood feuds, desperate secrets and more excitement than any gently bred English lady would have been able to cope with in the early 19th century without taking to her bed in a fit of the vapours.

Our heroine Daphne is a widow with a secret - her twin sons didn’t belong to her husband, but were sired by said dastardly relative. When her husband’s legitimate heir turned up after being thought dead for twenty years, the guilt of stealing his rightful inheritance for her son almost eats her alive.

Hugh, the said heir, hasn’t been idle in his absence. After an appalling period as a slave to corsairs, he turned the tables and escaped, becoming a pirate and then privateer - THE privateer, in fact, the most notorious in England. He’s only returned because of mysterious notes warning his uncle’s widow and children are in serious danger.

He didn’t expect Daphne to be so young, so beautiful and so incredibly enticing. Before he knows it, he’s seriously considering giving up his privateering ways.

But both of them have enemies, and that’s where Barbarous really shines; all the seeds are planted into the first two-thirds of the book for an absolutely explosive confrontation which conclusion left me feeling almost drained.

If you like your historicals with a hearty dose of adventure, you’re going to adore this. You’ll definitely fall in love with Martín, the Creole second mate with the face of a rogue angel, and be as delighted as I was to find out that Martín is getting his own book in Scandalous, next in the series.

Even though this isn’t first in the series, I wouldn’t have known it. Hugh and Daphne are an arresting pair who will hold your whole attention (whenever Martín isn’t around, of course!). Five stars for a thrilling read which made a dull afternoon pass very fast indeed!

I thoroughly enjoyed Minvera Spencer’s début novel, <a href="https://bookish29.wordpress.com/2018/06/25/dangerous-the-outcasts-1-by-minerva-spencer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Dangerous</strong></a>, and have been looking forward to its follow-up <strong>Barbarous</strong>, which features the dashing privateer Hugh Redvers, who played an important secondary role in the earlier novel.  I was engaged by the author’s sophisticated, witty writing, and her ability to create rounded and engaging characters who acted and spoke like adults rather than brattish teenagers; her prose and dialogue were definitely above average, and in some cases, well above it, and I was keen to read more of her work.

This second book in her <strong><em>The Outcasts</em></strong> series is somewhat different in tone to the first, and feels more like a traditional historical romance than the first one.  Hugh Redvers, Baron Ramsay and nephew of the Earl of Davenport, has been believed dead for almost twenty years, so his sudden reappearance at his (now deceased) uncle’s Sussex home comes as something of a shock to its mistress.  Banished by the earl because of his disgraceful behaviour, twenty-year-old Hugh left England and was captured by Barbary corsairs off the Gibraltar coast. Sold to the Sultan of Oran, he endured years of suffering and violence before, years later, he engineered his escape and became One-Eyed Standish, captain of the <em>Batavia’s Ghost</em>, King’s Privateer and scourge of the high-seas.  He’s finally returned to England in response to a summons from his oldest friend, who has received letters threatening the lives of the late earl’s widow Daphne and her twin sons, Lucien – the young earl - and Richard.  Hugh arrives at an opportune time; Daphne has just bloodied the nose of her smarmy cousin Malcolm Hastings who is attempting to force her into marriage (and force himself on her).  Seeing her dishevelled state, Hugh quickly draws the boys away and plays with them while she tidies herself and then resumes the picnic they’d originally intended to have.  She’s cool, composed and doesn’t freak out, which I really liked about her.

After Daphne gets over the shock of Hugh’s return she realises she’s got bigger problems than the fact that she’s as hopelessly infatuated with him as she was when she was a ten-year-old girl mooning over her handsome neighbour.  We learn early on that she was raped when she was just seventeen (by the aforementioned smarmy cousin), and that she was left pregnant as a result.  The Earl of Davenport – her mother’s oldest friend – although some fifty years Daphne’s senior, came to her rescue, married her (although they never lived as man and wife) and acknowledged the boys as his when they were born.  But now Hugh has returned, Daphne believes she has deprived him of what is rightfully his (the earldom), and feels dreadfully guilty about it.  Her intense attraction to him only makes things worse; she longs to spend time with him and, being honest with herself, to experience passion and the pleasure she’s sure he is capable of giving her; but knows she has to make plans to leave Lessing Hall as soon as she’s confessed the truth, as Lucien will no longer have any claim to it.

I have to take a quick tangential detour here, because this plot point bugged the hell outta me.

I don’t claim to be an expert on the laws of inheritance in the 19^th century, but my understanding is that at this period, a child born to parents who were married at the time of his or her birth was legitimate, regardless of whether the woman’s husband actually provided the sperm.  This means that Lucien is – perfectly legally – the Earl of Davenport.  Would it cause gossip and scandal if there were rumours about Lucien’s true parentage?  Undoubtedly.  But would it make any actual difference to who held the title?  Unlikely.

The problem, then, is that this makes a large part of the plot redundant.  Daphne spends over half the book genuinely intending to tell Hugh the truth and finding reasons to put it off – but other than the fact that she feels terribly guilty, her fessing up wouldn’t actually change anything.

Anyway.

Hugh is a terrific hero.  He’s handsome, funny, sexy and larger-than-life (as well as larger than pretty much everyone else around him!), but he’s also kind, honourable and thoughtful, qualities which show in his every interaction with Daphne’s sons as well as those with Daphne herself, and I loved that he was so self-aware and prepared to let himself show his softer side when it came to Daphne and the boys.  He’s coming up on forty, and is finding his swashbuckling life on the high seas has palled somewhat; having a girl in every port was great for many years, but now, he wants more than just a warm body, he wants a companion, a woman he can enjoy out of bed as well as in it.  The attraction between him and Daphne sparks and crackles, and while the ‘inexperienced widow’ figure is perhaps a little cliché, the author develops their relationship very well.  Daphne gives as good as she gets when it comes to their verbal sparring, and Hugh has a major weakness for women who appear immune to his charm; he’s used to women throwing themselves at him, so having Daphne view him as a mere inconvenience only adds fuel to the fire on his part.

While I liked both principals and found their romance well-done, I had a couple of other issues with the story as a whole which prevent me from giving it a higher grade.  Firstly, there’s the blackmail/kidnap plotline towards the end, in which Daphne has a bit of a personality transplant and the villains are barely two-dimensional.  And then there’s the way the author deals with Daphne’s assault and her memories of it.  I don’t want to give too much away, but it struck me that Ms. Spencer wanted to have her cake and eat it; to provide a reason for Daphne to have to marry the earl and eventually lead to all that guilt at stealing Hugh’s birthright, but make it so that it wouldn’t affect her desire for Hugh or her ability to have sex with him, and I found it rather jarring.

Having said all this, I did enjoy <strong>Barbarous</strong>, although I wasn’t quite as pulled in to it as I was by <strong>Dangerous</strong>.  I found myself wondering if this book had been written before <strong>Dangerous</strong>, as there’s a pivotal scene in which Mia appears which obviously takes place <em>before</em> the events of that book.  I also felt <strong>Barbarous</strong> was a little less … polished is the only word I can come up with, not so much in terms of the writing and characterisation, but definitely in the case of the plot.  I may well be completely off the mark – it’s just a hunch.

Even with my reservations, I’m going to give <strong>Barbarous</strong> a cautious recommendation, because the romance is well done and Hugh is a hero to die for.  The plotline is definitely wobbly, but I know I’m extra-picky about accuracy and that there are many for whom something like that will not be an issue.  The writing is a cut above average, the characters are engaging - and the scarcity of decent historical romances this year means that even a flawed one by a talented author is worth checking out.

<hr />

<em>[One last thing – Ms. Spencer does address the fact that a marriage between an aunt and nephew – even though Hugh and Daphne are not related by blood – was forbidden by church law, even though it wasn’t illegal under the laws of the land. ]</em>

Barbarous by Minerva Spencer
The Outcasts #2

What a delight for me to return to a memory of a book read long ago – one written by Rafael Sabatini titled The Sea Hawk. Why did it take me back? Both main characters were captured and enslaved and both rose above what happened to them to become “more” than they might otherwise have been. AND, both were charming heroes that ended up with happiness and true love in their lives.

Back to this book now and why I liked it.

Daphne has a secret…a HUGE secret that perhaps never would have been an issue if Huge had not come back from the dead. Trying to figure out how to share this secret with Hugh was not easy for Daphne, especially since she was so very attracted to him. Her life and the lives of her twin sons could be upended and ended if the secret comes out. His reaction to her secret could have dire consequences. Add into the mix the fact that Daphne’s cousin Malcolm is out to create trouble, there is a woman to save in Oran, there is attraction between Daphne and Hugh that is socially taboo and a revenge issue that Hugh needs to deal with and you have a swashbuckling, action-packed, thrilling romance that had me riveted from beginning to end. I loved Hugh as a book boyfriend and I loved Daphne’s strength and character. The relationship that developed between the H/h took some time but was so delicious in the making.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing – Zebra Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

3.5 pirate stars

I grabbed Barbarous after reading and loving the first book, Dangerous. Hugh, the pirate hero in this book makes several memorable appearances in Dangerous, but the events in Barbarous actually take place before Dangerous so I don't think it's necessary to have read the first book. What I loved about Dangerous was the way it played with the "innocent captured by pirates and kept in a Sultan's harem" trope and delivered a more realistic story than is usual with that trope. I was hoping for more of the same in Barbarous, but although Hugh was sufficiently swashbuckling as the pirate One-Eyed Standish, this book was much more conventional in its plot and its characters, and did not challenge conventional romance tropes. Still, Hugh and Daphne were likable main characters, and acted like the mature adults most of the time. Daphne kept a pretty big secret from Hugh for a large part of the book, but I understood her reasoning, so although that was exasperating, I didn't hate her for it. Overall, a fun book to read, just not quite as good as the first book.

I will start by saying this book has really really good reviews on Goodreads. And I didn’t dislike it, but the sheer number of five star ratings has me wondering if I read the same book as everyone else.

I was excited about picking this up, despite the title which reminded me of a 1980’s bodice ripper. After all, the hero was scarred, with a delicious piratical eyepatch. I love a scarred hero. But Hugh wasn’t what I expected. This man was enslaved, tortured, and disfigured, but there was virtually no angst to be found.

As the story begins, Daphne is fighting off the lecherous advances of the man who raped her years ago. Her elderly husband is dead and there is no one to protect her now that Malcolm is after her fortune. And if she isn’t willing to cooperate, he’ll tell the world he’s the father of her children. It’s just as she fights back that her late husband’s nephew shows up. Everyone thought Hugh was dead, and he’s only returned due to a threat on Daphne’s life.

Hugh and Daphne are immediately attracted to each other. However, he considers her off-limits because he thinks she slept with his very old uncle. (She didn’t.) And she thinks he’s off limits because her son has the title that’s rightfully Hugh’s. They flirt a little. Hugh gets sick. They flirt a bit more and then they’re in love.

Here are my complaints. I didn’t really feel the love happening. The sexual attraction, sure, but love? Not so much. As I mentioned, there is a wealth of missed opportunity to explore what happened to Hugh. There’s a revenge plot involving the guy who sold him out, but I wanted some teeth gnashing over Hugh’s appearance. Some self-worth issues about what happened to him during slavery. I got nothing. I thought Malcolm was way too one-note as a villain and Calitain wasn’t explored nearly enough. And the answers over who wrote the letters and who cut the girth on the saddle… both, weak.

As for Daphne, she’s fine, I guess. She spends a lot of time telling herself she is going to come clean to Hugh, but never quite gets around to it. And when the reveal does happen, it’s quite underwhelming. Actually, I think that underwhelming kind of fits my feelings about the book in general. It wasn’t bad, but for sure, it did not live up to my expectations.

For what it’s worth, this is book two in the Outcasts series, and I understand the events happen simultaneously with book one, but this holds up just fine as a standalone. Maybe it would be a bigger hit for you.

Rating: C

This is Minerva Spencer’s second book and it may be better than the first one (Dangerous), which was a “couldn’t put it down” read. This is also a read all night book.

Daphne was married at a young age to the much older Thomas, Earl of Davenport. She has twin sons, Lucien and Richard, almost 10. Thomas was a good husband and father, but he died leaving Lucien as his heir. Daphne is hounded by her older cousin, Malcolm, whom she detests for good reasons as he has threatened her.

Hugh Redvers, nephew and heir to the Earl, is believed to be dead. His uncle banished him 17 years ago. He was captured, enslaved and brutalized by Barbary Corsairs. When he escaped he became the Captain of the Batavia’s Ghost, and sank more French ships than the British navy. He’s known as the King’s Privateer.

Imagine his surprise when he returns home and discovers his uncle had married and has heirs. In his eyes, Daphne robbed him of his title, lands and fortune but he likes her twins and they adore him. She wants to tell him the truth, but her cousin is still threatening her as he wants money to pay off his debt.

This is a short synopsis as there is so much going on in this book and I won’t spoil a wonderful story. Favorite line: “Hugh Redvers was danger distilled into human form”. I highly recommend this book and can’t wait for the next one Minerva writes.

Highly anticipated since the previous book Dangerous, the wait is over and I cannot say enough about Daphne and Hugh's story. It only took a couple of paragraphs and I was hook! Seeming returning from the dead after twenty years, Hugh Redvers, the cousin of Daphne's late husband came upon Daphne at an inopportune time. She had know him when she was very young and had been infatuated with his good looks. and could not believe the tall handsome man he had turned into. Even with his eye patch and scars she could tell he was use to getting his way. But Daphne had a secret and when it came out, she knew it would hurt Hugh and affect her sons. Oh yes terrible secrets.
What a wonderful story!! These two really needed each other because they were both wounded and and had endured a lot. Emotional and suspenseful with underlying plots, it will make you tense but also happy. I am so enchanted with the humorous phrases the author throws in that makes me laugh out loud! Yes like a hungry weasel invading a henhouse, I cannot wait until the next book in this series! Loved it!

Nothing but a FIVE star for this new fantastic read by Minerva Spencer! . Barbarous had everything I look for in a historical romance, a sexy slightly older - I like the more mature experienced man- roguish pirate, a feisty smart heroine an intriguing plot with plenty of twists a witty dialogue that had me smirking and a steamy romance. I loved Hugh -where can I get my own Hugh?- and Daphne's story. Can't wait for the next book!
I recieved a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest unbiased opinion

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. Barbarous is the second book in Minerva Spencer’s exciting Outcasts series. It can be read as a stand-alone but the first book Dangerous is also very intriguing. After receiving a letter from his childhood companion that his Uncle’s widow and her twin sons are in danger Hugh Redvers, Baron Ramsey aka famed privateer One-eyed Standish returns home after a 20 year absence to reveal that despite rumours to the contrary he is not dead. Daphne Redvers, Lady Davenport’s growing fascination with Hugh is complicated by him being her dead husbands nephew and the secret about what his true inheritance should be that she’s been keeping. The long slow simmer between these two is complicated by that secret, Daphne’s villainous cousin and Hugh’s desire for revenge on an enemy from his past. Hugh is a wonderful hero big and bold with an exuberance for life that shines through on every page as is Daphne as a heroine with her intelligence, passion and grace under fire. I highly recommend this book. Medium Steam, Publishing Date October 30, 2018. #NetGalley #Barbarous #kensingtonbooks