A Tortured Hero by Lila DiPasqua
Have you ever wanted something so badly, it was all you could think about? Have you ever had a dream, one that you’ve chased for years, that became your whole focus in life?
The hero in my Rapunzel retelling, UNDONE, Simon Boulenger, is a privateer fleet commander. He’s come a long way from his days as an orphan, born into the lower class. Left to starve. All he’s ever thought about, all he’s ever wanted was to climb out of poverty and never be that vulnerable to the upper class again.
Now, Simon is at last wealthy. But his dream to elevate himself from his station of birth—to be made a noble by the King, and an officer in the King’s official navy is dead. (Only nobles could be officers in this time period in history). For the longest time, Simon thought he could gain recognition for his naval efforts and the immense wealth his ships have provided the Crown. But he’s wrong. Worse, he’s caught in the crosshairs of some powerful men.
He wants to do the right thing, and walk away from it all, but the right thing is usually the most difficult thing to do.
And at the most tumultuous time in his life, he’s knocked off his feet by a beautiful woman. (Literally, she knocks this big sexy man to the ground, quite accidently of course. :)
The next thing he knows, he’s rescuing the beauty. Or so he thinks.
Simon is instantly intrigued by Angelica. He wants to know more about her. Yet this strong, alpha hero, who commands hundreds of men, and fourteen privateer ships, can’t get this one woman to tell him more than her first name. The longer he knows her, the more he discovers that the things he thought are true about her, are in fact oh so wrong. He gets to a point where he’s no longer sure what to believe about this mysterious beauty.
But there *is* one undeniable truth in all this—and that is the untamable attraction they have for one another. It’s intense. And the last thing either of them want. The more he tries to stay away and stay focused on his perilous mission, the more he wants to initiate her into his every carnal desire. . .Dare to step into my Fiery Tales world?
UNDONE
A Fiery Tale
Lila DiPasqua
HISTORICAL ROMANCE
April, 2012
Inspired by the tale of Rapunzel, Lila DiPasqua offers a new steamy, emotionally charged historical romance in the acclaimed Fiery Tales Series . . . Rescuing this beauty from the ‘tower’ is only the beginning . . .
Maintaining her ruse as a commoner, and trusting no one has kept Angelica safe. But a chance encounter with a handsome stranger lands her right where danger lies. Now, this sinfully handsome man with arresting blue eyes and a polished manner thinks he’s saved her life, when in fact he’s placed her in great peril. She’s intent on keeping him and everyone else at arm’s length. Yet, the smoldering attraction between them is difficult to deny. And impossible to ignore . . .
As commander of a number of privateer ships, Simon Boulenger dresses and speaks like an aristocrat, and has obtained wealth. But he is still not a noble. Or an officer in the King’s Navy. His lifelong dream to elevate himself from his station of birth and attain a respectable place in society is dead. Worse, he’s ensnared in a deadly scheme, and must get out. But how is he to stay focused on his dangerous mission when the mysterious beauty has him utterly intrigued? He can’t afford the distraction any more than he can resist the carnal hunger she stirs. Simon soon discovers that she’s not only a passionate soul mate, but a woman born into privilege. A woman he can never have. But they’re in too deep. Their hearts are at risk . . . as well as their lives.
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NOTE: UNDONE is a Rock*it Reads book.
Rock*It Reads is made up of traditionally published authors committed to bringing high standards and professional quality to their self-published works. Whenever readers see the RIR logo, they know the book they are purchasing is held to an excellent standard of quality. We are Authors You Love with Stories that Rock. You can visit our site and check out more great reads at http://www.rockitreads.com/
Today Rock*it Reads launches their brand new column at Barnes & Noble—Love Rocks! We’re excited to be self-publishing and Love Rocks will be highlight great self-published romance novels we think you should know about. Come on over and check out LOVE ROCKS and perhaps discover some great new authors.
In celebration of our Love Rocks column launch, I’m giving away these books from my Rock*it Reads sisters:
Vanessa Kelly (writing with her husband as VK Sykes)–HOT NUMBER
Kris Kennedy’s upcoming self-published Rock*it Reads novella–CLAIMING HER (when it becomes available)
Joan Swan’s FEVER
Pamela Clare’s – Sweet
Monica Burns’s- Love’s Portrait
Stolen Fury by Elisabeth Naughton
And a signed copy of A MIDNIGHT DANCE from me!
Question: Read any books lately with a tortured hero? Any movies you liked with a tortured hero in it? One lucky commenter will win the above books.
To enter for the eight books above, just leave a comment answering Lila’s question. Book are in e-book or print form and open worldwide through April 25.
The most wounded hero I have ever read about is Broken Wing by Judith James. My favorite book ever!
The most tortured hero I recently read and fell dearly for is John Murphy from Sweet As Sin by Inez Kelley. Best book I’ve read this year so far!
I love Mary Jo Putney’s Lost Lords — so sexy — so tortured!
I like Eloisa’s When Beauty tamed the beast. Def a sexy wounded hero :)
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A brooding, tortured hero is my favorite to read about. I think some of the most recent tortured heroes that I’ve read about are Luke Ripton from Bride By Mistake (Anne Gracie) and Colin from A Week To Be Wicked(Tessa Dare). Both were haunted men who, of course, with the love of a good strong woman were able to heal.
Of course! I love reading about a brooding, tortured hero! Last one I read was Caught In The Spotlight by Jules Bennett, but I love all of them!
MacKayla Lane has to be one of my favorite tortured heros of all time from Moning’s Dark Fever series. Love the concept because they make you really root for them. :)
I will never for get Jason Fielding of Once and Always. Tough not tortured brutally but the scars on his back that he got from lashing while kneeling in front of people holding a bowl asking for money during his childhood was so unforgettable. He was so ashamed to show it to anyone specially to Elizabeth.
I just finished Dream Warrior by Sherrilyn Kenyon the hero is both physically and mentally tortured
Nick Gentry from Worth Any Price by Lisa Kleypas is my tortured hero of the week. Going through Bow Street Runners again, great series!
The “Beast” from Eloisa James’ When Beauty tamed the beast…
Tortured heroes are my all-time favorite kind of hero. I love to see how these emotionally closed off men are able to open up to the right heroine. One of my favorites is John Murphy from Sweet as Sin by Inez Kelly. Murphy had an abusive childhood and he has put up a wall around his heart. I love him! He broke my heart.
By definition, aren’t most heroes tortured? That’s what makes us love them, because they overcome through the love of a good woman. So many to choose from: The Inferno Club, the Bastien Club, the Lost Lords. Just so excited about this new book! Congrats.
Wow, Lisa, you really made me put my thinking cap on there as that’s a very good question. I think a good example of a tortured hero in a book is who that has remained with me after reading “The Raven Prince” by Elizabeth Hoyt. The story tells of a woman who is working as a secretary for a man who is searching for a wife. During the story, both are falling for each other but don’t think the other one would accept the other as he thinks he’s ugly and she thinks he wouldn’t consider marrying a secretary. A good story!
As for a tortured hero in a movie, it would have to be Rhett Butler in “Gone With the Wind.” His love for Scarlett and her treatment of him is simply classic.
I saw Mick as a tortured hero. Jaci Burtons, The Perfect Play. Alcoholism is torture. He struggles with it every day. Nearly lost everything to it. Now, he helps a young person to see the pit falls and how easily things can go very wrong.
Christian Grey from ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’. I have a different viewpoint than most…I see a man severly abused as a child that develops “curious” ways to deal with the traumas..who finds the one person he can’t live without. It is refreshing to see characters who are struggling with their own issues and trying to overcome them so they have a happy future…..
The last book with a tortured hero in it was Lucien from Karin Tabke’s Bloodright. Thanks for the giveaway!
The last book I’ve read with a tortured hero was Justin Kylemore in Claiming the Courtesan by Anna Campbell.
So many of the romantic suspense and romance in general books are so tormented, most have terrible childhoods but all seem to be able to heal when they meet the right person. JD Robb’s In Death Series shows how 2 tortured people can make a difference in each other and in others by finding each other, that would be Eve and Rourke.
I love the tortured heroes b/c they are dark and moody and will fight against any kind of love or soft emotions.
I liked Matthew, the Marquess of Sheene in “Untouched” by Anna Campbell. The hero is about the age of 14 or 15 he’s kept prisoner and sometimes tortured by his uncle and hired thugs so that his uncle can get his title/wealth. His uncle tells everyone he is insane.
I just finished Pamela Clare’s Sweet Release & Carnal Gift, and both books feature a hero that is most certainly tortured. My favorite is Alec from Sweet Release. The mistaken identity aspect and the struggle to prove who he truly was… it kept me on the edge of my seat.
Thanks for the giveaway!!
Hi Lila,
First thank you for a stunning giveaway!! Then yes I love to read books about tortured hero’s it makes them seem more real to me,it adds a intensity to the book and a certain mystery. The last tortured hero book was called Blind Side and it was absolutely stunning only I cannot remember the authors name (it will come to me I just cannot remember right now so sorry).
Thank you again for a really stunning contest and for the chance to win.
Desere
Lorretta Chase Lord of Scoundrels but i think my fave is Simon from Julia Quinn’s The Duke and I
My current favorite tortured hero is the Beast from Eloisa James’ When Beauty Tamed the Beast. Wow. But after reading some of these others mentioned above, I have some more reading to do.
Thanks for the post!
I love a good tortured hero story. There’s too many to name, but I think my favorites would be Sherilyn Kenyon’s heros from her Dark Hunter series. A more recent one I read with a good tortured hero was Shanna Galen’s Making of a Gentleman.
I love tortured hero stories, but takes a careful touch to keep the heroes admirable. I love Loretta Chase’s Marquess of Dain in Lord of Scoundrels, though I probably would run far away if I were confronted with a relationship with someone that screwed up! Thanks for another great contest.
I don’t have a specific book I like with a tortured hero because I love them all, especially if it is historical fiction. I love that they are tortured even when they deserved to be loved as well.
There was this one book, With This Kiss by Victoria Lynne, the hero was tortured because he couldn’t save his household when it was set on fire by a maniac. I really enjoyed that book.
email: cruz042 at cougars.csusm.edu
I just finished reading The Guardian by Sherrilyn Kenyon. What could be worse than be tortured by the darkest lord of the Underworld?
Funny you should ask Lila, I just finished Master of Sin by Maggie Robinson which had THE most tortured/abused hero: the poor man was first abused as a child, then later lived on the streets and became a gigolo to live by and get rich. And then at 30 he felt completely burned out without any will to live. So it was quite the challenge making him an interesting and sympathetic hero, but Maggie did it. He truly had emotions worth digging for :-)
Congrats on the release of UNDONE!! :-)
Congratulations on Undone, Lila! Just reread Sebastian from Lord of Scoundrels again, and he’s quite the appealing, if tormented hero :) Such a delicious read when the author takes us along for the ride like that!
the last book i read that had a torchered hero in it was kian angel who helped this girl live cause she was in danger from a demon kian turned out to be angel and he was torchered by his love for her she speaks to angels by ami blackwelder and movie im not to sure of angelwolfmystic@yahoo.com
oh and i almost forgot lila congrats on the release of undone
I just finished a great book by Tracy Devlyn – A Lady’s Revenge. Both the heroine (Cora) and hero (Guy) were tortured souls. Thanks for a chance at some great books!
Fave tortured hero – Zsadist from Black Dagger Brotherhood. You can’t help but want him to get an HEA.
Harry Potter and Edward from Twilight are my favorite tortured heroes in books/movies.
Congrats to Lila on the new release. My favorite tortured hero is Vere Mallory from Loretta Chase’s “The Last Hellion.”
Wow, such great suggestions, everyone! Thanks so much for sharing them with me. Some of these books I’ve read. Others not, but I’m putting them on my TBR list. There’s definitely something about a tortured hero we find compelling, isn’t there? I’m glad you all love them as much as I do!
Thank you for the good wishes on the release of UNDONE!
Keep the suggestions coming! :)
Hugs,
Lila xo
I just finished reading “To Seduce an Earl” by Lori Brighton where Alex works in house of ill repute training virgins and has been a prisoner with no activites outside the house other than with the woman who owns the house as she advertises her business. He has been a prisoner over 10 yrs and though he was abused by his father he gave his life to this women for this family’s safety. Great love story.
Congratulations on your latest release Lila. Have on my wish list.
Thanks for the opportunity to enter this awesome giveaway.
I have to say Maya Banks Whispers In The Dark is my new fave with tormented souls.Both hero and heroine have been through hell and help each other to heal,is a very sweet and sexy read.This is a part of her KGI series have read everyone and is one of my all time fave series
Here’s the man I found ever so over-the-top tempting, absolutely gorgeous, extremely tortured — Dageus MacKeltar in Karen Marie Monining’s The Dark Highlander. =WARNING= Just make sure you have plenty of time to curl up with this one because you won’t want to stop until you’ve turned that last page.
I like Beauty tames the Beast by Eloisa James. I would love to win those books above. Thanks for the beautiful contest.
I’m an eager reader of historical romances. Medieval and Regency romances, in particular. I must admit that medieval heroes are frequently the most tortured souls you can meet.
Relationships and feelings are raw; honor and sense of duty according to knighthood’s principles are stronger.
William de Windeval, Sheriff of Nottingham, is really shattered between his public role of cruel officer and his true aspiration to justice in “Bound by Honor” by Colette Gale. This is the last book I have read and the last tortured hero I have loved.
Best wishes for your novel!
Congrats on your new release!
I generally switch off between tortured and un-tortured heroes. Sometimes, I just want the heroine to catch a break and not have to deal with some brooding man. Some of the ones I have read have been mentioned already.
I’m reading Broken by Megan Hart and I would say that both Joe and Adam are unconventional tortured heroes. As for movies, couldn’t most of the superheroes from comic books count as tortured heroes?
The book Woman in Black has a tortured hero. I loved the book but HATED the movie!
hmm, none of my recent reads really have had a good tortured hero. will need to remedy that as a tortured hero can be so good ;) congrats on the release & new endeavor.
A few weeks ago I read Pride and Passion by Charlotte Featherstone– amazing book: Gothic, sexy, and…. tortured hero! The first book in the series, the hero was also dark, broody and tortured. Amazing books!
And of course my favorite is Beast from Beauty and the Beast :-) :-)
Ah, I love reading about tortured heroes. I think most of Anna Campbell’s heroes fit the bill, lol.
I’m reading Sylvia Day’s Bared To You at the moment and both the heroine and hero are pretty tortured actually. I’m loving it! Bring on the angst! :)
Thanks so much for even more great suggestions and good wishes! Chelsea B. –Charlotte Featherstone is wicked good! :)
Hugs,
Lila xo
I read Sweet Enemy by Heather Snow and the hero was a former soldier. He was fighting for soldiers rights and he suffered from an old war wound. I feel he was tortured sole.
The most tortured hero I can think of is Archeron in Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter series.
My latest tortured hero was Christian in Fifty Shades of Gray.
I finally read Courtney Milan’s Unraveled. And oh, it was wonderful. Smite is a tortured hero who is also funny and tender. All three books have tortured heroes with just enough angst.
I’m currently reading Flowers in the Storm by Laura Kinsale and the the hero – Christian – is physically, psychologically, and emotionally tortured.
Very nice post. I like tortured heroes. Pretty much all of Kresley Cole’s heroes are tortured.
I recently finished “Her Husband’s Harlot” by Grace Callaway. This hero sounds similar to Ms. DiPasqua’s hero.
This hero was born to an opera singer who was secretly married to a marquess (GASP!) but was raised to believe he was a bastard. He made his way from the slums to work in a shipping company then came into the title (which is not a real, believable scenario, but hey its fiction right?) Hero loves his wife but strongly feels he doesn’t deserve her. He truly feels that his past is so disgusting (spoiler: he did bad things) that the only way to spare his wife (the woman he loves beyond reason but she doesn’t know it) is to make her hate him then seek an annulment. He is so tortured by his past, he dreams about it and then he gets blackmailed by someone but again he can’t tell his woman.
PS: they work it out and HEA ensues! Yah!
I like tortured heroes. This makes them feel more real in my imagination, not just some god-like man who just stepped out of every woman’s wet dream fantasy. Tortured heroes need strong women to come to the rescue and help them to realize things will be well in the end.
Thanks you all for the wonderful turnout and to Mandi for having me back for another visit! I love being here at Smexy Books!
Hugs,
Lila
I really like tortured heroes, and one I remember loving was Syn from Born of Fire by Sherrilyn Kenyon. It was my first book of hers so I hadn’t expected much, but WOW! That was one good tortured hero. Thanks for the giveaway :)
jessicamariesutton(at)msn(dot)com
Bluebell (aka Ilium) seems to be tortured and hope he gets his own story… Of course Nalini Singh writes some great tortured souls… (Dmitri anyone?)
My hero would be Adam from the Skye O’Malley series by Bertrice Small. I know he doesnt make a large apperance right away but, he loves her from the start. He is the one constant in her life, watches her marry other men b/c he feels that he doesnt want to stifle her. Finally he gets the girl and even the elusive child…
Rio the vampire in Lara Adrian’s series — he was badly injured and tried to die but he was rescued.
Congrats on your new release, and thanks for the guestpost. Lots of heroes are tortured ones, and of course we root for them to become happy after all. One of my favourites: The Prakenskii brothers by Christine Feehan, Water Bound and Soul Bound.
Congrats on the newest release :) Thanks for a great giveaway! I’d have to say that the latest tortured hero that comes to mind is Archer from Kristen Callihan’s Firelight.
Tortured heroes are one of my most favorite to read about especially when love can save them. Zsadist from the BDB series is such a tortured soul. I need to find more in the historical genres though. Happy release to you!
I just finished the first five books in Monica McCarty’s Highland Guard series. One of her heroes Lachlan (The Viper) is particularly tortured – he’s full of guilt for surviving when his men were all killed & it was due to his scheming wife.
My favorite tortured heroes are the ones in Kresley Cole’s books. Thanks for the chance to win!
natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com
My favorite tortured hero has to be Zsadist from JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series. His character is so layered and has such a devastating history that you’d have to have a heart of stone to not love him. :) other tortured heroes that I loooooove are: Tohr, John Matthew (both from JR Ward), Rio, Chase, Hunter (Lara Adrian’s Midnight Breed series), Severus Snape (Harry Potter, obviously), and Jericho Barrons (Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series). :) thanks for the giveaway!!
This may sound a little crazy but I really liked the tortured hero in Twilight… both in the movies and books. Of course there are some major tortured heroes out there in books that top my list which have all been listed in other comments, but I just thought I would throw good ‘ole Edward out there who happened to start my love for tortured heroes:) Thanks for the chance at the giveaway!!!
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Thanks so much for the wonderful turnout and to Mandi for having me! I had a great time reading the comments. I so enjoy being on Smexy Books. :)
beauty and the scarred hero by emily may :)
I can’t think of any recent reads with tortured heroes, but my heart definitely went out to Jamie Frasier in Outlander at the end of the first book!
Seeing lots of great titles in the comments. I need to add more books to the TBR pile!