Rating: 
Summary: a can't-put-it-downer
Review: DARK TORMENT starts with an unusual scenario. To begin with, there is the brutal flogging of (gasp!) the hero. Then, defying norms of romance novels, Ms. Robards has the helplessly powerless hero saved by the brave heroine.Dominic Gallagher is an Irish convict transported to Australia. His failed attempt to escape has earned him 200 lashes that would have cost his life had Sarah Markham not intervened in time. Sara is appalled at the sight of a convict lashed to the ship's mast, tortured; she convinces her father to buy Dominic and bring him back to their ranch. And thus begins a series of cat-and-mouse games between our hero and heroine. Initially, the proud Dominic has to obey (well, sort of) Sara as she is his owner. Sara tries to maintain the proper boundary between herself and the blue-eyed Irish who, despite being a most arrogent and disobedient convict, attracts her strongly. Dominic, too, finds himself desiring Sara although he hates the fact that she is a constant reminder of his forced servitude and a bossy and infuriating one at that. Then, the table turns when Dominic escapes from the ranch and returns to abduct Sara.... Wow. The sexual tension between these two is wonderfully taut, and I held my breath whenever they cross each other's path. Ms. Robards has certainly done a good job in presenting to readers a hero with a sense of mystery/danger and a pair of amazing blue eyes! I just love how she describes Dominic's eye color and how his eyes unsettle Sara. Sara is a very likable heroine in her own right--independent, definitely not missish, resourceful, and passionate. There is also lots of action, and the story moves along farily quickly. So why the 4 stars? Well, Sara's behavior after their first morning-after is unpardonable and somewhat unreasonable. See, she feels so ashamed that she's given her virginity to a convict that she is disgusted even to look at him. Now, this annoyed and upset me so (considering that Dominic has treated her so lovingly during the act)that I wondered if the two could ever get their happily-ever-after if the heroine can't transcend her class consciousness........ In addition, sometimes Ms. Robards's prose gets a bit purple and verbose--I confess that I did feel the need to simply skim through certain pages to get to the next good part.....And some plot twists are just absurd to me. That said, DARK TORMENT still is a highly entertaining romance. I don't regret reading (or buying)this book, and I think you won't, either.
Rating:
Summary: a can't-put-it-downer
Review: DARK TORMENT starts with an unusual scenario. To begin with, there is the brutal flogging of (gasp!) the hero. Then, defying norms of romance novels, Ms. Robards has the helplessly powerless hero saved by the brave heroine. Dominic Gallagher is an Irish convict transported to Australia. His failed attempt to escape has earned him 200 lashes that would have cost his life had Sarah Markham not intervened in time. Sara is appalled at the sight of a convict lashed to the ship's mast, tortured; she convinces her father to buy Dominic and bring him back to their ranch. And thus begins a series of cat-and-mouse games between our hero and heroine. Initially, the proud Dominic has to obey (well, sort of) Sara as she is his owner. Sara tries to maintain the proper boundary between herself and the blue-eyed Irish who, despite being a most arrogent and disobedient convict, attracts her strongly. Dominic, too, finds himself desiring Sara although he hates the fact that she is a constant reminder of his forced servitude and a bossy and infuriating one at that. Then, the table turns when Dominic escapes from the ranch and returns to abduct Sara.... Wow. The sexual tension between these two is wonderfully taut, and I held my breath whenever they cross each other's path. Ms. Robards has certainly done a good job in presenting to readers a hero with a sense of mystery/danger and a pair of amazing blue eyes! I just love how she describes Dominic's eye color and how his eyes unsettle Sara. Sara is a very likable heroine in her own right--independent, definitely not missish, resourceful, and passionate. There is also lots of action, and the story moves along farily quickly. So why the 4 stars? Well, Sara's behavior after their first morning-after is unpardonable and somewhat unreasonable. See, she feels so ashamed that she's given her virginity to a convict that she is disgusted even to look at him. Now, this annoyed and upset me so (considering that Dominic has treated her so lovingly during the act)that I wondered if the two could ever get their happily-ever-after if the heroine can't transcend her class consciousness........ In addition, sometimes Ms. Robards's prose gets a bit purple and verbose--I confess that I did feel the need to simply skim through certain pages to get to the next good part.....And some plot twists are just absurd to me. That said, DARK TORMENT still is a highly entertaining romance. I don't regret reading (or buying)this book, and I think you won't, either.
Rating:
Summary: Liked it, but not the best.
Review: I have read many of Karen's books and although I liked this book, I have read better by her. This was a heart pounding, whip you along, fast paced story. There was lots of action, great dialouge and chemistry between the characters. Sarah was a very strong girl when it came to Dominic, but very weak with her family. Even though she had alot of control in the house. I did not care for her character in the middle of the book. I know why she acted the way she did, but I thought she was really rough on Dominic when it was her own actionsand feelings that made her so mad. After that was resolved she was quite likeable again.
Dominic was on the hard side. He had it rough, and was not going to take it any more. I thought there was a few too many holes in time. Example, she is riding her horse to get away from someone, then its two months later. Hello? What happened. Then when they took Dominic, you did not hear anything until he came back. none of this ruined anything, but if it was different, it would have been much better in my opinion. Otherwise this story has all of Robards usual eye holding action. I did enjoy this novel and would recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: This book was and will always be awesome!!!
Review: I have recently began reading romance novels this past year and I have read over 200 novels already, but none captivated me more than "Dark Torment". I have read many of Karen Robards' books, (each of them are thrilling onto themselves)but none captured my attention and held it to the very end as this work of utter perfection! The character's are well thought out, the dialogue is interesting and the descriptions are thorough. I enjoyed every minute of the love affair and then marraige of the shy miss and the criminal.
Rating:
Summary: Emotional and Sexual Passion
Review: I just finished reading DARK TORMENT, my first Karen Robards novel and it was so satifying, that I've already ordered a second one. The protagonists, Dominic, a handsome, mysterious and confined stranger, and Sarah, an Austrailian sheep farmer's very plain daughter, meet under the most brutal of circumstances. They show an outward disdain for each other while inwardly they burn with passion. In addition to romance and very descriptive sexual content, this novel is filled with life-and-death adventures. Karen Robards could easily become a romance lover's favorite writer.
Rating:
Summary: Sexy, sensual, sultry romance
Review: If you're looking for romance, Ms. Robards is your author. In Dark Torment, the author gives you an irresistable protagonist--no one appreciates her inner and outer beauty except the outcast Dominic. This novels explores the change of Sarah from an obedient daughter to a sensual woman. Of course, this novel contains explicit sex--in three words, it is hot. Definitely worth taking with you on a weekend getaway
Rating:
Summary: She saved his life. She purchased his freedom. Could she win his heart?
Review: She saved his life. She purchased his freedom. Could she win his heart? At the age of twenty-two, Sarah Markham is highly unlikely to receive any offers of marriage because of her plain exterior. She is mortified when she stumbles upon the brutal flogging of convict Dominic Gallaher. Realizing that she alone holds the key to his survival, she ultimately makes the decision to intervene and stop the savage beating. She then enlists the aid of her father to purchase Dominic's freedom. Life has hardened his heart . . . Fate has torn at his soul . . .Can one woman shed light on his dark future? Dominic Gallaher was convicted to serve fifteen years for robbery. A reclusive troublemaker, he finds himself the unlucky recipient of 200 deadly lashes. He is surprised, however, by the plain spinster, Sarah Markham, who spares his life. Having purchased his freedom, she now "owns" him. Could she be the one person capable of taming the dark demons that have taken hold of his savage heart? Karen Robards' descriptive words flow effortlessly off the pages. With highly enriched passages, smoothly enhanced dialogue, and a superb plot, this story will carry you away to a lush, primitive land. I found myself dreading the last page because I knew it meant that my pleasurable journey had come to an end. This one comes highly recommended -- WARNING: Be prepared to read in one sitting.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely wonderful.........you'll love it.
Review: The Australian outback lents itself beautifully to this tale of a wrongly accused/convicted man who escapes death by becoming indentured to a sheep grower. His plain, no-nonsense daughters saves the convict "gallagher"'s life. He resents her for it as he doesn't want to be "beholden" to anyone esp a woman. The overseer wants to marry 'sarah' for her inheritance and makes every effort to beat and kill Gallagher once he sees that Sarah
befriends the man. Filled with adventure and action, love and hate, ruthlessness and tenderness and all the emotions in between, this is really enjoyable. You come to love gallagher and his sapphire eyes and hope he and sarah find the love they both deserve despite the obstacles. It was hard to put down and I was sorry when it was over.
Rating:
Summary: Heady & Luscious
Review: The book description of Australian setting, farms and convicts didn't really appeal to me at first. Inasmuch as I have enjoyed Karen Robards books in the past, this one initially didn't peak my interest. I prefer historical romances in England/Scotland settings (only few American Settings). I have this book in my possession since Dec. 2000 only because I was holding it for my sister. I really didn't have any intention of reading it. To my dismay, I ran out of reading materials on my day off :-( Since I didn't feel like rereading my old novels, I forced myself to start this one. I convinced myself that this book couldn't be as bad considering I like Karen Robards immensely. First few chapter of this book is somewhat slow and wordy. Too much detailing... but as soon as the story picks up and as soon as the heroine (Sarah) and the hero (Dominic) developed their relationship with each other, the story becomes exhilarating. Then, you definitely would want to finish reading it in one sitting. Dominic is proud, handsome and rebellious. He is mysteriously delectable. The more you read and learn about him, the more you'll get hooked! He is seductive and manly. Dominic's childhood and his life before he arrived in Australia was an interesting one. Meanwhile, the plain & simple looking, Sara, is a typical Mistress - Uppity, bossy and feisty...but she's fair and kind hearted too. I understand her confusions and her difficulty in accepting her feelings for Dominic, he was a convict and was considered beneath her station afterall. The consequences would be dire and scandalous. She wasn't prepared to acknowledge it. She always treat convicts and servants with respect. She is always patient & level headed except to one person, Dominic. He just seems to know the right button to push to infuriate her. I like the way Dominic teases her. I like the way he seduces her, to help her lossen up and feel the passion. Karen Robards created a well developed characters in this book (esp. the H/H) --> They are both very different in so many ways yet perfect for each other. The ending of this book is wonderful. Aside from the H/H love story, the action twist is very stirring. This book is well blended-passionate romances, humor, action thrills, heart warming situations, unexpected twist, luscious detailed sex scenes, and even a wholesome father-daughter story. It sure is worth my time! My only regret is that I should have read it sooner.
Rating:
Summary: An unbelievably satisfying romance!
Review: This book has adventure, wonderful dialogue and fiery passion. Robards develops the characters of Sarah and Dominic with skill and humor and really draws the reader into the story. I have reread this one many times, it's a total romance classic.
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