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Shanna
Kathleen E. Woodiwiss Book Review

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Plot Summary of Shanna
"Shanna hurriedly marries a man about to be hanged to fulfill her father's demand for a son-in-law. But Ruark escapes and the two trip over each other on a tropical island, a pirate's ship, and in the New World, continually succumbing to their passion.

Although this is my all-time favorite romance novel, I do recognize that others tire of Ruark's endless pursuit of haughty Shanna. I still reread this book often and revel in those steamy scenes. I believe this book has the best love-scene setups ever written.

"

Deanna, Resident Scholar

"Shanna went to Europe to find a husband but she failed to find someone rich and well educated. She knows her father will provide her with a husband so she decide to arrange a marriage with a man condemned to death. They agreed to get married, but it will be just a joke... something to shut up her father. But Ruark is not a criminal, he is a noble man wrongfully accused, and he will surprise Shanna, until she realizes she can't live without him."
Katy, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of Shanna
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of story - 18th century
Forbidden/mismatched love? Yes
How mismatched? - loving criminal
Difficult/unusual lover? Yes
How difficult? - wild lover
Seduction/coercion/force Yes
How seduced/forced? - threat of exposure of secret
Struggling with whom? - Dad
Virgin, dramatically devirginized Yes
Hidden Identity/Secret Motive Yes
Is really... - rich/upper class - a criminal (possibly)
If one lover chases another... - he chases after her - they alternate
Who seduces whom? - man seducing woman
Family focus? Yes
Family, hating Yes

Main Male Character
Profession/status: - slave - criminal
Age/status: - 20's-30's
How sexual is this person? - several sexual encounters
How romantic is this person? - somewhat romantic
Sex makes him - more demanding
Sex has good effect on him Yes
Sex makes him - confident - blissful - mature - sensitive - a better lover
Sex has bad effect on him Yes
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - bulging muscles - very athletic

Main Female Character
Age/status: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - wealthy
How sexual is this person? - naive virgin
How romantic is this person? - very romantic - somewhat romantic
effect of sexing - confused - wild - unhappy for sexing the guy - scared - guilty
Sex has bad effect on her Yes
Sex has good effect on her Yes
Effect of sexing - a better lover - blissful - mature
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Northeast
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK
Island? Yes
Misc setting - Fancy Mansion - prison

Style
Person - mostly 3rd - rotating 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment - moderately detailed references to deaths
What % of story is romance related? - 50% - 70%
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - vague references - descript of kissing - touching of anatomy - licking - impregnation/reproduction - actual description of sex - descript. of female anatomy (the big B's) - descript. of female anatomy (the big V) - descript. of male nudity (the big P)
Focus of story - Her - equally on him and her
How much dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
How much sexing? - 5-9 sex acts
Most similar books to Shanna
The Highlander by Elaine Coffman
Louisiana Hurricane 1860 by Kathleen Duey
My Wicked Fantasy by Karen Ranney
Sweet Piracy by Jennifer Blake
Lady Delafont's Dilemma by Donna Simpson


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Kathleen E. Woodiwiss Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Kara A. Marais  

SCHOLARS:
Amber Ganje  Mike  


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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