Historical Romance Review: Louisiana Dawn by Jennifer Blake

Louisiana Dawn is a decent entry in Jennifer Blake’s Louisiana History Series but falls short of her better romance novels.

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Louisiana Dawn by Jennifer Blake
Rating:
Published: 1987
Illustrator: James Griffin, TBD
Book Series: Louisiana History #3
Published by: Ballantine, Fawcett
Genres: Antebellum Southern Romance, Historical Romance
Pages: 384
Format: eBook, Hardcover, Paperback
Buy on: Amazon
Reviewed by: Introvert Reader

MILD SPOILER ALERT

The Book

Louisiana Dawn by Jennifer Blake is a bodice ripper-lite and is part of Blake’s Louisiana History Collection.

This book is either #2 or #3 in the series, depending on what books are included and the date they were published.

1. Fierce Eden
2. Embrace and Conquer
3. Louisiana Dawn
4. Spanish Serenade
5. Perfume of Paradise
6. Prisoner of Desire
7. Southern Rapture

The Plot

Part One

Louisiana Dawn is set in colonial Louisiana in the mid-18th century. Cyrene Nolté lives on a riverboat with her adoptive father, Jean, and foster brothers, Pierre and Gaston Breton. The family trades furs with the local Native American tribes.

Cyrene’s mother died of illness on the journey to the Louisiana colony, and her father is presumed to have died after falling into the river. Her adoptive male relatives are fiercely protective of her virtue.

She soon wishes her brothers would stop protecting her.

Life would be perfect if she could be rid of her tiresome virginity.

After a while, she reasons that they will not need to guard her if she loses her virginity, thinking it will give her a man’s freedom.

Cyrene sees a man floating in the river during a rare outing. Thinking he’s dead and spotting the valuable silver lace on his coat, she dives in to forage for it. However, the man is not dead, and Cyrene “accidentally” saves his life. He is our hero, René Lemonnier, who has been left for dead after an assault. She nurses him back to health.

Cyrene finds herself drawn to René, but her loyalties lie with the Bretons, who have taken care of her. This creates tension in her new relationship as she struggles to balance her feelings of anger and responsibility. The story primarily revolves around the challenges that arise from Cyrene’s conflicting loyalties as she and René struggle to communicate with each other.

René tells Cyrene that he’s come to New Orleans to escape the King’s wrath over some tryst with Madame Pompadour. However, it’s soon clear that he has a secret or two that somehow involves Breton’s smuggling activities.

Our hero seems to be spying on the Breton family and their illicit trading activities. Cyrene denies this could be possible, even with evidence staring her in the face.

“He has been trying to catch us with the goods for years and has not succeeded.”

“This is different. He’s never been so bold before.”

“Perhaps, chère, it’s you who are different.”

Uh, the guy caught them trading already! Redhanded! He was there, watching them make illicit trades! This kind of silliness irked me.

Part Two

René is a rake, but Cyrene doesn’t mind. There is something René Lemonnier can do to repay her. He can relieve her of her innocence so she may escape the Breton’s interference.

So she asks René to make love to her. René complies with Cyrene’s scheme but doesn’t gain her freedom. Instead, Cyrene gets a new and different kind of guardian from her foster family.

René may act like a rogue, but he has principles. To keep Cyrene safe, he feels he must take on her protector role.

So he blackmails her! Of course, it is for her benefit to continue their relationship under René’s protection as his mistress. Cyrene’s time in society alongside him is a bit bewildering.

“Cyrene sat staring at the door when he had left her alone once more. Events had moved so quickly. Only a few short hours ago, she had been at the flatboat, going about her usual tasks; now, she was the mistress of René Lemonnier. It did not seem possible.”

The book blurb offers hints of clandestine plots, corrupt tactics, and deceitful maneuvers. That’s partially true; secrets and schemes abound that are eventually revealed on the way to the happy ending.

My Opinion

Louisiana Dawn is a good historical romance—emphasis on historical. But I wasn’t too crazy about the romance aspect of the story.

Kudos to Blake for writing historical romances set in French colonies with accurate details. This book provided insights into the reasons behind the societal exclusion of certain groups in New Orleans, the prevalence of smuggling, and why King Louis eventually sold the Louisiana Purchase to the United States.

As for the romance, I didn’t feel much emotion between Cyrene and Rene. There was lust, but not much more than that.

Heat Level

The love scenes are purple, but they are fairly erotic. That’s always been a high point of Blake’s writings for me. The steam factor here is as high as in the Louisiana Bayou.

Final Analysis of Louisiana Dawn

Louisiana Dawn is a rather schizophrenic book with a shallow plot that doesn’t make much sense once you think about it. It’s one book in the first half and a different book in the second.

Unfortunately, it took almost the entire first half of Louisiana Dawn for the plot and romance to get interesting, and things like that matter more when it comes to enjoying a book.

Of the handful of Jennifer Blake romances I’ve read, this is probably my least favorite. (My favorite is probably Southern Rapture.) It’s not terrible, but it’s nothing earth-shattering, either.

Rating Report Card
Plot	2.5
Characters	3
Writing	2.5
Chemistry	3
Fun Factor	2.5
Cover	4
Overall:	2.9

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Synopsis

WHITE HOT PASSION BENEATH A BURNING SKY…

Anyone could see why Cyrene Nolte’s two brothers were fiercely protective of her. Her golden hair, her creamy skin, and the desire so obviously coursing through her young body made her easy prey for the rakes and gamblers on the Louisiana waterfront.

Because she was a virgin, no man was allowed near her. And Cyrene realized that if no man was allowed near her, she’d remain a virgin forever. But when she rescued Rene Lemonnier from certain death and nursed him back to health in her stark little chamber, he aroused more than her interest. Once in his arms, Cyrene knew that the wickedness the brothers had sought to protect her from was a passion too exquisite to deny….

Louisiana Dawn by Jennifer Blake