This is the first book that I've read by Minerva Spencer and I loved it. I plan on reading "Dangerous" (The Outcasts #1) next. I had no problem reading the book out of sequence. Hugh Redvers with his pirate's eye patch has returned from the dead. He is a riveting hero with an indomitable spirit. Daphne is an appropriate counterpart for Hugh. They have a shared history of violence in their past. I highly recommend "Barbarous."

He could be her ruin

Hugh Redvers is supposed to be dead. So the appearance of the sun-bronzed giant with the piratical black eye patch is deeply disturbing to Lady Daphne Davenport. And her instant attraction to the notorious privateer is not only wildly inappropriate for a proper widow but potentially disastrous. Because he is also the man Daphne has secretly cheated of title, lands, and fortune.

She could be his salvation

Daphne Redvers' distant, untouchable beauty and eminently touchable body are hard enough to resist. But the prim, almost severe, way she looks at him suggests this might be the one woman who can make him forget all the others. His only challenge? Unearthing the enemy who threatens her life . . . and uncovering the secrets in her cool blue eyes.

AAR staffers Shannon Dyer, Lisa Fernandes and Em Wittmann read Minerva Spencer's Barbarous and got together to share their thoughts on the novel.

EBW:  Well ladies, I straight up loved this and would rate it a DIK.  I picked it up early on a Sunday morning and couldn’t put it down until I finished it later that night.  I had a bit of trepidation after Ms. Spencer’s first novel, Dangerous (which I enjoyed, but thought had one too many twists), but this time there’s just enough happening outside of the romance to keep readers engrossed and engaged from start to finish.  The principal characters - especially the naughty and wonderful Hugh - are particularly well-realized, and the story itself is compelling, romantic and wholly entertaining.  Did you like Barbarous?

LF: I found it to be fun in general, nicely twisty, with a good and slow-burning romance, but there were spots when it was a little bit genre-typical; an interesting combination between old school romance (Wicked, greedy cousins!  Prodigal sons returning to the nest!  Rogues who are wounded boys in need of redeeming!  Pirates!   Switched lives!  Smart, punchy heroine!  A whiff of the incestual!) and the modern (Daphne is a mother, a glasses-wearing nerd type, but she’s tough as hell).

SD: I really enjoyed it, but didn’t find it quite worthy of DIK status. I sometimes thought the author was trying too hard to include a ton of unnecessary tropes rather than allowing her story to stand on its own. Still, I'm glad I read it, and I definitely plan to read something else by her at some point.

LF: What did you think of Daphne?  Did you find her the right kind of spunky?  I loved that she actually loved her late husband and was good with her kids.  I was pleased by how tough she was, and how smart.  But I wasn’t into her turning into something of a helpless damsel in the last quarter of the book (she redeems herself by the skin of her teeth at the very end but it was one heck of a thoughtless choice that led to it), and the whole sexual education part of her relationship with Hugh… eh, been there, seen it.  She was sometimes another scholarly heroine whose intellect failed at the most crucial of times.

EBW:  I liked her, and her constant frustration over her lust for Hugh.  It was a nice contrast to her gentle affection for her late husband, her boys, and the life she managed to cobble together after her disastrous teenage years.  I thought Ms. Spencer did a great job showing all the contrasting parts of her and how love (and lust) and simply overwhelm all of our best intentions.

I find that this author doesn’t really do anything by halves and after enjoying the first book despite so many things going on, she’s managed to scale back the more, more, more, this time out.  I didn’t mind the wicked, greedy cousin! The prodigal son returning home! The tender rogue or the pirates... it all clicked for me.  I just loved the dynamic between Daphne and Hugh - and I liked them individually as well - and that allowed me to just go with the flow.

SD: Daphne was a likable enough heroine, but she doesn't stand out all that well from countless others I've encountered over the years. I always love a scholarly heroine, but the last portion of the story made me question her intelligence. She didn't use her brain when it counted, and I found that frustrating.

LF: How did you like Hugh?  I loved his undercover honorability – his secret core of kindness and guilt beneath the wild hellion exterior and playful sexuality, how very into Daphne he was, and how he was swept away by falling into the family, and in the end loving her boys as much as he loved her.  And he’s fun and smooth and macho and alluring in the correct places as well.

EBW:  I could probably rhapsodize for quite a while about how much I liked Hugh; he’s a wonderful romance hero and he absolutely elevates this story.  He’s making my shortlist of favorite characters.  I usually dislike children in romance novels, but witnessing Hugh’s affection for Daphne’s boys and his tender/gruff interactions with them tugged at my heart.  I loved those relationships too.

SD: Hugh is everything I love in a hero. He knows how to be strong and assertive when he needs to, but he's not afraid to show his softer side either. I'm constantly dismayed by these men who are determined not to show even a speck of vulnerability, so Hugh gets extra points from me for being so willing to show how he really felt. We need more men like him in today's romance novels.

LF: The romance was interesting, and does follow some of the usual genre beats but twists them; Daphne has loved Hugh since she was a child, he is lustfully attracted to her even though it’s wrong, Hugh sprouts pounding woodys just thinking of Daphne, etc. -  they banter and hate until they actually know each other, and the chemistry is nicely crackling.   But by the time they get together the relationship is wonderfully evenly balanced especially the level of banter and give and take.  How did you feel about the romance?

SD: Ms. Spencer definitely knows how to write a believable romance. Sure, it fell prey to a few overused tropes, but by and large, it worked for me. Daphne and Hugh managed to balance each other out incredibly well, and I loved watching their relationship deepen over the course of the story. Their chemistry was fantastic, and I never felt like Ms. Spencer was working too hard to convince me of the feelings these two had for one another.

LF: Did you like any of the minor characters?  I found Rowena particularly amusing, and I liked Will’s roguishness.  And I enjoyed the way the family of servants, children and Daphne and Hugh slowly coalesced into something beautiful.

EBW:  I definitely thought the secondary characters enhanced the story (especially the boys) and the principal relationship.  Unfortunately, the villains were a bit underdeveloped.  I didn’t understand the dynamic between Calitain and Jean-Paul.  Were they a couple or just partners or master and servant?  Trying to figure them out distracted me from their dastardly plot... which wasn’t very dastardly or evil at all.  The lead up was exciting and I feared for Daphne, but then the final confrontation wasn’t nearly as explosive or thrilling as I hoped it would be.  That was the biggest disappointment for me.

LF: I think the end of the book is definitely what pulls my grade down from an A and what weakens its overall impact for me; the Calitain/Jean-Paul part of things, Daphne going from spunky to soggy, just everything about it left me cold.  The epilogue shored things up but ugh, I wish the ending had been rewritten.

SD: The supporting characters were… okay.  I felt like I'd seen most of them before, albeit in different guises. Rowena did make me laugh a time or two, and the children were quite delightful, but none of them felt very memorable. I'm a sucker for stories with a ‘found family’ element, and Ms. Spencer does a fairly good job of showing me that the characters really were a family unit, but I still came away needing a bit more to make me fully invested.

LF: What did you think about the historical setting?  This seemed to me to be a ‘wallpaper’ historical, where things weren’t completely period accurate; did you find everything well set and researched?  Were there any other flaws?

EBW:  My biggest problem with the book was her treatment of Daphne’s assault and her memory of the event.  Ms. Spencer seemed to want it both ways - a darkly horrifying event in Daphne’s past that informed her relationship to her cousin, but not enough to traumatize her in a new relationship because she was (well, I don’t want to spoil this detail for anyone so I’ll simply allude to what you already know) during it.  I know why she did this - but it doesn’t quite work.

SD: I'm kind of on the fence about the research. Obviously, authors take certain liberties when writing historical novels, so I don't feel I can fault her too much for the ones she chose to take here. On the other hand, some things just felt glaringly incongruous, and I honestly think some more in-depth study of British history could have been helpful to her.

LF: What of the plot in general?  Did you find it gripping enough?

SD: The beginning didn't hook me in at all, but things got more interesting once I was about a quarter way through the book. I got a little tired of what felt like a constant need to take the reader by surprise, and I think I would have liked it better if it hadn't been quite so twisty. I have yet to read Dangerous, so I'm not sure how it compares, but it did seem twistier than most romances I've read.

LF: What about the style in general?  Did you like it?  Was it smooth?

SD: I did enjoy the author's writing and general narrative style. I didn't notice anything particularly jarring about her craft, but neither did it wow me. There are a ton of really fabulous historical authors out there, and while Ms. Spencer is talented, she doesn't yet compare to some of the greats.

LF: What’s your final grade?  I’m going with a B+; a fine novel, mildly flawed, but the ending just pulls it out of pure DIK territory for me.

EBW:  I was totally engaged in this story from start to finish; I liked the principal and secondary characters (well, I liked the ‘good’ guys), and aside from the author’s dodge on Daphne’s traumatic past with her cousin, I enjoyed pretty much everything about it.  It’s an A- for me.

SD: I'm giving this one a B. The hero was swoon worthy, and the romance itself was extremely well-drawn, but there were some aspects of the story that fell flat.

Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo

This story was great right from the beginning! Hugh is a wondrous hero, a man who has suffered so much. Daphne is a strong woman whose life took a painful turn years ago. Luckily, she found joy in raising her children. These two collide in subplots that has slavers and pirates! Quick paced action snd love!

This is the second book of the series by Minerva Spencer and I have read both. While I thoroughly enjoyed the first book and read it in just a few days, the second book, Barbarous, was more difficult for me read. Consequently it took me almost a week to read. I think this is because the first half of the book was very slow for me. While I enjoyed the characters, there was just not much happening! The second half of the book took me less than a day to read. I would rate the first half a 2 and the second a 4 which averages out to a 3.

I was grateful to receive a free copy of Barbarous in exchange for an honest review. I was super excited to read a historical romance involving a ship and pirate. That has always been one my personal favorites.

To my dismay, not a single minute was spent on the ship, and the plot was medicre at best. Dash and Daphne were predictable, and so was the plot.

The writing was good, but this was not the type of read I was expecting.

It started very well. However, the hero was definitely not my favourite, some of his lines did not sound right to me, in the sense that they came out way too domineering to be comfortable and, on top of this, I did not perceive a real feeling between the protagonists.

Moreover, the story tends to be a bit on the tedious side at times; it is way too enriched by parts that, although I understand the reason for their inclusion, did not help me focusing on the plot itself.
Nevertheless I do want to read more about Martin!

Barbarous by Minerva Spencer
Hugh is the kind of historical hero that I rarely come across, one that I instantly love, love, love. He is huge, generous, and kind. Although he could sit around and moan about his terrible sufferings, he doesn’t waste his time. Instead he rescues women and children with barely a blink of his single eye. Most of all, he trusts the heroine and doesn’t waste his time in misunderstandings.
Daphne has also suffered while trying to do the best for everyone but herself, making her a worthy partner for her perfect hero.
These two have been put together by a skilled writer, who has managed the art of showing rather than telling, which takes the reader’s eyes to minutiae which otherwise may be missed and is, instead, treasured.
Six out of five stars for this gorgeous, beautiful story.

Barbarous by Minerva Spencer has it all! This is a story that you stop EVERYTHING for (example: household chores and SLEEPING), just so you can read it! The storyline is big, and it is fun! At first I was a little skeptical because of the relationship between the hero and heroine but any skepticism I had was erased almost immediately. It was wonderfully done! The heroine has some spunk, I liked her! She was a strong character and the hero was to die for! There was some surprises and the story was not predictable in the least. There wasn’t anything I didn’t like about the story, it was fantastic and extremely well written! I loved it!!

Barbarous is the first book that I have read by Minerva Spencer. I really enjoyed reading it and would highly recommend it. It was a lot of, lots of twists and turns. There were some slow parts to the story but that does not hinder it from being a great story. I am looking forward to reading other books by this author. Thank you NetGalley and publisher for a chance to read an early copy.

I really loved The Outcast #1 so I was very much looking forward to reading Barbarous, which mostly kept its promises. The funny thing is that Barbarous takes place at the same time as Dangerous, so it's best if you've read book #1 before.

Hugh is a larger than life hero with his piratey looks, his size, his apparent cheerfulness that hides a painful past, his one eye. I loved the way he got on Daphne's nerves by calling her Auntie. They had really good dynamics as a couple, the chemistry was palpable. Daphne’s book stealing (borrowing !) tendancy made me laugh : « She wanted it, badly. » Who among us readers doesn’t understand that ? Some would say Daphne could have revealed her secret sooner in the story, but I could relate with why she didn’t. Sometimes when you’re strong for a long time, you long for some time off without responsibility and postpone something that could be done. I got that, really. Hugh was also great with her kids – I generally don’t like kids very much in romance, but those were good : not too cute, not too « older for their age », just regular boys.

So, I adored the beginning of the book, but then it kind of dragged afterward. Not all the time, just sometimes. The misunderstanding at one point that needed some time to be explained was convenient to prolong the story. The cliché bad guy who’s supposedly a little mad but was once Hugh’s close friend ? How could Hugh have been friends with a guy like this ?! It didn’t feel right. On the other hand, when the identity of person responsible for Hugh’s accident is revealed, I really didn’t see it coming.

To sum it up, I would say this is a good romance with good characters that you love easily. The pacing of the story could have been better but it’s not a problem that makes you want to give up on the book. Furthermore, when I see who is going to be the hero of the next book, I really, dearly want to read it ! The heroin is going to have *a lot* on her plate and I don’t want to miss this !

PS : please notice the gorgeous covers of this series, half picture, half painting !

Privateer, Hugh Redvers has been summoned back to England by his old friend, Will Standish, because threatening notes have been arriving at the home of his uncle’s widow, Daphne and her sons. Hugh was the earl’s heir until the old earl married young Daphne and now her son is due to inherit. Hugh’s enemies are also posing a threat, but Daphne has secrets and enemies and Hugh is trying to unravel who is the enemy and how he can protect Daphne. At the same time Hugh may have to deal with other threats.

This is a terrific series and this book is as fun to read as the first in the series, Dangerous. This is the story of the pirate(privateer), Hugh Redvers, who sent his ship to save Mia from the Harem. (book#1) but that is just an aside. This is a standalone book with just cameos from the first book. That said the hero of the next book is introduced in this book. You can start with this one and then read Mia and Adam’s story in Dangerous since they run concurrently.

I am excited to tell you about this action packed book, with some surprises and lots of sensual moments. Hugh is a pirate to swoon over and we want Daphne to tame him. There are heart pounding moments that kept me turning pages long into the wee hours of the morning. Another delicious novel from Minerva Spencer in the “Outcasts” series.

When I started this book, I was a little disappointed that it wasn’t set on the pirate ship but after getting into the book, I enjoyed the characters including the secondary ones. I like the humor, adventure, action, suspense and romance although for this reviewer there was a little too much sex in it but as usual I skipped it and it did not affect my enjoyment of the book. It still had me turning the page to see what was going to happen next and how it would work out. For me this is the sign of a good read. This is the first book of Ms Spencers that I have read and am looking forward to reading more. I received this book as an ARC.

Hugh Redvers, Baron Ramsey has been thought dead for almost two decades. Only a very few knew that he was still alive. He arrives at his late uncle's estate in time to see the aftermath of a struggle between Lady Daphne, his widowed aunt and Sir Malcolm., her cousin. There's a problem between Malcolm and Daphne, but she does not disclose what it is at this time. Lucien and Richard, Daphne's young sons take to their Cousin Hugh, especially after they find out that he's a Privateer for the King, ridding the seas of slavers traders. He has a most interesting past that I found as fascinating as Daphne and the boys did. He also, has secrets and a score to settle before he can be at peace. This is the story of a young woman who is left with her two sons after her much older husband dies. She has secrets and threats from the past that she finds hard to share. Hugh comes in with his dare devil ways and strange entourage and upsets the household in a good way. Hugh is a perfectly, imperfect hero. I loved him. There's so much more to this story. I really loved the storyline and all the details. It is a plot within a plot. Steamy love scenes. The author has taken her time with this book, researching many details that bring the story to life. It's one adventure after another and very well written. I read it all in one sitting because I needed to know what happened next. I give it a 5++. I received this book from Net Galley and Kensington Books for a honest review and no compensation otherwise. The opinions are my own.

Barbarous is an adventurous second in the series The Outcasts. Our heroine, Lady Daphne has just head butted her former guardian, Hastings, when he tries to assault her. Apparently, he found her on a picnic while out with her sons. Our mischievous hero, Hugh Redvers, comes across them just after the head-butting took place. To make matters even more confusing, Hugh has been considered dead for over fifteen years. He has brought back with him a menagerie of people, animals, and items from his travels. Where Daphne is proper, kind and motherly, Hugh is swashbuckling and piratical with his eye patch and rock hard physique.

Hugh is returning from privateering for the crown after being ‘kicked out’ by Daphne’s husband and his uncle due to his behavior choices seventeen years earlier. Unknown to Daphne, threatening letters concerning Daphne were made known to him by one of her servants. She knows nothing of the letters. The real threat to Daphne and her twin boys is Hastings.

It is not long before our romantic couple realize they are in love. Daphne tends to fight it a bit longer than Hugh. Society would not take well to a relationship between Hugh and ‘Aunt Daphne’ even though he is older than she. The endearing aspect of their relationship is the trust that has built between them. When the real challenge/test comes, Hugh believes her without condition. Hastings seems to be the villain that just will not go away.

Although Barbarous is a stand-alone, reading Dangerous adds to the background just a bit. They actually occur at the same time. I am looking forward to Scandalous as I have thoroughly enjoyed this series. You will find the sensual scenes in Dangerous to be loving and appropriate to each of their personalities.

A good solid story n believable characters. I loved Hugh the hero. He has undergone so much but he bounced back n emerged as a strong n dependable man. The story is well paced n keeps us interested. My only complain it's low steam level as compared to dangerous. But the characters n plot is well drawn. Eagerly waiting for martin 's story now.

Minerva Spencer is an author that is soon becoming one of my favorites. Hugh and Daphne make a wonderful pair and this book exudes steamy romance.

This is a well written book involving Hugh Ramsey, heir to his uncle’s title and holdings and his returning to England after a 20 year absence presumed dead. He returns to find his late uncle’s widow Daphne fighting off the advanced of her worthless cousin. The fact he was not dead was known to his uncle but he never told anyone, so when he returns it causes quite a stir, especially with Daphne. This is a great story that involves slave traders, abuse, blackmail, kidnapping and much more. There is a HEA but there is a lot that goes on before this happens. I would highly recommend this book as a great read as you will not be disappointed.

Barbarous is the second book in the Outcast series by Minerva Spencer. I liked the first book, Dangerous, and was looking forward to reading the second book. I am happy to say that Barbarous did not disappoint. I am enjoying this darker Regency historical romance series very much. All the heroes are outcasts, even if they are a part of the ton and all the heroines so far are mature women who experienced some trauma in the past.

Barbarous is the love story between a notorious King's Privateer, Hugh Redvers, and Lady Daphne Davenport, who secretly cheated Hugh out of his title and fortune. Their love story is fraught with angst, danger, and uncertainty, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about them. I must say I loved Barbarous just a little less than Dangerous but this book is still an excellent addition to the series. And I am looking forward to the next book in the series, which will be Martin's, Hugh's second in command, story.

I really enjoyed Hugh and Daphne's story! Parts of this story overlap those of the previous book, so I would recommend reading it first.

Daphne has been living a lie for years and the person it effects the most just returned from the dead. She knows she needs to tell Hugh the truth, but it is never the right time. Hugh learns that someone has it out for Daphne, so he is determined to stay just long enough to secure her safety. Neither counted on falling for the other. What will happen with this unlikely duo?

I really enjoyed this installment of the series! Daphne was just trying to survive and feels guilty for taking what she feels belongs to Hugh. Hugh is supposed to be this notorious pirate, but Daphne and her boys bring out the softer side to him. I'm looking forward to seeing what else Spencer has in store for the Outcasts series!

Hugh Redvers is a notorious privateer that is supposed to be dead. Daphne Redvers is the very proper widow of Hugh's uncle. They are instantly attracted to each other which is inappropriate. Also, Daphne has cheated High out of his inherited title, home, and fortune. They are caught in a web of attraction while facing enemies that do everything from kidnapping to blackmail This book was excellent with a fast past plot and lots of heat between the main characters. I cannot wait to read Martin's story.

This book was an ARC from Net Galley .