Virginia Henley’s TEMPTED - Captivating Story of Scottish Love in the Borderlands—a keeper!

This is a classic story from a great author. In a complex, lusty tale of feuding Scottish clans during the time of James IV of Scotland and Henry VIII of England, Henley serves up a story that will grab you from the first page and will not let you go. I loved it. Henley has the ability to capture not only the time period, but also the culture of the borderlands between Scotland and England and the difficult but wonderful relationship between two stubborn, courageous people. I highly recommend this one.

Set in Scotland in 1512, this is the story of clans Douglas, Hamilton and Kennedy. Beautiful Valentina Kennedy, the oldest of the Kennedy daughters, was known as Flaming Tina for her glorious red-gold hair and her feisty temper. She was raised with her sister and brothers in Castle Doon in Ayr on the Southwest coast of Scotland where her father ruled as the Lord of Galloway. Tina despaired the lot of women that prevented them from enjoying male pursuits, and she frequently joined her brothers in their activities.

 

When Tina turns 17, her father insists she say yes to one of her many suitors. Tina thinks to marry the Hamilton heir but is happy when a gypsy tells her there will be no wedding for her this year. In a surprising turn of events, she is handfasted to her enemy, the powerful Black Ram Douglas, who she considers a brute of a man. Tina intends to have her revenge.

Henley develops some wonderful characters, including the ghosts of two star-crossed lovers from the past (another Kennedy and Douglas pairing), who constantly entertain. She paints vivid word pictures of the food, clothing and castles that draw you in and help you experience the times--and she does it all very well. In a fitting climax to the story, she superbly describes the battle between the English and Scots at Flodden where Scotland experienced a terrible defeat.

The second in the 2-book Clan Kennedy Saga is The Border Hostage and I recommend it, too!

 

Penelope Williamson’s ONCE IN A BLUE MOON – Heart-rending Story of a Truly Great Love!

If you've read Keeper of the Dream, you're already a fan of Penelope Williamson. Once in a Blue Moon, which was her next book is equally wonderful—and it’s one of my Top 20. It's the story of unrequited love that refuses to die no matter the tests it must endure. And nobody does unrequited love like Williamson.

 

The story was inspired by the love of Williamson’s grandparents who were kept apart for 6 years, but then came together to love for another 65 years. Here’s what she had to say about them (get out the Kleenex):

 

“It was in 1902 that Elizabeth and Peter first met and fell in love. But Elizabeth’s father forbade the match for six long years, until Peter could prove himself good enough for his daughter. Together at last, they had nine children and sixty-five wonderful years as husband and wife. They died in their nineties, within two years of each other, as much in love as they had always been. A love that wouldn’t give up…”

 

The story of ONCE IN A BLUE MOON begins in 1815 when Jessalyn Letty is 16—a wild flame-haired girl raised by her grandmother on the Cornish highlands above the sea, a young woman of character with a brave heart that never varies throughout the story. I loved her for that.

 

While Jessalyn is still a tall gawky teenager, she meets McCady Trelawny, then in his early 20s, and the youngest brother of the infamous Trelawny noblemen, known for living lives of debauchery and dying young and in debt. McCady was wounded while becoming a war hero defeating Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. He returns home to Cornwall with a vision for a steam locomotive that can carry passengers, but he’s too poor to invest much in the idea. His cousin, Clarence, who could be his illegitimate half-brother, joins McCady in the venture, but stands in McCady's shadow, determined to one day gain great wealth that will bring him the status he craves and the woman he wants—Jessalyn.

 

But once Jessalyn meets McCady, her heart is lost forever to the handsome dark-haired rogue. And McCady wants Jessalyn but he is too poor to have her and too honorable to take what he knows she would give. Jessalyn’s love will be tested by years of separation and so much more as the story transitions into the early Victorian era.

This is a compelling, well-told tale with many twists and turns, all woven in with great characters and details set against the vivid beauty of Cornwall. You will feel like you're living it. You will laugh at Jessalyn’s 16-year-old antics, and you will cry as you endure her years of loving and losing McCady.

 

You simply must read this one. Trust me, you won't be disappointed! It’s a keeper and a classic.

Jan Cox Speas’ BRIDE OF THE MACHUGH – A Highland Classic and an Absorbing Love Story from 17th Century Scotland! A Keeper!

A bestseller when it was first published in 1954, it has been available only used in paperback or online as a download from places like Open Library. The edition I read was published in 1978, available used. It’s worth obtaining a copy, trust me. If I could give this novel more than 5 stars, I would. It’s a keeper and so well written it would be a good model for authors today. There are no graphic love scenes per se, the sexual tension is there and much romance to satisfy the historical romance lover. The writing is simply beautiful.

Set in the Scottish Highlands in 1614, this is the story of Elspeth Lamond, a beautiful young woman, the product of a handfast marriage twenty years earlier between her Campbell mother and Lamond father, both Scots. Raised in England, she is also a favorite at Queen Anne’s court. Her uncle, the powerful Archibald Campbell, Earl of Argyll, has plans to marry her off to a rich, titled man. But to fulfill a promise to her dying mother, Elspeth leaves London for the western coast of Scotland to Inverary, the home of the Campbells, her mother’s clan. On the way, she is abducted by the MacHughs and held at Rathmor castle where she was born, the lair of her father, Robert Lamond, and his ally, Sir Alexander MacHugh, Chief of Clan MacHugh—the feared “Black MacHugh.”

From the very beginning, Alex is attracted to the strong willed Elspeth—a perfect match for him. He wants her as “his lass,” but does not speak of his love nor offer her marriage. Elspeth is exasperated by the arrogant Scottish chieftain who kisses her whenever he likes. But along the way, she discovers she likes the Scots and the wilds of the Highlands—and she likes the MacHugh.

As her father tells her of the qualities that make Alex stand out as a leader, respected by all, he says, “…Scotland is a quarrelsome place at times, my dear Elspeth, and a man must look sharp to keep his head intact upon his shoulders.”

Schemes and treacheries abound in this well told tale, not only from Elspeth’s uncle, but from Alex’s mistress, the beautiful Kate who would force him to wed her by any means.

 

Alex takes a stand with the MacDonalds in their battle for independence in the Isles against the Campbells, who are fighting as King James’s cats paw. The characters are compelling, the action suspenseful and the anxiety as to whether Elspeth will end up with the MacHugh will have you turning pages late into the night.

 

I liked Alex and Elspeth so much they are ensconced on my Favorite Heroes & Heroines list and the novel is on my Top 20 list.

 

 

 

Evelyn Anthony’s CLANDARA – Enthralling Story of Star-crossed Love Amidst the Jacobite Uprising of 1745

 

Set in 1745, in the time of feuds between the clans and the Scottish support for Bonnie Prince Charlie, this is the story of Katherine Fraser who falls in love with the eldest son of her family’s enemy—the MacDonalds. James MacDonald had a horrible reputation of cattle stealing, killing and debauchery when he met the lovely, flame-haired Katherine Fraser. For love of her, he changed. Neither family wanted the marriage but agreed to a betrothal when they could see the pair was determined.

 

Then came Charles Stuart and the call to arms all over Scotland. Having lost all in the earlier rising in 1715, Katherine’s family declined to go. Their enemies, the MacDonalds, were in the forefront of the clans supporting the prince. In one horrible act, James tears asunder the love that bound him to Katherine and sealed forever the enmity between his clan and hers.

 

This is a poignant love story very well told. Anthony vividly portrays the emotions of the Scots at the time of the Jacobite Uprising of 1745 and her description of the English slaughter of the Scots on Culloden Moor was brilliant and detailed. She shows you why King George’s son the Duke of Cumberland earned his title “Butcher.” By the time you get to the battle, you are so invested in the characters and the clans, your heart is racing.

 

The romance is an unusual one as James and Katherine are separated for much of the story, yet ever in each other’s mind. I loved them both but Katherine really shined as a woman trying to do the right thing under dismal circumstances. The ending is a bit like jumping off a cliff and I found I wanted more of the two of them.

 

If you like well-researched, detailed history in your historical romance, and you can’t get enough of Scotland’s past, then you will love this one. Highly recommended.

 

Kathleen Givens’ THE WILD ROSE OF KILGANNON – A Wonderful, Exciting Story of Clan Kilgannon, a keeper!

 

April is Classics month when I dive into my Keeper shelf and dust off those I intend to re-read. This is certainly one of those. I love how Givens writes. I just get lost in her tales and her characters. I have two tests for a 5 star romance: (1) can I put it down? and (2) will I read it again? This book passes both tests. For those considering buying it, make sure you also buy Kilgannon first. The two books form two parts to one story--and you will want both.

 

This novel tells of Mary Lowell, an English aristocrat, and the Highland chief Alex MacGannon, who claims her as his bride. I loved Mary...what a heroine! She is independent and smart and does what she thinks is right no matter the cost. When news comes of the capture of her beloved Alex, Mary vows to rescue him. As a defiant Alex is tried in London as a traitor, though all he did was to give his life to save his men, Mary unleashes her own campaign on London society to win justice for him. I loved Alex, Lord Kilgannon, too. He is all Scot, all man, very romantic, and loves his woman fiercely. He fights with the best of them, leads men well and keeps his humor no matter the peril.

 

You might want to read these two books first: On A Highland Shore and Rivals for the Crown. They involve the same family/clan but are set generations earlier (13th century). It helped having the earlier story to understand where Clan Kilgannon came from, though it is not essential to enjoying The Wild Rose of Kilgannon, which is based in the 1700s.

 

Here’s the description of book 1, Kilgannon:

 

Alex MacGannon, Earl of Kilgannon, strode into the ballroom and commanded her heart. They called him a barbarian, a rough-hewn Scot—chieftain of Clan MacGannon. They said no woman could hold him, as he set sail on the high seas. But Alex returned to claim Mary Lowell as his own, to carry her off to Scotland to his magnificent ancestral castle, Kilgannon.

 

I have all of Kathleen Givens’ books. All are set in Scotland (except for the scenes in London). She is simply the best...a standard for all others.

 

Iris Johansen’s THE WIND DANCER - Amazing Love Story in Renaissance Italy...Masterfully Told Tale! A Classic!

This is the first in the Wind Dancer trilogy and it is amazing, a "keeper".

Set in early 16th century northern Italy (1503), it tells the story of Lionello Andreas, oldest son of an Italian family that has held as its most treasured possession a small golden statue of the winged horse Pegasus that, according to legend, was given to their family at the fall of Troy.

 

The statue, known as the Wind Dancer, has been stolen from their city state of Mandara by Lion's enemy, Francisco Damari. In his effort to recover the statue, Lion decides to hire a thief and travels with his erstwhile companion, Lorenzo, to Florence where he buys a 16-year-old slave girl, Sanchia, who is known an expert at lifting men's gold. Lion quickly realizes he wants more from the brave and clever young woman than her thieving talents and takes her as his mistress.

 

Believing she has no ability to resist, Sanchia complies, as any slave would. In the process of helping Lion to steal the key to where the statue is kept, and in an act of great courage, Sanchia leads Damari away from Lion only to be captured by the demented and sadistic man. By the time Lion recovers her, she has been tortured and believes Lion did not honor his promise not to leave without her. As a result, she now believes her debt to Lion has been paid and demands her freedom. But Lion, whose feelings for her have grown into an obsession, will not let her go.

This is a story of passionate love in an unlikely place and, once found, denying it. The story is well told, the dialog gripping and the twists and turns complex. You will feel like you are there in Renaissance Italy. The physical relationship between Lion and Sanchia is explosive and sensual and Johansen does a superb job of describing it.

 

Like a tapestry with many threads coming together, Johansen has woven many lives into the story in a convincing manner. She has also created a great cast of secondary characters with their own passions and unique qualities. Lorenzo Vasaro, Lion's stalwart friend is an assassin with a jaded past and a wisdom that insists reality be pursued even if costly. He adds richness to the tale. I highly recommend this one.

 

Wind Dancer trilogy:

 

The Wind Dancer

Storm Winds

Reap the Wind (a contemporary )

 

Dorothy Dunnett’s TO LIE WITH LIONS – Freezing snow, erupting volcanoes and treachery! Masterful storytelling!

This may be my favorite in the House of Niccolo series. Dunnett has excelled in bringing Iceland to life and Nicholas’ heroic rescues from erupting volcanoes. It begins in 1471as Nicholas leaves on a new adventure, to Iceland, hoping to beat others  the fishery and catch a huge amount of cod. But that is not his only task. He must balance his loyalty to the Duke of Burgundy against the demands of the King of France. Beneath all is the game, a war he wages with his estranged wife who wronged him terribly. The “lions” of Burgundy, Cyprus, England, and Venice all play in the game.

 

Meanwhile, Nicholas faces treachery, erupting volcanos and the vengeance of his 11-year-old son, Henry, who believes he is the son of Simon of Kilmirren, Nicholas’ enemy. Henry tries to kill both Nicholas and his son Jodi.

 

Woven throughout the action is interesting history of the “lions” and the merchant business that has made Nicholas a wealthy man.

 

Gelis, Nicholas’ wife is nasty piece. One view would see her as the woman who ruined a great man, diverting his huge talents to a game that is beneath him. But Nicholas would win at all costs. His son, Jordi, is winsome and loves both his parents.

 

Wonderful characters populate every page, including Julius, Gregorio, Kathi, Robin, Clemence, the nurse, Tobi, the doctor. And then there is Nicholas’ magnificent Nativity Play, a work that astounds all.

 

I highly recommend this series but read them in order.

 

 

The House of Niccolo Series:

 

Niccolò Rising

Spring of the Ram

Race of Scorpions

Scales of Gold

The Unicorn Hunt

To Lie with Lions

Caprice and Rondo

Gemini (2000)

 

 

 

Laurie McBain’s MOONSTRUCK MADNESS – A Classic Keeper with a Scottish Heroine Masquerading as a Highwayman and a Scarred English Duke!

Another truly wonderful classic by a great author. Written in 1977, it sold a million copies. Moonstruck Madness is a worthy read—and the first in a great trilogy!

 

Set in 1746 in Scotland (prologue), and 1751 in England, this is the story of Sabrina Verrick, the Scottish noblewoman, who along with her sister and brother survive after their grandfather, Laird of the MacElden clan, is brutally slain by the English at Culloden Moor. They escape to England where they live in the country at the rundown estate of their father, an English marquis who abandoned them as children. To feed her family, Sabrina becomes the highwayman “Bonnie Charlie,” robbing the rich to feed the poor, including her family.

 

One man she robs, Lucien, Duke of Camareigh, a gambler and a rogue, is no English fop as are most of Sabrina’s victims. A self-made man, he decides to trap the wily bandit and have his revenge. Once he captures “Charlie,” the duke realizes the highwayman who has been plaguing him and his friends is a beautiful young woman. When she won’t reveal who she is, he decides to try seduction.

 

Superbly written, you’ll find this one hard to put down. I love the logic of McBain’s intricate plot…no improbable moments here. No contrived black moments. Just great storytelling and suspenseful action. The dialog is clever and the characters wonderfully developed. Sabrina is courageous, good hearted and rebellious to the end and Camareigh is a tough alpha male, just the kind we like to see fall to love’s power.

 

McBain paints vivid pictures of Culloden (to start with) and then the English countryside thereafter, putting you right in the scene. It is so well done. Reading this just reminded me that a 5-star classic never goes out of style.

 

This is the first in McBain’s Dominick trilogy:

 

Moonstruck Madness

Chance The Winds Of Fortune

Dark Before The Rising Sun

 

I highly recommend all of them!

 

 

Jennifer Roberson’s LADY OF THE GLEN – Superb Storytelling and a Keeper—a Highland Love that Survives the Massacre of Glencoe!

Roberson's Lady of the Glen has everything I love in a Scottish historical romance: an epic love story, a noble hero, a strong heroine, real history (the massacre of Glencoe), attention to detail and enough suspense and drama to keep me turning pages. And a wonderful hero and heroine. Even the music of the Highlands is included. I could hear the pipes and their mournful sound as Roberson described them. This is a classic and on my Top 10 list.

 

The story begins in 1682 when Catriona (“Cat”) Campbell first encounters Alasdair (“Dair”) Og MacDonald. She is an awkward, uncomely girl raised like one of her brothers by her drunken father, but Dair pays her a compliment when no one else does, telling her that she has “bonnie eyes…all bluey-green and bright. The sort of eyes a Highlander likes to come home to.” How could Cat ever forget him after that? Not even though he is one of the dreaded MacDonalds, the enemies of clan Campbell, could she fail to harbor a tenderness for him.

 

Much happens in this intricately woven tale that spans a decade. It’s the time when King James was exiled to France and William and Mary ruled England. The Scots battle each other as much as the English. Grey John Campbell, Earl of Breadalbane seeks to be the power behind the throne and he thinks it is William who will sit on that throne. He exerts his influence to unite the clans, pretending to support King Jamie, while planning on serving the Highland clans on a silver platter to William. The clans don’t trust him but the lairds have little choice, seeing the English Ft. William erected as a symbol of the English dominance.

 

Famous battles like Killiecrankie are vividly described as Dair fights with the MacDonalds of Glencoe and the Stewarts of Appin. Both the MacDonalds and the Campbells kill each other’s young men caught reeving cattle. Dair saves Cat from harm, and she saves his life. All this while another woman shares Dair’s bed. Then Cat’s father agrees to wed her to the Earl of Breadalbane’s son, Duncan Campbell in exchange for money to pay his many debts.

 

Perhaps the most intense moment is the Massacre of Glencoe when the treachery of the Campbells joins with English, including the king, to murder nearly the entire clan of the Glencoe MacDonalds without provocation. Still remembered to this day, the massacre of Glencoe was a great perfidy on the part of the Campbells and England. A very sad chapter in Scotland’s history. As Roberson says of Glencoe, “’Tis a glen of sorrows, an empty place of blood and broken stone, of charred timber and burial cairns.”

 

I did not want to put this one down. Based on considerable research, the author truly captured the heart of the Highlands. The characters she vividly portrays bring to life one of the most incredible periods of Scotland’s history.

 

If you love Scotland and real Highlander romance—the deep ones—you will love this book! It does have a happy ending, too. 

 

Highly recommended.

 

Bertrice Small’s SKYE O’MALLEY – Unusual Irish Love Story and a Classic!

This story is classic Bertrice Small. Set in Ireland, Algiers and London in the mid 16^th century, it is the first in the O’Malley series, and tells of the Irish noble families and the loves of an amazing heroine. Though her wealthy Irish sea captain father, famous for his merchant piracy, had 6 daughters, the O’Malley had only one like himself: Skye, strong and intelligent in business—and in her case, also beautiful.

 

When she is 15, though betrothed to another man (a man she hates), Skye falls in love with the dashing Niall Burke, heir to the MacWilliam, the O’Malley’s overlord. But their families deny them the marriage they want. Instead, Skye is wed to the brutal, lecherous man, and Niall is wed to a highborn woman who would prefer to be a nun. It will be years before they can get together.

 

You know, if you’ve read Bertrice Small before, her romances are…well, let’s just say, unusual. Perhaps they are more realistic of life in the times, but one should be aware. Typically, there is not just one couple nor is the heroine with just one “hero.” So, be prepared if you pick up this one. To be sure it’s a good story and will hold you captive as the scene moves from Ireland to Algiers and then to England; but what happens can be disconcerting at times. For example, using the vehicle of amnesia, at one point Small has the heroine adopting a lifestyle that is inconsistent with who she is and her life in Ireland. There were other instances where I lost my admiration for the heroine but in the end she triumphs, and so does Niall, though for a long while, he had one piece of bad luck after another.

 

The whole thing, though a bit farfetched, was very well done. Small’s descriptions of people, places and even dress and food really put you in the scene and make you feel like you are there. And the real life characters of young Queen Elizabeth’s court, including Elizabeth herself, were very believable.

 

Should you want to read more in the series, here’s the list:

 

The O'Malley Saga:

 

Skye O’Malley

All The Sweet Tomorrows

A Love For All Time

This Heart of Mine

Lost Love Found

 

Lisa Gregory’s BONDS OF LOVE – Exciting Civil War Love Story—a Classic!

 

What can I say about this book? It’s a well-written page-turner, a bodice ripper and Lisa Gregory’s (aka Candace Camp’s) first novel, published in 1978. Set during the Civil War, it tells the story of Katherine Devereaux, the only daughter of a wealthy Boston shipbuilder, who is abducted by one of the Confederate prisoners working in her father’s shipyard.

 

Katherine is witty, independent and capable, and when we first meet her in Boston, she is intent on marrying a Union naval officer, Lt. William Perkins. But that plan would soon change.

 

Captain Matthew Hampton is arrogant and selfish. He desired the haughty Miss Devereaux from the moment he laid eyes on her. And since he takes what he wants, when he escapes with a ship and his men, he kidnaps Katherine and takes her to sea, and then to England. In Katherine’s own words, “He stole me! He raped me! And now he refuses to release me, locks me in here like a dog in its kennel.”

 

When she does escape him in England, it is to a terrible fate. I kept thinking all the while it is Hampton who is responsible for ALL her misfortune since he abducted her in the first place. For me, it was sort of a “loved her, hated him” story. When he finally comes to realize he loves her, he just couldn’t grovel enough to compensate for what Katherine experienced. I just could not like him, no matter how contrite he became. To my mind the real hero here was the constant Lt. Perkins, who still wanted Katherine even after all she had experienced.

 

For all that, if you’re looking for a good bodice ripper with a very worthy heroine, I recommend it.

 

Johanna Lindsey’s LOVE ONLY ONCE - The First of the Rogues and a Good Beginning to the Malory Saga

In this first in the Malory series, we meet Lord Edward and Lady Charlotte Malory and the whole family of brothers and uncles and their beautiful, much-loved cousin, Regina Ashton. Reggie knows that at 19, it's time for her to marry, and though she has many suitors and dozens of offers, none of her uncles can agree on a man. So, she lingers on the vine, bored with the whole social scene.

 

When Viscount Nicholas Eden, a rake who seduces even innocents, kidnaps her in a case of mistaken identity, Reggie doesn't resist when her uncles insist Nick must marry her because he has ruined her. Nicholas Eden will marry no woman even though he lusts after Reggie. So, forced into an engagement, he seduces her and then tries to get her to break their engagement. What a cad! But she won't do it, no matter how bad he treats her. She wants him and she has a reason to marry.

In real life, a philanderer like Nick would never be faithful after marriage. A perfect example is Richard Burton, who though he loved Elizabeth Taylor passionately every day of his life after he met her, couldn't be faithful. (It caused their two divorces.) I was reminded of them because Lindsey's description of Reggie is a young Elizabeth Taylor. But ah...this is romance, so the rogues and philanderers can reform and become faithful husbands!

This is no sweeping saga, nor any great story of sweeping passion, and yet, it’s an entertaining read and a good beginning to the popular Malory series.

Here's the series:

Love Only Once (Reggie and Nick)

Tender Rebel (Roslyn and Anthony)
Gentle Rogue (James and Georgina)
The Magic of You (Amy and Warren)
Say You Love Me (Kelsey and Derek)
The Present: The Malory Holiday Novel
A Loving Scoundrel (Danny and Jeremy, James' son)
Captive of My Desires (Gabrielle and Drew)
No Choice But Seduction (Boyd and Katey)
That Perfect Someone (Richard and Julia)

 

Shirlee Busbee’s LADY VIXEN: A Classic Privateer Love Story!

 I could not put this one down and highly recommend it. It's on both my Best Pirate and Privateer Romances List and my Best American Patriotic Romances list. Oh yes, it’s also a bodice ripper and a keeper.

 

Set in England during the years 1808-1814, this is one of those rare and wonderful love stories that sweeps you away to another time and place where you are caught up in the lives of people whose actions will affect not only their own and others' lives but America and England during the War of 1812. Deception and treachery born years ago lead to revenge and then to heartache. Busbee uses real characters, such as the pirate Jean Lafitte, to bring realism to her story as she seamlessly weaves history into a compelling tale. It's what I call a "dense" historical: one where the writing is so complex and so tight you're getting double the story you'd expect in the 538 pages.

 

Young Nicole Ashford led an idyllic life in Surrey with her wealthy parents and her twin brother until a boating accident one summer took them from her. Made the ward of an uncaring and barely related aunt and uncle who only want her fortune, and learning of their plans to marry her off to their ne'er-do-well son, at 13 Nicole dons the disguise of a young boy and runs away to sea as the cabin boy for Captain Saber, an American privateer.

 

For 5 years, Nicole sails with him as a boy and Saber pays her little attention. When she is 18, Saber observes her swimming naked on a tropical beach and decides he wants her for his mistress. He bides his time and when Nicole and a seaman (who is really a British spy) decide to destroy English codebooks that Saber has captured, the two are caught.

 

Using the life of the English seaman as a bargaining chip, Saber forces Nicole to become his mistress, until the American, on a mission to spy for his new country, decides to sail home and resume his identity as Christopher Saxon, grandson of a baron.

 

And so begins a complex, worthy tale of adventure, rich in history (both England's and America's) and a love that could not be denied.

 

Should you want to read more, here is the whole Louisiana Series (stand alones but each with a connection to Louisiana and with some overlapping characters).

 

·               Gypsy Lady

·               Lady Vixen

·               While Passion Sleeps

·               Deceive Not My Heart

·               The Tiger Lily

·               Midnight Masquerade

·               Whisper to Me of Love

·               Each Time We Love

Lisa Gregory’s BONDS OF LOVE – Exciting Civil War Love Story—a Classic!

What can I say about this book? It’s a well-written page-turner, a bodice ripper and Lisa Gregory’s (aka Candace Camp’s) first novel, published in 1978. Set during the Civil War, it tells the story of Katherine Devereaux, the only daughter of a wealthy Boston shipbuilder, who is abducted by one of the Confederate prisoners working in her father’s shipyard.

 

Katherine is witty, independent and capable, and when we first meet her in Boston, she is intent on marrying a Union naval officer, Lt. William Perkins. But that plan would soon change.

 

Captain Matthew Hampton is arrogant and selfish. He desired the haughty Miss Devereaux from the moment he laid eyes on her. And since he takes what he wants, when he escapes with a ship and his men, he kidnaps Katherine and takes her to sea, and then to England. In Katherine’s own words, “He stole me! He raped me! And now he refuses to release me, locks me in here like a dog in its kennel.”

 

When she does escape him in England, it is to a terrible fate. I kept thinking all the while it is Hampton who is responsible for ALL her misfortune since he abducted her in the first place. For me, it was sort of a “loved her, hated him” story. When he finally comes to realize he loves her, he just couldn’t grovel enough to compensate for what Katherine experienced. I just could not like him, no matter how contrite he became. To my mind the real hero here was the constant Lt. Perkins, who still wanted Katherine even after all she had experienced.

 

For all that, if you’re looking for a good bodice ripper with a very worthy heroine, I recommend it.

 

 

Joanna Bourne’s THE FORBIDDEN ROSE – Superb Prequel to the Spymaster Series set in France...a Classic!

 For those who haven't yet read The Spymaster's Lady or My Lord and Spymaster, this book comes first in time—a kind of “prequel”—though it was written later. It’s the story of how Doyle and Maggie met.

 

Set in 1794 in France, it's a tale of English spies and French undercover work transporting royalists out of France during the time of the French Revolution and Robespierre.

 

Marguerite is a wonderful young woman who, though raised as an aristocrat, has adapted to the times and is now doing important work that has her wearing many faces. British agent Doyle is after her father who he believes has provided names of English to be murdered by those in control of France. When Doyle realizes he has taken the man's daughter, he keeps her, hoping she'll lead him to her father.

 

Doyle has never allowed himself to get involved with a woman in the field. Ah, but Marguerite de Fleurignac aka Maggie is no ordinary woman! He gets aroused just looking at her and he admires her intelligence and fierce determination.

 

In this story, Bourne gives us another strong heroine and another drool-worthy hero. The Doyle who is in the background in the other books in the Spymaster series is now on center stage. The dialog is very witty and at times very humorous. Bourne has mastered the art of suspense and her language is very colorful and fits well the era.

 

Meticulously researched, as always, Bourne delivers up a detailed, well-told tale. I recommend reading all in the series. Just read this one first!

 

The Spymaster Series in the order I recommend reading them:

 

The Forbidden Rose (France 1794)

The Spymaster’s Lady (France and England 1802)

Rogue Spy (England, 1802)

My Lord And Spymaster (London 1811)

The Black Hawk (Paris, beginning in 1794, flashbacks to 1797 and 1802, and London 1818)

Georgette Heyer’s FALSE COLOURS – Disappointing Though Classically Heyer

Set in the Regency, this is the story of the twin Fancot brothers, one who is frivolous yet is the heir to the title, and the other, a more serious fellow and a successful international diplomat. Evelyn, the heir to the title is late for a party to meet the family of his intended. Persuaded by their mother, his serious brother, Kit, steps in to impersonate him and save the day. After all it’s to be a marriage of convenience in a way and the bride to be doesn’t know his brother well.

 

Both twins are concerned about their widowed mother's mounting debts and determine to pay them off. Evelyn sought the marriage so he could end a trust that is hampering his access to the family’s money.

 

Meanwhile, the bride to be, Cressy Stavely, is no fool. She takes to Kit immediately and one gets the impression she is aware he is not the frivolous heir who made her an offer of marriage.

This story has all the marks of a good Heyer novel: witty dialog, banter, Regency-isms, house parties, dress and food of the period, well-researched, and a mismatched couple. But it didn’t quite come up to the standard of her other novels. Having just finished These Old Shades, which I loved, I was at a loss to explain this one, which did not hold my attention, at all. For one thing, it’s too long. The dialog between Kit and his mother goes on forever, pages after pages. The relationship between Kit and Cressy, which supposedly leads to love, was not convincing. Yes, they seem to be getting along grandly, but love? I found myself skipping paragraphs and missed little.

 

Still, if you are a confirmed Heyer fan, you may like this one as well as the others.