I often wish for a different ending in books, but this is one where I wish the author had chosen a different beginning. Couldn't she have found another reason for a forced marriage than a brutal, drunken rape? That being said, the rest of the book is great, if you can suspend your disbelief that the drunken rapist is really a nice guy and concentrate on the development of the love story.
Well written, daring Regency with Great Characters!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
Backflap: Enchantingly beautiful Catherine Renwick had good cause to despise darkly handsome, insufferably arrogant James Pembroke, Earl of Allandale. It was this deplorable man who on a night of wild debauchery caused Catherine to be abducted and brought to him at a country inn. It was he who took her virtue by force, and left her threatened with disgrace. True, he now was willing to make amends by giving her his name in marriage. And equally true, she had no choice but to accept. But Catherine was sure that nothing in the world could erase her hatred for him or her horror of his embrace. Catherine was an innocent no longer - yet she had so much to learn about love and the maddening deceptions of the heart... I really really liked this book. I find it extremely courageous to deal with an issue that undoubtedly occurred quite often in 19th century England and deal with it in such a way as to actually interest and involve the reader greatly. The characters were both well-built and complex, yet they were honest with each other from the first. As a great hater of the 'miserunderstandings' plot line in Regencies, I applaud Ms. Wolf's attempt and success at dealing with a dark issue with such class and style. I found it completely believable for the two characters to fall in love after such a traumatic beginning and applauded it as well! Life is full of possibilities and most of the solutions are not black and white as Ms. Wolf very cleverly shows us in this book. This is a true love story that surmounts all and I highly recommend it.
Lovely, moving story
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 26 years ago
Joan Wolf has the incredible writing skill of turning an ugly situation -- a rape , into a beautiful and moving story of love . The suffering of both the hero and heroine in the process wrenches your heart but you would be touched by the tenderness of budding love and the satisfying conclusion. A highly-recommended read.
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