June, 2013 Reviews Part I

I have been remiss in posting my reviews, I'm just having a very busy summer and I'm loving reading all my books!  So without further ado...

Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare

Book Description:
What’s a duke to do, when the girl who’s perfectly wrong becomes the woman he can’t live without?

Griffin York, the Duke of Halford, has no desire to wed this season—or any season—but his diabolical mother abducts him to “Spinster Cove” and insists he select a bride from the ladies in residence. Griff decides to teach her a lesson that will end the marriage debate forever. He chooses the serving girl.

Overworked and struggling, Pauline Simms doesn’t dream about dukes. All she wants is to hang up her barmaid apron and open a bookshop. That dream becomes a possibility when an arrogant, sinfully attractive duke offers her a small fortune for a week’s employment. Her duties are simple: submit to his mother’s “duchess training”… and fail miserably.

But in London, Pauline isn’t a miserable failure. She’s a brave, quick-witted, beguiling failure—a woman who ignites Griff’s desire and soothes the darkness in his soul. Keeping Pauline by his side won’t be easy. Even if Society could accept a serving girl duchess—can a roguish duke convince a serving girl to trust him with her heart?

I simply loved this Regency story of Pauline Simms, a pretty tavern girl who is swooped up by Griffin York, the Duke of Halford and his granny-driven mother.  Taken to London to become his duchess, the duke has no intention of marrying her, but wants to teach his mother a lesson - yet, he falls hard - and not in the way he expected. Hottest of the novels in this series so far - the scene on his desk - whoa! *fans self* Tons of chemistry and loved both Pauline and Griff  - his mother was great too!  This whole series is fantastic!  I can't recommend it enough, it's sexy, full of humor and cleverly written, a real pleasure!

4.5/5

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (audio)

Book Description:
The gifted young Swiss Victor Frankenstein discovers the secret of renewing life where death has apparently devoted the body to corruption, and makes a creature of his own - the most celebrated monster in the history of literature. 

Starting out handsome and cultured, deterioration turns this intelligent freak into an appalling creature, spurned by his maker, shunned by his fellow citizens. Victor wants nothing but company and affection, but instead learns to kill as he encounters only rejection and loathing. When his demand for a female counterpart is turned down by Frankenstein, the grim tale moves towards its horrifying climax as the monster tells his creator "I will be with you on your wedding night!"   To put it simply, the gist of the story is "don't mess with Mother Nature" because playing God is never going to do you any good. Poor Victor Frankenstein learned this lesson the hard way when he creates the "monster" who, because of his feelings of alienation from his "creator" goes about killing all of Victor's closest and dearest friends and relations. A depressing story overall and quite a lengthy lead in, but interesting philosophically on the theme of responsibility of the creator of what he "creates".  A classic I'd never read before.   Narrated by Simon Vance who did a fine Swiss sounding accent for Victor, and a very good monster.    

3.5/5

My Lady Notorious by Jo Beverley

Book Description: 
Desperate to help her widowed sister and baby escape a deadly pursuer, Lady Chastity Ware dresses as a highwayman and captures the first coach to travel down the road. Coming face-to-face with its occupant, the arrogant aristocrat, Cyn Malloren, she orders him to drive her to a remote cottage.   Little does Chastity realize that after long months of recovering from his war wounds, the handsome Cyn is looking for adventure, and being abducted by a cocky highwayman—obviously a lovely woman in disguise—is even more than he had hoped for. Willingly he is drawn into her devilishly reckless plan...and helplessly he is seduced by her wonderfully wicked ways. 

My goodness this book had me up and down and all over the place!  First of the never-ending Malloren Series, I really enjoyed the chemistry between Chastity and Cyn and they had some very sexy moments - boy! Food sure is their thing! I also really liked Cyn's brother Rothgar - I can't wait to read his story! (sort of like a Wulf, Duke of Bewcastle).  Still, I was very uncomfortable with their first sex scene since it was not honest because she is in disguise, even though he knows she's disguised.  It just didn't sit well with me. Also her father was awful and a bit over the top about what he did to her. Really made me squirm.  The orgy they attended was a bit too much too, but overall a good story and vintage romance.    

4/5

Forever a Lord by Delilah Marvelle

Book Description:
Lady Imogene Norwood lives a sheltered life of quiet respectability and routine...until she debuts at her first Season. There among London's elite she meets the wild and broken Lord Atwood. And the very shy English rose suddenly realizes that a little chaos might just be what her heart desires.

Lord Nathaniel James Atwood doesn't believe true love exists. Since scandal tore him away from his family at an early age, he has spent his life fighting for what he wants. That attitude has made him a rising star in bare-knuckle boxing, and now leads him back to London to reclaim the life that was stolen from him. But upon meeting the innocent Imogene, his beliefs are trounced...as guarding his heart against her proves to be the fight of his life.

I think this last installment in The Rumor Trilogy is the best of the three, although I really enjoyed the first a lot as well.  Imogene and Nathaniel make a good - albeit unorthodox team.  Nathaniel, kidnapped as a child in NYC, learns he is a lord as an adult and is not taking to it too well.  While in London, he is going for the title of the best prize fighter in England.  He trains for while romancing Imogene.  A quick read with a touch of trendy bondage thrown in to please the latest romance craze.  I enjoyed it, but not the most unforgettable romance.

4/5

That Summer in Cornwall by Ciji Ware

Book Description:
A different latitude…a different world…

Meredith Champlin unexpectedly finds herself the legal guardian of a child she’s never met: Janet Barton Stowe, an unruly eleven-year-old “Beverly Hills brat,” whose mother – Meredith’s cousin-- has died in a private plane crash.

At the urging of the child’s Anglo-American aunt, Lady Blythe Barton-Teague, Meredith and her Welsh Corgi decamp from Wyoming to spend the summer at Barton Hall, a shabby-chic castle perched on the remote cliffs of Cornwall, England.

Taming the wild child proves a handful, but Meredith’s summer escape gets even more complicated when former British Army Lieutenant Sebastian Pryce, veteran of a bomb-sniffing K-9 squad in Afghanistan, proposes they establish the Barton Hall Canine Obedience Academy and that she join him on the Cornwall Search and Rescue Team. She wonders whether their instant attraction is an unexpected blessing or the prelude to another heartbreak like the one she left behind in the Rocky Mountains.

Even with an assist from a novice search dog named T-Rex, the odds seem long that three months in the land of Meredith’s Cornish ancestors can transform her troubled ward into a happier child, heal the wounds suffered by her soldier-turned-rescuer, and save the Barton-Teague estate from pending insolvency.

As a friend of Meredith’s confides, “It all sounds like a stretch, but we never rule out miracles.”

It was a welcome return to Cornwall and the Barton-Teague family in this sequel to Ware's A Cottage by the Sea, though this one has no time traveling or supernatural hopping around from century to century.  Meredith Champlin flies to Cornwall, England with her bratty niece who has just lost her mother (sister to Ware's heroine from the last book, Blythe) in a plane crash. Her father, a film director is too busy to take care of her. While in Cornwall for the summer, Meredith finds love in a hunky search and rescue veterinarian who is also an Afghan War vet. Lots of different plots going on and overall I liked it, but Meredith's pushiness when it came to having Sebastian (the vet) reveal all his past irked me. She knew she needed to lay off - but did she? No! and it sent him scurrying. But, eventually they find their way back to each before she leaves for Wyoming at the end of the summer. I liked this a lot, but it lacked the emotional oomph I have found in some of her earlier books and most recent A Race to Splendor.  Still, it really makes me want to go to Cornwall myself and see this area of the world.

4/5

Match Me If You Can by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (audio)

Book Description:
You met star quarterback Kevin Tucker in This Heart of Mine. Now get ready to meet his shark of an agent, Heath Champion, and Annabelle Granger, the girl least likely to succeed.
Annabelle's endured dead-end jobs, a broken engagement . . . even her hair's a mess! But that's going to change now that she's taken over her late grandmother's matchmaking business. All Annabelle has to do is land the Windy City's hottest bachelor as her client, and she'll be the most sought-after matchmaker in town.

Why does the wealthy, driven, and gorgeous sports agent Heath Champion need a matchmaker, especially a red-haired screw-up like Annabelle Granger? True, she's entertaining, and she does have a certain quirky appeal. But Heath is searching for the ultimate symbol of success -- the perfect wife. And to make an extraordinary match, he needs an extraordinary matchmaker, right?

Soon everyone in Chicago has a stake in the outcome, and a very big question: When the determined matchmaker promised she'd do anything to keep her star client happy . . . did she mean anything? If Annabelle isn't careful, she just might find herself going heart-to-heart with the toughest negotiator in town.

This was sensational on audio! I laughed and laughed so much! It's definitely one of the funniest in the series and the incomparable Anna Fields voice-overs were priceless!  I won't go over the whole plot-line, but some scenes were a riot, like the the book conversation on the golf course between the men - hilarious!  Another favorite was the scene at Annabelle's house with both teams settling in for pizza and Chinese and all that ensues, I felt like I was there in the midst of it!  I loved Bodie as well, his voice was a scream!  An odd coupling there with Portia, but I was happy for them in the end, but kind of weird.  Dean Robillard was hysterical too, I'm gonna love his tale.  Overall, a great book and on audio even better!

4.5/5

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I'm back from Scotland and Book 8 has a title - Written in My Own Heart's Blood

 
So much news!  Yes, Outlander fans, Book 8 has a title!  With some tweaking and a few changes, Diana Gabaldon has settled on the title for her next book in the Outlander Series.  Most likely it will be published sometime in 2013.  I like the title a lot.  It goes without saying, I'm looking forward to it, now more than ever since I just got back from my dream vacation in the Scottish Highlands!  (And yes, I took this picture of the Clan Fraser stone while visiting the battlefield of Culloden.)

I apologize about the lack of posts lately. I have a bunch of books waiting to be reviewed which I will tackle soon, but I've been so busy, first in Scotland and now just trying to catch up on things here at home and work.  Plus, I'm so tired!   Please be patient, I hope to post a recap of my trip soon with pics - it was awesome!!  Scotland is breathtaking! 

Here's a brief peek of what's to come...

Above is a picture of the first place I went to upon my arrival in Scotland.  For those of you that are familiar with Ciji Ware's Island of the Swans, this is Lady Jane Maxwell's island in the novel, which is one of my favorite books.  Loch an Eilean Castle is near Aviemore and it is a beautiful romantic ruin that sits on a small island in the middle of the Loch.  There is no bridge to the island, the ruin sits peacefully alone, lending a quiet grace to the area.

Lining the banks of Loch an Eilean is a small forest of ancient Caledonian pine trees, which were once found all over the Highlands, but now sadly, only a few forests of the great pines remain today.  Their pungent smell was wonderful and fresh as I stood there among the trees, taking it in.  It was cool and damp in their shade and even though I'd just flown six and a half hours across the Atlantic on the red eye the night before - and then another three plus hours driving up from Edinburgh to Aviemore - I wasn't tired - I was exhilarated!  At last I was able to see Lady Jane's castle, patiently waiting for me in it's hidden and out of the way setting.  Breathing in the fresh air I had to pinch myself as I whispered aloud  "I made it! I'm here!"

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A Race to Splendor by Ciji Ware

Book Description:
Inspired by female architect Julia Morgan, this is the riveting tale of a race against time to rebuild two luxury hotels after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake destroyed 400 city blocks and left 250,000 homeless.

Morgan's fictional protegee Amelia Bradshaw and client J.D. Thayer will sacrifice anything to see the city they love rise from the ashes; in the process, they can't help but lose their hearts.

It's been almost two weeks since I finished A Race to Splendor and I really loved it.  I was captivated by the setting of San Francisco amidst the earthquake of 1906 and the rebuilding of the city. The two main characters, Amelia and J.D., have stood the test of time for me.  I still think about them and wonder about them and their lives.  Both are strong people with an indomitable spirit that makes them survivors.  Together, the dynamic of their relationship was intriguing and and kept me reading and reading - I really had trouble putting this book down!  In fact, I've been desolate every since I've finished it.  I can't stop thinking about it.  What happens next - will there be a sequel?  Please? Please!  She's done it again! Without a doubt, Ciji Ware is one of my favorite authors.  The action, dialogue and plotline all move along at a steady pace, never a dull moment and every scene has a reason for being there.

Amelia Bradshaw, newly minted architect has just returned to her hometown of San Francisco from Paris, only to find that her drunkard father has gambled away the hotel she grew up in to no good scoundrel, J.D. Thayer.  J.D. has always had his sights on The Bay View Hotel, a little gem of a hotel on Nob Hill.   J.D. has his own problems, his rich father hates him, his mother is unhappy and J.D. wants to be a good person, but he is saddled with a reputation as the black sheep of the family.  All he needs to do is make enough money to pay off and unshackle himself from the unsavory scalawags he's been associating with.  Unfortunately, they are his means to make the money - plus he's already borrowed a ton from them.  No one really knows the truth behind J.D.'s reasons for wanting the Bay View, which has become an obsession, and he's certainly not going to let Miss high and mighty Amelia Bradshaw take it away from him!  It's his ticket to freedom!

Everyone's plans, whether good or bad, change when the great earthquake hits San Francisco and levels much of the town.  With accurate descriptions and a mesmerizing storyline, the story takes on a whole new dimension as we are immersed in the aftermath.  Resigning herself to the reality that she'll never get the Bay View back (even though she suspects it's rightfully hers because her father died from the quake with part of a winning poker hand clutched in his fingers) Amelia and J.D. become unlikely partners as she agrees to be the architect to rebuild her grandfather's stately Bay View Hotel.  Their relationship is slow in building.  It takes a long time for Amelia to trust J.D., but gradually she does and they become true partners in every sense of the word.  Still, Amelia has a niggling suspicion that he's keeping things from her.  He's juggling all sorts of worries, but his driving force is to get the Bay View built before the other big hotel in town, The Fairmont, beats him to it. 

I loved every word of this book.  The struggles and ups and downs of the building of the two hotels was exhausting to read about, but fascinating too!   I can't even begin to do the book justice with a review except to state it was great and a worthwhile read, especially if you've ever been to San Francisco. I was there a few years ago and adored the city! I loved reading about the descriptions and places and settings - I recognized much and envisioned in my mind Amelia amid the wreckage of the earthquake, Nob Hill, Chinatown, taking the ferry past the Island of Alcatraz across the bay to Oakland.  The era comes to life in Ware's evocative storytelling!

A Race to Splendor is a love story but also one of survival and the battle for acceptance - on all kinds of levels.  Amelia wants to be recognized for her talents as an architect - and a woman.  J.D. wants to be recognized not as a gambler, but as a respectable hotel owner, he longs to redeem himself in his family's eyes (no matter how hypocritical his father is).  The plot is absorbing, culminating with an exciting climax that had me on the edge of my seat.  I worried, I chewed my lip, I twisted my fingers in anticipation of what happens! 

I loved the architectural theme as well, but you don't have to be interested in architecture to appreciate this book.  There are too many little details to list of what I loved best about it, but I can say the love scenes are sweetly satisfying and appropriate to the storyline.  Though I would have been happier with a little more of them! ;)

A wholehearted recommendation and I'm definitely reading this book again just to savor it slowly, for I read it much too quickly.  I consider this historical fiction at it's best.  Another winner from Ciji Ware and I'm delighted to say she hasn't lost her touch with her first new novel in ten years!  She's better than ever!

4.5/5

P.S.:  On a side note, how wonderful that the dress on the cover looks like the one Amelia wears to the opening of the Bay View!  I love it when covers match the actual story!

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A Cottage by the Sea by Ciji Ware

Book Description:
Some might call it running away . . .

But after a scandalous Hollywood divorce, Blythe Stowe considered it damage control for body and soul. The pain, the humiliation, the daily tabloids shouting details as her famous husband dumped her for her own sister demanded a serious getaway: to the wild coast of Cornwall and a cottage by the sea that her Wyoming grandmother claimed had been home to her ancestors.

Some might call it chance . . .

But Blythe encountered more than just a quaint retreat nestled amid vivid skies and gorgeous ocean. And she had the odd sensation that her wickedly handsome neighbor Lucas Teague was more than a British gentleman going broke. He might be her destiny . . .

Another Ciji Ware winner that swept me away! I totally enjoyed this story of a young woman who leaves Hollywood and her messy divorce behind to the shores of Cornwall, England where she eerily experiences the life of her ancestor who lived on the very land where she rents a cottage for the summer. She also meets her handsome landlord - lord of the manor - who has his own demons and memories to overcome.  A good book that got me from the very beginning!

Blythe Barton Stowe needs to get away from Hollywood - and her no good ex-husband, a famous Oscar-winning British film director.  Cornwall is the perfect place to get away from it all, far the madding crowd so she can lick her wounds and get on with her life in peace and quiet.  She's somewhat shell shocked due to the publicity of her divorce and the fact her ex wasted no time in marrying her pregnant sister.  They married literally hours after the final divorce decree.

While in Cornwall, Blythe meets the handsome owner of the estate where she is renting a cottage for the summer.  They hit it off immediately.  While touring his grand home that has seen better days, she becomes hypnotized while reviewing a large genealogy chart on the wall of his library.  Blythe notices that some of the names are familiar on the chart, another Blythe Barton from over two hundred years ago is on it.  There seem to be other similarities as well.  Upon touching an engraved name on the chart, our Blythe is transported somehow in time to that person's life.  Blythe witnesses the goings on of the first Blythe's history as if watching the action of a movie.  No coincidence that Blythe worked for her husband as his set director. 

And so sets the tone of the book.  Blythe repeats this process a few times and learns about what happened to the ancestors that lived on the estate long, long ago.  Their tale is all tangled up, an unhappy forced marriage, marital betrayals between two siblings, not unlike Blythe's own experience with her sister, and the answer to the long lost tale of whatever happened to Blythe's ancestors and how they came to live in America.  As much as I was into the eighteenth century story, I preferred Blythe's own modern day story involving her romance with her landlord turned business partner, Lucas Teague. Ironic, since I usually prefer historicals.  

Lucas, though lord of the manor, is not a rich aristocratic.  He's an average man, a widower, who's trying to keep his ancestral property from taxes and ruin.  He also needs some healing after dealing with the death of his wife to cancer and the ordeal of raising his son, Richard, as a single parent - a task he is having a hard time with.   He and Blythe become friends and she comes up with an idea that he should start a nursery gardening business on his property that will pay for it's upkeep.  Meanwhile, Lucas' young son is staying with him for the summer during the school break and Blythe is curious about their seemingly strained relationship.  She can't help but notice that Richard is in great need of love and attention, yet Lucas seems incapable of showing it to his son.  That British stiff upper lip and all that kind of nonsense. What's the problem here and how can Blythe help without interfering where she's not wanted?   Plus, what does his son's godmother, an aristocratic perfectly manicured bitch in her Jaguar mean to Lucas?  It's obvious she has designs on him, but does he have a romantic interest in her?  Better yet, does he have romantic designs on Blythe? 

Sure enough, all our questions are answered. I loved their modern day story and the way it paralleled Blythe's eighteenth century genetic memories or whatever they are.  I devoured this book and loved it!  What sucked me in was the slow and burgeoning relationship that develops between Blythe and Lucas.  I was really rooting for them and couldn't wait to see what happened between them!  Their characters were well drawn, I sympathized with them, I didn't want their part of the story to end!    Of course, I always focus on the love interest!  But, it wasn't just that, I liked the whole package: Blythe, Lucas, his son, the housekeeper and her husband, the bitchy godmother (who I loved to hate, btw) and last but not least Blythe's shameless ex-husband who comes to visit in Cornwall asking for a favor!  I found all of it riveting and hard to put down! 

Although, as much as I loved reading about the modern day Blythe and her trials and tribulations, I can't say the same about the first Blythe Barton.  She was selfish and impulsive and I felt she got what she deserved.    To make matters worse, I did not like the idea that the author married her off to one of my favorite characters in another of her books, Island of the Swans (which I loved!)  No, no, no! Poor Thomas Fraser! Anyway, I digress...

I'm leaving out a lot of details but, trust me, this is a worthwhile read, one you can really get caught up in.  The eighteenth century part was a bit lacking in some ways, probably because we are "watching" that part of the book as spectators and none of the characters are likable.  Really, not one of them, except maybe Blythe's cousin who loved her.  We don't get into the characters heads as much, so I did not have the same amount of empathy for their plight as I did for Blythe and Lucas. Still, despite what the eighteenth century part lacked, the modern part more than made up for it.  I highly recommend the book as a whole.  Ms. Ware is fast becoming a favorite author of mine.  She has a way of luring you in and keeping you there until the final page - the sign of a fine storyteller!

Oh, and one last thing, wouldn't you know it?  After I bought it for my kindle, it's offered for free! Still, I don't mind, it was a great book and I loved it!

4/5

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Island of the Swans by Ciji Ware

Book Description:
In this resplendent love story a dazzling era comes vividly to life as one woman's passionate struggle to follow her heart takes her from the opulent cotillions of Edinburgh to the London court of half-mad King George III . . . from a famed salon teeming with politicians and poets to a picturesque castle on the secluded, lush Island of the Swans. . . .

Best friends in childhood, Jane Maxwell and Thomas Fraser wreaked havoc on the cobbled streets of Edinburgh with their juvenile pranks. But years later, when Jane blossoms into a beautiful woman, her feelings for Thomas push beyond the borders of friendship, and he becomes the only man she wants. When Thomas is reportedly killed in the American colonies, the handsome, charismatic Alexander, Duke of Gordon, appeals to a devastated Jane. Believing Thomas is gone forever, Jane hesitantly responds to the Duke, whose passion ignites her blood, even as she rebels at his fierce desire to claim her.

But Thomas Fraser is not dead, and when he returns to find his beloved Jane betrothed to another, he refuses to accept the heartbreaking turn of events. Soon Jane's marriage is swept into a turbulent dance of tender wooing and clashing wills--as Alex seeks truly to make her his, and his alone. . . .

This is a great book!  I loved it.  The setting, the time period, the heart rending, poignant storyline which was based on the love triangle between Jane Maxwell, the Fourth Duchess of Gordon, her husband, Alexander, and Jane's first and forever love, Thomas Fraser.  Did I mention the fabulous writing style of Ciji Ware?  It was seamless, the words flew of the pages, I was captivated from page one.  She brought these real historical figures to life in my mind.  In fact after I finished it, I had to go to Wikipedia to find out what really happened to them after the book ends.  I wish I had known the real Lady Jane.  And I loved the fictional Thomas Fraser.  What's with these eighteenth century Scottish highlander red-headed Frasers in my literary life?

Set in eighteenth century Scotland, it is the life of Lady Jane Maxwell who becomes the 4th Duchess of Gordon.  Jane's life is one of ups and downs, marred by the fact that her true love, Thomas Fraser, thought to be dead fighting in the American Colonies, is in fact not dead.  Unfortunately, it is too late for them, for she only learns of the fact while on her honeymoon to the Duke, her husband, Alexander.  While trying to be true and faithful to her husband for the next 20 years, she cannot forget or resist her love for Thomas when he returns to Scotland from time to time.  For thirty years a love triangle exists.  I adored this book!  A sprawling, romantic history that held my attention through every word.  From the narrow closes of Edinburgh to the farmlands of colonial Maryland and back to the beautiful countryside of the Scottish Highlands, I was enthralled!  A real keeper.

I loved the settings and time period, Georgian 1760's-1790's.  Edinbugh, London, Gordon Castle, known as Fochabers and Jane's Kinrara, next to the island of the swans.  I want to go there someday - I will go there someday and look at her home and the nearby island with a crumbling castle where she and Thomas Fraser have their idyllic stolen days of sunshine and love.

Jane is a charismatic heroine, you're always pulling for her, no matter what happens. I went through such a roller coaster of feelings in regard to her marriage with Alexander.  At one point, I wanted them to work it out, to be happy, soul mates.  But then Thomas would return and Alexander would do something awful out of jealousy and I'd flip flop and love Thomas again!  I was torn for her.  I wanted her to be true to her lawfully wedded husband, yet I could understand her feelings and the irresistible pull that Thomas has on her emotions every time they saw each other again.  Oh, poor Jane to live in a marriage for twenty years, loving two men, yet having to bear the burden of that. 

There are so many "what ifs" in her life that kept Jane and Thomas apart for so long.  She and Alexander have a tempestuous relationship full of infidelities, accusations, hurt feelings and miscommunication, yet at times I often really felt sorry for Alexander.  Then, I felt sorry for Thomas too - and Jane!  I was so involved with these characters!  Interspersed through her days with Alexander are the few times when she and Thomas are reunited and they finally do get their moment in the sun.  (highlight to read spoiler)They produce a daughter who Jane must raise as her husband's, even though she's the spitting image of Thomas, red hair and all.  It's obvious to Alexander who's child she is.  Jane must live with this burden, but I really loved what happens to little Louisa eventually, her wedding is one of my favorite parts in the book. 

Jane has many children over the years and marries them off quite successfully to boot!  She is strong and is a survivor in this book, even though it ends a bit up in the air, you do get the impression it ends happily for her if not happily ever after.

If you enjoy historical fiction with a strong romantic thread - read this.  I'm definitely reading it again someday!  It's become a favorite!  I'm so glad Sourcebooks re-issued it last year!

A word of advice: if you want to find out what happens to the real Lady Jane Maxwell, wait until after you finish the book, otherwise you'll be sorry.

5/5

P.S.  For those of you curious about what happens to Ware's fictional character of Thomas Fraser after Island of the Swans, she includes him in the end of her other book A Cottage by the Sea.  I won't tell you what happens, but I can't say I was overly happy about it.  A Cottage by the Sea is not a sequel, btw, but she did overlap them slightly.

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