5 stars This book has one of the best opening sentences I have ever read: “They burst from the still-settling stagecoach like two cats from a burlap sack.” I cannot imagine not reading more after a hook like that. Wow. Kate is described thusly: “Her amber eyes held his; eyes brimming so sharply with intelligence that they almost diminished the beauty of her face.” I was determined to read more. I had already read To Seduce a Rogue so I was thrilled to see Charlie and Adam again, and loved that Kate was the daughter of Mrs. Peters, Charlie's stuffy chaperone. I didn’t remember Tanner from the previous book, but that didn’t affect my enjoyment of this one. The characters of Kate Peters and Tanner Sloane Barkley are well-developed and well-matched. There is reference to a past relationship, bits and pieces remembered, that creates the basis for their current state of estrangement. While Tanner recognizes he still loves Kate, Kate has buried her love for Tanner and has convinced herself that she no longer cares for him. There are some very sweet and sentimental touches, like the hair clip that Tanner has been carrying for almost two years and when he angrily tells Kate in Chapter 2 that she broke his heart (something she doesn’t believe is true). There are also details that are highlighted that reflect the silly things we notice during times of stress and also serve as metaphors for something more significant. There’s a scene in which Tanner tries to get through to Kate in Charlie’s kitchen, to make her understand how he feels. “She shook her head, focusing on the sliver of apple touching his boot.” Charlie intervenes because she can see Kate is close to tears. “Bulky, black boots appeared beside Tanner’s and squashed the apple sliver to bits.” And he leaves. “He slapped the door wide, his footfalls echoing down the hallway. The door rocked with disintegrating creaks, finally expiring like a serpent breath.” The imagery was so strong here. First, Kate focuses on the insignificant piece of apple on the floor to avoid focusing on the feelings that are tearing her apart. After Tanner leaves, I can clearly hear the swishing sound of the swinging door, slowing down, then softly expiring. Kate is insistent in her refusal to hear what Tanner has to say, convinced she could never recover from another heartbreak and unwilling to chance it. He begs her to listen. “Jesus, he hated her for making him grovel—respected her for making him grovel.” Although the story is told in third-person past-tense, it is mostly Tanner’s feelings that carry the story, since Kate is so cut off from her own. She doesn't deny the attraction between them, but attributes it to lust. Tanner knows better. “He felt her passionate cry, in his chest, in his soul, as if she’d plunged it in with a sharp blade.” He tries to tell her that what they have is special, but she is steadfast in her denial. The emotions conveyed through the story are convincing, and the characters are authentic. The plot, at times, is disjointed. It’s not that it’s difficult to follow. Rather, there are some jumps in time that do not have the transitions that would make them smoother. Although it’s not surprising what happens, there is little explanation for the sequence of events. For example, as Tanner briefly awakens, he tells Kate he will always come for her. Next, Kate is in her sister’s house in Richmond, wondering if Tanner will come for her. Again, it’s logical that she is back there, and it was expected that the story would go that way. It’s just that she goes from one place to another outside of the story. Similarly, the transition from refusal to acceptance of Tanner’s love and acknowledgement of the love she feels for him is lacking in the steps needed to get from one point to the next. I still loved the story and I still recommend it. In the afterward, the author says this was her “very first historical romance.” Reading this helped me to understand why this wasn’t her best book. It’s still better than a lot of stuff out there, but her skill as an author has grown so much that it makes this seem inferior (but only to her own writing). If I were to rate this book on a Tracy Sumner 5-point scale, I would give it 4 stars. Since the scale includes all writers, I’m giving it 5. December 27, 2020
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Elizabeth J ConnorWriter. Editor. Proofreader. Archives
September 2022
Categories |