STORY: Locked away by her reclusive and intensely protective father, the recently deceased “Mad Lord of Northumberland,” Melissa is beautiful and educated but painfully naïve about the real world–and the dark secrets of her birth. Now in the care of her uncle, the Earl of Braddock, she must prepare to enter London society and find a proper husband, a task that grows complicated when she falls for the one man she can never have. Just as a promising new life begins to eclipse her tragic past, she’ll find herself consumed by a forbidden love that could destroy it all…
REVIEW: There’s nothing worse for a reviewer then the fear that one’s review of a beloved book will be weighed, measured and found wanting.
Ms. Jane Goodger is very new to me and after only two books, her writing leaves me breathless. She weaves her stories with out most care and I find her characters, even the ones on the periphery of the story, were given an element of humanity, which brought them to life for me.
Her broken heroes or heroines always rise like a phoenix from the ashes and my heart is filled with joy watching them reach their happily ever after.
She never takes her secondary characters for granted and she cleverly incites our curiosity with them that in the end we’re left asking to know and want one of their own stories. That was the case of Miss Diane Stenhope, our heroines chaperon and Lord Braddock, the hero’s father. Their happily ever after was as much interesting as John and Melissa’s. That kind of writing takes forethought and ingenuity and the author has achieved both in this novel.
The story was paced to perfection, as our hero and heroine slowly develop a friendship and comradery, which gives both time to develop deep and lasting feelings of love for one another. Melissa grew up in such a confined enviroment, that the first thing that comes to her mind when she meets John is a feeling of awe and strong desire, not of passion, but of longing to be just like him, fearless and carefree.
If you’re looking for a story that will curl your toes with sweet, passionate and very sensual content, you won’t go wrong in picking this one up.
ARC provided by the Author.
Loved Jan’s book, When A Duke Says I Do!!! I read it three times and my daughter twice! Such a great author. I am sure I will love this one as well.
Neecy
OMG! Me too! I’m tracking her earlier titles now! You’ll catch up w/Diane Stenhope (remember that Lord Braddock asked her to chaperon his niece?! Melissa is that niece!!!). Their story is so cute, you can’t miss it!
Mel
I have not read anything by her but you sure have instilled a need to find her works in me. Great review!
Thanks. I meant every word. If you can get her previous book WHEN A DUKE SAYS I DO (we meet the secondary characters of this book there first, and it really helps to understand their story which continues in this book) I promise you, you will fall in love with her prose and plot and dialogue and…Can you tell I love her work?!
Mel
Guess it sounds like I better start with When a Duke Says I do!
You wrote a very nice review.
Thanks Chick ;D Please find the book. It is one of the best Beta heroes around. My rev is on the blog…have you checked it out?
Hi Melanie -
I love Jane’s books and the first one I read was set in Newport, Rhode Island which is about 15 minutes away from where I live! It was the first historical romance I read where the American wed the “Brit”"
The one tread I’ve found with her wonderful stories is to expect the unexpected!
Hey Jeanne!
Me too! I think her writing is impressive and her prose delicious ;D
Mel