17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderfull and troubled hero, strong heroine, with a great sub-plot romance., June 1, 2007
This review is from: Angel Rogue (Paperback)
We first met Robin Andreville in Petals in the Storm. It was so hard to read about how he lost his longtime lover (and best friend) to a man who treated her poorly and betrayed her a dozen years before. Robin was dedicated, kind and caring, but was willing to let Maggie go to be with the man she loved (deserving or not, but that's a debate for THAT book). He was noble, honorable, good, and (as Rafe pointed out in PitS), he must be a very kind and compassionate lover to have been able to help Maggie overcome her past. But even then we knew he was troubled and I just longed for him to find happiness.
Which leads us to Maxima (don't like the name, but so be it). Maxie is the half-Mowhawk, half-english daughter of a younger son of a noble family who grew up peddling books in the New England area of America. She is petite and exotically pretty, but treated as a "savage" by bigots who assume that all "Red Indians" are easy, immoral women. After the death of her father, she feels even more alone than she did as a motherless child with an irresponsible father. After overhearing a troubling conversation regarding her father's death, she decides to go to London to investigate. Given that she has no money, she is willing to trek 200 miles on foot to get there (since she'd done things like that in America, it wasn't such a stretch for her).
Robin and Maxie meet up almost immediately while he's resting on Wolverhampton land (his family's estate). He's been searching for meaning, for direction, for a way to end his melancholy and black spells that have been increasing since he returned to England after 13 years of spying against France. Maxie (literally) falling into his lap seems like the answer to his problems, or at least a distraction from them.
Maxie doesn't really need a companion, but Robin is so charming and likable, that she can't help but enjoy his company. And it eventually becomes clear that he's an honorable man and will stick out the entire trip with her. He's actually pretty honest with her about who he is, but he allows her to believe that he's lying and that he is a thief or a wanderer, or a con-man, or something, despite his noble behavior.
I really love the dynamics of this book. While there is attraction from the beginning, and passion in the early kisses, there is also respect and caring, even when there's still a small level of distrust/suspicion as to who Robin is and why he is the way he is. But then again, after so many years undercover, true honesty is hard to present. Maxie doesn't have the "missish" hangups of the English upper classes. She respects the more relaxed beliefs of her mother's people. So her behavior toward Robin is reasonable under the circumstances. I love that Robin isn't a stereotypical "tall dark and handsome" hero. He's average height, slightly built, a blond man with a distinctive reddish tint to his facial hair, and on a whole he looks pretty harmless. We soon find out THAT isn't true. :)
I love how they genuinely get to know each other, how they LIKE each other. Unlike a lot of books where the characters fall into "love" for no apparent reason, there's a bond being forged between them that makes sense and is nice to view unfolding. When they finally come together, it is emotionally charged due to Robin's confessions of his past and facing the demons of what he had to do to be an effective spy. Maxie recognizes that even in that Robin is good and honorable. There is a tenderness to their sex, and especially in its aftermath when Robin confides even more.
I love how Maxie, when confronted with the truth of Robin's station in life and his wealth, is angry that he hid it from her more than that he "betrayed" her or some such nonsense. They quickly address their problems and remain friends. There is, of course, some misunderstanding between them, but it stems from caring and fear, not from being TSTL ("Too Stupid To Live" for those of you uninitiated).
I just really liked this book. I ached for Robin, I understood Maxie's hesitance. And I LOVED the sub-romance of Desdemona and Giles. Basically, I just loved the romance of this book. I longed for everyone to be happy, I felt for everyone's insecurities, and I rooted for them all. I even liked Rafe better in this book!
Once again Ms. Putney takes emotional topics (depression, guilt, bigotry and grief) and weaves them into a story about real people with real flaws, real feelings, and real emotions.
Edited to add that while this is still my hands down favorite book by this author, and one of my favorite books period, the editing left something to be desired. TWICE Robin was referred to as a "she" or "her". Considering that this is a re-issue, that is sad. But given how good the rest of the book was? I can live with that.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The characters were all enjoyable, September 10, 2008
This review is from: Angel Rogue (Paperback)
I would have given this a five star if the plot had been a little more meaty. But even with just a plot of Maxima going from point A to point B(London)on foot to solve the mystery of her fathers death, it was very well written. A master spy Lord Robert(the fallen Angel)falls in with Maxima on her journey to London to protect her on the journey. And on this journey the two lonely people begin to find an understanding and a closeness with each other, that leads them eventually to love. Meanwhile they are being pursued by men hired by her Uncle to bring her back so she won't learn the details of her fathers death. Also in pursuit(fearing for the pairs safety)are Maxima's reformer aunt, Desdemona and Lord Roberts older brother, the Marquise, Wolverton, who are also two lonely people that find a romance of their own in their pursuit of the run away couple. I found the characters well drawn and easy to like with a few funny antics thrown in. It is well worth the read.
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