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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Spooky!, June 8, 2000
This review is from: Come Near Me (Mass Market Paperback)
The paths of Adam Dagenham, Marquis of Daventry, and Miss Charlotte Victor, cross in an unlikely manner one lovely spring day. Both are smitten with one another, and after a hasty marriage, they settle down to several months of wedded bliss - until a charismatic stranger named Richard Brimley walks into their lives. Brimley seduces them both, then sullies their love by planting the seeds of jealousy in Adam's heart. As the book opens, we see the fruits of his labors, as Adam and Sherry are at one another's throats in a love-hate relationship that painfully contrasts to their love-at-first-sight paradise. By then, Brimley has mysteriously disappeared, but a new, charming character by the name of Edmund Burnell takes his place, and with frighteningly similar actions, he also slowly insinuates himself into Adam's and Sherry's lives. Something about Burnell finally opens Adam's eyes, and what he sees, remembers, and learns further as the story proceeds, is downright scary. When the book starts, Sherry is the one trying to rekindle their relationship; midway through, the tables turn, and it is Adam who struggles to save them both - literally. KM tells this story in three parts: "A Small Society," followed by "A Dangerous Game," and climaxing with "Good and Evil." I enjoyed her writing style, which included introducing each book and each chapter with a literary quote hinting at the contents. She also tells the story by moving back and forth in time between the past and the present, but I was never confused because - and I know this sounds strange, but it works - the typeface for the past is different than that of the present, so that the effect is similar to looking through a lens at a distance. Very ingenious. This book was more than a romantic story; it takes themes of good and evil, and the limits of the power of each, and weaves them into a story about everyday life. I thought KM did a very good job of portraying evil in its various manifestations, and contrasting this with both the strength and the vulnerability of innocence. I was spooked a little at how well she wrote the concept! There were some twists to the ending that I didn't see coming. My only criticism revolved around Sherry's character, which was portrayed as so perfect that at times she seemed shallow. But overall, I found this to be a delightfully different story, and one I'm happy to recommend.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A fantastical story that is one of a kind., September 12, 2005
This review is from: Come Near Me (Mass Market Paperback)
After reading some of the reviews here on amazon about this book, I wasn't sure that I wanted to read this. But I'm glad that I went ahead and requested it from my library. However, I'm not sure how to put what I feel about this book into words.
First of all, it was weird. The story line was odd for an historical romance. Almost paranormal. The fact that Adam and Sherry, (the h/h of the story) fell in love in less than 24 hours and were married within a week seemed unreal to me for the time period. Still it intrigued me to read a romance that was pure fairytale, complete with the Devil and everything. The writing is beautiful, and I found myself smiling when the story went back in time to when they first met. Then frowning at how their love for each other had deteriorated when it reverted back to the present.
One thing that I haven't read in the other reviews is how important the character of Chollie is. Chollie is the Irish friend of Adam and Sherry. This character added a lot of comic relief for an otherwise solemn story. I'll add a couple of things that made me laugh about this character:
Chollie swore that all Irish were born mad as fire to be alive and therefore spent their lives looking for someone to punch, that's why he became a boxer.
"Being born is a calamity, marriage an anticlimax, and death looms ahead as a happy release."
So, this story is not only fire and brimstone, hatred and betrayal. It has lots of lovely moments and the way that Sherry and Adam met is beyond original. This is truly a one of a kind story that will stay with you long after you have put it down.
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8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Winner!, February 24, 2000
This review is from: Come Near Me (Mass Market Paperback)
Since this is my first time in writing a review for a book.....bear with me. I absolutely loved this book...for the writing, the story, the hero/heroine relationship, and, most definitely, the concept. Wonderful story of good vs evil, literally. And to say anymore along those lines, would give away the plot. This was definitely an original for me, and made my keeper shelf and one of my best books for 2000. I'm not kidding when I say that COME NEAR ME was the first book that I can remember literally not being able to put down....I found myself walking around the house, reading. Hung onto every word. A bit dark/grim...maybe a bit controversial, but for me, those were the high points. Please, give it a try!
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