Customer Reviews

Forever His

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. However, I almost didn't buy it because of the 1 star review. After reading the book I felt compelled to add a review that corrects the error in that review. The hero did not cheat on his bride - the heroine does suspect him but towards the end of the book all is made clear. I am glad I gave this book a chance and wanted to ensure that other potential readers were not put off.

Since I read Diana Gabaldon's fabulous novel, Outlander, a couple of years ago, I have always been on the lookout for intriguing time travel romances. So, when I happened upon a review of this book, my interest was instantly piqued. Because it is out of print--which is very odd for such a wonderful novel--I immediately purchased a copy online.

I cannot think of a better way I could have spent $7, shipping and all.

Celine Fontaine finds herself at her family's French chateau on New Year's Eve, 1993. Early into the story we learn that she has suffered some traumatic event; and, as a result, she will die in only a few months if she does not undergo a risky surgical procedure. Unable to sustain a facade of false cheerfulness for the remainder of the evening, Celine slips away from the party before the clock strikes midnight. And she trails through the halls of the chateau, glancing at the letters craved above every door way: an entwined G and R. She assumes the letters stand for Sir Gaston de Varennes, the original owner of the chateau, and his wife, Lady Rosalind or "Lady R." Once in her room, she changes into a scanty bit of French lingerie called a teddy and begins rummaging in her pink purse for an aspirin. But at that moment the clock strikes midnight and a shaft of moonlight streaks into her window. It falls upon Celine and suddenly she feels herself collapsing toward the floor. Then--darkness.
She awakes in a pitch-black room which she believes is her own until she feels a strong male arm wrapped around her waist. She squeaks and scrambles out of the bed, convinced that this man beside her is some sort of intruder. The man is, of course, Sir Gaston de Varennes; and the year? 1300. The ensuing scene is wonderful and tense, and the tension only mounts once Gaston mistakenly identifies Celine as Christiane: the ward of his arch rival. And his intended bride-to-be.
Gaston has already vowed not to consummate the marriage since he was against it from the first. Indeed, his original plan was to marry Lady Rosalind so that he might regain a portion of the lands he lost when his father and brother were slain in a tourney. Gaston suspects Tourelle planned their deaths.
That is, essentially, the crux of the plot. I see that a previous reviewer referred to Gaston as "overbearing, rude, and self-centered." Well, in truth--he is all of the three and neither of the three. When we first met Gaston, he is an arrogant, overconfident young man who has the world at his feet. Yet, he has lost his father and brother and lands, something he blames himself for because he was not present at the tourney. He is also, like a typical French man, a great lover of women; he apologies to Celine before he discovers her "true" identity because he fears he may have hurt her when they were in bed together. So our initial glimpse of Gaston is a positive one in which he is portrayed as suave and charming. That is, until he believes Celine to be Christiane.
At once, we see a different side. He does cool considerably toward her, and he is downright rude at first, but we soon learn it is merely a means to shield himself from the intense longing he feels for Celine. A woman has never affected him as has she.
In time we see the true Gaston: a man prone to authoritativeness and pride, yet also tenderness, fierce loyalty, and honor.

Now, there is one other point I should note--Gaston NEVER cheated on Celine--he only led her to believe he did (and the reason for this is eventually revealed).

In short, I loved, loved, loved, every minute of this tale, even the rather outlandish ending. When you begin praying for the characters, you know the novel is a keeper. Celine and Gaston embark on a series of medieval adventures, and Celine finds herself encountering what can only be described as a "hands-on" experience of the middle ages. I cannot believe I had not heard of this title sooner! It is a gem of a novel, and I do not understand why it is out of print. Snatch a copy of it while you still can--I assure you you will not be disappointed.

I have been looking for this book for a long time and finally found it via Amazon. The book:
A love for all time...

She is Celine Fontaine, the American darling of the venerable Fontaine family, celebrating the New Year at the family's ancestral French chateau. As the clock strikes midnight, Celine is alone in her bedroom, barely aware of a lunar eclipse, until she is blinded by a sudden light and loses consciousness. She awakens to total darkness--in bed with a naked stranger--and a world that is not her own...

The man who shares Celine's bed is Sir Gaston de Varennes and the year is 1300. Gaston believes that the beautiful redhead is Christiane de la Fontaine, whom the King has decreed he marry in order to end a generation of bitter feuding. Yet despite his resolve to shun her, Gaston finds Celine irresistible. Overwhelmed by passion, they dare to steal the magic moments that may be all too brief--to surrender to desires that promise forever...and a love that spans the centuries.

This is a great love story that I really enjoy reading over and over. The other review that listed Gaston as unfaithful, it's not true because he didn't sleep with any other women after being married. In the book, Gaston lets Celine believe the worst of him and think he is unfaithful, but he never touched another woman. It'll be a shame to pass this book because of that review.

I don't know what the person that gave this book 1 star was reading but it wasn't the same one I read. Gaston told Celine that he hadn't been with ANYONE since they'd first met. How was that missed?

Gaston was the perfect hero: cold and unfeeling and harsh to Celine while slowly changing his attitude and feelings for her. It couldn't have been more perfect. At no time during the reading of this book did I say to myself, "Now why did he do that or say that."

For all you romance and time travel readers just ignore that 1 star and trust me when I tell you that you will love this book.

The author was incredible in her perfect love scenes. I wish I could find a love like that, the depth was amazing.

the one star reviewer couldn't have read the book. ignore her review, thankfully i did. great book, great plot, great characters and character development. couldn't put it down and didn't want it to end.

I really enjoyed this story. OK, Gaston was a bit over the top, but his rival really was trying to kill him, Celine just didn't know that. The one little criticism I have is that it was stretching my suspension of disbelief to have Celine have had so many careers in such a short time and been a smashing success at all of them. I would like to read stories about heroines who are a little more ordinary and don't necessarily come from a celebrated wealthy family of over achievers who all look like super models. It seems a little lazy to me. An every day, cute nice girl who can really cook and is very clever would have made the story better for me. Otherwise, it's just tough to relate. Over all though, I liked it and I really loved the resolution. Also, the hero and heroine actually joked with each other, like real human beings. Nicely done.

Forever His is my all time favorite romance novel!I've had it for about 5 years now, and I read it at least 2 times a year... I'm reading it again right now. It's my most precious book!

From the back cover:

A love for all time...

She is Celine Fontaine, the American darling of the venerable Fontaine family, celebrating the New Year at the family's ancestral French chateau. As the clock strikes midnight, Celine is alone in her bedroom, barely aware of a lunar eclipse, until she is blinded by a sudden light and loses consciousness. She awakens to total darkness--in bed with a naked stranger--and a world that is not her own...

The man who shares Celine's bed is Sir Gaston de Varennes and the year is 1300. Gaston believes that the beautiful redhead is Christiane de la Fontaine, whom the King has decreed he marry in order to end a generation of bitter feuding. Yet despite his resolve to shun her, Gaston finds Celine irresistible. Overwhelmed by passion, they dare to steal the magic moments that may be all too brief--to surrender to desires that promise forever...and a love that spans the centuries.

And my review:

I have a love/hate relationship with this author's books. Several of her books (His Forbidden Touch, A Stranger's Kiss (An Avon Romantic Treasure), Hearts Run Wild and Into the Sunset have a treasured place on my keeper shelves. I have been eagerly searching out all of her works.

However, several of her books have been wallbangers for me. While she is a remarkable skilled author, she sometimes choses to create horrible characters for her stories. Such was the case with the hero of this novel.

I hated him. He was overbearing, rude, and self-centered. Now, I tried to get past this, as it is accurate considering that time period this book is set in. But when he starts sleeping around on his wife (the heroine), I had enough. The first time, he's unable to complete the act. But that doesn't last long. Soon he's taking numerous women to his bed. The fact that he wants his wife more than anything (but won't bed her because she is the relative of his enemy and he wants to be able to annul the marriage) doesn't make it okay to me. Adultery is adultery. It's not romantic. How can I cheer for the heroine to be with a man who doesn't keep his word? How am I supposed to believe that once they are in love, he will remain faithful to her for the rest of their lives? Will he stray when she's recovering from childbirth, because of his "needs"? What about when she's ill? Or they've fought. Ugh.

A cheating hero is not a hero to me. I wanted the heroine (who was a marvelous person) to find someone who deserved her. An adulterous husband doesn't qualify.

I'm so disappointed because I know this author can write books that bring tears to my eyes. Why did she waste her talent on unlikeable characters? Try one of the books I listed above. Now those were romances with characters you could fall in love with.