Customer Reviews

Forever My Love

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

 

 

This novel will make you believe that true love really can conquer all. Set in the Highlands of Scotland, mid-to-late 1400s, the novel features a classic Romeo-Juliet pair of lovers. Mary Carmichael, headstrong daughter of the Clan Carmichael chief, is bound by an ancient legend to fall for the rugged enemy, Hunter MacBeth. These two resist their families, fortunes, curses of legend, and sometimes even each other to find their happiness in each other's arms. Rebecca Brandewyne portrays her characters so vividly that when the actual steamy lovescenes arrive I felt as if I was in the novel (and who wouldn't want to be!). Brandewyne does a sensational job of evening out all the plot twists and turns, and keeping the reader enthralled as to what the final outcome will be. This is an excellent choice if you adore passion,obsctacles,history, and a dash of the supernatural. Thank you for taking the time to read my review, and I hope you enjoy the book.

This romance novel is a powerhouse of action, hate, love, and sex... mixed in with some tragedy too; a very "angsty" saga that takes place over a period of ten years. I first read it around 1985 or so and I never forgot it, and luckily it remained on my bookshelf. The absorbing plot has everything you want in a romance novel, the author grabs you instantly with her tale of the two warring Scottish clans with years & years of hatred between them. It's a Romeo-Juliet love story (which is heavily sensual); there are evil subcharacters who come between the lovers; periods of betrayal and reconciliation, and, as a nice bonus, a secondary romance for the hero's foster brother!

For me this book was a full, fantastic read, and I always thought this book was the author's best. I highly recommend it for romance readers who want something totally different; something totally out-of-the-box, from what is being publishing today.

August 21, 1999 I have just started to read this book for at least the tenth time. I never tire of it even though I know the storyline so well. Mary Carmichael and Hunter MacBeth's love beats all the rocks and stones that are put in their path. True love wins out! Yea!!

One of my pet peeves!!! I picked up this book because I enjoyed Rose of Rapture. I knew on page 2 that I would not finish this book. Ms. Brandewynne insisted on trying to educate us as to how the Scot speak! Would she do that if the book was set in China??? Maybe because English is not my first language but I find this distracting and throroughly annoying.

"Echoing across the stormy waters of Loch Ness came a gypsy's haunting curse, foretelling a forbidden passion that would drench the Scottish crags with blood."

Mary Carmichael and Hunter MacBeth find themselves caught in the midst of a feud between their two families that has lasted generations. Drawn to each other despite their mutual hatred, Hunter eventually seizes his chance and kidnaps Mary but his plans of rape turn into something else entirely. Mary is eventually returned to her family, branded as a *whore* and almost banished unless someone from the clan will step forward. Will it be the gentle hearted Edward or his badder than bad half-brother Hugh? Or will she be able to escape to Hunter's loving arms?

Yes, there is definitely a whooooole lot more to the story than that but there is just no way I am going to be able to recap it properly, plus I have other things to do today. Let's just say this was one hell of a roller-coaster ride with a Romeo and Juliet pair of star-crossed lovers who love each other like no one has before them. Mary and Hunter face hardship and suffering, misunderstandings and separations, murder and mayhem, rape and madness and a stormed castle or two as they battle the baddies among their own clans to keep their love alive and solve the riddle of the gypsy curse. Or is the curse something else entirely? Will it finally solve the mystery of how it all began and thus bring peace to the rival clans?

"Minutes later Mary knew to whom the grave outside belonged and knew too, the answer to the puzzle of the legend's curse."

"...for love is the answer to the puzzle of the curse of the legend."

And you won't know what that means until the very very end. This is a classic example of your *old school* bodice ripper and is not going to appeal to every reader. And yes, since this is a romance there is plenty of sex between the two, although not as bad as some I've seen and thankfully no sightings of nether lips or volcanos of honey. Whew! All in all jolly good fun with plenty of action, loving and laughter (lol at Hunter and Cadman's efforts to sneak in to see the king) and recommended for lovers of big fat historical romances. Four stars.

I loved this book.....it was very deep!!! One of the best romance novels I've ever read!!!!

This book made me laugh and made me cry, but most of all it made me long for a Hunter McBeth of my very own. The story held on to my very heart and I couldn't put it down until I was finished with the very last page...then I just wanted to read it all over again.

I understand the few low reviews on this book are trying to make a point, but I think they are unfair to both the author and the romance. Read on for the real scope.

I read Rebecca Brandewyne's historical romance for her ability to sweep me away to another time and place and to create a world I feel a part of...and for her wonderful stories of a love that overcomes great obstacles to endure. Forever My Love does all that, but there are some disturbing elements with this one that I feel constrained to point out to fellow readers and fans. Notwithstanding all that, if you don't mind the issues I discuss, I can recommend this as a captivating Scottish historical romance with a sweet ending.

An old woman's curse upon two families is lived out in this story of Scotland in the 15th century. The ancient tale was told of three castles on Loch Ness (we are given a map) and of bonnie Anne MacBeth of Glenkirk who was taken captive by the Carmichaels of Bailekair (and Dundereen) and never returned. The MacBeths stormed the castle of Bailekair to get her back, but they were defeated and left in shame. The old woman had raised the girl and her curse predicted the coming of the Devil's own spawn (a MacBeth, our hero) and the daughter of the lion, a "golden tigress" (a Carmichael, our heroine), the latter who would bring much suffering and death. The old woman essentially foretells that what the Carmichaels wrought will be brought down on their own heads. All this in the first 20 pages! Sooooo, we begin with the prediction of a lot of bad stuff. I suppose we should not be surprised then when all the bad stuff happens. And, it does--for 500+ pages. (She gives you your money's worth!)

Hunter MacBeth is a handsome rogue and warrior who had a gypsy mother who disappears at his birth causing his father to take his own life. For some reason we are not told, Hunter has the "accursed" Carmichael eyes (purple). When he comes upon the beautiful Mary Carmichael, the only daughter of the Lion of Bailekair, Hunter mistakes her for a whore and tries to buy her favors. Mary, insulted, strikes out with her own insults and then knocks him out with a rock. Realizing she is a Carmichael, Hunter vows to have his revenge and finds it when they both end up at King James' court. At first Hunter's only desire in taking Mary is to ruin and shame her, and he does that (it seems all the Highlanders in this book who take women intend rape; perhaps it was historically the done thing); but once Hunter has her, he realizes he loves the proud, courageous beauty. And she loves him. Ah, but you know it won't be that easy. The story goes on for hundreds of pages as one tragedy after another happens, they are continually separated, and the blood of both clans flows freely.

Brandewyne does a great job of weaving a complex tale and her characters are so real and the villains so evil, you will find your emotions reeling. There was a point, midway through the story when I found their many trials wearying, and both Hunter and Mary got on my nerves, but the ending was sweet. I did find it hard to believe she would think Hunter could leave his monogrammed dirk in the back of someone he supposedly murdered. (He was nae a fool, as they say.) And I found it hard to believe Hunter could be as cruel as he was at one point. But perhaps Brandewyne intended we think badly of them.

This romance takes some endurance, as much happens and the main characters travel to Western and Eastern Europe of the day, but like so many of her stories, the end is worth the patience it takes to get there. It is well written--an intricately woven story of first love, betrayal, heartbreak, unrequited love, loss of innocence and childhood dreams, and finally, enduring love. The reviews that say there is a lot of brutality and rape are correct, but it does seem to fit the tale. I can only say you will not be bored. For those Brandewyne fans who are not dismayed by the issues I have raised, you will find the story worth the read.

The continuous rape of women and the overall disgusting behaviour of the men of this story sickened me. I had to skip pages to avoid feeling sick to my stomach...and then I still felt nauseous anyway. Was rape universally accepted as the author led me to believe it to be? I felt the author went way over the top. This author wrote an intriguing story hence the 3 stars.

However, I wish a single reviewer had forewarned me about the rapes. I would have chosen to skip this story.

I bought this book because the reviews are so good. I don't know how good the book is but half way through the book, the girl is forcefully kissed, fondled, grabbed, swung around by all the men around her. And then she was raped. I have read books that include attempted rape scenes and frankly, I despise those book. But this book brings my hatred to a whole new level, because she was R.A.P.E.D, not almost, but really was raped, and brutally so. I don't know why people think it's a good book, I can't even bring myself pass the rape scene.