Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful - a must-read!, June 28, 2000
I loved this book from start to finish. Although I've enjoyed other books by Jensen, this - to me -is her best so far. She's created an intriguing, complex and very entertaining heroine in Ailis, and a very attractive, desirable hero in Lord Clane. I was so sorry when this book came to an end: I could have read something twice as long! Ailis, the daughter of a respectable Irish family (respectable for Ireland, that is, not England!), despises Christopher Francis Rhys, the Earl of Clane, because of everything she thinks he stands for. His title may be Irish, but he sits in the British House of Lords; he is a decorated British war hero and a notable member of the English Ton. But he very quickly informs her that he is as Irish as she is - "Naomh in Erin me!" - and Christor, the Irish version of his name which he uses in preference to Christopher, turns out to be as proud of his Irish heritage as she is of hers. Ailis soon begins to develop a sneaking liking for Clane, but her dreams are focused on the Robin Hood-like figure of 'An Cu,' The Hound, the masked man who robs the gentry to give money to the poverty-stricken Irish peasants. But what she doesn't know is that Christor *is* An Cu. This is an engaging, witty and heartwarming romance which I know I'll love to read over and over. What's more, Jensen has really done her research well. Having an Irish husband must help, I'm sure, but the thread of Irish history, society and politics running through is book is very accurate and convincing. Being Irish myself, I was prepared to be critical, but all the details are exactly as I'd hope for; even Jensen's use of the Irish language is accurate and also very well done. She doesn't break the flow of the narrative by translating immediately, but the meaning of the Irish phrase used is always supplied within the next line or two. I really loved this book, and I hope Jensen carries on with her practice of referring to one book's lead characters as minor characters in later books. In this book, for example, Lucas Gower (star of His Grace Endures) has a cameo role because of his letters to Christor. Waiting for Jensen's next book....
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
From hatred to love..., January 4, 2003
A familiar theme in romance, and one that could easily make a novel turn predictable. But Emma Jensen skilfully avoids shortcuts in this delightful book. Ailis O'Neill is a fascinating heroine. The first chapter depicts her as a woman who prefers the company of the animals she paints to that of the high society of Dublin. She's independent and stubborn, a particularly meaningful character trait in a country progressively taken over by the English invader. It's therefore natural that she resents Lord Clane, who, although he's one of her brother's friends, is also a gentleman born in Ireland and now spending his time in London to sit in the House of Lords on the side of the English. Ailis is convinced that Lord Clane has nothing of an Irish man any more, and she's wary of his motives for hanging around her brother Eammon, who intends to run for parliament on behalf of Ireland. Everything seems to keep them apart, and yet Christor Moore, the handsome Lord of Clane, doesn't turn his back on Ailis despite her rudeness towards him. Something makes him want to get past her barriers and show her that he's not the despicable man she thinks he is. She fascinates him, and there's more in his eyes than a passing attraction to a beautiful woman. The hatred between them is tempered by a mutual attraction that forces them to get closer and become friends. Everything would be easy if it wasn't for the existence of An Cu, an Irish highwayman who used to the wealthy nobles of Dublin to redistribute their money to the Irish poor. An Cu recently came back after a months-long absence. Opinions are divided about him -- while many women fantasise about the adventurous hero, many Dubliners would like to see him with a noose around his neck. Ailis is one of An Cu's secret admirers, much to Christor's dismay; as the backcover of the book informs us, the Irish Lord created An Cu years before, and the highwayman who robs the rich nobles is an impostor. It is then time for the real An Cu to come back and set things right. Emma Jensen's writing is witty and delightful; she draws interesting characters and brings them together without unnecessary artifice. Ailis' attraction to An Cu could have been an obstacle to making Christor and Ailis' relationship believable, but it didn't. An Cu is admired from afar for the most part, and Ms Jensen skilfully uses his existence between her heroes as a pivotal element to bring their relationship forward. Another strength of Emma Jensen's writing is the way she makes her readers accompany her characters' change of feelings. If I was hostile towards Christor in the beginning of the book, I discovered his honesty and gentleness along with Ailis, which made the evolution of their relationship even more believable. This is more than just an entertaining novel, and I know I will read it time and again with delight. :)
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loved It!, May 26, 2000
Ms. Emma Jensen has done it again, what an enchanting book. Started and finished it in one day. The heroine Ailis was delightfully stubbon, tremendously talented, and wonderfully romantic. The intrigue built around Lord Clane as the infamous An Cu was well developed and there were some wonderful plot twists and turns. Coming from a celtic background I found the book well researched and very well written, I highly recommend this for any true regency romance fan. Brava, Emma keep 'em coming!
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