15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Unyielding !!, November 24, 2003
This portrayal, of a dark unreasonable man, torments the reader. I understand Morgan O'Connor had a hard life, but romance must be the paramount purpose in a romance book, and here . . . it is absent.
At a young age, Morgan O'Connor was forced to be his brother's keeper - a brother who rejected life's responsibilities. Lady Elizabeth Stanton, disinherited, has fled England, and come to Boston to accept Nathaniel O'Connor's recent marriage purpose. Discovering the absent Nathaniel deceived her with lies and pretense, Elizabeth must now consider the somber proposal Morgan is offering. Elizabeth does accept the inevitability and hesitantly she surrenders to this dismal man.
Unfortunately, their relationship and, in particular, the sex scenes are forced and nasty leaving this romance lover uncomfortable. One disturbing example: when Morgan angrily confronts Elizabeth with his suspicion of "brotherly sharing", the blameless Elizabeth acts out the role of a "seasoned courtesan". Yup, I'm sure that's one way to convince a man of your innocence?
Samantha James does attempt some tenderness. She gives, Elizabeth and Morgan, one blissful week, in a secluded love cottage. However, this reprieve is short-lived. Upon their return to Boston and the realities of life, Morgan is again dark and irritable, and Elizabeth simply pushes the right buttons to get his displeasure raging. Her naive tactlessness, her obtuse behavior, and their shared ability to jump to the wrong conclusions are relentless.
In the concluding pages, Morgan's understanding slowly arrives, but it is too little, too late. What a shame, for I found the author's writing to be free and easy. It was the storyline that was dreary.
Grace Atkinson, Ontario - Canada.
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A sensual, entertaining tale with a good dose of mystery., September 12, 1999
I enjoyed this story very much. I felt for the heroine, who's been cheated out of her inheritance by her stepmother and lied to by the hero's brother. Morgan had to be the strong one in the family all his life, while his brother shirked responsibility. He marries the heroine to protect her good name, but discovers that he's having feelings for her that are not expected ... or welcome. I found the characters to be multi-dimensional and the author weaves a mystery into the story without slowing it down or interrupting the romantic flow. I think I'll be a Samantha James fan for a long time.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not a Happy Tale, June 10, 2004
Lady Elizabeth Stanton is forced to sail to America after the death of her father in order to escape the "fiance" her stepmother has provided for her. Months before, Lady Elizabeth accepted a marriage proposal from Nathanial O'Connor, an American, and she intends to honor that arrangement. However, upon arrival in Boston, she finds his brother, Morgan, living the life that Nathanial claimed as his own.
Lady Elizabeth and Morgan immediately distrust and dislike each other, however due to a possible scandal, they are forced to marry. Throughout the book, the marriage is strained by distrust and non-communication. Neither Morgan nor Elizabeth ever take the time to learn about each other, and each kept hurting the other in the process.
I did not feel that this couple could ever truly fall in love, and when they discovered, their love it is not believable. I believe the relationship was forced and most women taking the constant abuse from Morgan would have left. This was my first Samatha James novel and I will give her another chance. Hopefully, the other tales will have more romance and love in them.
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