Lily [Paperback]

Patricia Gaffney (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1996

Born a lady, Lily Trehearne now lives a life of backbreaking drudgery, poverty, and complete obedience to the lord of Darkstone Manor, but despite her despair, she discovers tempestuous passion in his arms, while he learns of her deep, dark secrets. Original.

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Leisure Books (Mm) (April 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 084393946X
• ISBN-13: 978-0843939460
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,314,888 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Patricia Gaffney began her writing career with the publication of Sweet Treason, a historical romance set in revolutionary Scotland. Eleven romance novels later, she tried something different--The Saving Graces, a story of women's friendships, that ended up spending 17 weeks on the New York Times Bestsellers List.

Circle of Three, Flight Lessons, and The Goodbye Summer followed, all bestsellers that established Gaffney as a premier mainstream fiction writer.

Her new book is Mad Dash, the story of a happy marriage in trouble. It's due out in Spring 2008.

Gaffney, who lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, is currently at work on a novel about a man who changes his life when he finds out he's dying--then finds out he isn't. Working title: On Second Thought.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Really Fine Story, Brooding and Romantic, August 18, 2000

By 

Jack Darcy - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lily (Mass Market Paperback)

When Lily escapes the plans of her lunatic family to marry her off to an emotionally stunted theology student, she grabs the first chance she can think of and hires herself out as a housemaid, ending up in the lonely, brooding Cornish end of the world, with a dashing, mourning Lord drinking too much and a house manager straight out of "Rebecca" to break her spirit. This is a different sort of romance novel. The writer is comfortable with dark themes, and the supporting characters are more than mere caricatures. It put me in mind of Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre, although, of course, it didn't come close to those masterpieces. Still. An awfully good read. I lent this to a friend of mine, and I've not gotten it back because she keeps re-reading it.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Patricia Gaffney does it again!, July 18, 2002

By 

L. G. Schilling "gigibookworm" (SPRING HILL, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lily (Mass Market Paperback)

Lily is one of Patricia Gaffney's first books not that you could tell. It is as original and as well-written as any of her later efforts. It is, however, in the style of those eighties and early nineties romances. What I mean by this is that it is melodramatic and sometimes a little over the top with an ever-suffering heroine and a dark tormented sometimes cruel hero. But never fear Gaffney makes that tired formula work and does so brilliantly.

Lily has been orphaned and left at the mercy of an uncle who's a religious fanatic. This uncle claims Lily must marry his son (equally fanatic) because of a religious vision he's had. Lily refuses and an altercation ensues where the uncle ends up bleeding and unconcious. Thinking she's killed him Lily flees and eventually ends up at Darkstone Manor working as a maid. Devon Darkwell is the lord and master of this manor. Devon is a dark extremely tortured hero with a painful past. Because of this he can't trust and is seemingly incapable of love until he lays eyes on Lily. He eventually seduces her and ends up getting more than he bargained for because sweet, innocent Lily somehow finds her way into his black heart. What's a dark, tortured hero to do when faced with the horrible prospect of falling in love? Well, fight back, of course. He puts poor Lily through all kinds of hell before the requisite HEA ending.

I gobbled up this book in one sitting, I couldn't put it down. It is a great read. There lots of cliches but like I said in the hands of this brilliant author it works and wonderfully. Give this book a try, you will not regret it. :)

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WORTH READING, August 9, 1999

By 

Leticia Y. Lopez - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lily (Paperback)

I read a lot of romance books...a lot. As a classical Literature major in college, however, I have come to demand quality in the books that I read. I am tired of characters that fall in love with a lustful glance, or dialog that make the hero/heroine seem ingenuine, false, and complete idiots. I want real people -- compelling storylines, and writing that leaves me riveted and craving more. Not many authors can do this, but Patricia Gaffney can. "Lily" kept me riveted to the very end. The characters were well sketched out and thier dialog was emotional and believable. The story was great (although I might have written the ending a little differently). I won't bore you with a synopsis, but this book was one the best reads I had this summer. Buy this book -- you won't regret it.