Customer Reviews

The Shadowing (Candleglow)

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

 

 

Castle MacCairn, Scotland

In the year 1425 a priest who has freely confessed to practicing the dark arts is burned to death. As the pyre is lit, he places a terrible curse on Aonghas MacCairn and his descendants. So long as a MacCairn lives, madness will be their destiny.

In the year 1851 Ruairdh MacCairn is a man teetering on the edge of madness. The last of Aonghas' line, Ruairdh is determined that the curse will finally die out with him. However, as laird of his clan he must ensure their economic survival after he is taken by the Shadowing. Even if it means selling his family's castle.

Anne Garthwicke and her father have come to Castle MacCairn to authenticate the keep and its contents. Shortly after her arrival, she finds herself clashing with the brooding laird by day even as her dreams are filled with passionate trysts with him by night. When tragedy strikes, Anne and Ruairdh are drawn closer together, but the Shadowing is waiting to claim the last of the MacCairns.

THE SHADOWING is a gothic treat not to be missed! Classic elements of the genre are interwoven with a supernatural twist that will keep readers on their toes. The interaction between Ruairdh and Anne evolves from acrimonious to tender. Ruairdh is a haunted man who believes his soul is lost. His duty to his clan is the one thing that has kept him from succumbing to the family curse. Falling in love with Anne is a bittersweet reminder of what he can never have. His heroine, however, is no frail English flower. Anne comes across as a strong, resilient woman; she's had to be living with her embittered father. When Anne discovers Ruairdh's secret, she will stop at nothing to save the man she loves.

Joan Overfield displays a masterful touch with this poignant tale. Though THE SHADOWING is her first gothic, I'm hoping it won't be her last!

P.S. By the way, forget the "cartoon" covers so prevalent in romance fiction today, THE SHADOWING has one of the best covers I've ever seen.

TheSchemer

This book was good but I felt that the author did not take advantage and follow through with all of the plot lines that were introduced. There was so much that could have been better explained sooner in the book such as the concept of "the shadowing", the importance of the aromory, and the character Beecham. Otherwise the book was good. The things that I mentioned did not deter terribly from the story it would have just made it in my opinion a 5* book instead.

The love story between Anne and Ruairdh is strong and believable. Gothic in nature with plenty of mystery and pain as well as the brooding dark handsome hero kept me reading.

I finished "The Shadowing" with mixed feelings. On the one hand this was not one of Ms Overfield's better works -- as a previous reviewer has already noted it seemed as if several plot-lines were allowed to fall by the wayside in favour of more explicit bedroom scenes. From the manner in which the novel started and progressed for the first few chapters, I expected either reincarnation or psychic empathy to figure prominently in the novel, thereby explaining Anne's intuitive feelings about the castle and the strange goings on within it. But this was never really explored, and I felt as if the novel suffered a little because of this. Another plotline that was also not satisfactorily developed was the one involving the magistrate, Mr. Beechton. Ms Overfield does provide us with a reason behind Beechton's antagonism towards the laird, Ruairdh MacCairn, but it is more of an afterthought and a tying up of loose ends, rather than an incorporating of the explanation more fully into the story. And again, I felt as if the novel suffered a little because of this. This novel didn't really unfold all that smoothly either, and it really took a while for the attempt-to-break-the-curse bit of the novel to kick into high gear. (Another detraction is that the character of Ruiardh MacCairn is never really developed properly, and all we ever 'see' of this character is that he is bad tempered and sex starved. Understandable perhaps, but it really made me feel as if he was not entirely worthy of someone like Anne.) Over and over again, Anne keeps asking Ruiardh to explain what's going on, but he keeps putting her off, preferring to bed her instead. I felt like screaming with exasperation! Perhaps Anne should have withheld her body until he told her everything. And yet this novel also possesses a very strong and empathic heroine in Anne Garthwicke. I liked this character so much that, truth to tell, I forgot much of the 'flaws' about "The Shadowing" and only remembered them when a friend asked if I thought she should buy the book. So all in all, I'd say that "The Shadowing" is a rather fun read. It has some shortcomings but the heroine, Anne Garthwicke, made me forget every single one of them.

Don't be put off by the shallow advertising copy, this romance has unexpected depths. When Annie Garthwicke comes to Castle MacCain she doesn't expect to meet her destiny -- just to help her father.

What makes this romance unusual is the richness of the evil and the buildup of the real tension in the story. Because it is a romance you know how it will end -- but if were any other genre, there would be considerable doubt if the hero survives!

The only negatives I find is that it has tantalizing loose ends. Why does Annie "know" this place? What is it specifically about the villian that links him to the item-of-power (I'm not going to spoil it for readers)? I suspect that editors ask her to dump plot insights for more descriptions of sex, and more sex, and even more sex. Her characters deserve time to have more depth, and she needs a better cover.

But The Shadowing is worth keeping on my shelf.

In 1851 Anne Garthwicke accompanies her father to Castle MacCairn in Scotland so they can examine, appraise, and catalogue the edifice's contents. Anne's first reaction to the foreboding castle is a combination of déjà vu with a strong sense of evil and power.

When Anne meets the owner Ruairdh MacCairn, she feels empathy and more misfortune. Ruairdh wants to sell the castle so that he can use the money to help his tenants before the four centuries old curse placed on his family by a monk disables and ultimately kills him. Though they avoid each other, Anne and Ruairdh feel strongly attracted to one another. As Ruairdh steps closer to insanity, Anne becomes his last thread of normalcy as love blossoms between them.

Regency author Joan Overfield provides readers with an exciting gothic romance that includes a foreboding castle, a brooding hero, an innocent woman, and a nasty curse. The lead couple makes the tale interesting as well as fun because readers will empathize with both of them. Ruairdh's last grasp is his love for Anne while she struggles with mourning the death of her father and helplessly observing her beloved going insane. Gothic romance readers will thrill to THE SHADOWING.

Harriet Klausner

"Shadowing" by Joan Overfield is a gothic which tells the story of a man, the last of his line, who is living with curse that has been passed down the line for about 400 years. It takes the love a special lady to lift the shadows from his soul. He's not the only one who benefits though, she's been living with her own sort of curse in the form of a demanding, cantankerous father who treats her like dirt.

This was an interesting, engrossing read and fresh in a gothic sorta way.

The Shadowing is a spooky gothic novel full of paranormal activity and quite frankly a truly evil ghostly spirit. I liked this novel more for the characters than for the plot which was a bit convoluted.

Anne Garthwicke and her father are in Scottish Castle MacCairn to authenticate a medieval selection of swords. The owner of the castle enigmatic Ruairdh MacCairn is at first hostile to Anne's presence but she is needed as her father is practically blind and totally dependent on her. Anne's father is not a sympathetic character and his treatment of Anne was dismissive and demeaning.

Ruairdh is suffering under a terrible curse uttered hundreds of years ago by a demented monk. The men in his family all suffer from a form of madness before they perish and Ruairdh feels his time is quite limited, that soon he will be so insane he will need to be locked into the tower as his father was before he died.

Ruairdh is attracted to Anne as soon as he meets her but he knows his days are numbered in weeks and he truly feels he cannot have a future with her. He is unaccountably rude to her at first and Anne is astounded at his comments. She knows though she must stay and help her father.

Anne has several strange incidents happen at the castle. She knows there is a mystery there as the servants speak in hushed tones of the coming Shadowing. Anne even has frightening experiences with a man who means her real harm. She is intrigued by Ruairdh and they have such an affinity and they find themselves in each others arms more than expected.

The characters in this book are good. Ruairdh is likeable and nobly minded; his care for Anne is indicative of his nature, he wants to protect and cherish her. He has a bit of a temper and his hopeless feelings for his future are written with emotion. Anne is a stronger character in many ways because of her optimistic and determined nature. She is a fighter through and through and she not only believes in her own problem solving abilities, she believes in Ruairdh too.

What is lacking here is the storyline. It is dark and honestly a little weird. There were times I was confused because the author has people appear to be in two different places at the same time. I wasn't sure if it was a ghost Anne was seeing or a real person. This is an entertaining romance thanks to the leads but one I probably will not read again.

THE SHADOWING is all a reader could want in a Gothic romance and more. Of course, I LOVE "woo-woo" (better known as paranormal <g>) stories, and this is one of the best, IMO.

Strong characterization, believable and sympathetic characters, a fresh and original storyline, all kept me reading at break-neck speed.

Thank you for a wonderful book, Ms. Overfield. Write on!!

This was a quick read for me. I was able to finish it in one setting. The plot line is dark and mysterious and kept me guessing. I found the characters to be fairly well developed but I would have liked to have the "Shadowing" explained in a bit more detail. It was a bit weak in that respect. The love scenes were wonderfully written. I enjoyed the struggle that both main characters had to go through to finally find happiness.

I would like to read more from this author in this same style. Great cover art as well. It's what first drew me to the book.

I really liked this book. If you're a gothic romance fan like me you'll want to read this late at night snuggled under the covers with just a book light on. I thought it was well balanced with just enough love scenes and suspense to make a really good story. The hunk on the cover doesn't hurt either!!