Customer Reviews

Star Keeper

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

 

 

In 1777, Pennsylvania is a divided colony between loyalty to the crown and backers of the revolutionaries. Annette Carey gains a first hand taste of what being on the wrong side means. Friends and neighbors accuse Annette and her father of treason as they remain supporters of the crown. The mob tars and feathers her father, and burns their home to the ground. Annette vows to never trust anyone ever again.

The British navy and merchants hate John Patrick Sutherland, the Star Rider, for his successful raids and forays on their ships. During a battle near Philadelphia, John is severely wounded. His first mate takes him to his half-brother, Dr. Noel Marsh, a royalist. After providing treatment, Noel escorts John to the Carey home, a place where Annette runs a hospital. Noel lies to the loyalist by stating his patient is a British officer. As John and Annette fall in love, he hates himself for lying to her. When she learns the truth, she will probably never forgive his deception.

When a historical romance receives the Potter treatment, readers know that the story line is pure action and excitement, and the characters are wonderful. STAR KEEPER gets the full Potter treatment as the plot never lets up from beginning to end. It also leaves readers with a taste of the division in the American colonies during the Revolutionary War era. John's inner turmoil feels so real, the audience will want to both throttle and hug him. The secondary cast brings the era into further perspective. Pat Potter shows her star status with another keeper.

Harriet Klausner

A wonderul book with complex characters and an uncommon setting. The revolutionary war has been somewhat neglected by historical authors and I hope this book will pique interest in this turbulent era. Of course, Star Keeper sets a high standard and readers will not settle for less.

A most excellent read, this Revolutionary romance was special and unique in the time period and setting. I love historic American romances and it's such a neglected era! Potter did an excellent job with the intricate and often-complex details surrounding the war and gave an authenticity to the main characters and their roles in it.

Annette is a sweet, calm gray-eyed Tory with a reason to be loyal to the crown... rebels tore into her home and tortured her father and destroyed everything she held dear. Since then, she has committed her life to caring for injured British soldiers. When John Gunn is brought into her care, she finds a kindred spirit in him and feels she is starting to trust again... as they have both suffered in similar ways.

John Patrick is a pirate with a vendetta against the British, who once whipped him into forced service. Now he loyally represents the American's in their fight for independence. However, he finds himself in enemy territory when he is injured in a gruesome battle and has no choice but to turn to his Tory brother for help... who places him in the safest place possible... right under the enemy's nose in a British care-center. Annette's to be exact!

Sparks fly between the two as they get to know each other, build a friendship and discover they desire each other... however, John Patrick knows if Annette discovers his secret she would hate him forever. Thus is the tale of these two star-crossed lovers!! SIGHS!! Very highly recommended.

I really liked Star Keeper's first half. It was exciting and suspenseful but the last half dragged. The action slowed considerably and the heroine's anger became tiresome.

Captain John Sutherland is an injured colonist during the early days of the revolutionary war. His ship has been attacked by the British and many of his men have been captured. With the help of his loyal first mate, he manages to make it to the outskirts of Philadelphia. John has a Tory brother who is a physician in the city and his brother does indeed come to his rescue. To recuperate, he is placed in a home turned into a British hospital and given the identity of a British Officer.

Annette Cary became a staunch Tory after her father was tarred and feathered by Colonists. She and her aunt run the make shift British hospital from her aunt's home. She has no idea that the newest patient, John, is really a wanted man by the British. She is attracted to John, who goes by the name of John Gunn, from Scotland. The two have an innocent romance but John hates the fact that he is lying to sweet Annette.

Eventually his identity is found out and he takes an unwilling Annette and her father with him to his home in Maryland so she will not implicate his brother. Here the story slows significantly. Annette is thoroughly outraged at being taken from her home and for being duped. She is outright rude to his family and searches for ways to leave his Maryland home so she can go back to Philadelphia.

Annette's anger never seems to wane. She can hold a grudge but not only that she let's her pride get in the way of smart decision making. Her inner dialogue is filled with confusing thoughts about her loving John and hating him too. She is loyal to the British because of her father's treatment by the colonists and has a tendency to judge all colonists through this lens. John at first had the same prejudice against Tories but he came to the conclusion earlier in the novel that there are good people on both sides of this conflict. It takes Annette much longer to have this epiphany. Annette also had unrealistic views of war. She seemed genuinely surprised that John would be actively involved in the colonist's rebellion after he returned home to Maryland. This was a man who truly believed in the American cause of freedom.

This novel's beginning chapters were so tense filled that I stayed up late into the night reading. John's subterfuge was bound to be discovered and I never knew how Annette would find out. But the latter half of the story just focused on Annette trying to get over her hatred of John and this held my interest for only a few chapters.

This is the first romance I have really enjoyed for some time. I'm so glad I found it nestled on the bookstore shelf!

Annette Carey is a sweet, loving "Tory" who stands for the Brits during the Revolutionary War. She has good reason- the American Rebels attacked her, her home and her father... leaving them all badly injured in various ways.

John Patrick is basically a rebel pirate who smuggles weapons for General Washington. He ends up in the care of Annette, under the guise of being an injured soldier on her side.

Watching the two characters battle their inner wills and each other was a lot of fun. I was also amazed at the details Potter put into certain scenes- especially the prison escape! Wow!

The characters were believable and so were their changing perspectives.

If I had any complaint it would definitely be that Annette's anger/ defiance seemed like at some point it had gone on too long. Sometimes I forgot why she was upset. Her inner monologue seemed more pressed not to give into pride than any actual feeling of betrayal. It would have made more sense if she were truly phobic of rebels or if perhaps their love had been deeper before the betrayal.

PS. If you haven't read "Relentless" by Potter- that one is a MUST. It is still my all time favorite by this writer.

A great book, very enhanced by reading "starfinder" first. This one is about the step brothers noel and john andis a wonderful book of family values, loyalty, friendship and choice. Would have been a 5 but the "heroine" whined about her situation a bit much. Noel and john made up for it big time......enjoy.

I loved this book. I read it in two days. The American Revolution made for an exciting background to the plot. Both characters are charming and likeable. So often in romance novels, one of the characters is not very nice. You love both of these people. The story moves very quickly, the plot is very exciting, and the ending is wonderful!

I've long been a fan of Patricia Potter's books for the way she puts heartbreakingly flawed characters into settings and situations that turn them into true heros and heroines. STAR KEEPER is no exception. Or perhaps it IS an exception: in a world bogged down with mediocre, anachronistic historicals, this one shines like the star in its title. Real characters, real emotions, real love, real history all make for an unforgettable reading experience. A wonderful book from a wonderful writer -- begin with this one, and I guarantee you'll become a Patricia Potter reader for life!

I really tried to like the hero throughout the book but found myself having a hard time liking some of his decisions. The female was just okay. I got tired of reading how she wanted to dislike the guy and was fighting that feeling through out the book. It got boring. BUT I think the book before this one was excellent. I was so caught up with the characters. Which made buy this one.