Swear by the Moon [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Shirlee Busbee (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2002

Haunted by tragedy and scandal, Thea Garrett guards her wounded heart by playing the role of notorious outcast for all it's worth, never giving a second thought to love.

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Busbee's latest 18th-century romance (following At Long Last) depicts a pair of charming lovers who become enmeshed in an improbable mystery. Thea Garrett is notorious because of a scandal that occurred in her youth. When she was 17, she was wooed and raped by a fortune hunter, and her brother was killed defending her honor. Although her aristocratic lineage and extensive fortune ensure that she is still received by most of society, she's convinced that no man will ever be worthy of her trust again. This notion is promptly upset when she meets dashing Patrick Blackburne. As it happens, both have fallen prey to the same blackmailer, and they join forces to defeat him. In the meantime, meddling relatives on both sides take advantage of the couple's attraction to forge a more permanent bond between them. Readers will quickly identify the villain at the heart of the story, and certain plot elements are never resolved. Nevertheless, the passion between Thea and Patrick is genuinely steamy, and both hero and heroine manage to avoid the usual pitfalls that stem from not communicating. Although this tale lacks the historical detail present in her previous romances, her well-developed characters make this a satisfying, if not exceptional, read.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

From Booklist

Thea Garrett did the unthinkable for a wellborn young girl in England in 1788: she tried to elope with a rake, an event that ended in disaster for all involved. Now, ten years later, her peers marginally accept Thea, but she is still haunted by the scandal and tries to live within the narrow dictates of society until she meets Patrick Blackburne, another man with a bad reputation. They become embroiled in a dangerous plot involving extortion and murder and try to protect their loved ones while working together to find out who is behind the threats. Their close association does not go unnoticed, and Thea tries to keep Patrick safe from gossip, but who will save Thea from her own rebellious heart? The two muddle along until they receive help from family that ensures that true love will once again prevail. Busbee's enchanting new romance sheds new light on the stereotype of the fallen woman. Patty Engelmann
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 564 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press (June 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786240547
• ISBN-13: 978-0786240548
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,803,371 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shirlee Busbee is back!, December 3, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Swear by the Moon (Mass Market Paperback)

I stopped reading Shirlee Busbee's books years ago...I recall reading a book of hers that didn't appeal to me. Since I'm a Regency addict, I decided to try this book and I'm glad I did. The prose and pacing are powerful and you can see the hand of a masterful, experienced author. I loved the hero and heroine who were both genuinely good, likeable people. It was a fast, extremely enjoyable read. I highly recommend it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting Regency romance, December 4, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Swear by the Moon (Mass Market Paperback)

In 1788, at seventeen Thea Garrett feels mature enough to know what she wants. So ignoring the advice of her older brother Tom, she falls for the charm of Lord Randall Hawley and elopes with him. On the trek north, she finds he turns ugly when things go wrong culminating with his raping her. Tom catches up to them, but Randall forces a dual and in the ensuing fight, he dishonorably murders his opponent. Before dying Tom kills Randall. A stunned Thea vows never again to trust a male.

A decade later American Patrick Blackburne visits his English mother. She informs him that someone is blackmailing her. She does not want any scandal caused by her to ruin the image of her fiancé. Patrick promises to see what he can do to fix her problem, but soon has one of his own when he meets and falls in love with Thea, a person he believes is a nasty pleasure seeker. Though she returns his feelings, Thea still feels guilt over her brother's death and rejects all men.

SWEAR BY THE MOON is an exciting Regency romance with an engaging, solid story line. Still readers will wonder why a teenage Thea failed to see the true colors of Randall as a bad-tempered soul even if he oozes charm to disguise his nature. His pivotal role is short so that the audience can enjoy the principal battle between Thea and Patrick. Shirlee Busbee has written a stirring historical romance starring two individuals whom the audience will like and want to see together.

Harriet Klausner

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mysterious Historical, January 4, 2002

By 

Sheri Melnick (Enola, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Swear by the Moon (Mass Market Paperback)

In 1798 England, eccentric Thea Garrett lives with her cousin, Modesty, in a town house in London. Having been the victim of scandal some ten years prior, Thea is content to relish her independence and has vowed never to trust a man again.

But in a private meeting with her brother-in-law, Alfred Hirst, events spiral out of control, and Thea is afraid that she might have accidentally killed Hirst. Hours later, Patrick Blackburne visits Thea at her residence, and she recognizes him as the man that saw her fleeing the scene of her ominous encounter with Hirst. Against her better judgment, Thea is forced to trust Patrick, as the two begin their search for Hirst's true killer.

Though the attraction between Thea and Patrick is very real and electric, their relationship develops very precipitously. Because their attraction lacks depth, they seem to be merely characters on paper rather than real people. Nevertheless, the mystery is fast-paced and intriguing, as Thea and Patrick face danger in their quest to uncover plots to commit murder and blackmail.

Though this work seems to fall short of Ms. Busbee's usual standards, the suspenseful element helps overcome deficiencies of the characters thereby rendering it an averagely entertaining read.