Customer Reviews

Sweet Release

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Normally I am not thrilled with debut novels but this one is an exception. Not only is the time period one of my favorites (American Colony 1730's) the chemisty between Alec/Cole and Cassie is wonderful!

This book is full of the historical details that seperate historical romances from the contemporary romances. This book is lush in detail and Ms. Clare is true to the historical content and the use of slaves/bondsmen without going into to much detail that may be uncomfortable for some readers.

Alec is an English Gentleman who has been abducted and forced onto a slaver. This ship is headed for the American colonies. When he arrives he is extremly ill and has no memory of what transpired to bring him to the shores of America. Cassie purchases his bond and nurses him back to health. When Alec comes to his scense he tries to tell everyone that there has been a big mistake and he is not Cole Braden defiler of women. Cassie does not believe him at first but allows him to send a letter to England to verify the fact that he is not telling the truth. While they wait for an answer he promises not to run away and that he will work for her.

Cassie is automatically drawn to the dark handsome stranger who claims to be more then just a bondsman. While waiting for a response to his letter they get to know each other and admire the different traits that make them both so different. Soon they are in love but love between a free woman and a bond servant is against the law. Still these two find themselves together. Does Alec finally prove that he is innocent, and can he show Cassie that marriage is not a death sentence? The answer is yes but there are many hurdles these two must overcome before their happily ever after.

Again this book was wonderful and I was sorry to see it come to an end. I look forward to more entertaining reading from this new author. Thanks Ms. Clare for bringing history back to the historical romance genre!!!

I have seen in many reviews of historical romances (and have felt it myself) there is a dearth of historical in historical romances. The only difference between the historical romance and a contemporary is they ride horses instead of drive cars. Often it's REALLY hard to tell WHAT period you are in because so much of the historical has been cut away. The editors and publishers push for the leads to be on 'centre stage' and unless the history is driving importance, then they cut it. Which is a shame. There are a bunch of wonderful writers that can give you history AND ROMANCE. The trend came about because of competing with the net, they wanted a faster, leaner reads. Which is fine for a spell, but people are tired of this. Books are expensive and they want MORE for the money. They wants the sweeping panorama of history in all it's glory.

I am GLAD to say Pamela Clare gives you a TRUE historical romance. It has romance, passion AND history. I almost felt like I had picked up a pre-net Historical romance - so a BIG round of applause for Clare writing this wonderful book and to DORCHESTER Publishing for ONCE AGAIN giving their writers the room to do books THEIR WAY!!! So if you wish for a historical romance that is MORE....please give this first time author a chance. You will not regret it!!

I applaud Clare for dealing with the period, dealing with bondsman and slaves in a tender, yet not flinching fashion. I think many writers stay away from the period of 1700-1870s US because of the slavery issue. If you are accurate you turn people away, if you a kinder gentler version of GWTW people dismiss you. Clare chose this period and gives excellent treatment. And kudos to both her and her publisher!!

Alex Kenleigh is a rich English shipbuilding. He warns his dissolute younger brother that he will no longer support his wicked lifestyle, that he is on a pocket money allowance, disgusted with his brother getting a teenage girl pregnant and
then turning his back on her while she dies trying to rid herself of the unwanted pregnancy. On the heels of this, someone mysterious catches Alex leaving his mistress' home and nearly beats him to dead. Worse, they have arranged to have a body left to be identified at Alex, while Alex is sent to the Americas as a criminal called Cole Braden. He is to serve 14 years as an indentured servant in Virginia, reported to be a defiler of women.

Cassie Blakewell is running her father's plantation because her younger brother is just a child and her father is suffering from madness. A young woman in this period running a going concern would have been prey for either men pushing her into marriage hoping to gain control of the vast plantation or from do gooders demanding to do what is right and put a man in charge. Especially since her father has left her with a mountain of debts that it will take years to pay. The Creditors are willing to wait as long as they believe the story she is putting about that her father was in England. If she cannot keep this story going, the plantation will be seized for debts and sold.

When the ship comes in with slaves and bondsmen for sale, Cassie buys the release of Cole Braden and the slave that had
protected him and kept him alive for the long voyage. She buys him in a charitable act thinking he will die. But he does not, in fact in a short time he regains his strength. Only Alex is now furious to learn that is thought to be Cole, a criminal, and has been sold to Cassie for 14 years. He tried to prove he is Alex, but with communications as such during this period it will take months.

Cassie and Alex has a slow burn attraction to each other, with Cassie not knowing whether to believe Alex or not. Yet, it does not stop the attraction. Still they have to keep distance for it could mean Alex's death if caught with her.

Add into the mix, a foppish neighbour who is obsessively planning on marrying Cassie, pushed by a father who wants her lands. With strong supporting characters, this is a wonderful romance in the old fashion style of REAL Historical romances, with a good eye to details of the period.

So APPLAUSE to Clare for writing it and sticking to her guns, and to Dorchester and the consistent policy of letting their writer WRITE.

Hopefully, this is a new trend in old style historical romance!

I won't detail the plot as others have done. Why ruin a perfect story for readers who are in for the "treat of their romantic lives." I want to concentrate on why this wonderful debut novel should NOT be missed.

I read about Pamela Clare's debut novel SWEET RELEASE in the RT Book Club publication the month before it was released. It sounded like a "must read" for me so I purchased it as soon as it was released. And,believe me, I was NOT disappointed. Just the opposite. I can't remember the last book I read that absorbed me so in the characters, wrapped the story around my heart and held on until the last page was turned. What a sad day that was because I wanted it to go on forever. One would think that Pamela Clare has been writing for years and has a treasure-trove of best sellers to her credit. Instead, this was her DEBUT novel. WOW! What a gift! I haven't experienced such reading enjoyment since The Flame and Flower kept me up all night many, many years ago. Pick up this remarkable book. Sit back, relax and enjoy the remarkable journey of Alec and Cassie. You will be missing the best romance of 2003 if you don't. I am so glad it is the frist book of a trilogy. In March of 2004 we can look forward to the second "treasure" by this master story-teller titled CARNAL GIFT. Yes, there is a God.

This is the first book in a series of 3. All 3 books have received very high ratings from Amazon readers. Here is the series:

Sweet Release- The story of Alec and Cassie

Carnal Gift- The story of Cassie's brother, Jamie, and Brighid

Ride the Fire- The story of Nicholas, son of Alec and Cassie/ nephew and best friend to Jamie, and Elspeth

Read them in order. The characters remain significant from one story to the next.

Sweet Release:

Alec Kenleigh is a wealthy and prominent shipbuilder for the English navy. As the heir to the Kenleigh business and fortune, he commands the family finances. When his younger brother, Philip, becomes out of a control- drinking and womanizing- Alec threatens to cut his brother off. Soon after, Alec's coach is attacked. Alec is beaten unconscious.

Cassie Blackwell has an unusual life for a woman. Her father has left her in charge of the family's Virginia plantation. Although she doesn't love the idea of slavery, she has no choice but to purchase slaves in order to keep the plantation running. When the slave trader arrives, she purchases two men: a large and powerful black slave, and a very sick white convict named Cole Braden. She purchases the white man only out of compassion. He likely will die.

When the Cole becomes well enough to awake, Cassie is surprised by his well- educated manner of speaking. However, when the convicted "ravisher of women" claims to be a wealthy shipbuilder from England, she is sure he is lying. She offers to give Cole a chance to write to relatives who can identify him, if he will promise to work hard and not try to escape while they await his proof of innocence. To her surprise, he keeps his end of he bargain.

Over the following months, Cole proves himself to be harmless. He spends time teaching and playing with Cassie's little brother, Jamie. He also shows himself to be an excellent trainer and breeder of horses. Cassie assigns him the position of groomer, along with the usual duties of a field hand. Although he exercises the horses by taking them on long rides each day, he never tries to use the riding hours as a means to escape. Cassie is beginning to believe that Cole's story may be true. Jamie is relishing Cole's attention and the stories he tells of pirates. Cole, Cassie and Jamie are becoming very attached to one another.

Cassie's neighbor, Geoffrey, has been infatuated with her since childhood. The spoiled heir to his father's estate, he has decided she will marry him. If she does not love the idea, she will learn to. Geoffrey despises the way Cassie and her convict look at one another. He will get rid of the convict by either framing him for rape, or by outright murder.

Alec has one person whom he can rely upon to identify him. His brother- in- law, Matthew, is his only hope. Weeks have passed since he sent Matthew a letter asking him to come and prove Alec's identity. Alec doesn't realize that his brother, Philip, has intercepted and burned the letter. Geoffrey's family has caused Alec to go to trial on charges that will cause him to hang. Time is running out. Cassie is desperate to free him. Alec uses his last precious days to rewrite his will, making sure that once Matthew sees that the will was written by Alec's own hand, Cassie and her family will want for nothing.

This was an excellent story. Full of fun humor, exciting drama, steamy love scenes, and true bonding. The hero was compassionate to everyone around him, giving comfort and attention to others even when his own circumstances were hard. (Pay special attention to how he helps a slave woman give birth. You will see a connection with how his son helps a woman in the third book of the series, "Ride the Fire.")

Imagine Alec Kenleigh's shock when after he is brutally attacked in a London street, and wakes to find months have passed, he is now in Virginia, everyone thinks he is a convict; and that his name is Cole Braden!

Tough sweet Cassie Blakewell is under just a little pressure; her father has gone off and left her in charge of running their Virginia plantation. She takes pity on the barely alive man the slave trader had to offer, even though advised not to get involved with a convicted ravisher and defiler of women.

She nurses the poor beaten and sick man back to health, to have him claim to be an abducted rich Englishman, who has no idea how he got where he is; or why.

It doesn't take long for the sparks to begin flying between the two, but Alec is determined to prove who he really is so he can claim this fiery beauty for his own.

This book is AWESOME! It has everything,

Deep dark family secrets, smoldering tension, horrible blinding betrayals, secondary characters that will pull your heartstrings, and a love in the making that will bring tears to your eyes!

Do not miss this story!

I'll keep it simple. If you like historical romances, buy this one. They don't come any better-- sweet, poignant, steamy, authentic and heart-touching. You won't want to put it down and you'll be eagerly awaiting her next book.

In 1730, shipbuilding mogul Alec Kenleigh warns his younger brother Philip that he went too far when he failed to live up to his responsibility. Philip claimed the teen he abandoned with his child growing inside her was a whore. An angry Alec insists Philip should have taken care of the woman, who died trying to abort the baby. Not long afterward, Alec is beaten, given a new name of Cole Braden, and shipped to the Commonwealth of Virginia as an indentured servant working off a fourteen year conviction for defiling women.

For a few pounds, Cassie Blakewell purchases Cole to work on her large plantation. She quickly realizes this is no ordinary criminal as Alec displays business acumen. Cole insists his real name is Alec and needs to regain his identity to prove his innocence. Cassie and Cole begin to fall in love, but nothing can come of their feelings because he would hang for such a crime. Meanwhile, an unwanted suitor pushes his case to marry Cassie adding pressure on Alec who needs his freedom to marry the woman who believes he is telling the truth.

SWEET RELEASE is an exciting Colonial romance that grips the reader with action and plenty of romance while also insuring the cast seems genuine. The story line is fast-paced as Alec struggles to regain what he lost and much more. Cassie is a strong woman whose trust in her beloved is the extra impetus he needs to clear his name. If this novel is any indication of Pamela Clare's talent, fans of historical romance have plenty of reasons to rejoice.

Harriet Klausner

YES to romance and YES to love but an even BIGGER YES to the passion in this the book. I have just started reading this style of storyline. I hope Ms. Clare has another coming out soon bcse other romance novels cannot compare!

For years, I have waded through the same old dull Regency England drabble and tried to find something that was really innovative and fresh. I picked this book up purely by accident and wow, am I ever glad I discovered this author! I'm now working my way through all of her books and finding that romantic fiction has a bright, new star like we've not seen in a while.

This first book by Claire is just a fabulous, believable journey through a period of American History so few have dared write about. But like some of the genre's greats (Sandra Brown comes to mind), it is the magnificent characters that steal the show. By the time you finish Sweet Release, you actually believe you have witnessed a short period in the life of the delightful Cassie and the sinfully delicious Alec. I found myself rooting for them out loud at various points. Anytime you 'talk' to a book, you know it's wonderful! The imagery, setting and storyline are all so well thought through as well. Trust me-order this novel and then get yourself a big, tall glass of iced tea, grab a fan, head for the back porch and find yourself on an early 1700s era Virginia plantation with a deliciously sexy couple. You'll never have a better time with a book.

I was completely captivated by the hero and heroine in this story. They are realistic, passionate and utterly mesmerizing! I have purchased several copies of this book for friends (male and female) and would recommend it to anyone. Pamela's writing is tactile and delicious and I absolutely could not put the story down. Happy reading, and here's to more books by Pamela Clare!