The Wish [Mass Market Paperback]

Marianne Willman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 15, 2000

USA Today and New York Times bestselling author Marianne Willman writers enchanting historical romances peppered with captivating mysticism and spine-tingling suspense. Her fans include bestselling writers Nora Roberts and Julie Garwood, who have called her books "beautifully mystical" and "impossible to resist." Open the covers of The Wish-and see for yourself why a Marianne Willman novel is one to savor, treasure and re-read time and again...

A beautiful commoner-or the missing heiress to a fortune?

Lovely Perdita, an orphaned girl at an inn on the wilds of Dartmoor, has no memory of her past or life beyond the dark confines of her world...except in strange and beguiling dreams.

A disillusioned earl, embittered by tragedy.

Haunted by scandal, the cynical young Earl of Ravenall is desperate to save his family fortune and good name. Then he learns he is guardian to a missing heiress, who vanished as a child-and whose own untouched fortune can save everything he values most. What will he risk to obtain it?

The wish that could set them free.

Ravenall tells Perdita she is the missing heiress, promising her a glittering life of luxury. She reaches eagerly for the prize he offers. In the enchanting Perdita, Ravenall may have found an answer to his every prayer, and perhaps, his destiny. In the scarred and brooding earl, Perdita may find her own fate as well. But is it true love that awaits her-or tragedy?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Readers will find a good amount of enchantment in Willman's latest historical romance (following The Enchanted Mirror and The Lost Bride), set at the end of England's Regency period. The defiant hero is Justin, earl of Ravenall, who needs the cachet of his missing ward's fortune to retain and restore his birthright. Could the missing heiress be Perdita, a young servant who knows nothing about the circumstances surrounding her birth? At long last, Justin and Perdita find each other, but their romantic alliance is based on half-truths: Perdita does not reveal that the six-pointed birthmark on her wrist, which marks her as the missing heiress Pauline Hexham, is only a scar; and Justin allows her to believe that he protects her because he is an altruistic nobleman. The novel's gothic flavor enhances the danger that threatens to harm both Justin and Perdita and invites added suspicion about their relationship. Though the novel has some awkward, even strange, phrasing ("he caressed her breasts, held them in his hands as if they were doves"), readers will race through to the end to find out how Justin and Perdita's tenuous relationship is resolved and, of course, to find out if wishes and dreams can come true.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Bestselling author Marianne Willman, a former Critical Care Head Nurse, lives in the Great Lakes area with her husband Ky. She is the founder and First President of the Greater Detroit Chapter of RWA, has served on the Board of Directors of Romance Writers of America, and is a member of Novelists, Inc. and Western Writers of America. She is the author of sixteen romances, including Pieces of Sky, which has been named one of the ten all-time best western romances by Romantic Times. Pieces of Sky and Yesterday's Shadows both won the prestigious Reviewer's Choice Award from Romantic Times. Marianne is a three-time nominee for the RWA Golden Medallion Award.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 372 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (December 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312975775
• ISBN-13: 978-0312975777
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,827,101 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A special read that leaves reader feeling good, November 21, 2000

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Wish (Mass Market Paperback)

In 1817, Earl Justin Ravenall needs money for his newly inherited estates, devastated by his predecessor. When he is injured in a murder attempt, he recovers at an inn where one of the maids Perdita takes special care of him. While nursing him, she falls in love with her charge, all the while knowing she is beneath him. She believes he will forget about his angel once he returns to his estate.

While healing, Justin notices Perdita's birthmark and concludes that she might be a lost heiress who happens to be his ward. He trains her to become a member of the Ton and takes her to his home. Soon attempts on her life occur, even as they fall in love.

THE WISH is an exciting non-stop historical romantic thriller centering on the discovery of a lost heiress. The tale is fast-paced and loaded with action. The lead characters are a charming duo whose social standing appears capable of destroying their love faster than the villain can kill either one of them. Readers who try this enjoyable Regency romantic suspense will learn why the great Nora Roberts places Marianne Willman on the top of her short list of must read writers.

Harriet Klausner

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I wish "The Wish" never ended!, February 22, 2001

By 

Rosemary K. Ravasio - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wish (Mass Market Paperback)

Hi--I just finished reading "The Wish," which I bought on a whim before going on a 3-hour plane trip. It ended up being such a great book. I love historical romances to begin with and this one was great. I especially enjoy the fact that Marianne Willman includes what the male lead is thinking and feeling (i.e. frustration, fear, love, attraction, etc.) so that it's not just one-sided! Justin and Perdita were well-written characters with great personalities, lots of chemistry and lots of passion--but not overdone. This is a great read for anyone looking for a great historical romance mixed with some intrigue.

5.0 out of 5 stars A treasure found!, October 21, 2008

By 

Karen "Karebear" (Cheyenne, WY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wish (Mass Market Paperback)

I stumbled across this author in a used book store and thought I would give her a try. It is so much fun to unexpectedly find a terrific author. Like finding a lost treasure. A beautiful love story with a mystery. I really felt like I was on the Moors in England and could feel the heroines struggles as my own. This is the first I have read by this author, but you can be sure I will be reading more of her books. I would highly recommend giving Marianne Willman a try.