Patricia Veryan (1923–2009)

One of my all time favorites. The hero has gone off to war and returns home to find that his fiance has had a child by another man. He remains in the betrothal for honor's sake while devestated and despising the heroine. But he cannot help falling in love with her again. Meanwhile danger lurks on all sides as they and all their friends deal with the fallout of the Jacobite rebellion in 1745.

This is very well written and your heart will break for both the hero and the heroine and the little boy. Some of the most endearing secondary characters I have ever read. Very good feel for the times and an intricate plot that plays out over several novels. Ms. Veryan is a master of the winding plot that passes from couple to couple over several books without any confusion or odd contrivance.

The romance between these two is beautiful and some of the scenes absolutely heartwrenching. No explicit love scenes here. If you like emotion in your love stories, this one is for you.… (mer)

One of my favorites from Patricia Veryan. Moving story with charming dialog. There are a couple of scenes that I still chuckle at even after having read this so many times. PV's books feel as if they were written in the regency era. The language used is appropriate, both the word choices and the way that the characters structure their sentences. The situations, while dramatic, are realistic to the time period. The characters respond in the way that people of the time might rather than as if they were modern people in long dresses and tight breeches. The heroine, Mia, does seem kinder and lovelier etc., than might be realistic but all of PV's heroines are like that so you either accept/like that or not. Hawkhurst, the hero, is a sardonic rake but is truly a tormented man who is dealing with some rough stuff as best he can. You can tell even if he is a rake, he is still a gentleman.

I highly recommend Patricia Veryan's books, especially to anyone who loves Georgette Heyer.… (mer)

Roland Mathieson is the bastard grandson of a duke. His father was an evil man who treated his son and his son's mother appallingly and brought the boy up to believe he was evil, though some of Roland's behaviour suggests that at base he is a brave and honourable man. These qualities come to the forefront when he falls in love with a young woman who is helping the Jacobites retrieve Bonnie Prince Charlie's hidden treasure so that it can be restored to his supporters who are now destitute because of English reprisals.… (mer)