Book description available via Amazon.
This is not a book I would have picked up on my own, but it was highly recommended in a number of places, so I decided to give it a shot. All I can say is wow - what an emotional rollercoaster! In some ways it felt more like a historical fiction novel than a historical romance, partly because the author provided so much historical detail and also partly because the second half of the book focused so closely on the hero and his journey back to the heroine after he leaves her to seek his fortune so they can be married. The heroine is missing from the story for quite a while, but the author does go back and update the reader on what she's been doing while the hero has been gone. The hero is a deeply wounded and flawed individual, which is certainly understandable given the circumstances of his childhood and history of abuse, not to mention what he goes through after being washed overboard during a storm at sea. By the end of the book, Gabriel, the hero, has gone through so many changes and experienced so much growth that he almost seems like a different person.
The main reason I can't give this book 5 stars is that I thought the problems between the hero and heroine were worked out far too easily in the end. Sarah, the heroine, is almost too perfect and too understanding of Gabriel's struggles. I believe in the power of love and forgiveness as much as anyone, but I still think her relatively easy/calm acceptance of Gabriel's abandonment is unrealistic, even given her knowledge of the struggles he had already experienced in his life. I would have liked to see him grovel a bit more before she forgave him and moved on with their life together.
One thing I especially liked about this book is that so much of it is told from the hero's point of view, which is unusual because most romances are told from the heroine's point of view. The book was unusual in other ways, such as the fact that the vast majority of it took place outside London, and even outside of England. It was very refreshing to read something that doesn't focus on the typical round of parties and balls during the London Season!
Overall, I did enjoy this book and found it to be an engrossing read. I look forward to reading more books by Judith James in the near future!
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