Julie Garwood - Angie Gaynor - Roberta Gellis
Garwood, Julie - WEDDING, THE (Pocket - 1997) (4)
THE WEDDING starts out with a Highlander on his deathbed. His castle is in ruins and most of his men are dead. He tells his 10-year-old son to live on and avenge his death. I didn't think this was as good or as funny as THE BRIDE, but it was a very enjoyable read. ~Ellen L. (ellenl1@hotmail.com)
Gaynor, Angie - HIDDEN EMBERS (Scarlet - 1998) (4)
Lynne Castle interviews with Cliff Foreman for a trainee-accountant position at his firm and immediately senses his hostility, although she doesn't understand the reason behind it. Pressured by his partner, Cliff reluctantly agrees to hire her. As Lynne and Cliff work together, an attraction begins to grow. He tries to fight his feelings, but finally falls in love with her; however, he is determined not to make a commitment because of something in his past. Cliff becomes distant and withdrawn, and Lynne confronts him about it. When he explains the reason for his behavior, she is stunned. How could he believe such a thing about her?!
Angie Gaynor has written an intensely emotional and sensual love story about two people who overcome personal and familial tragedies to find love. The hero is a tortured man who has an identity problem, but as a result of Lynne's love, he grows, changes, and comes to terms with his past. Lynne is a strong woman who never gives up on love, even though Cliff makes her life difficult. This book is a wonderful example of how communication can save a relationship. HIDDEN EMBERS will bring hours of enjoyment, chuckles, and a few tears to its readers. ~Sharon Laird for Bookbug on the Web
Gellis, Roberta - MORTAL BANE, A (Forge HC - 9/99) (4+)
Setting: Medieval England
Magdalene la Batarde is the mistress of the most discreet
whorehouse in England and her clients are among the upper elite. Although she is no longer practicing the oldest profession, she enjoys a good life with the three prostitutes who share the cottage with her. The appearance of a stranger one night, a man who claims to be a papal messenger, changes all of their lives...
After spending time with one of the girls, the stranger is murdered while on his way to a nearby church to make a delivery. Magdalene and the women discover a pouch the man hid that contains a papal bull, which would prove the Bishop of Winchester is the papal legate (official envoy of the Pope). Knowing that she and the three women would be the top suspects in the murder, Magdalene hides the pouch in the church for someone else to discover.
The Bishop of Winchester assigns his most trusted knight, Sir Bellamy, to find the pouch and uncover the murderer. Not trusting one another and fighting the attraction between them, Bell and Magdalene search for the criminal. But then another murder occurs, and suddenly they are risking their lives as the danger continues to grow.
The creation of A MORTAL BANE was clearly an act of love. Roberta Gellis obviously did a great deal of research, and the result is a wonderful, complex medieval mystery that will keep you firmly glued to the book...and guessing...long into the night. Although I found the abundance of detail in the beginning of the book to be somewhat distracting, by the third chapter, I was deeply involved in this intense, suspenseful story and inclined to snap at any distraction. There is romance in A MORTAL BANE, but at the heart of this book is a well-executed murder mystery that never lets up. ~Pat Cavender for Bookbug on the Web
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