Donna Lee Poff - Margaret Evans Porter
Poff, Donna Lee - MASK, THE (Leisure - 1998) (4)
With THE MASK, Ms. Poff takes us on a magical journey to
medieval England. In the tiny, neglected village of
Thornberry, we meet the carpenter's daughter, Anne, a lovely young woman who has taken care of her father and two younger siblings since her mother passed away some years ago. She has no dreams of the future, but one night from out of the dark shadows comes a wanderer, and her life is changed forever.
Galen Tarrant, Lord of Rosethorn, has returned to his home after eleven years—a man with a tortured soul and scarred body, which he hides from all but those closest to him. When he meets Ann, he is mesmerized by the "dainty, golden-haired sprite." One day while walking in the woods, Anne is confronted and attacked by several strangers. Galen comes to her rescue, takes her to Rosethorn and nurses her back to health. As she regains her strength, she is aware of the rumors that are circulating and insists on returning home. There is an insidious evil lurking about Galen's holdings. To what purpose? And what connection does it have to our hero's past?
After a deadly fire in the stable, Galen finally decides that the only way to quell the rumors and protect Anne is to marry her. She has already acknowledged that she loves him, but there is a shield around his soul. He must accept that love is for what a person is inside, not what they look like on the outside. Can he allow himself to love her? Together, will they be able to conquer the evil that threatens all they hold dear?
THE MASK is a charming beauty-and-the-beast tale. This theme, which has been done again and again, has always captured my heart, and Ms. Poff's story is no exception. She has given readers something very special. When you finish this book, you will hold it to your heart, sigh and say to yourself, "Ah, this is a wonderful, romantic story." ~Jolene Ehret for Bookbug on the Web
Porter, Margaret Evans - KISSING A STRANGER (Avon - 1998) (4)
The story begins in 1793 on the Isle of Man as Lavinia Cashin
and her father, Lord Ballancraine, venture from their beloved island home to London. Their goal is to find a rich husband for Lavinia; a man who will restore Castle Cashin, and provide for Lavinia's brother's education and her sister Kitty's urgently needed medical treatment. The road they travel to attain their goal is not a smooth one, however. Shortly after their arrival in London, Lord Ballancraine is arrested and imprisoned. Lavinia, determined to continue on her own, finds herself
accused of theft, attacked by thieves in an attempted robbery of her family jewels, blackmailed, kidnapped and nearly killed. In spite of all these trials, she does find a wealthy lord to marry,
but she also falls deeply in love with a not-so-wealthy man,
Garrick Armitage.
Garrick had returned to England from Italy, intent upon confronting the man who is his real father, Lord Everdon, and exacting revenge for the desertion of his mother years ago. What he hadn't planned on was meeting Lavinia the day he arrived in London. He was instantly smitten with the beautiful lady, and when the opportunity later arose to rescue her, he did so with pleasure. With the help of his cousin, Francesca, they agreed to assist Lavinia in her search for a husband. After saving her from the dastardly villain who was responsible for her family's financial problems, Garrick realized that he loved Lavinia more than anything—that her love and acceptance were precious gifts, indeed.
KISSING A STRANGER is a delightful story, an intriguing romance spiced with a bit of mystery and mayhem. The author's love for the rugged Isle of Man shines through in her vivid descriptions of the terrain, while the Manx Gaelic phrases she richly sprinkles throughout the story give readers a delicious flavor of life on the island long ago. Ms. Porter also endears us to Lavinia's siblings: Kerron, who is eager to experience life beyond the island, and dear Kitty, a gifted artist whose health is very fragile. I enjoyed KISSING A STRANGER and hope some of the secondary characters make return visits in future books. ~Jolene Ehret for Bookbug on the Web
Porter, Margaret Evans - SEDUCER, THE (Avon - 11/99) (2+)
Setting: England, 1798
Kerron Cashin, Lord Garvain, leaves England and his rakish past behind to return to his home on the Isle of Man, determined to restore the family fortune. His homecoming is marred by the death of his twin sister but he is reunited with his sister's childhood friend, Ellin Fayle, now all grown up and lovely—too lovely. Ellin, an orphan raised by her aunt and uncle and a grandmother she adored, has loved Kerr since an early age. She is not his equal, however; he would certainly never consider marrying a tavern maid.
Kerr quickly realizes his rakish ways are still with him and sets out to seduce the tempting Ellin. With little effort he succeeds, but is caught in the act and forced into marriage by Finlo Standish, the richest and most hated man on the island. Kerr soon realizes he may able to use his new marriage to his advantage though. He makes a deal with Standish and proceeds to take his new bride to London in order to further his business in textiles and fabrics, using sketches and designs made by his deceased twin.
While Kerr doesn't love his beautiful wife or feel she is his equal, he plans to mold her into a baroness and have her wear his new fabrics in the company of Britain's elite and nobility, hoping to gain their business. Madly in love with her husband, Ellin tries desperately to change herself into what Kerr desires, but events transpire that make her return to the Isle to rethink her one-sided marriage and the man who has only been using her. When Kerr returns home, long-buried secrets come to the surface and jeopardize not only his marriage, but his textile business as well. It's only when faced with the loss of Ellin that he realizes he loves her.
In this reviewer's opinion, the secondary characters in THE SEDUCER are, at times, more likable and interesting than the main characters, including a dog named Scadoo. Kerr Cashin shows a lack of character and integrity and never fully redeems himself. Ellin Fayle gives new meaning to the phrase "love is blind," and only toward the end of the story does she come into her own. Witchcraft, potions, and superstitions play a pivotal part in the story, which some readers will enjoy. The continual use of Gaelic dialect can be quite disconcerting, however; and there is also a great deal of narration, most of it dealing with textiles, fabrics, and patterns, which may not be of interest to many. I found the history surrounding the Isle of Man and its differences from the rest of the British empire to be very interesting though. ~Mary T. Knibbe Sr. for Bookbug on the Web
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