Patricia Potter - Jo-Ann Power
Potter, Patricia - STARCATCHER (Bantam - 1998) (3)
Marsali and Patrick were betrothed at a young age and, unlike many arranged marriages, they are both looking forward to the day when they'll be wed. They are good friends and genuinely attracted to each other. But they are separated when Patrick goes off to war. When he returns home after a sixteen-year absence, scarred, tired and heartsick, he finds Marsali betrothed to another and their families at war with each other. Patrick sets out to find the culprits responsible for the feud. All the poor, weary man wants is his beloved Marsali and peace between the families, but he'll have neither until he can force two stubborn old men to face the obvious truth.
This was an okay read, but not a keeper. It didn't seem like the hero and heroine spent much time together, possibly because there was always so much going on around them. Because of this I didn't get a chance to know or feel anything for the characters. Also, the author did not allow for any real surprises, so the war/adventure story was a bit of a chore to get through. There were things I did like about this book, however. I'm a real sucker for a Scottish accent and I always like a strong warrior who manages to retain his sensitive heart. But all in all, STARCATCHER was a slow read, and I would give it a rating of 2 on the sensuality scale. ~Laurie S. (shallah@empire.net)
Power, Jo-Ann - ALLURE (Pocket/Sonnet - 9/99) (4)
Setting: Victorian England
Cerise Lindsay has always wanted to devote her life to art. Years earlier, she left her family in order to study sculpture
in Italy; but when her sister Maddie dies under mysterious circumstances, she returns to England to try and piece together what happened. Shortly after arriving, she meets the intriguing Blake Hargrove, Earl of Sandown. She is shocked to discover he was the last person to see her sister alive, and she is torn
between her suspicion and her attraction. But she quickly
begins to trust Blake, and together they retrace Maddie's
last days to find out what drove her to her death.
ALLURE is a fascinating portrait of the late nineteenth-century art world. The author includes interesting details about a time when artists like Toulouse-Lautrec and Mary Cassatt were creating their greatest works. Even though the book revolves around the investigation of Maddie's death, the mystery does not overwhelm the love story.
From the beginning, Blake and Risa are attracted to each other because of their common love of art, not simply by physical attraction. Blake respects Risa's desire to sculpt and understands her passionate need for her art. Risa encourages Blake's own artistic abilities, and only gives in to her passion when she is assured he understands her ambitions. However, the author seems to rush the intimacy between Blake and Risa. The entire book takes place in less than two weeks, and after only meeting twice under strained circumstances, Blake and Risa are already kissing passionately. Less than a week later, they are making love, which seems unbelievable for 1881 (even for an unconventional artist and a rake). There is a parallel, however; in that their desire for each other mirrors their passion for life and art. Their vivid personalities and the development of their relationship, beyond the bedroom doors, makes this book well worth reading. ~Karen Wheless for Bookbug on the Web
Power, Jo-Ann - NEVER SAY NEVER (Sonnet - 5/99) (3)
Bryce Falconer, the Earl of Aldersworth, married Colleen
VanderHorn five years ago and a child was born. He later
divorced his wife on grounds of adultery. Now she has
kidnapped their ill son, Ford, and is demanding two-million pounds sterling for his return. It seems that Colleen's latest paramour, Liam O'Rourke, is a member of the Fenian Party and probably needs the ransom money for the Irish revolutionary cause. The irate and fearful Earl arrives in London, eager to seek out Augusta "Gus" VanderHorn because only she knows where her sister Colleen may have gone. Since Bryce and Gus have always been great friends, he is counting on her help to locate his son.
Gus, one of four American debutantes who came to England looking for husbands, is still single in her third London season. She realizes she must find a bridegroom in her last season or she'll have to deal with her angry and abusive mother; but all men fade in comparison to Bryce, with whom she has been in love since she was sixteen. Gus is resigned to the fact that she can never have him as a husband because English law prohibits marriage between two people who were related. She also knows that he would never allow himself to love any woman again after her sister's treachery and betrayal. Putting her reputation at risk, the two of them travel together to search for Colleen and Ford. Along the way, Bryce begins to look at Gus in a different light, and she decides to enjoy this "adventure" for as long as it lasts. Hopefully she can escape the shadow of her sister—the woman who brought Bryce and Gus together and would forever keep them apart.
NEVER SAY NEVER is an enjoyable, sensual Victorian romance filled with suspense and adventure. It is also the third and final book in Ms. Power's American Beauties series. The hero and heroine are vividly portrayed as very strong and loyal individuals, and they are determined to find a way to do the right thing by each other. Many of the main characters in the previous books, NEVER AGAIN and NEVER BEFORE, reappear and serve as believable secondary characters. Although the story gets bogged down a time or two explaining events that happened in the previous books, Ms. Power gives Bryce and Gus their own heart-wrenching story. This novel is a satisfying end to a wonderful series and a warm example of how two people learn never to say never to love! ~Sharon Laird for Bookbug on the Web
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