Tina Runge - Patricia Ryan
Runge, Tina - TREASURES OF THE HEART (Berkley - 11/99) (4+)
Setting: Indiana, 1888
Amanda Glosser, the daughter of a merchant in the small town of Prosper, Indiana, was taught the art of quilting at an early age by her late mother. In loving memory, she hangs six of her mother's decorative quilts on the walls of her father's store. One of their customers, a young Amish man named Josiah Miller, arrives at the store with an armload of quilts to sell and
among them is a rather ugly quilt fashioned by his grandmother. When Amanda later examines the quilt, she believes it is really
a treasure map.
This quilt and the puzzle surrounding it are the central theme of TREASURES OF THE HEART. Whether or not the map points to a real treasure, it is the catalyst that brings Amanda to the Miller farm for many visits. During these visits, she finds out more about the quilt and the Amish ways as she becomes good friends with Josiah's sister. Meanwhile, the physical attraction between Amanda and Josiah blossoms. Her relationship with her father soon becomes strained, however; and the hero begins to struggle with his romantic feelings, as well as his faith in the Amish beliefs.
Tina Runge makes her debut with a warm and charming Americana romance that your heart will treasure. She gives readers insight into the Amish lifestyle and examines the prejudice against their religious culture, while she shares the conflicts and consequences of the hero and heroine's growing love. You, too, will fall in love with both of these characters and their gentle spirits. TREASURES OF THE HEART couldn't have a more perfect title. ~Carol Carter for Bookbug on the Web
Ryan, Patricia - SILKEN THREADS (Topaz - 6/99) (4)
Setting: London, 1165
Graeham Fox arrives in London on a secret mission: to rescue his lord's illegitimate daughter, Ada, from her cruel husband, Rolf le Fever. Determined to return the young woman to the care of her loving father, especially when he discovers she has been very ill, Graeham offers Ada's husband a generous sum of money. Le Fever is pumped up with his own importance and quite unhappy about his wife's illegitimacy, so he agrees. But before the mission can be completed, Graeham is waylaid by two men who break his leg and ribs. Luckily, a young swordsman, Hugh, comes along and aids Graeham in dispatching the blackguards. Hugh takes the wounded man to his sister Joanna's home to recuperate.
Joanna, raised as a noblewoman, had not wanted to marry her father's choice of husband, so she fled and married the charming merchant, Prewitt Chapman. She soon discovered she had made a poor choice. Prewitt had married her for both her station in life and her father's wealth. When he was later killed on his travels, Joanna was left destitute.
Graeham offers to pay the widow so he may stay in her storeroom, and there he is able to see everything that goes on at the le Fever home. He's hopeful that when he heals, he will be able to complete his mission. Although his lord has promised him one of his daughters and an estate when he returns, Graeham finds himself very attracted to the fair Joanna. But he also finds his life in danger...
The reader is kept in suspense about who tries to kill Graeham and other aspects of the story, making SILKEN THREADS an absorbing read. Not only are the hero and heroine strong characters, the secondary characters are of equal interest. I especially liked the poor leper, Thomas, a man trapped in a withering and dying body (but a hero, nonetheless). Patricia Ryan spins a good tale. There are a few slang expressions that don't seem to fit with the times; but nevertheless, SILKEN THREADS is a fresh and interesting story. I would definitely read this author again. ~Marilyn H. (mlyn@jps.net)
Ryan, Patricia - WILD WIND (Topaz - 1998) (3+)
Young and innocent Alexandre de Perigueux fell in love with Nicolette de St. Clair, but she broke his heart by marrying his cousin, Milo. It's now nine years later. Good old cousin Milo, the drunken louse, is about to lose his home because he has failed to impregnate Nicki, whose Uncle placed a clause in the will stating that ownership of the castle would revert to the church if there was no child after ten years of marriage. Because Milo is impotent, he wants Alex to seduce and impregnate Nicolette so that he can claim the child as his own. Alex initially refuses, but eventually gives in because he still cares for Nicki and Milo tells him something that leaves him no other choice.
I honestly wasn't sure how I was going to react to this book because of the adultery plot. But the setting, situation, strong characterization and talent of Patricia Ryan made it work for me. Alex and Nicki aren't vain, selfish people, and they don't want to hurt anyone. They are soul mates, who were torn apart because of a set of misunderstandings and the inexperience and immaturity of youth. They're both strongly bound by honor and resist each other for an amazing length of time. Their rediscovery of love is beautifully portrayed, and my eyes went bleary more than once. It helped that Milo, pitiful excuse for a human being that he was, wasn't adverse to the union between Alex and his wife, especially when he realized he'd gotten in the way of their true love nine years earlier. My only minor quibble was that Alex's character, whom I first met in Ryan's SECRET THUNDER, wasn't the same lighthearted, carefree guy that I was expecting. But under the circumstances, it wouldn't have made much sense to portray him as happy-go-lucky when his heart was being torn apart. ~Laurie S. (shallah@empire.net)
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