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In an arranged marriage,
Keelie a'Trega has been given to
Kalen Ashler in a deal brokered by her father to secure peace between
their two
worlds, Tarva and Ria. Expecting to surrender her virginity on their
wedding
night, Keelie is confused when Kalen sends her away from his bed, in
spite of
his obvious interest.
In the following days,
Keelie grows more curious about the
quiet, brooding man she wed. She finds her desire growing and her
determination
to discover what events from his past torment him so.
Ashler is a very touching
story of two people who are drawn
together in the less-than-ideal circumstances of an arranged marriage
neither
truly wanted. Knowing little about one another, they accept it for the
greater
good of their people. As their first days of marriage go by, Keelie and
Kalen
try to strike a balance that is fair to them, but somehow, they are
both left
wanting more.
Almost by accident Keelie
learns of the source of Kalen's
debilitating pain and fears of intimacy with her, yet in turn she finds
that
she has the strength to join with him in a permanent bond that will
change both
of their lives.
Keelie and Kalen are both
appealing in their uncertainty and
vulnerability going into their arranged marriage. This reviewer finds
the
strength revealed in each to be a natural and believable progression as
they
move from strangers to lovers for the right reasons.
Ashler is a short,
refreshing read that should be on the
keeper shelf!
Reviewed
by Niniri Theriault for The Road to Romance
December
26, 2004
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