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Lord Sheffield, Gabriel Fairchild, was seriously wounded during his service in the Royal Navy. Flying shrapnel blinded him and left him with a terrible scar across his cheek. His love for Cecily March was the reason he joined the Royal Navy in the first place. The Royal Navy is usually reserved for the poor and less fortunate not Lords and other titled society. Gabriel had a reputation as a gambling rouge, so when Cecily told him she would marry him if could do something worthwhile with his life, he joined the Royal Navy. After the accident, Cecily rejects Gabriel leaving him a bitter man. With little to no hope of regaining his sight, Gabriel returns to his childhood home, Fairchild Park, alone. He intends to recuperate and hide away from his family and the rest of the world, but his father, housemaid and butler have other plans.
Gabriel’s nurses are running for cover and out the door after he subjects them to shouts of abuse and disrespect. Miss Samantha Wickersham is a last resort hired by Gabriel's family. He wants to fire her but she’s tougher than he thinks. Samantha is hired to be Gabriel’s nurse and to help him learn to live with his blindness. He tries everything he can to get her to leave, but when she finally does, Gabriel almost dies trying to stop her. She stays and eventually wears him down, but through all the anger and hostility, sparks ignite between them. Samantha can’t resist falling-in-love with Gabriel, but she knows she can never marry him because of their class difference and her secret past. Will Samantha be able to handle Gabriel’s abuse and stand up for what she believes? Can she push him away once her feelings take over?
Gabriel’s other servants, Mrs. Philpot and Mr. Beckwith, are adorable characters and add such a reality to the story. They love Gabriel and know that underneath all the bitterness is a scared young man. Samantha is determined to prove to Gabriel that his life has meaning. Can she succeed where so many others have failed?
YOURS UNTIL DAWN is a tender, heartwarming story that reminds me of Phantom of the Opera and Beauty and the Beast. This was my first time reading a book by Teresa Medeiros, but it wont’ be my last. The plot twist at the end was very gratifying for this reader. Historical fans can’t miss this wonderful story. Those who aren’t historical fans will be once they read YOURS UNTIL DAWN.
Reviewed by Jennifer Ray
for The Road to Romance
December 29, 2004
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