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Miss Amara Claeg is
stunned to learn that Brock Bedegrayne - former friend, nemesis as well
as the man responsible for the death of her suitor Lord Cornley - is
back from his extended trip to
India. Within no time, Brock makes it clear to Amara that he’s come back for
her and that this time he won’t give her up without a fight. But Amara’s
parents are forcing her, on the point of pain, to marry the handsome
Italian Conte Prola. Caught between sense of duty towards her family and
her turbulent feelings towards Brock, Amara endures with great fortitude
on all fronts.
Brock had always
secretly longed for Amara, until a devastating incident set up an
inflexible barrier between them. Now, years later, once again Amara is
on the verge of getting engaged and Brock feels all his old jealous rage
come violently flooding back. Tragic events seem set to repeat
themselves unless Amara can finally find the courage to do the right
thing. Filled with torment, will Brock ever win Amara’s love? And when
the past rears its ugly head, the characters soon find themselves in the
grip of a terrible conspiracy of love, lust, vengeance and violence
In this book, author
Barbara Pierce finally gives Brock, the eldest Bedegrayne sibling, a
story of his own. Brock with his penchant for violence, especially
towards Amara whose private pain he’s only too well aware of, as well as
sudden tenderness, is a complex protagonist who isn’t easy to understand
or relate to. The author’s description of his long-held inner torment
makes the situations only somewhat understandable. Amara’s lack of
spirit, while not alluring, is cognizant with the terror in her past as
well as her parents’ harsh and unrelenting nature. How the mutual love
between these two disparate characters overcomes startling obstacles
makes for a curious story. While there is way too much reference to
incidents and characters from previous books, the detailed and
many-pronged romantic tale is a lesson in complexity as well as
well-imbued with historical ambiance.
Reviewed By
Rashmi Srinivas for The Road to Romance
April 5, 2004 |
