Ripples in the Water
Michelle ChambersHistorical romance
Available from The Wild Rose Press
ISBN: 1-60154-053-1
April 2007
| Celeste remembers little—she remembers a man’s face, another man who helped her escape from The Black Moth, a ship belonging to him. She does not remember that she has survived the execution of four people for their participation in the infamous Gunpowder plot, nor does she remember that she is wanted, herself, for murder. All else she knew is that she was going to die alone on unfamiliar land, even before the horses trampled her. Davy, the coachman, was transporting Darby Manderville, the Earl of Hawkridge, to his home; Darby thought that he was rescuing a poor woman because of her dress and her overall appearance. When he took her home with him, and his housekeeper, Mrs. Burton, cleaned her up, Darby found one of his family heirlooms sewn into the hem of her ragged dress. What manner of thief had he brought into his home? And whatever the problem, why should the found objects affect his mother so deeply?
This novel, written by Ms. Michelle Chambers, has very detailed, interesting scenarios which are spell-binding. The more I read, the more (and faster) I wanted to read. Almost at every page turning there was another character involved in deceit and cover-up. The complexities of Celeste’s past, as well as the unknown of her present circumstances, do not promise much for her future. Her memory returned, partially, so that she had remembered she had a son by Scully Stevens/Hugh Forbesham. She and the rest of the world were unaware that Scully and Hugh were the same man. Very few knew who Scully was, and that fact played a major role in this book. The fact that Hugh was Darby’s half-brother made their resemblance even more devastating to Celeste. This book is filled with suspense, talk of the plot to overthrow the King, and lust, greed, manipulation and love. The author has done a marvelous job of her task to marry all the characters, plots and counter-plots, the dangers surrounding Celeste and her son, Jamie, and the ups and downs of the relationship between Darby and Celeste. The sensual scenes were dynamic, but infrequent. The book is exciting and interesting and worthy of recommendation.
Overall rating:
Reviewer: Brenda Talley |
