Smuggled Rose
Amy CorwinHistorical romance
Available from Cerridwen Press
ISBN: 9781419909351
May 2007
| In 1813, Margaret Lane lived with her grandmother, in Folkestone near the straits of Dover, in a rundown home in which she was almost a recluse. Seven years ago, she had retreated to her grandmother’s home after scandal ruined her reputation. She was so branded that a trip into the nearest town was almost impossible. They lived there with an older, married couple as servants in a dilapidated, under-furnished home with barely enough to eat. As the book opened, she was receiving smuggled goods, including rare, coveted roses and bottles of wine. She did this as a way to make enough money to keep the home habitable. This night, not only goods, but a wounded participant in the smuggling scheme was brought to her home.
The wounded young man actually was Edward Peyton, younger brother of the Earl of Ramsgate, Michael Peyton, who was a member of the Fancy, an organization that was frequented by Lord Bridgewater, who decided he wanted Margaret and, when she refused his advances, beat her and left visible, unsightly scars on her arms. So, when Michael appeared to monitor Edward’s medical progress, she was as afraid of him as she ever was of Lord Bridgewater, who constantly reminded her that he would get his revenge. His vicious lies concerning her conduct made her trips into town unbearable. Ms. Amy Corwin has done a delightful job of describing her charactersboth the major ones and the family members and other acquaintances. These characters, while attracted to each other, had personal baggage which Ms. Corwin handled well and in such a manner that it seemed as if I was part of the plot. This first novel by Ms. Corwin revealed her abilities to grip the reader’s attention and blend several sub-plots into the main love story and still manage to make it easy to follow. .The ending might be predictable; however, getting there was quite a surprise! I highly recommend anyone who loves historical romance read this book; you will definitely not be disappointed. Great first work by the author! She is definitely one to watch for!
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Reviewer: Brenda Talley |
