This is what occurs when you delve into Brenda Joyce's romance novels! I wound up going to sleep at 2 am, neglecting my homework, and devoting my entire focus to the book. I was simply desperate to find out what took place next.
So... I must admit that I didn't read the de Warrene novels in sequence. My initial one was Rolfe de Warrene, and wow. He was, for me, the very embodiment of an alpha male. However, when it came to reading Cliff de Warrene, I thought to myself: this man is descended from Rolfe? Seriously? The gentlemanly nature was truly an interesting and novel approach in the book. And I'm afraid I'm about to have my outburst now...
I absolutely love this book! The heroine is astonishing, and the hero is equally astonishing. The story? It's beautiful and brilliant! I was hoping it would be a scorching and steamy romance like Rolfe's but... There I go again, making unfair comparisons! Although it's not like The Conquerer, I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
There is no question that I will carry on my search for the remainder of the de Warrene books. =)
Wow, this is a great book! However, I didn't realize until the very last 3 pages (from the letter of the author) that this is the 6th book in a series. UGH!
I would really appreciate it if I knew in advance that a book is part of a series, whether it can stand alone or not. This is because usually there are various references to the previous books within the story.
When I read the books out of order, I often get confused about the sequence of events. It can be quite frustrating. Again, UGH!
Despite this, the book itself was still excellent. The story, the characters, and the writing were all very engaging. I just wish I had known about the series earlier to have a more seamless reading experience.
Really, I don't know what to tell you. At the beginning, this story didn't fit me. The protagonist suffers from gender-based violence at the hands of her father. Besides that, there are other things in this story that didn't resonate with me. However, I can say that in the end, it picked up, and it had a predictable and nice ending.
Perhaps the initial part of the story was too dark and disturbing for my taste. The description of the protagonist's suffering made me feel a bit uncomfortable. But as the story progressed, there were some glimmers of hope and positive change. The way the protagonist managed to overcome her difficulties and find some sort of happiness was quite heartwarming.
Overall, although the story had its flaws, it still had the power to engage me and make me think about the issue of gender-based violence. It also showed that even in the face of great adversity, there is always a possibility of a better future.