Flower Under Ice [Paperback]

Catriona, the bearer of the news of Harriet's death, is not surprised at Wyndham's reaction; after all, Harriet, whom she'd known for some time, had made clear to her that Wyndham was a wastrel and a harsh, unkind man. Harriet herself had left Dominic after their wedding night, claiming that he'd done depraved and humiliating things to her. As such, Catriona is fully prepared to believe the worst of Dominic - an impression which isn't changed one bit after their encounter later that night. She sneaks into his room to talk to him, to plead with him to come to Edinburgh with her because Harriet left a child, a son, whose care Wyndham must assume. However, Catriona is well aware that the boy isn't Wyndham's son - and she is surprised when he states that he could not possibly be the boy's father. All the same, he tells her, he will travel to Edinburgh to see to the child's future - on certain conditions.

Those conditions are that Catriona must travel with him to all intents and purposes as his mistress. On the way, he says, they will indulge in sin - one deadly sin for each day on the road. "Every day you will be besieged by a man who has a great deal more experience in the game than you do. I shall seduce you," he promises. "You will fall in love and I shall break your heart. I guarantee it."

Yet he also promises that he will do nothing without her consent - so to an earlier reviewer, I point out that Wyndham fully understands that 'no' means 'no'. Nothing is done with Catriona without her express consent - in fact, at times, her pleading.

For reasons of her own, Catriona desperately needs Wyndham to come, and so she agrees to his terms - showing no fear, but also desperately trying not to show him how truly tempted she is by him. By his seductive voice, by his beautiful hands, his handsome body and face, his touch... and his kisses. For she cannot afford to lose her heart, and never to an Englishman. Besides, Wyndham is a scoundrel and a rake... isn't he?

Wyndham is, in fact, far from being either, as any reader who hasn't already read Illusion will find out gradually as the book advances. Nothing he does is without a cause: to help a friend, to try to win back the wife he has persuades himself he loves, for the sake of his country. As for Catriona, he is tempted by her and intrigued by the mystery she presents, for he knows very well that there is something else behind her thin story about a fatherless, motherless boy. And so they embark on an intimate journey together, facing danger, facing trials... and facing temptation. But in the end, whose heart is most at risk? Catriona's - or Dominic's?

I didn't find this book quite as compelling as Illusion; the dramatic plot wasn't as gripping as that in the earlier book - the need to rescue the baby didn't really have the same interest for me. Yet Dominic and Catriona are similarly complex and driven by demons as were Nigel and Frances in Illusion - and fans of the earlier book will get the opportunity to see them again in this. So still a five-star review, but Illusion definitely has the edge.

wmr-uk

Catriona, the bearer of the news of Harriet's death, is not surprised at Wyndham's reaction; after all, Harriet, whom she'd known for some time, had made clear to her that Wyndham was a wastrel and a harsh, unkind man. Harriet herself had left Dominic after their wedding night, claiming that he'd done depraved and humiliating things to her. As such, Catriona is fully prepared to believe the worst of Dominic - an impression which isn't changed one bit after their encounter later that night. She sneaks into his room to talk to him, to plead with him to come to Edinburgh with her because Harriet left a child, a son, whose care Wyndham must assume. However, Catriona is well aware that the boy isn't Wyndham's son - and she is surprised when he states that he could not possibly be the boy's father. All the same, he tells her, he will travel to Edinburgh to see to the child's future - on certain conditions.

Those conditions are that Catriona must travel with him to all intents and purposes as his mistress. On the way, he says, they will indulge in sin - one deadly sin for each day on the road. "Every day you will be besieged by a man who has a great deal more experience in the game than you do. I shall seduce you," he promises. "You will fall in love and I shall break your heart. I guarantee it."

Yet he also promises that he will do nothing without her consent - so to an earlier reviewer, I point out that Wyndham fully understands that 'no' means 'no'. Nothing is done with Catriona without her express consent - in fact, at times, her pleading.

For reasons of her own, Catriona desperately needs Wyndham to come, and so she agrees to his terms - showing no fear, but also desperately trying not to show him how truly tempted she is by him. By his seductive voice, by his beautiful hands, his handsome body and face, his touch... and his kisses. For she cannot afford to lose her heart, and never to an Englishman. Besides, Wyndham is a scoundrel and a rake... isn't he?

Wyndham is, in fact, far from being either, as any reader who hasn't already read Illusion will find out gradually as the book advances. Nothing he does is without a cause: to help a friend, to try to win back the wife he has persuades himself he loves, for the sake of his country. As for Catriona, he is tempted by her and intrigued by the mystery she presents, for he knows very well that there is something else behind her thin story about a fatherless, motherless boy. And so they embark on an intimate journey together, facing danger, facing trials... and facing temptation. But in the end, whose heart is most at risk? Catriona's - or Dominic's?

I didn't find this book quite as compelling as Illusion; the dramatic plot wasn't as gripping as that in the earlier book - the need to rescue the baby didn't really have the same interest for me. Yet Dominic and Catriona are similarly complex and driven by demons as were Nigel and Frances in Illusion - and fans of the earlier book will get the opportunity to see them again in this. So still a five-star review, but Illusion definitely has the edge.

wmr-uk

Basically, the first quarter of the book is pretty conventional Regency farce including a rather absurd section on a day for each of the seven sins. Also, Dominic is a pretty self-centered jerk in the early pages. The book improves as the setting shifts to Scotland and Catronia's true mission (one with considerably more worth than her original story) emerges. The book is probably at its best when exploring the politics of Scotland in the early 19th century. The romance plot worked reasonably well but was nothing exceptional.

Bottom-line: Five stars for Scottish history and politics and three stars for a so-so romance = four stars overall.