It's Always Been You [Mass Market Paperback]

Aidan York has loved deeply. Ten years ago he found the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Katie Tremont owned his heart and soul, but because he felt he didn't have enough to offer her, he let her go. After a horrible fight between the two, where he broke her heart, she left and boarded a ship to Ceylon. Aidan planned on chasing Katie and bringing her back, but he was told by the people he trusted that her ship was wrecked at sea and she died. Aidan is haunted daily by Katie's memory. Over the past decade he has jumped in and out of the beds of many married women, never finding true relief and happiness. The only way he can be complete is to have his Katie back. Then one day he spots a woman who looks exactly like his Katie. When he confronts her, he's shocked to see that it's indeed Katie and she's alive and well but married.

Kate Hamilton isn't dead. Her parents told Aidan that she was to her dismay. She never forgets Aidan although she moved on and married an older man, taking care of his plantation and learning about coffee beans. Kate is now back in England and has started her own coffee shop. When Aidan walks into her shop, she is just as shocked as he is. He wants answers, which she's not willing to give because of a dark secret she's hiding. She a widow in truth, although she lets the world think she's still married. Aidan figures out she's keeping something from him, but he doesn't want to lose her by forcing her to tell him. Instead he asks to be her friend, which she accepts. But their passion for one another can't be denied and soon they're having an illicit affair. Aidan wants Katie as his wife and for her to divorce her husband. Katie refuses. She thinks she's just one of many women Aidan has seduced. And then someone from Kate's past arrives in London claiming to be Mr. Hamilton, who can ruin all of Katie's plans and freedom. Aidan won't let Katie go without a fight even if it means her own downfall and possibly life in prison for murdering her actual husband.

It's Always Been You is a passionate romance about former lovers reuniting. Both Kate and Aidan love each other deeply, but I felt the reasons for their separation weak, including the mystery surrounding Kate and her marriage. I also found the love scenes pretty mundane, which may be my own problem because I expect so much more when it comes to a Victoria Dahl romance. This is a pretty run of the mill historical romance that may be soon forgotten once you finish reading. Overall a ho-um and at times tepid reading, but otherwise should give readers a few hours of enjoyment, but nothing more.

Katiebabs

IT'S ALWAYS BEEN YOU is a historical romance that's light on history and plot. It's got one significant strength: Adrian, the hero. He's absolutely besotted with the heroine, Katie, head-over-heels, no-shame, follow-her-to-the-ends-of-the-earth in love with her, but never seems weak or pathetic. That's a tough tightrope to walk; most guys who ooze depthless devotion the way that Adrian does end up seeming spineless, on the page, but Adrian is tough, no-nonsense, masculine, determined, organized...he's a convincing alpha male who has a weakness for this one girl, who means the world to him. That's sweet and touching and lovely.

I quite liked the heroine, as well. Her fear of being swallowed by her old life was palpable, her strength and determination to persevere on a new path believable. She managed to do some very foolish things without making me think less of her for it.

But, alas, I'm going to return to the original point: light on history and plot. Scenes where Katie does her own cooking and burns her sausages or where Adrian stops by to chat over a glass of wine felt too modern to me. Mostly, though, the plotting was weak; Katie is a widow who fled Ceylon, the scene of her unhappy marriage, before her husband's body was cold. She is constantly, deeply terrified of being held responsible for her husband's death and lives under a false name just in case a hint of suspicion followed her to England - but, despite her fear, we have to wait until the book is halfway over for her to seek out news from Ceylon to find out if she's actually in trouble or not. She doesn't turn to friends, family, or Adrian to avert disaster, once she sees it coming.

The whole murder/Gerard subplot really only existed to keep Katie frightened and give her an excuse to tell a lot of lies. The thing is, it's a pretty thin excuse & by the end it didn't hold water for me...and that's around when Gerard shows up to twirl his mustache.

Adrian is a total dreamboat and makes IT'S ALWAYS BEEN YOU a fun read, but if I were going to pick up another Victoria Dahl (and I'd be happy to), I'd probably look for a contemporary rather than a historical setting, having now read one of each from her pen.

It's Always Been You by Victoria Dahl
Historical Romance -Aug. 2nd, 2011
3  stars

This is a realistic historical about love lost and second chances.

Aidan is haunted by his past. Although he is now wealthy and successful he mourns the lost of his first love and he is ashamed of his wild behavior after her death. But while on the streets England he spies a woman that looks eerily familiar and follows her. Only to discover to his shock it is his lost love Katie! However, she is married. But Aidan isn't going let a little thing like marriage get in the way of what he wants!

Katie is fleeing her past and hoping for a bright future in her coffee store. But her newfound peacefulness is shattered by her first love. A man who never came for her and caused her life untold misery. Although she is still attracted to Aidan she is determined to forget those memories and keep him out of her life. But will she be able to keep her resolve or will their past keep them apart yet again?

This story made me wish that these two characters had been able to marry when they were young. There is a feeling of sadness for the time they lost when they were cruelly separated. It is a well-written story, but for some reason I was never quite able to become fully engaged in the main characters as much as I hoped. I liked how the author demonstrates how fragile a woman's position in society was and in many cases they had no power over themselves. I especially liked how she demonstrated how woman were easily threatened in the male dominated society such that it `diminished' their dreams and spirits. But she also shows the strength that woman have to recover. The story also has some drama that includes Katie's missing years that seemed a bit tacked on to add tension to the story.

A strong and enduring heroine and a thoughtful story make for an original read.

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club