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5.0étoiles sur 5
Sizzles - Just Sizzles!, Oct. 21 2002
One thing I must state up front, Christina Skye has not disappointed me yet. I know that whenever I pick up one of her books, it will have all the elements one could wish for in a period historical piece, devastingly handsome heros, spunky heroines and superb plots that will keep you guessing to the end.In this offering, the hero is the famed highwayman, the Lord of Blackwood, out on the heath plying his trade, holding up those foolish enough to traverse through the "Devil's Wood". It was on this same night that Silver St. Claire, trying to make up for lost time would take the shortcut through these woods to meet an appointment. Fate would have it that she meet up with the devilish highwayman that night. After he traded barbs with her, he sent her back home only having to come to her aid again after three ruffians that set upon to rob and molest her. Someone was out to force Silver and her brother from their home, Lavender Close - the same people, who perhaps had killed her parents. Silver had never believed the story that her father had committed suicide and the St. Clair pride and stubbornness would not let her be forced from her home and her beloved lavender fields. Silver needed to have some help and after determining that the highwayman who had saved her (twice) was not the devil that stories told of, she went about to hire him to 'ruin' her and help her to save Lavender Close. Not only that, but she really wanted to see him again! The Lord of Blackwood, was a man driven by revenge, a hatred towards the man and the people that had forced him to betray his country, and to perform despicable acts upon the innocent. These people had robbed him of his honor, and because of this, his very life and identity for he could not return to his family bearing the shame he felt after the things he had done. His mission, via the disguise of the highwayman, Lord Blackwood, was a means for him to find and revenge himself on the person that had taken his life away from him. He had hardened his heart - he needed his heart to be hard for revenge, yet this slip of a girl, smelling of lavender, and braver than any girl had a right to be was forcing him to feel, forcing soft hearted feelings and reminding him that he did have a heart and it was going to become quite difficult to wipe the memory of Silver St. Claire from his mind. This story was a real page turner, trying to figure out who and what drove the Lord of Blackwood, the very real Lucien "Luc" Delamere. The characters are fleshed out very well, and I absolutely loved Silver and her assumptions about "manly passions". Her brother Bran was charming, as well as the two man-servants, Tinker and Josh. All in all a very delightful read. And, of course, one must not fail to mention that the pages just sizzle when the Silver and Luc do cross swords, oh yes, they do just sizzle! Another win for Ms. Skye.
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