Review: Beautiful romance...
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 9, 2012
When Alys returns to the Hebridean island of Garve she feels comforted by the strength of her childhood memories, of holidays spent exploring rock pools, and the feel of the silvery white sand between her toes. Re-discovering fragments of herself, she sets out to search for the secret of a beautiful embroidered cabinet which is on display in her hotel. Her curiosity is encouraged by the deepening friendship with her childhood friend, Donal, who has remained on the island, and who is the guardian of the curiosity cabinet's secrets.Three hundred years earlier, Henrietta Dalrymple is forcibly removed from her life in Edinburgh, a life she shares with her baby son, but when she is kidnapped and held against her will on Garve she finds life on the small island totally abhorrent. Her captor is Manus McNeil, Laird of the isle and a highlander to boot, fearsome, devilish and ultimately controlling. Henrietta is lost and alone but takes comfort in small friendships, as gradually the relationship between captor and captive becomes something more meaningful.Beautifully written, this dual time romance captures time and place completely. The interwoven love stories blend together quite seamlessly, both strands of the story are equally appealing, neither one outshining the other. The spirit of Garve is captured perfectly, the imagery is so unique, you may find yourself gasping as you see wild swans fly across the sky, and the tang of seaweed, and the hint of a sea breeze remain with you as you turn each page.The skill of this talented story teller is present in every word, she weaves a kind of magic, and makes beautiful pictures in your mind.