Review: A sweet and must read romance by Lorrie..:)
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 19, 2014
Set in the period post the Civil War, Terms of Surrender poignantly narrates the story of Michael Cantrell, the young, brave and now emotionally battered young Captain who lost everything during the war including his family, his home and his peace of mind.Ever since he has wandered trying to run away from his guilt (What's the guilt about, is for you to read and discover from the book), sadness and his hopelessness of never finding the solace of a home and love of someone he could care about!Then one day he comes across a scene of life and death which horrifies him as well as brings forth his protective instincts. He saves the day but is also horribly wounded.Annie Devlin is desperately trying to prevent the evil rancher Colonel Randolf from acquiring her land just as he has acquired the other neighboring ranches. But what she doesn't predict is being waylaid by his thugs one day and getting almost killed. Saved by the stranger (Michael) who gets heavily wounded during the fight, she nurses him to health.Although saved this once, what will she do the next time they come?Can she save her land from the greedy paws of the Colonel?Michael knows he cant stay forever but he will surely repay this fine lady by doing everything in his power to help her save her home. The only problem is that seeing her makes him hopeful of a home and a life of love which he knows deep down in his heart he is no longer capable of!Will he ever find a home again?Can he dare hope of having a life with Annie?Will his presence be enough to save her house and protect Annie and her brother from harm?A touching and poignant story of a man who lost everything serving his country in war."Gone forever was his innocence and hope for the future, but unwavering courage, loyalty, and duty -always duty- remained. It was all he had left to believe in, and it sustained what small, caring part of him remained."I was deeply affected by the plight of the soldiers in war who have meager facilities and often die due to lack of attention. These are the people who fight for the safety of their country and its people. Fearless and undaunted by their hardships they are ready to fight till their last breath.Lorrie beautifully and sensitively paints a picture of the war which leaves behind only destruction and broken hearts. Her descriptions of the plight of the soldiers who see their fellow mates dying because they don't have proper rations was hard hitting and left me misty eyed."He had seen death far too many times not to recognize it now. Henry was no more than a boy, and now he would grow no older."The characters are admirably and very expertly sketched and developed. They take the reader along with them to their world where he is able to feel each and every of their emotions and also empathize with them.Michael has known only loss and fears having anymore losses on his conscience.Annie is a strong woman who took up the hard and toiling work of looking after her vast ranch as well as the care of her younger brother after her father's brutal murder four years ago. She has known only one home and is determined to keep it, whatever the consequences. Both these characters have seen much sadness and misery and so when they meet its both lovely and so touching. The chemistry between Annie and Michael is sweltering hot and sensuous. I also loved the camaraderie between Annie's younger bother, Rob and Michael. People who are strong and determined to live their life fully despite the hardships, it was interesting to see how it all panned out. I could be seen reading with cent percent attention and swiftly turning pages with monosyllables for answer to any question anyone asked while I read this book. So engrossed was I in the story. :)Lorrie has done her homework and she successfully gives us a plot that has been beautifully sketched in the Civil war times. I was able to visualize each and every scenario irrespective of the fact that the Civil war happened more than a hundred years ago!The story is fast paced and with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader interested and glued to his seat. Whenever I thought I had the story figured out, Lorrie threw a new twist and left me feeling awed.All in all, a very beautifully written historical romance that will awe and wow you. I highly recommend Terms of Surrender and give it a 4.5 out of 5. Kudos to Lorrie for writing such a sweet and totally endearing story.Did you know that Terms of Surrender was the finalist for the "Orange Rose Award" ?In my opinion, it totally deserved it. :)Great book and first in the three "Terms" book series, this is a must read.This review is also available on the blog Njkinny's World of Books..