Review: History, part two
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 25, 2013
Book One: Prisoner of Desire. Set in approximately 1780, Blake takes us from Spain to Havana to New Orleans to the San Antonio area of Tejas. An enemy of Refugio' s family has engineered its destruction and Refugio has become the bandit El Leon. The enemy's step-daughter, Pilar, sends word to Refugio to help her escape her step-father, whom she is sure murdered her mother.  When Refugio' s brother is enslaved in retaliation, and taken to New Orleans, the bandit, his closest compadres, and Pilar set out after them.  During the journey, it  becomes clear that one of their party is in league with the enemy, but who?Book Two: Perfume of Paradise.  Set in 1803, the book begins with a slave uprising on the island of St Domingue on the night of an arranged marriage between Elise and a neighboring planter. With the help of her maid, she escapes, only to be attacked by slaves and saved by a privateer, Ryan. The story moves to New Orleans during a transition of ownership back to France from Spain, with rumors of sale to America. Elise has entered into an agreement with Ryan , but wants to be independent. Her only hope is to manufacture and market the perfume her maid concocted for her to wear on her wedding night. A fragrance that can bring a man to his knees.Book Three: Southern Rapture.  Anya kidnaps Ravel, a master swordsman, to prevent him from meeting her sister's fiance in a duel. Ravel killed Anya' s fiance, also his best friend, in a drunken accident seven years earlier and Anya has never forgiven him.  She doesn't want history to repeat itself, so she holds him hostage on her plantation. Then they are attacked and the building they are in is set on fire.  The question is raised as to who wants one or both of them dead and why?Book Four: Spanish Seranade. The war has ended and reconstruction has begun. Leticia has come to Louisiana to find her brother's murderer, known as the Thorn,  and to teach former slaves to read, write and do sums.  She takes a room at a plantation owned by a man who returned from the war with a head injury, and who now has the mind of a twelve year old.  The owner, Ransom, does his best to avoid his attraction to the prickly Northener, knowing there is no future for them, especially if she learns he is the Thorn.