Friday, November 23, 2007
Friday Flashback
This one, from 2002, is particularly appropriate, since I just read a book by Kathleen O'Reilly, and this is where it all started:
Touched by Fire by Kathleen O'Reilly. Historical romance.
I just finished Touched by Fire. I'll have to agree with the comment from Julia London on the cover:
A wonderfully charming and poignant romance.
To start at the beginning, I was so angry with the old earl, and just wanted to take 8-year-old Colin home with me. Then seeing how his cruelty had affected the grown-up Colin, I wanted to dig him up & strangle him.... er.... I don't know where this bloodthirstiness comes from, really I don't.
Anyway, Colin was such a tragic figure, determined to do right and to live without love.
Sarah was perfect for him. Both were outsiders because of their fathers, but she was less willing to accept what fate had given her. Rather than use her fortune to make a socially acceptable marriage, she waits for the man of her dreams--a man with "sherry-colored" eyes. Colin, on the other hand, resigns himself to marrying a woman he's not attracted to so that he can save the orphanage without unleashing the beast he's sure lives within him.
I like the twist that makes the man the one who's afraid of his own passion. You seldom see virgin heroes, especially without them being emasculated, but Colin managed to seem even stronger for being able to deny himself, because he was doing it to (as he believed) protect others.
Sarah says that she wants someone to take care of her, but she's stronger than that. She takes care of herself, and when she sees what she wants, she goes after it, braving social censure and risking her heart.
I loved watching these two go back and forth. He's fighting his attraction for her, but at the same time he won't hurt her, even to protect her from himself, so his growing attraction to & affection for her is more & more evident. She keeps thinking he's pulling away because of her position in society.
Fortunately, Giles & Iris are there to nudge things along. Giles in particular was very entertaining. I loved his sarcastic, insubordinate remarks to Colin. I thought I saw sparks between Iris & Giles---
And of course there's nothing like a couple attempted murders to force a couple to admit how much they care for each other.
All in all, an entertaining, engrossing read. Thanks, Kathleen!
You can read the entire thread here.
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Categories: Books, HistoricalRomance, Flashback
Labels: books, flashback, HistoricalRomance
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