1826: Napoleon Bonaparte is dead, the Congress of Vienna's work is done, and there is peace in Europe. However, in Portugal there is the scent of civil war in the air following the death of King John VI. Newly returned from India, Matthew Hervey joins a party of officers sent to make an assessment and lend support to the Portuguese queen.
Added by: badaboom | Karma: 5364.29 | Fiction literature | 1 October 2010
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Violet (Flower Trilogy)
Royal, author of the Jewel trilogy (Amber, etc.), offers up a straightforward 17th-century romance that, while not as substantial as her previous works, still entertains. Bluestocking Violet Ashcroft has no interest in men; she's convinced they'll only want her for her money, and besides, she wants nothing more than to publish her own work of philosophy. Her plans are overset by the arrival of her handsome neighbor, Ford Chase, who has returned to his neglected country estate with his flirtatious, five-year-old niece to dedicate himself to scientific pursuits.
Maggie has just returned home from a long stay in the hospital to repair the leg that was badly injured in an automobile accident; Caleb has just returned from prison, where he served nine months for driving the car that hit Maggie. In spite of a court order to stay away from her, Caleb continues to encounter Maggie and even ends up working for Mrs. Reynolds, the same elderly lady who Maggie helps. Telling the story in alternate chapters, Elkeles reveals the traumatic accident and its consequences from both victims' points of view. Maggie can no longer play tennis and is now convinced that ...
