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By: Marcia, guest reviewer

It is always a treat to read one of Madeline Hunter’s books.  They are very well written with compelling plots and historical subplots as well as wonderful characters.  Secrets of Surrender is the third book in the Rothwell Series about a family that is declining socially.

Roselyn Longworth has come down almost as far as possible.  Her respectable family has been impoverished for sometime but after her parents’ death, her brothers became bankers.  Adding to her distress, her older brother has been killed as a freedom fighter in Greece her younger brother fled to Paris, after his embezzlement of bank funds was discovered, absconding with roughly 100,000 pounds (about $10,000,000 today).  Her cousin’s husband, Lord Hayden, has tried to repay all those affected but there is still a great deal of resentment, most notably from Lord Norbury.  Unaware of his connection with her brother, Roselyn has agreed to be Lord Norbury’s mistress thinking that he cared for her, but his attentions are anything but romantic.

In the opening scene we find her at a house party hosted by Lord Norbury.  This is not a respectable affair.  The only attendees from society are men, the women they are escorting are not their wives or mistresses but common prostitutes.  She tells Lord Norbury that she will not continue with this affair, but he is unwilling to let her go and indicates that he will hold her by force.

Kyle Bradwell is a local boy who has risen up in the world thanks to the patronage of Lord Norbury’s father.  He is an architect and arrives thinking to discuss some business with Lord Norbury.  When he discovers that there is a house party in progress, he intends to leave as soon as his business is competed.  Lord Norbury invites him to stay long enough to have dinner with the rest of the guests whom Kyle has not yet met.

Entering the dinning room Kyle is offended by the company, but he is dazzled by a beautiful, graceful woman across the room and soon realizes that she is here with Lord Norbury.  During dinner Lord Norbury rises and addresses the company.  He tells his guests that Roselyn no longer chooses to be his mistress and that he is glad to be rid of her because she is so cold and unskilled, although he does list some favorable and intimate physical attributes.  He wants to be compensated for the money he has spent on her so far and he offers to auction her to the highest bidder.  Kyle is horrified by these proceedings and realizes, when looking over the men that are bidding, that Roselyn is in grave danger.  They are not nice men regardless of their standing in society.  The bidding starts at 50 pounds and proceeds with several gentlemen in the running.  Kyle wastes no time and bids 950 pounds.  The room is silenced and Kyle leaves quickly with an ungrateful Roselyn who is unaware of his honorable motives.

What follows is a beautifully written story of two kindred spirits on the outskirts of society who find love, completeness, home, security and acceptance with each other.  Adding depth and interest is an historical backdrop dealing with the English justice system during the Regency period and the inequities of justice for titled gentlemen vs. the common man and men vs. women.

4 Stars

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Originally posted 2008-08-12 05:42:06. Republished by Old Post Promoter

One of my favorite movies is Just Like Heaven with Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo. I first saw Mark in the romantic comedy of 13 Going On 30. He plays the slightly dorky but still hunky guy very well. His face is very expressive and paired with Reese Witherspoon’s spunky perky attitude and good looks it’s a match made in heaven. Pun intended.

Just Like Heaven fits well with all of the hospital television dramas like ER, Grey’s Anatomy, Scrubs, House, etc. If you like one or all of those shows you’ll be sure to enjoy Just Like Heaven. Elizabeth Masterson, played by Witherspoon, works hard. In fact, work is all she does. Despite having moved to San Francisco to be closer to her sister and her sister’s family, she’s not swung by to see them all that much. Because let’s face it Elizabeth is dedicated to her work to the point that she’s lost all contact with things outside of work. She wants the attending position and is competing for it with another doctor.

The movie starts off following her through one of her many overworked, overtired, entirely too stressful days as she struggles to be the best doctor she can be. By the end of the day her biggest worry is taken care of and she finally gets ready to leave to meet her sister and nieces for dinner. On the drive to their suburban home, tragedy strikes. Elizabeth finds herself in a head-on collision with a semi-truck. Fortunately, she survives. Unfortunately, she’s a ghost.

David Abbot, played by Ruffalo, is a depressed architect. His life has seen tragedy as well. Grieving for a lost love, David scours San Fransisco for an apartment with a decent couch. Having found one, he learns the renting contract is more than slightly bizarre. It’s rented on a month to month basis, but considering his other options, David immediately accepts and moves in. Just as he’s settling into the new place Elizabeth startles him. Several cat and mouse encounters later, David is sure he’s either crazy or that Elizabeth is a ghost. A ghost that can’t even remember her name (to begin with) and certainly can’t recall her life. Determined to get rid of her, David reluctantly agrees to help her solve the mystery of her limbo existence.

Similar to Ghost with Whoopi Goldberg, this movie has the two characters interact without being able to touch. Luckily David can see Elizabeth or Jon Heder, from Napoleon Dynamite, who plays an occult bookstore attendant would have to act as the messenger between David and Elizabeth. Well he does have a scene where he interprets the vibes between them, but nothing like Golberg’s character in Ghost. Heder plays his part exceptionally well with a good sense of humor. Whether you liked him in Napoleon Dynamite or didn’t like him in Napoleon Dynamite you will be hard pressed not to love him in this movie.

Overall this movie is a that weaves grief and humor together so sweetly you can’t help but fall in love alongside the characters.

Rating: 4 Stars

Originally posted 2008-10-18 10:36:05. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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Merrick and Maddie were young, impulsive, and madly in love with each other. A wild dash across England through Scotland to Gretna Green ends in marriage and betrayal. For the dashing young lad Merrick MacLachlan, this mad run would be his last act of reckless spontaneity. When Maddie’s father catches up with them – he does all in his power to break them apart and succeeds.

Merrick is beaten, trampled, and whipped and left to die. He wakes up alone, in pain and forever scarred. He tries to get in touch with Maddie but his letters go unanswered. When Merrick manages to stumble free from the hellhole he was left in back to Maddie’s childhood home he is not received. The news he receives there wretches his heart out of his chest as he realizes what a fool he’s been. Maddie has married another man and is touring Europe.

It is nearly thirteen years before they meet again quite by accident. Maddie’s second husband is dead and she is desperate to find help for her son, Geoffrey, who experiences visions of accidents/death or something similar. London is her best shot to help him. I’m sure you can guess that Geoffrey was Merrick’s son and that her marriage to her second husband is not at all what it seemed. Her choices were slim and her circumstances were grave and she thought Merrick had used her to gain her fortune. Marrying again was her only hope.

Almost immediately after seeing each other for the first time in so many years Maddie and Merrick exchange their versions of the past events that led to their marriage being dissolved. Unfortunately, Merrick and Maddie, are incredibly stupid. I’m not sure they have ears and they don’t listen to each other both so certain they were the wronged party and both so certain the other one is a cruel-hearted bastard. It gets really irritating after the second/third time through explanations. Somehow they manage to extract themselves from their past in order to see a future with each other – then amazingly they both take the risk to trust the other and fall in love again.

Rating: 2 Stars

Originally posted 2008-09-17 05:54:44. Republished by Old Post Promoter