I thought this was going to be a sweet book, but I noticed that as I read it that the thought "sweet" never entered my mind. From the very beginning it was plain Eleanor loved Sean. So as he's leaving the country, she makes it pretty plain that she'll wait for him. I thought that would mean something to Sean, but evidently he couldn't have cared less.
He gets some broad named Peg pregnant, which is very charming by the way, and does the honorable thing by marrying her. But before he says his vows, Eleanor's face flashes before his mind, so of course, he goes on ahead with the wedding anyway.
Then, poor guy that he is, his wife is murdered while she's pregnant with his baby, and he's still haunted by that day.
News flash Eleanor! If his wife hadn't been murdered, he would still be married to her...hence making it impossible for him to marry you. He went into that marriage fully prepared to stay with her for the rest of his life. If that doesn't scream romantic love story for Eleanor, I don't know what does.
And to top it all off he comes back and she repeatedly throws herself at him and tries to be there for him to talk about his dark past in the pit. When he finally admits to having married another woman, she's only hurt for a little while, and then she comes crawling back to him and is sad for him because of his WIFE and child with ANOTHER woman is dead, and she feels sorry for him.
Then Benda Joyce manages to squeeze comments about Eleanor finding him with the village girls in the barn, like we wanna hear about that crap.
By the end of the book when Eleanor's pregnant, I'm not even buying his love for her, because he seems more interested in reuniting with Peg's son (who isn't his). She had to PLACE his hand on her own pregnant stomach.
Boy, Brenda Joyce, you have done it again. I've noticed a pattern in her books that just pisses me off, and I will not be reading any more books in this series.
If you are someone who has values and morals, and who thinks sex should be something sacred shared by two people for their FIRST time TOGETHER, then DO NOT read this book, because all the little comments about him doing other people will make your blood pressure skyrocket.
I've come to realize that Brenda Joyce is one of those romance authors who think that a girl's first time should be someone experienced and "virile" (and if I hear that word one more time I am seriously going to break something.)
The only thing I really like about this book is that they're a big, close family, and I do like that aspect. If only the story line and characters were a little more likeable.
I'll read this book again if I'm in the mood for torturing myself.