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Beyond Ecstasy
A love more powerful than magic-from the author of The Devil's Possession.
Laird Gavin McCain, heir to the throne of fae, was raised as a human in order to preserve his life. Now, with his location discovered, a female guardian has been sent to protect him-and return him to the home he never knew
Laird Gavin McCain, heir to the throne of fae, was raised as a human in order to preserve his life. Now, with his location discovered, a female guardian has been sent to protect him-and return him to the home he never knew
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
60 people want to read
About the author
Julia Fitzgerald
26 books6 followersPseudonyms: Julia Fitzgerald, Julia Hamilton, Julia Watson and Jane De Vere.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 15, 2025
It has always been remarked upon by the Fae that the heroine was far too sensitive and emotional towards humans. But once when that aspect of her was shunned, now it is why she's selected by her mother and the King of the Fae to find the Prince. The heir to the throne has been raised human and has no knowledge of what importance he truly holds with her people, especially now that his sister is actively seeking to steal the throne for herself. Traveling under the disguise of a nurse come to care for the hero's ailing mother, that first night in the company of humans has her embracing the urge to kiss a handsome stranger by moonlight. Only, that stranger turns out to be the royal prince himself!
The hero has never felt like a good Laird. He constantly doubts himself and struggles to maintain peace for his clan but what he does have is a fierce loyalty to his people. He'll work until he drops in it means bettering their lives in the aftermath of his step fathers’ rule. Now his dying mother has come to the keep. A mother whom he's rarely seen and can count on one hand the amount of times he's heard her speak. He's truly been parentless for him entire life and the strain of this emotional burden is something he carries with him.
When the beautiful nurse comes to the keep he is immediately and fiercely attracted to her. Not just her beauty but her open and free happiness and eagerness for life and connection. He's never met a woman like her and despite her strange ways and often scandalous behavior, he finds himself falling deeper and deeper into her spell. As her own feelings begin to develop towards her Prince, she becomes guilty over the secrets she is keeping from him. Though ordered not to reveal his true nature to him until he is properly trained in his magic, the heroine confesses her secret. She was expecting his shock and denial but she didn't expect such a heated and cruel refusal to believe her.
He casts her out and the pain of his rejection is hard to stomach. But when he is kidnapped by the very creatures she sought to protect him from, she risks the King Faes wrath by defying orders once again and going in search for him. When she finds him, he is not a prisoner but rather in the presence of an orge who rescued him. The life the hero once lived turned out to be a lie. Now, he's got to come to realization that he is not entirely human and is in fact the heir to the fairy throne. Also, the heroine, whom he is struggling to categorize his feelings for, is pregnant with his child.
The battle to get the hero in touch with his magic is a rushed affair as the enemy is pressing their attack and without the hero, the light Fae kingdom will fall into darkness.
This was a nice stand alone book. Perhaps nothing overly special, it did however possess a lovely whimsical feel. It had plenty of magical creatures and mythology to boot. The hero was a very reluctant hero who on one hand KNEW of his magical powers and had memories of his father the Fae king but on the other hand, stubbornly refused to believe it until the truth smacked him in the face. At times, I began to wonder the strength behind his character because he often let his fear and his stubbornness rule. This caused many a tense fight with those he loved and it's only because they were so willing to forgive him (also, he could be charming in his apology) that he didn't push everyone away. The heroine was a lovely little supporting character who was a sweet little fairy, not content with her predictable life, looking for purpose. She could be innocent and unassuming most of the time but she did have a temper and a fierce need to protect the hero. Together they had a complex relationship which was often strained from their standing on opposite sides of the magical fence as it were. But at the heart, they loved each other and no matter what, they would risk death for the safety of the other. I liked this story but I didn't absolutely love it. It was a whimsical read but head no int
The hero has never felt like a good Laird. He constantly doubts himself and struggles to maintain peace for his clan but what he does have is a fierce loyalty to his people. He'll work until he drops in it means bettering their lives in the aftermath of his step fathers’ rule. Now his dying mother has come to the keep. A mother whom he's rarely seen and can count on one hand the amount of times he's heard her speak. He's truly been parentless for him entire life and the strain of this emotional burden is something he carries with him.
When the beautiful nurse comes to the keep he is immediately and fiercely attracted to her. Not just her beauty but her open and free happiness and eagerness for life and connection. He's never met a woman like her and despite her strange ways and often scandalous behavior, he finds himself falling deeper and deeper into her spell. As her own feelings begin to develop towards her Prince, she becomes guilty over the secrets she is keeping from him. Though ordered not to reveal his true nature to him until he is properly trained in his magic, the heroine confesses her secret. She was expecting his shock and denial but she didn't expect such a heated and cruel refusal to believe her.
He casts her out and the pain of his rejection is hard to stomach. But when he is kidnapped by the very creatures she sought to protect him from, she risks the King Faes wrath by defying orders once again and going in search for him. When she finds him, he is not a prisoner but rather in the presence of an orge who rescued him. The life the hero once lived turned out to be a lie. Now, he's got to come to realization that he is not entirely human and is in fact the heir to the fairy throne. Also, the heroine, whom he is struggling to categorize his feelings for, is pregnant with his child.
The battle to get the hero in touch with his magic is a rushed affair as the enemy is pressing their attack and without the hero, the light Fae kingdom will fall into darkness.
This was a nice stand alone book. Perhaps nothing overly special, it did however possess a lovely whimsical feel. It had plenty of magical creatures and mythology to boot. The hero was a very reluctant hero who on one hand KNEW of his magical powers and had memories of his father the Fae king but on the other hand, stubbornly refused to believe it until the truth smacked him in the face. At times, I began to wonder the strength behind his character because he often let his fear and his stubbornness rule. This caused many a tense fight with those he loved and it's only because they were so willing to forgive him (also, he could be charming in his apology) that he didn't push everyone away. The heroine was a lovely little supporting character who was a sweet little fairy, not content with her predictable life, looking for purpose. She could be innocent and unassuming most of the time but she did have a temper and a fierce need to protect the hero. Together they had a complex relationship which was often strained from their standing on opposite sides of the magical fence as it were. But at the heart, they loved each other and no matter what, they would risk death for the safety of the other. I liked this story but I didn't absolutely love it. It was a whimsical read but head no int
May 26, 2010
When I read the blurb on the back of this book, I thought it sounded interesting. When I read the first page, I thought, "finally, here's a fantasy romance that's not afraid to parody the genre. This is so clichéd that it can't be serious!" Unfortunately, it was serious.
And that's a shame, because beneath the clichéd plot and equally clichéd (and frankly, trite) prose, there's an interesting story with well-crafted characters. Granted, you can predict most of the broad strokes of the story, but there's enough intriguing details to keep you going. Every obstacle also seems to be overcome a little too easily, which makes the novel less engrossing that it might otherwise have been.
To sum up: I hope that this is an early work from a young writer, because with some development I'd be interested in reading more of her work. Good ideas, bad execution.
And that's a shame, because beneath the clichéd plot and equally clichéd (and frankly, trite) prose, there's an interesting story with well-crafted characters. Granted, you can predict most of the broad strokes of the story, but there's enough intriguing details to keep you going. Every obstacle also seems to be overcome a little too easily, which makes the novel less engrossing that it might otherwise have been.
To sum up: I hope that this is an early work from a young writer, because with some development I'd be interested in reading more of her work. Good ideas, bad execution.
July 28, 2011
Found myself distracted often...
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews