Never Say Never

American Beauties #3

by Jo-Ann Power

In Never Before and Never Again, award-winning author Jo-Ann Power evoked the drama and elegance of the Gilded Age with wonderful romances of American heiresses Victorian England would never forget. Now, in a tale as lavish as the age itself, she portrays the last and youngest of these ladies -- as beautiful as they are spirited, as enchanting as they are wealthy...the American Beauties. Augusta VanderHorn knows too much about scandal. As the younger sister of the infamous American beauty, Colleen VanderHorn, who wed British Lord Bryce Falconer, and was divorced for adultery, it's been hard for Gus to avoid the taint. Now she is embroiled in scandal herself, for Colleen has kidnapped her own child from his father, to hold him for ransom to support her latest lover. Gus knows it's vital to help find her nephew, but she harbors a secret reason for wanting to assist in the search. Gus is in love with the man her sister married. For Bryce, she'll do anything, even risk her reputation -- and her heart -- by traveling at his side on a quest to rescue his child. Bryce Falconer is a man driven by two passions -- the love of his adored son, and the hatred of the wife who left him for a string of lovers. But thrown together with his young ex-sister-in-law in desperate pursuit of his missing child, Bryce is discovering a new passion. Little Augusta, who was once his dearest friend, has become an alluring woman whose sensual beauty sends him reeling. At long last, Bryce is learning what a miracle true love between a man and woman can really be...from the only woman whom God and English law forbid him to ever love.

Genres: Romance, Historical, Historical Romance

400 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 1999

About the author

Aka Ann Crowleigh (joint pseudonym with Barbara Cummings).

Writing a new mystery series starring a Texas Congresswoman and her reluctant bodyguard, Jo-Ann Power truly writes what she knows! A career in Washington in media--and a new resident of Texas (relatively speaking...), "JP" has created a series that PW loves as well as RT, Booklist and many readers more!"

Reviews

[Jan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bryce Falconer married (and divorced) the wrong sister. Colleen VanderHorn is beautiful, but damaged and damaging. Her sister Augusta (Gus) has been living with her sister’s scandals her whole life, but now has fallen in love with Bryce and feels his pain as well.

Colleen has kidnapped their toddler son Bradford (Ford) and demands a fortune for his return. The fortune is to appease Colleen’s current amour, Fenian Liam O’Rourke. Ford is ill when he is stolen, and Bryce asks for Gus’s help to find him before it is too late.

The story strains credulity. Britain’s Marriage Law will keep Bryce and Gus apart; a man cannot marry his wife’s sister. Many parts of the story are tragic, ranging into melodrama. A high percentage of the main characters utterances are followed by italicized thoughts, a stylistic choice which becomes very annoying. Not a great effort.

Readalikes:
Janet Evanovich & Dorien Kelly – The Husband List; Lisa Kleypas – Scandal in Spring; Amanda Quick – Second Sight; Johanna Lindsey – A Man to Call My Own; Julia Quinn – The Viscount Who Loved Me; Lynn Kurland – Stardust of Yesterday.

Pace: fast
Characters: routine for genre
Story: plot-driven
Writing style: unconvincing
Tone: steamy
Frame: London, Ireland, Texas; 1880

[kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't mean to be mean about this but it's hard to like this book because.......
1-The heroine is named Gus and
2-It's weird to have sex with your ex brother in law no matter what kind
of a nut job bimbo your sister was.

[Emenda · Rating 2 out of 5]

easy reading

[Susan Laine]

lib