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Wyckerley Trilogy #3
Forever & Ever
Connor Pendarvis has a bitter past and a driving ambition—exposing the harsh working conditions in Miss Sophie Deene's copper mine is only the beginning.
Sophie Deene is her father's daughter—proud, fiercely independent...and bound by convention. She might hire a handsome, insolent Cornishman to work in the mine, but she wouldn't fall in love with him. Impossible, unthinkable. What would people say?
But she swallows her pride for love, defying everyone, never thinking Connor could betray her. And he risks everything he thought he wanted for a love that will last...
Sophie Deene is her father's daughter—proud, fiercely independent...and bound by convention. She might hire a handsome, insolent Cornishman to work in the mine, but she wouldn't fall in love with him. Impossible, unthinkable. What would people say?
But she swallows her pride for love, defying everyone, never thinking Connor could betray her. And he risks everything he thought he wanted for a love that will last...
384 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1996
26 people are currently reading
544 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Gaffney
40 books319 followersPatricia Gaffney was born in Tampa, Florida, and grew up in Bethesda, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English and philosophy from Marymount College in Tarrytown, New York, and also studied literature at Royal Holloway College of the University of London, at George Washington University, and at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
After college, Gaffney taught 12th grade English for a year before becoming a freelance court reporter, a job she pursued in North Carolina, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C., for the next fifteen years.
Her first book, a historical romance, was published by Dorchester in 1989. Between then and 1997, she wrote 11 more romance novels (Dorchester; Penguin USA), for which she was nominated for or won many awards. Many of these previously out of print classics are available again today as digitally reissued classics, including the author's most recently re-released and much beloved novels in The Wyckerley Trilogy.
In 1999, she went in a new direction with her hardcover fiction debut, The Saving Graces (HarperCollins). A contemporary story about four women friends, the novel explored issues of love, friendship, trust, and commitment among women. The Saving Graces enjoyed bestseller status on the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and other lists.
Circle of Three (2000), Flight Lessons (2002), and The Goodbye Summer (2004) followed, all national bestsellers. Gaffney’s most recent novel was Mad Dash (2007), a humorous but insightful look at a 20-year marriage, told from the viewpoints of both longsuffering spouses.
More recently, Pat's been indulging her purely creative side in a brand new format for her -- novellas. With friends including J. D. Robb, she has contributed stories to three anthologies, all New York Times bestsellers. In "The Dog Days of Laurie Summer" (The Lost, 2009), a woman in a troubled marriage "dies" and comes back as the family dog. "The Dancing Ghost" (The Other Side, 2010) brings together a pretty spinster and a shady ghost buster in 1895 New England. And in "Dear One" (The Unquiet, 2011), a fake phone psychic (or IS she?) meets her match in a stuffy Capitol Hill lobbyist -- who couldn't possibly be that sexy-voiced cowboy from Medicine Bend who keeps calling the psychic line.
Patricia Gaffney lives in southern Pennsylvania with her husband.
After college, Gaffney taught 12th grade English for a year before becoming a freelance court reporter, a job she pursued in North Carolina, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C., for the next fifteen years.
Her first book, a historical romance, was published by Dorchester in 1989. Between then and 1997, she wrote 11 more romance novels (Dorchester; Penguin USA), for which she was nominated for or won many awards. Many of these previously out of print classics are available again today as digitally reissued classics, including the author's most recently re-released and much beloved novels in The Wyckerley Trilogy.
In 1999, she went in a new direction with her hardcover fiction debut, The Saving Graces (HarperCollins). A contemporary story about four women friends, the novel explored issues of love, friendship, trust, and commitment among women. The Saving Graces enjoyed bestseller status on the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and other lists.
Circle of Three (2000), Flight Lessons (2002), and The Goodbye Summer (2004) followed, all national bestsellers. Gaffney’s most recent novel was Mad Dash (2007), a humorous but insightful look at a 20-year marriage, told from the viewpoints of both longsuffering spouses.
More recently, Pat's been indulging her purely creative side in a brand new format for her -- novellas. With friends including J. D. Robb, she has contributed stories to three anthologies, all New York Times bestsellers. In "The Dog Days of Laurie Summer" (The Lost, 2009), a woman in a troubled marriage "dies" and comes back as the family dog. "The Dancing Ghost" (The Other Side, 2010) brings together a pretty spinster and a shady ghost buster in 1895 New England. And in "Dear One" (The Unquiet, 2011), a fake phone psychic (or IS she?) meets her match in a stuffy Capitol Hill lobbyist -- who couldn't possibly be that sexy-voiced cowboy from Medicine Bend who keeps calling the psychic line.
Patricia Gaffney lives in southern Pennsylvania with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
March 25, 2025
I’m not sure if this is a romance book or an emotional prize fight, but it held my attention.
In this corner we have Conner Pendarvis, youngest son of an impoverished Welsh miner, carrying the dreams of his family to university only to be thwarted in his endeavor to become a solicitor, who then joins a society of social reformers as an on-site investigator of mining practices. He seeks employment as a miner in various locations, then writes first-hand reports on conditions and unsafe practices that are published as political tracts by the society. His current assignment is the Guelder Mine in Wyckerley.
In the opposing corner we have Sophie Deene, owner of the Guelder mine, respected, beloved, a leader of local society and, although she doesn’t flaunt her class distinction, she enjoys her position in the community.
A woman of Sophie’s class could never feel attraction to a lowly miner, and could never risk her reputation and social position by acting on it.
Ding! And they come out swinging. Round after round, these two pound on each other, each giving and receiving an exhausting emotional beating, leaving bruises and lacerations even as their mutual feelings and passion grow, pulling them together and pushing them apart. Pushing them apart and pulling them together. Bitterness. Tenderness. Joy. Anger. Despair. Are they, Sophie wonders at one point, too different?
Under any other circumstances they would never have chosen each other, certainly never married. They might have been attracted, but common sense or an instinct for emotional survival would have gotten in the way and saved them from making a lifetime commitment.
Or are they too much alike?
“We have the same temper. The same pride. Exactly the same things make us angry.” She had her nose in his hair, nuzzling him. “And we’re both snobs, but in reverse.”
Each had a turn being the conciliatory one; each had a turn being the idiotic aggressor. They took turns being sullen and cold, grudging and conciliatory, silent and accusing, and finally they both ended on their knees, hoping the other would help them to their feet. As appalling as their behavior was, it felt genuine and believable most of the time and that hurt most of all.
In this corner we have Conner Pendarvis, youngest son of an impoverished Welsh miner, carrying the dreams of his family to university only to be thwarted in his endeavor to become a solicitor, who then joins a society of social reformers as an on-site investigator of mining practices. He seeks employment as a miner in various locations, then writes first-hand reports on conditions and unsafe practices that are published as political tracts by the society. His current assignment is the Guelder Mine in Wyckerley.
In the opposing corner we have Sophie Deene, owner of the Guelder mine, respected, beloved, a leader of local society and, although she doesn’t flaunt her class distinction, she enjoys her position in the community.
A woman of Sophie’s class could never feel attraction to a lowly miner, and could never risk her reputation and social position by acting on it.
Ding! And they come out swinging. Round after round, these two pound on each other, each giving and receiving an exhausting emotional beating, leaving bruises and lacerations even as their mutual feelings and passion grow, pulling them together and pushing them apart. Pushing them apart and pulling them together. Bitterness. Tenderness. Joy. Anger. Despair. Are they, Sophie wonders at one point, too different?
Under any other circumstances they would never have chosen each other, certainly never married. They might have been attracted, but common sense or an instinct for emotional survival would have gotten in the way and saved them from making a lifetime commitment.
Or are they too much alike?
“We have the same temper. The same pride. Exactly the same things make us angry.” She had her nose in his hair, nuzzling him. “And we’re both snobs, but in reverse.”
Each had a turn being the conciliatory one; each had a turn being the idiotic aggressor. They took turns being sullen and cold, grudging and conciliatory, silent and accusing, and finally they both ended on their knees, hoping the other would help them to their feet. As appalling as their behavior was, it felt genuine and believable most of the time and that hurt most of all.
August 15, 2018
Ah…the Wyckerley trilogy. At one time, this trilogy was very well-known to historical romance fans. The first two books, To Love and To Cherish and To Have and To Hold, tend to garner lots of discussion among readers. As it came time to pick a TBR Challenge read, I realized that while I have read these first two books several times apiece, I somehow never got to the final book of the trilogy, Forever and Ever, a 1996 release.
Since the book is now 20 years old, I wondered to myself if it would work for me. After all, a LOT has changed in romance publishing since this book came out. However, as I revisited Wyckerley for the first time in years, I found myself enchanted yet again. Just as its predecessors, this novel tackles some tough issues, but the characters are vividly written and the story is just achingly romantic.
In this final installment of the trilogy, Gaffney turns from the local gentry of Wyckerley to the daughter of a successful businessman – now a business owner in her own right. Sophie Deene inherited her father’s copper mine and to the delight of her employees and the surprise of her doubters, she has kept it running successfully. From the beginning we see that while Sophie keeps an exhausting schedule, she genuinely loves the mine as well as loving the connection it gives her with the late father she so cherished.
As the story opens, Connor Pendarvis has come to Wyckerley. His goal is to seek employment at Sophie’s mine. He has been sent by a labor reform society bent on exposing mine conditions and forcing improvements and reform. Connor grew up desperately poor in Cornwall, and he has seen virtually everyone in his family broken down and even killed due to the effects of mining.
While he gets his job under false pretenses, Connor does work hard and the feelings his interactions with Sophie cause are very real. Obviously, the two are in quite a bind. For starters, Sophie has no idea that Connor is working undercover – or that he is anything other than a simple miner. And then there is the class divide. Sophie is not of the aristocracy, but as the owner of one of the local mines, she does hold a position in society that would make it unthinkable for her to enter into a relationship with one of her employees. To her credit, the author spends a great deal of time developing this ethical dilemma and the reader sees just how real an issue it is for the characters.
This is a partial review. You can find the complete text at All About Romance: https://allaboutromance.com/august-20...
Since the book is now 20 years old, I wondered to myself if it would work for me. After all, a LOT has changed in romance publishing since this book came out. However, as I revisited Wyckerley for the first time in years, I found myself enchanted yet again. Just as its predecessors, this novel tackles some tough issues, but the characters are vividly written and the story is just achingly romantic.
In this final installment of the trilogy, Gaffney turns from the local gentry of Wyckerley to the daughter of a successful businessman – now a business owner in her own right. Sophie Deene inherited her father’s copper mine and to the delight of her employees and the surprise of her doubters, she has kept it running successfully. From the beginning we see that while Sophie keeps an exhausting schedule, she genuinely loves the mine as well as loving the connection it gives her with the late father she so cherished.
As the story opens, Connor Pendarvis has come to Wyckerley. His goal is to seek employment at Sophie’s mine. He has been sent by a labor reform society bent on exposing mine conditions and forcing improvements and reform. Connor grew up desperately poor in Cornwall, and he has seen virtually everyone in his family broken down and even killed due to the effects of mining.
While he gets his job under false pretenses, Connor does work hard and the feelings his interactions with Sophie cause are very real. Obviously, the two are in quite a bind. For starters, Sophie has no idea that Connor is working undercover – or that he is anything other than a simple miner. And then there is the class divide. Sophie is not of the aristocracy, but as the owner of one of the local mines, she does hold a position in society that would make it unthinkable for her to enter into a relationship with one of her employees. To her credit, the author spends a great deal of time developing this ethical dilemma and the reader sees just how real an issue it is for the characters.
This is a partial review. You can find the complete text at All About Romance: https://allaboutromance.com/august-20...
September 5, 2023
Okay I will never, ever forget this one. By far the most interesting class difference romance I've ever read. Definitely one of the most scathing, too.
Connor Pendarvis is undercover to investigate a copper mine in Wyckerley. On his first day in town he sees a vision: a beautiful woman in white teaching children how to sing in the choir. He's immediately smitten, and just as he takes steps to begin a flirtation he finds out her name: Sophie Deene. The owner of the mine.
Sophie inherited the mine from her father, which is unusual since Sophie is a woman, but she proudly proclaims that her father thought she was "as smart as a man." Sophie's mine is her triumph, a signifier of her value, but that value doesn't extend to the people beneath her.
What I love about this that Gaffney deftly threads the needle of complex power dynamics. True, Sophie is a woman, but she's also needlessly ignorant and an oppressor. She's kind, beautiful, likeable, loveable, and complicit.
And Connor does love her. They're similarly stubborn, proud, and quick to find joy in each other. Their downfall is not necessarily the mine or Connor's deception, but their half-correct assumptions. Connor says Sophie is a snob and that she is embarrassed of him. Sophie thinks Connor can't wait to point out her faults. It's the least charitable interpretation, but it's not necessarily incorrect. Thus when communication fails they're at each other's throats. Gaffney lampshades this, much to my delight:
Gaffney makes this rather improbable romance work by dousing us with sweetness much more liberally than she does in the other Wyckerley books. Even in the midst of a fight (this is mere paragraphs after the last quote), Connor thinks that Sophie is the only thing that matters:
This isn't for everybody, but it is for me. The payoff is worth it. You can sink your teeth into this one.
Connor Pendarvis is undercover to investigate a copper mine in Wyckerley. On his first day in town he sees a vision: a beautiful woman in white teaching children how to sing in the choir. He's immediately smitten, and just as he takes steps to begin a flirtation he finds out her name: Sophie Deene. The owner of the mine.
Sophie inherited the mine from her father, which is unusual since Sophie is a woman, but she proudly proclaims that her father thought she was "as smart as a man." Sophie's mine is her triumph, a signifier of her value, but that value doesn't extend to the people beneath her.
What I love about this that Gaffney deftly threads the needle of complex power dynamics. True, Sophie is a woman, but she's also needlessly ignorant and an oppressor. She's kind, beautiful, likeable, loveable, and complicit.
And Connor does love her. They're similarly stubborn, proud, and quick to find joy in each other. Their downfall is not necessarily the mine or Connor's deception, but their half-correct assumptions. Connor says Sophie is a snob and that she is embarrassed of him. Sophie thinks Connor can't wait to point out her faults. It's the least charitable interpretation, but it's not necessarily incorrect. Thus when communication fails they're at each other's throats. Gaffney lampshades this, much to my delight:
"Were they doomed to reenact this stupid scenario for the rest of their lives? How could they break out of it? By talking, of course-- but how could they talk when they were both so full of anger and resentment they couldn't see straight?"
Gaffney makes this rather improbable romance work by dousing us with sweetness much more liberally than she does in the other Wyckerley books. Even in the midst of a fight (this is mere paragraphs after the last quote), Connor thinks that Sophie is the only thing that matters:
"It wouldn't have mattered if Knowlton had set a crown on his head tonight and called him Your Highness. When things went wrong between him and Sophie, the world looked gray and paltry and unengaging. He could go through the motions, but he couldn't care."
This isn't for everybody, but it is for me. The payoff is worth it. You can sink your teeth into this one.
February 14, 2023
I wasn't expecting a book with such a dark mood for the end of the trilogy.
Although I found it interesting, the miners' problems are not a topic I like to read about, especially to the detriment of the romance between the MCs. This happened several times throughout the book, before the romance was swallowed by politics and then back to mining.
Additionally, I wasn't expecting two main characters with such a difficult relationship. Although they are the same in terms of personality, with a fragile ego and forged pride, they are now opposites: Sophie had everything but is now mired in a streak of bad luck with no end in sight; Connor has lost enough but positive things are coming his way, although he is not giving them their due value, in my opinion...I don't particularly like heroes with feelings running high who take everything too seriously, creating entropy to no end.
Overall, I don't think I was in the right mood for this book. I got a bit depressed. I don't want to spoil anything, but the heroine goes through something quite sad halfway through the book that leaves her simply dying. The ending of this one was also not as good as the rest of the books. However, I cannot underestimate the fantastic research behind this book or the detailed way the author tells the story.
Although I found it interesting, the miners' problems are not a topic I like to read about, especially to the detriment of the romance between the MCs. This happened several times throughout the book, before the romance was swallowed by politics and then back to mining.
Additionally, I wasn't expecting two main characters with such a difficult relationship. Although they are the same in terms of personality, with a fragile ego and forged pride, they are now opposites: Sophie had everything but is now mired in a streak of bad luck with no end in sight; Connor has lost enough but positive things are coming his way, although he is not giving them their due value, in my opinion...I don't particularly like heroes with feelings running high who take everything too seriously, creating entropy to no end.
Overall, I don't think I was in the right mood for this book. I got a bit depressed. I don't want to spoil anything, but the heroine goes through something quite sad halfway through the book that leaves her simply dying. The ending of this one was also not as good as the rest of the books. However, I cannot underestimate the fantastic research behind this book or the detailed way the author tells the story.
September 8, 2024
3'5 ⭐
Reseña completa: https://masromance.blogspot.com/2024/...
Muy bien documentada y ambientada con unos personajes originales y novedosos en la época en la que se escribió la historia.
Me ha gustado el mundo de la minería del pequeño pueblo inglés, me han gustado los personajes, su evolución, su coherencia.
Es una historia pausada quizás no apta para las que gustéis de historias ligeras-
Todo iba muy bien, pero considero que al final la historia pierde fuelle y el final es un pelín lento
Reseña en septiembre ;)
Reseña completa: https://masromance.blogspot.com/2024/...
Muy bien documentada y ambientada con unos personajes originales y novedosos en la época en la que se escribió la historia.
Me ha gustado el mundo de la minería del pequeño pueblo inglés, me han gustado los personajes, su evolución, su coherencia.
Es una historia pausada quizás no apta para las que gustéis de historias ligeras-
Todo iba muy bien, pero considero que al final la historia pierde fuelle y el final es un pelín lento
Reseña en septiembre ;)
August 12, 2023
Patricia Gaffney just gets me. Or I get her. This book is layered with meaning about social status, meditation on loss and how to keep one’s hope. Deep topics developed with depth and elegance. Yet it doesn’t take away anything from the beautiful romantic story between two hard headed individuals.
It’s like a beautiful ballet, you know a lot of hard work went into it, yet it looks effortless, graceful and so romantic.
“Out of the question. I’d sooner cut off my hand than a single strand of this beautiful hair.” And if that wasn’t the most fatuous thing Connor had ever said in his life, he wanted to know what was.”
Not many authors can pull off such a feat and I hope we will talk about this book in many years to come.
I’ve read previous books in the series but I was not into this one as it was being described as having to do with miners. I mean could there be more boring topic? But the book surprised me at every corner.
I wish though it had nicer somewhat more spectacular ending.
It’s like a beautiful ballet, you know a lot of hard work went into it, yet it looks effortless, graceful and so romantic.
“Out of the question. I’d sooner cut off my hand than a single strand of this beautiful hair.” And if that wasn’t the most fatuous thing Connor had ever said in his life, he wanted to know what was.”
Not many authors can pull off such a feat and I hope we will talk about this book in many years to come.
I’ve read previous books in the series but I was not into this one as it was being described as having to do with miners. I mean could there be more boring topic? But the book surprised me at every corner.
I wish though it had nicer somewhat more spectacular ending.
May 24, 2020
This was a difficult story to rate. On the one hand, I enjoyed revisiting the small village of Wyckerley. I liked Sophie and Connor, at first. I was happy to see Christy and Anne from To Love and to Cherish. Because I read this book out of order, I was reminded to start To Have and To Hold in the near future. I wanted to know more about Sebastien and his wife, Rachel. They were mentioned often enough that I wanted to know how their relationship developed.
I found Ms. Gaffney wrote a credible romance with our two MCs loving each other but having issues with class differences. Sophie's and Connor's pride limited their relationship from escalating on more than one occasion. When they were unhappy with each other, the gloves were off. Words were said that I found hard to forgive. In that respect, this historical romance was more realistic than most. At the same time, I understood why readers found Connor and Sophie hard to like.
If you have a soft spot for the town of Wickerley but enjoy your HRs lighter and with less tension, stop with To Love and to Cherish. There were moments of angst but Christy was a sweetheart.
3.5 stars
I found Ms. Gaffney wrote a credible romance with our two MCs loving each other but having issues with class differences. Sophie's and Connor's pride limited their relationship from escalating on more than one occasion. When they were unhappy with each other, the gloves were off. Words were said that I found hard to forgive. In that respect, this historical romance was more realistic than most. At the same time, I understood why readers found Connor and Sophie hard to like.
If you have a soft spot for the town of Wickerley but enjoy your HRs lighter and with less tension, stop with To Love and to Cherish. There were moments of angst but Christy was a sweetheart.
3.5 stars
June 3, 2024
May 2024 reread: this series is perfect.
July 2023 read:
This fucking series!
July 2023 read:
He had a vision: he saw a Roman candle and it was his own body, and Sophie was the dark night all around, and the candle was shooting bright, blinding flashes of fire into the night.
This fucking series!
May 11, 2013
This book was kind of traumatizing to read. The characters would be blissfully happy, then extremely miserable, then happy, the miserable again, over and over. And so it was very emotional, but by the end I was sort of wondering if the author really had to put them through so much agony, and really quite tired of the constant mood swings.
Here is a graph:
(And there was more, and more gradation, too, but those are the main points of happiness and misery. Also, my time axis is in no way to scale for the actual events, but I give up.)
I was genuinely entranced with the writing, as seems to happen every time I read a book by Patricia Gaffney, but by the end I was just so damn tired of the constant vacillation. So much so that when the story got to the major tragedy, my reaction was more along the lines of, "Really? You mean the characters haven't suffered enough yet? Well, f*** you, too, author." While reading it, though, there was no way I could have put it down.
Also, it seemed to be asking a bit much of my suspension of belief to think that a proper Victorian lady would jump in bed with her employee, a miner, no matter how much she loved him.
And then WTF was with the ending?
Here is a graph:
(And there was more, and more gradation, too, but those are the main points of happiness and misery. Also, my time axis is in no way to scale for the actual events, but I give up.)
I was genuinely entranced with the writing, as seems to happen every time I read a book by Patricia Gaffney, but by the end I was just so damn tired of the constant vacillation. So much so that when the story got to the major tragedy, my reaction was more along the lines of, "Really? You mean the characters haven't suffered enough yet? Well, f*** you, too, author." While reading it, though, there was no way I could have put it down.
Also, it seemed to be asking a bit much of my suspension of belief to think that a proper Victorian lady would jump in bed with her employee, a miner, no matter how much she loved him.
And then WTF was with the ending?
July 12, 2013
Para todo sempre!
Meninas, eu estou apaixonada pela Patricia Gaffney. Acho que é uma das poucas que consegue sintetizar em um livro várias facetas da complicada personalidade humana de forma real. Eu sei que estou me repetindo porque já disse isso em minha resenha de To Have and To Hold, mas essa é a verdade. Lendo as histórias dela, você consegue ver claramente várias coisas que, se acontecesse com você, provavelmente você agiria da mesma forma que as personagens do livro. E isso é ótimo, porque nos ajuda a nos conectarmos mais com a trama.
Anyways, Forever and Ever, é o livro que encerra a trilogia Wyckerley. Eu já havia lido o maravilhoso primeiro livro da série To Have and To Hold - que se vc ainda não leu, eu aconselho a vc parar tudo e ir ler ele, pq vale muitíssimo a pena - e já tinha começado a ler o segundo, mas eu fui atraída pelo mote do terceiro, pessoas que se casam contra vontade e vão se arrumando no decorrer da história. Ai não teve outra, não tive forças para abandonar meu péssimo hábito de ler tudo fora de ordem..=/
Aqui temos a história de Sophie e Connor. Ela é a princesa da cidade, lindinha, dona de uma pequena mina a qual herdou do pai, muito bem quista por todos e dona do próprio nariz. Sophie tem muito orgulho de ser quem ela é, e de ocupar o lugar de destaque que ela ocupa. Ela leva seu trabalho muito a sério e como ela é mulher enfrenta muitas dificuldades para se impor em "mundo" predominantemente machista, que é o mundo dos mineiros. Mas essas dificuldades estão longe de abatê-la, ao contrario, ela é bem sucedida no que faz.
Vemos aqui que ela tem um status e uma reputação a zelar, correto?
Connor, é um homem pobre, mas com sonhos grandes. Filho mais novo de uma familia de mineiros, ele viu 4 de seus irmãos morrerem de doenças associadas ao duro trabalho nas minas. Seu pai morreu de tuberculose e sua mãe morreu por não suportar perder sua familia. Mas ele foi criado para ser diferente. Foi à escola, chegou a ir à universidade, tudo isso para poder ser alguém. Alguém que lutasse por sua gente, e tentasse modificar a vida dos menos favorecidos, principalmente os mineiros. Mas ele não conseguiu ir muito longe. Connor só tem mais um parente vivo, seu irmão Jack, e esse está com tuberculose, também por causa do trabalho nas minas. E ele precisa se sustentar e cuidar de seu irmão.
Ele trabalha escrevendo artigos em "jornais" de esquerda. Delatando as duras condições de vida da classe trabalhadora. E é assim que ele vai se envolver com Sophie. Ele se passa por seu irmão para poder trabalhar na mina e assim descobrir suas precárias condições.
Connor, assim como Sophie, é muito orgulhoso. Mesmo sendo pobre, sabe do seu valor e não deixa ser pisado.
Temos então duas pessoas de personalidades fortes e que defendem seus pontos de vista com unhas de dentes, correto? E é esse choque de personalidades e vontades que vão dar o ton da história dos dois.
Mesmo sendo um empregado, Connor consegue entrar no coração de Sophie. E ela no dele. Eles começam a se envolver e a verdadeiramente se apaixonarem. Mas vemos o conflito de classes e de aceitação deles próprios um com o outro muito forte. Muitas brigas vem daí. Sophie tem que lidar com seu sentimentos por uma pessoa de classe inferior a sua e Connor com a sua consciência, afinal ele vai trair a mulher que ama.
Ele tem a sua noite de amor e logo em seguida o artigo de Connor é publicado. Vocês podem imaginar o pan-demônio...
Eles se separam em meio a acusações e mágoas, mas eventualmente são forçados a se casar, pois Sophie está grávida.
E se o livro já estava bom, agora fica melhor ainda. Como construir uma relação sendo que a base dele é a desconfiança e o rancor? Eles tentam, mas sempre há coisas má resolvidas pelo caminho. A autora nos presenteia com um ótimo texto, mostrando as fases desse casamento, as descobertas da vida de casado - os costumes e "vicios" do casal - a frágil reconstrução dessa aliança, a insatisfação de Connor por não ter uma posição forte na casa..
Tudo isso é misturado com a vida da mina e também com as politicagens da região, pois Connor tem a ambição de ir ao Parlamento.
Daqui pra frente, eu não posso falar mais, mas eu te garanto que muita água ainda vai rolar e só por essas coisas que eu falei, você entende como tudo é complicado. Estamos lidando com pessoas de fortes convicções, Sophie está grávida e isso interfere na sua personalidade também. Os olhares da sociedade na vida dos dois também tem papel importante na trama. Será que eles vão conseguir vencer as suas diferenças e darem chance ao lindo amor que nasceu no inicio do livro?
Só digo uma coisa, LEIAM!
Deixo vocês com os votos do casal no dia do casamento deles, em que autora usa os nomes do livros *-*:
" In the name of God, I Connor, take you Sophie, to be my wife, TO HAVE AND TO HOLD from this day foward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, TO LOVE AND TO CHERISH, until death do us part" - bem que nesse final ela poderia ter dito FOREVER AND EVER.. :))
Meninas, eu estou apaixonada pela Patricia Gaffney. Acho que é uma das poucas que consegue sintetizar em um livro várias facetas da complicada personalidade humana de forma real. Eu sei que estou me repetindo porque já disse isso em minha resenha de To Have and To Hold, mas essa é a verdade. Lendo as histórias dela, você consegue ver claramente várias coisas que, se acontecesse com você, provavelmente você agiria da mesma forma que as personagens do livro. E isso é ótimo, porque nos ajuda a nos conectarmos mais com a trama.
Anyways, Forever and Ever, é o livro que encerra a trilogia Wyckerley. Eu já havia lido o maravilhoso primeiro livro da série To Have and To Hold - que se vc ainda não leu, eu aconselho a vc parar tudo e ir ler ele, pq vale muitíssimo a pena - e já tinha começado a ler o segundo, mas eu fui atraída pelo mote do terceiro, pessoas que se casam contra vontade e vão se arrumando no decorrer da história. Ai não teve outra, não tive forças para abandonar meu péssimo hábito de ler tudo fora de ordem..=/
Aqui temos a história de Sophie e Connor. Ela é a princesa da cidade, lindinha, dona de uma pequena mina a qual herdou do pai, muito bem quista por todos e dona do próprio nariz. Sophie tem muito orgulho de ser quem ela é, e de ocupar o lugar de destaque que ela ocupa. Ela leva seu trabalho muito a sério e como ela é mulher enfrenta muitas dificuldades para se impor em "mundo" predominantemente machista, que é o mundo dos mineiros. Mas essas dificuldades estão longe de abatê-la, ao contrario, ela é bem sucedida no que faz.
Vemos aqui que ela tem um status e uma reputação a zelar, correto?
Connor, é um homem pobre, mas com sonhos grandes. Filho mais novo de uma familia de mineiros, ele viu 4 de seus irmãos morrerem de doenças associadas ao duro trabalho nas minas. Seu pai morreu de tuberculose e sua mãe morreu por não suportar perder sua familia. Mas ele foi criado para ser diferente. Foi à escola, chegou a ir à universidade, tudo isso para poder ser alguém. Alguém que lutasse por sua gente, e tentasse modificar a vida dos menos favorecidos, principalmente os mineiros. Mas ele não conseguiu ir muito longe. Connor só tem mais um parente vivo, seu irmão Jack, e esse está com tuberculose, também por causa do trabalho nas minas. E ele precisa se sustentar e cuidar de seu irmão.
Ele trabalha escrevendo artigos em "jornais" de esquerda. Delatando as duras condições de vida da classe trabalhadora. E é assim que ele vai se envolver com Sophie. Ele se passa por seu irmão para poder trabalhar na mina e assim descobrir suas precárias condições.
Connor, assim como Sophie, é muito orgulhoso. Mesmo sendo pobre, sabe do seu valor e não deixa ser pisado.
Temos então duas pessoas de personalidades fortes e que defendem seus pontos de vista com unhas de dentes, correto? E é esse choque de personalidades e vontades que vão dar o ton da história dos dois.
Mesmo sendo um empregado, Connor consegue entrar no coração de Sophie. E ela no dele. Eles começam a se envolver e a verdadeiramente se apaixonarem. Mas vemos o conflito de classes e de aceitação deles próprios um com o outro muito forte. Muitas brigas vem daí. Sophie tem que lidar com seu sentimentos por uma pessoa de classe inferior a sua e Connor com a sua consciência, afinal ele vai trair a mulher que ama.
Ele tem a sua noite de amor e logo em seguida o artigo de Connor é publicado. Vocês podem imaginar o pan-demônio...
Eles se separam em meio a acusações e mágoas, mas eventualmente são forçados a se casar, pois Sophie está grávida.
E se o livro já estava bom, agora fica melhor ainda. Como construir uma relação sendo que a base dele é a desconfiança e o rancor? Eles tentam, mas sempre há coisas má resolvidas pelo caminho. A autora nos presenteia com um ótimo texto, mostrando as fases desse casamento, as descobertas da vida de casado - os costumes e "vicios" do casal - a frágil reconstrução dessa aliança, a insatisfação de Connor por não ter uma posição forte na casa..
Tudo isso é misturado com a vida da mina e também com as politicagens da região, pois Connor tem a ambição de ir ao Parlamento.
Daqui pra frente, eu não posso falar mais, mas eu te garanto que muita água ainda vai rolar e só por essas coisas que eu falei, você entende como tudo é complicado. Estamos lidando com pessoas de fortes convicções, Sophie está grávida e isso interfere na sua personalidade também. Os olhares da sociedade na vida dos dois também tem papel importante na trama. Será que eles vão conseguir vencer as suas diferenças e darem chance ao lindo amor que nasceu no inicio do livro?
Só digo uma coisa, LEIAM!
Deixo vocês com os votos do casal no dia do casamento deles, em que autora usa os nomes do livros *-*:
" In the name of God, I Connor, take you Sophie, to be my wife, TO HAVE AND TO HOLD from this day foward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, TO LOVE AND TO CHERISH, until death do us part" - bem que nesse final ela poderia ter dito FOREVER AND EVER.. :))
June 16, 2011
Very good. To Have and to Hold is a favourite book of mine and this is the last of the Wyckerley Trilogy - with the following swoon worthy information about Rachel and Sebastian "He seemed always to be touching his wife, her hand or her elbow, the small of her back, and Sophie found being with them exciting and unsettling because of the physical energy that crackled between them" - sigh.
That said, this book was really good and I might go so far to say that I found it better than Christy and Anne's which I thought a little slow. The writing is beautiful and you really feel as if you are in Wyckerley. Sophie was a strong, lovely heroine and very modern for the time - she owns and runs a mine - definitely no your run of the mill historical heroine, Connor is not her social equal - something she finds hard to overcome at first, but once she falls in love, her desire to have him make something better of himself clashes with his pride. She was a modern heroine who discovered that unfortunately running afoul of society's could cost her everything. Her realization that all she offers Wyckerley as a wealthy patroness - her time in the penny readings, her time as choirmistress, her fairness as the owner and employer at the mine could also be her way of condescending to less well off people and something she does to be well thought of - Lady Bountiful is perfectly in synch with gaffney's writing in the previous books - her characters are extremely self aware or in their character arc become aware, sometimes of not very nice personal, but perfectly human characteristics.
Connor was an interesting hero becos for once the hero is of a lower class, and then because he falls in love with Sophie, in the horrible situation of lying to her - at one point when things had progressed so far and he still hadn't told her his real name you really can't see how this is going to end well and it's a testament to Sophie's love that she overcame this betrayal. Notwithstanding the lie he is a decent man caught in a bad situation and you do feel sorry for him.
Some nice surprises - Mayor Vanstone's regard for his niece and his support of her marriage - of course that could be becos Connor was an MP by the end, not going the obvious route by having Sophie be pregnant at the epilogue, Honoria Vanstone's ass kissing of Rachel Verlaine, the resurgence of Tranter Fox from Love and Cherish, the mining details for the period, the catch-up with some characters from the previous books - Sidony Timms.
That said, this book was really good and I might go so far to say that I found it better than Christy and Anne's which I thought a little slow. The writing is beautiful and you really feel as if you are in Wyckerley. Sophie was a strong, lovely heroine and very modern for the time - she owns and runs a mine - definitely no your run of the mill historical heroine, Connor is not her social equal - something she finds hard to overcome at first, but once she falls in love, her desire to have him make something better of himself clashes with his pride. She was a modern heroine who discovered that unfortunately running afoul of society's could cost her everything. Her realization that all she offers Wyckerley as a wealthy patroness - her time in the penny readings, her time as choirmistress, her fairness as the owner and employer at the mine could also be her way of condescending to less well off people and something she does to be well thought of - Lady Bountiful is perfectly in synch with gaffney's writing in the previous books - her characters are extremely self aware or in their character arc become aware, sometimes of not very nice personal, but perfectly human characteristics.
Connor was an interesting hero becos for once the hero is of a lower class, and then because he falls in love with Sophie, in the horrible situation of lying to her - at one point when things had progressed so far and he still hadn't told her his real name you really can't see how this is going to end well and it's a testament to Sophie's love that she overcame this betrayal. Notwithstanding the lie he is a decent man caught in a bad situation and you do feel sorry for him.
Some nice surprises - Mayor Vanstone's regard for his niece and his support of her marriage - of course that could be becos Connor was an MP by the end, not going the obvious route by having Sophie be pregnant at the epilogue, Honoria Vanstone's ass kissing of Rachel Verlaine, the resurgence of Tranter Fox from Love and Cherish, the mining details for the period, the catch-up with some characters from the previous books - Sidony Timms.
February 1, 2021
El tercer y último libro de esta trilogía me parecía atractivo, teníamos al personaje de Sophie Deene, una joven que había heredado la mina de su padre y que gestiona desde hace unos años. Esto me supuso una “novedad” en el sentido de tener a una mujer desempeñando el puesto de un hombre que en la época (estamos en el año 1857) eran pocas las mujeres que tenían esa posibilidad. De ella solo sabíamos que era una joven hermosa e inteligente y que dirigía el coro de la Iglesia.
Connor Pendarvis es un personaje que nunca ha aparecido en los anteriores libros y por lo tanto no teníamos ningún tipo de información para hacernos una idea.
Las primeras páginas me gustaron porque intuía que la pareja iba a dar mucho juego pero a medida que avanza la trama todo va decayendo. En primer lugar, el enamoramiento al instante de Connor me sorprendió y después mucho más conociendo su carácter, es bastante inverosímil, me creía más la parte de Sophie porque ella no desvela en un primer momento sus sentimientos, tenemos que avanzar para descubrir qué es lo que siente por ese forastero.
La subtrama de la mina ha tenido creo que demasiado protagonismo, a veces incluso estaba un poco hartita de tanta jerga minera y entresijos de la misma, no era necesario porque perdemos el hilo de la historia romántica, una cosa es aportar y otra rellenar por rellenar.
La subtrama del hermano de Connor pues está bien si vas a darme algo medianamente bueno pero eso de poner cachitos y dejar a medias como que no compensa. Es más me ha parecido un maltrato a este personaje y un final que no me gustó.
Pero vamos a lo que nos interesa, la historia de amor de Connor y Sophie, más que amor esto es lo que viene siendo una relación tóxica... https://oceanodelibros.blogspot.com/2...
Connor Pendarvis es un personaje que nunca ha aparecido en los anteriores libros y por lo tanto no teníamos ningún tipo de información para hacernos una idea.
Las primeras páginas me gustaron porque intuía que la pareja iba a dar mucho juego pero a medida que avanza la trama todo va decayendo. En primer lugar, el enamoramiento al instante de Connor me sorprendió y después mucho más conociendo su carácter, es bastante inverosímil, me creía más la parte de Sophie porque ella no desvela en un primer momento sus sentimientos, tenemos que avanzar para descubrir qué es lo que siente por ese forastero.
La subtrama de la mina ha tenido creo que demasiado protagonismo, a veces incluso estaba un poco hartita de tanta jerga minera y entresijos de la misma, no era necesario porque perdemos el hilo de la historia romántica, una cosa es aportar y otra rellenar por rellenar.
La subtrama del hermano de Connor pues está bien si vas a darme algo medianamente bueno pero eso de poner cachitos y dejar a medias como que no compensa. Es más me ha parecido un maltrato a este personaje y un final que no me gustó.
Pero vamos a lo que nos interesa, la historia de amor de Connor y Sophie, más que amor esto es lo que viene siendo una relación tóxica... https://oceanodelibros.blogspot.com/2...
June 14, 2020
Reviewed for THC Reviews
"4.5 stars" Forever & Ever is the third and final novel in Patricia Gaffney’s Wyckerley Trilogy, which follows the lives of a colorful group of characters who live in the small fictional village of Wyckerley in the English countryside. This one is the story of Sophie Deene, a young woman whose father left her his copper mine upon his death, something almost unheard of in the Victorian era in which it’s set. She’s a shrewd but fair businesswoman who’s been running the mine quite well for the past two years. Then Cornishman Connor Pendarvis comes to town. He’s impersonating his brother, Jack, who’s a former miner, in order to get a job at the mine for the purpose of secretly evaluating its working conditions and safety protocols for a progressive political organization that hopes to enact legislation to regulate the mining industry. As the two often see each other at various events around town and start getting to know one another, they slowly fall in love despite the differences in their social stations. But when the truth of Connor’s identity and actual mission come out, it puts their fledgling relationship to the test. I loved To Love and to Cherish, the first book of the series, but the second one, To Have and to Hold, was just an OK read that left me feeling rather cold. Because of that, I went into reading this book not quite sure what to expect, but I’m happy to report that I very much enjoyed it.
While not a titled lady, Sophie is definitely near the top of the social ladder in Wyckerley. She’s always considered herself to only be beneath Rachel Verlaine (To Have and to Hold), the viscountess of the nearby estate, and Anne Morrell (To Love and to Cherish), the former viscountess of the same estate. As such, Sophie feels she has a reputation to uphold and has always behaved with the utmost propriety. She also prides herself on running her father’s mine well, wanting to live up to the faith he placed in her when he made her his heir. While her uncle and cousin would like to see her find a husband, Sophie is far more interested in simply being a businesswoman. She likes being in charge and doesn’t really want to turn the mine over to a man who would likely expect her to cease her participation in the day-to-day activities of running it, so she’s content with where she is in life. Then Connor comes to town and she’s instantly intrigued by him. When she discovers that he’s a simple miner, she balks a bit at her attraction to someone of low birth, but ultimately he proves to be a temptation she can’t resist. They begin to spend more and more time in each other’s company and eventually become lovers, but just when things seem perfect and she’s come to terms with making things more permanent with him, she learns his true identity and understandably feels betrayed. Things end badly between them, but fate conspires to soon bring them back together. However, just as they’re starting to understand each other again, more drama and tragedy ensue. Sophie is the perfect mixture of the sweet ingénue who’s kind to everyone and always happy to lend a helping hand, and a highly intelligent, strong-willed, mature woman who can run a business every bit as well as a man. She also has a certain stubborn pride that causes her to get in her own way at times. Despite that, though, she can still be quite reasonable and usually finds her way around to seeing things differently when warranted, so I very much liked her in spite of her flaws.
Connor tragically lost his entire family except for Jack, an older brother who is seriously ill with consumption from working in the mines all his life. Connor was the only member of the family to get an education and his family always had high hopes for his future. He had his own aspirations of becoming a barrister until that part of his education was cut short. Because of his brother’s condition, he desperately wants to enact mining reform, so he took employment with a political organization for which he secretly investigates mines, using Jack’s identity and work record, and then writes reports that are used to create legislation. When he first arrives in Wyckerley, Connor is instantly smitten with the lovely Sophie, but when he learns she’s the owner of the mine he was sent to investigate, it just as quickly makes her his enemy. But the more time he spends with her and the more he learns about her and how all the workers at the mine seem to revere her, he can’t help his attraction to her. However, it doesn’t change the fact that her mine is still a dangerous place for the workers, so he goes ahead with writing his preliminary report, not knowing that the society he’s working for is planning to publish it. Just as he realizes he’s in love with Sophie and decides to reveal the truth of his identity and hope that she’ll forgive him, the cat is let out of the bag before he can. Connor isn’t unlike Sophie in that he, too, can be stubborn and prideful and get in his own way sometimes. But at the same time, he’s a very kind, caring, and generous man who only wants to do what’s right. In fact, I felt like he leaned more toward being a beta hero, because he isn’t bothered by Sophie continuing to work at the mine and he’s never a possessive jerk. I also very much liked that he wasn’t a womanizer, focusing his energies instead on his scholarly work, and even when another woman practically handed herself to him on a silver platter, he politely refused in spite of not being with Sophie at the time.
Overall, I very much enjoyed Forever & Ever. It’s an extremely well-written and well-researched story. The first half of the book is sweet and tender as Connor and Sophie get to know one another and share plenty of romantic and passionate interludes. After their separation, it’s difficult for them to find their way back to a place of love and trust. Sometimes this could be just a tad frustrating, but usually their arguments don’t last long before they make some kind of peace and they do eventually find their way to a much better place. However, there’s still some fairly intense drama toward the end of the story that was emotionally heavy for me to read. In fact, Sophie suffers from a case of what I’m sure would be diagnosed nowadays as clinical depression, which might distress readers who’ve experienced this condition themselves. During this part, I felt that the narrative was perhaps just a little too melodramatic. Otherwise, this was an excellent read. I liked the little visits we get with Christy and Anne (To Love and to Cherish) and Sebastian and Rachel (To Have and to Hold) to show where they are now, as well as the love triangle between supporting characters, William and Sidony, who were introduced in the second book, and Jack. Everything came together nicely to make Forever & Ever a great wrap-up to the Wyckerley Trilogy and another of this author’s books that will go on my keeper shelf.
"4.5 stars" Forever & Ever is the third and final novel in Patricia Gaffney’s Wyckerley Trilogy, which follows the lives of a colorful group of characters who live in the small fictional village of Wyckerley in the English countryside. This one is the story of Sophie Deene, a young woman whose father left her his copper mine upon his death, something almost unheard of in the Victorian era in which it’s set. She’s a shrewd but fair businesswoman who’s been running the mine quite well for the past two years. Then Cornishman Connor Pendarvis comes to town. He’s impersonating his brother, Jack, who’s a former miner, in order to get a job at the mine for the purpose of secretly evaluating its working conditions and safety protocols for a progressive political organization that hopes to enact legislation to regulate the mining industry. As the two often see each other at various events around town and start getting to know one another, they slowly fall in love despite the differences in their social stations. But when the truth of Connor’s identity and actual mission come out, it puts their fledgling relationship to the test. I loved To Love and to Cherish, the first book of the series, but the second one, To Have and to Hold, was just an OK read that left me feeling rather cold. Because of that, I went into reading this book not quite sure what to expect, but I’m happy to report that I very much enjoyed it.
While not a titled lady, Sophie is definitely near the top of the social ladder in Wyckerley. She’s always considered herself to only be beneath Rachel Verlaine (To Have and to Hold), the viscountess of the nearby estate, and Anne Morrell (To Love and to Cherish), the former viscountess of the same estate. As such, Sophie feels she has a reputation to uphold and has always behaved with the utmost propriety. She also prides herself on running her father’s mine well, wanting to live up to the faith he placed in her when he made her his heir. While her uncle and cousin would like to see her find a husband, Sophie is far more interested in simply being a businesswoman. She likes being in charge and doesn’t really want to turn the mine over to a man who would likely expect her to cease her participation in the day-to-day activities of running it, so she’s content with where she is in life. Then Connor comes to town and she’s instantly intrigued by him. When she discovers that he’s a simple miner, she balks a bit at her attraction to someone of low birth, but ultimately he proves to be a temptation she can’t resist. They begin to spend more and more time in each other’s company and eventually become lovers, but just when things seem perfect and she’s come to terms with making things more permanent with him, she learns his true identity and understandably feels betrayed. Things end badly between them, but fate conspires to soon bring them back together. However, just as they’re starting to understand each other again, more drama and tragedy ensue. Sophie is the perfect mixture of the sweet ingénue who’s kind to everyone and always happy to lend a helping hand, and a highly intelligent, strong-willed, mature woman who can run a business every bit as well as a man. She also has a certain stubborn pride that causes her to get in her own way at times. Despite that, though, she can still be quite reasonable and usually finds her way around to seeing things differently when warranted, so I very much liked her in spite of her flaws.
Connor tragically lost his entire family except for Jack, an older brother who is seriously ill with consumption from working in the mines all his life. Connor was the only member of the family to get an education and his family always had high hopes for his future. He had his own aspirations of becoming a barrister until that part of his education was cut short. Because of his brother’s condition, he desperately wants to enact mining reform, so he took employment with a political organization for which he secretly investigates mines, using Jack’s identity and work record, and then writes reports that are used to create legislation. When he first arrives in Wyckerley, Connor is instantly smitten with the lovely Sophie, but when he learns she’s the owner of the mine he was sent to investigate, it just as quickly makes her his enemy. But the more time he spends with her and the more he learns about her and how all the workers at the mine seem to revere her, he can’t help his attraction to her. However, it doesn’t change the fact that her mine is still a dangerous place for the workers, so he goes ahead with writing his preliminary report, not knowing that the society he’s working for is planning to publish it. Just as he realizes he’s in love with Sophie and decides to reveal the truth of his identity and hope that she’ll forgive him, the cat is let out of the bag before he can. Connor isn’t unlike Sophie in that he, too, can be stubborn and prideful and get in his own way sometimes. But at the same time, he’s a very kind, caring, and generous man who only wants to do what’s right. In fact, I felt like he leaned more toward being a beta hero, because he isn’t bothered by Sophie continuing to work at the mine and he’s never a possessive jerk. I also very much liked that he wasn’t a womanizer, focusing his energies instead on his scholarly work, and even when another woman practically handed herself to him on a silver platter, he politely refused in spite of not being with Sophie at the time.
Overall, I very much enjoyed Forever & Ever. It’s an extremely well-written and well-researched story. The first half of the book is sweet and tender as Connor and Sophie get to know one another and share plenty of romantic and passionate interludes. After their separation, it’s difficult for them to find their way back to a place of love and trust. Sometimes this could be just a tad frustrating, but usually their arguments don’t last long before they make some kind of peace and they do eventually find their way to a much better place. However, there’s still some fairly intense drama toward the end of the story that was emotionally heavy for me to read. In fact, Sophie suffers from a case of what I’m sure would be diagnosed nowadays as clinical depression, which might distress readers who’ve experienced this condition themselves. During this part, I felt that the narrative was perhaps just a little too melodramatic. Otherwise, this was an excellent read. I liked the little visits we get with Christy and Anne (To Love and to Cherish) and Sebastian and Rachel (To Have and to Hold) to show where they are now, as well as the love triangle between supporting characters, William and Sidony, who were introduced in the second book, and Jack. Everything came together nicely to make Forever & Ever a great wrap-up to the Wyckerley Trilogy and another of this author’s books that will go on my keeper shelf.
July 15, 2016
3.5 stars, and I honestly don't know if I'm giving it that rating because it truly wasn't a 4-star read, or because I've been so scattered and busy the past week that it made the story seem scattered too. It was good, just not as good to me as the others in the trilogy.
December 3, 2021
*3.5* I had a tough time deciding how to rate this book. It was an emotional rollercoaster pretty much the entire story. It was hard to get over the harsh words Connor said to Sophie, they were both so stubborn and hot headed! However, when the characters were kind to each other, and on the same page, it was a beautiful love story.
I had a lovely time chatting with Kristiej during this buddy read. You can tell the author put a lot of work into the details of mining work and the class system of that time.
Despite recent safety features, we still have horrific mining accidents. Just last month there was a methane gas explosion in a Russian mine and fifty-one people died, including some rescuers. Going into this story having just read details of this real tragedy certainly gave me a different perspective on the workers in the book.
The social structure Gaffney wrote about in this story still exists today, it’s just not as obvious as it used to be.
I had a lovely time chatting with Kristiej during this buddy read. You can tell the author put a lot of work into the details of mining work and the class system of that time.
Despite recent safety features, we still have horrific mining accidents. Just last month there was a methane gas explosion in a Russian mine and fifty-one people died, including some rescuers. Going into this story having just read details of this real tragedy certainly gave me a different perspective on the workers in the book.
The social structure Gaffney wrote about in this story still exists today, it’s just not as obvious as it used to be.
April 5, 2024
La he leído en español, en una edición Kindle que omite el capítulo el 22. Si compráis el libro, comprobad a ver si está entero.
Era la que me quedaba por leer de la serie Wyckerley. Me gustó, me emocionó. Connor (27) y Sophie (23) no siempre lo tienen fácil, por ser cómo son, por su propio orgullo, por los diferentes duelos por los que pasan... Su viaje al final feliz está lejos de ser un camino de rosas.
Es una gozada leer historias de personajes interesantes, adultos, que se enfrentan a cosas serias, sufren pérdidas que tienen que superar y no es fácil. A veces tiene un tono naturalista, frío, presenta una Inglaterra muchas veces cruel, con su drama, alejada de ese Londres un poco de opereta que nos ponen en muchas de la Regencia. Curioso, he agotado el espacio que me doy para comentar y no he dicho de qué va. Así que, si queréis saber más, podeis pasar por mi blog.
Era la que me quedaba por leer de la serie Wyckerley. Me gustó, me emocionó. Connor (27) y Sophie (23) no siempre lo tienen fácil, por ser cómo son, por su propio orgullo, por los diferentes duelos por los que pasan... Su viaje al final feliz está lejos de ser un camino de rosas.
Es una gozada leer historias de personajes interesantes, adultos, que se enfrentan a cosas serias, sufren pérdidas que tienen que superar y no es fácil. A veces tiene un tono naturalista, frío, presenta una Inglaterra muchas veces cruel, con su drama, alejada de ese Londres un poco de opereta que nos ponen en muchas de la Regencia. Curioso, he agotado el espacio que me doy para comentar y no he dicho de qué va. Así que, si queréis saber más, podeis pasar por mi blog.
August 4, 2024
One of the most remarkable, well-researched, emotional, and compelling HR books I've read.
June 12, 2024
Forever and Ever (1996) continues the series in the town of Wickerley in Devon, 1857, where Sophie is the owner of the copper mine she inherited from her father after his death two years ago. She’s an active owner, successful, has an office at the mine… is an independent woman. Connor, a Cornishman arrives with his brother Jack … and gets a job at the mine.. he’s actually there to investigate the mine as he’s gathering information for a labor reform group. He deceives Sophie.
Another splendid Wickerley … quite a bit darker in tone than the previous two books. Again it’s a complex story of class differences… realistic as it follows Sophie and Connor’s initial attraction, falling in love, secrecy and many challenges. They are two very proud and stubborn people, sparks fly and their anger towards each other can be fierce. Eventually, thanks to Connor, Sophie’s eyes are opened to the working conditions in her mines.
Overall, I was surprised to find the last book in this series to be as sad as it was …. there are some very tragic events and scenes… even the romance is melancholy at times. Perhaps the author’s depiction is quite realistic considering the subject matter of a romance with class differences, and the conditions of miners in 19th century England. It’s a powerful love story that thankfully has a HEA.
Another splendid Wickerley … quite a bit darker in tone than the previous two books. Again it’s a complex story of class differences… realistic as it follows Sophie and Connor’s initial attraction, falling in love, secrecy and many challenges. They are two very proud and stubborn people, sparks fly and their anger towards each other can be fierce. Eventually, thanks to Connor, Sophie’s eyes are opened to the working conditions in her mines.
Overall, I was surprised to find the last book in this series to be as sad as it was …. there are some very tragic events and scenes… even the romance is melancholy at times. Perhaps the author’s depiction is quite realistic considering the subject matter of a romance with class differences, and the conditions of miners in 19th century England. It’s a powerful love story that thankfully has a HEA.
March 19, 2010
This turned out to be my least favorite of the three Wyckerley novels, lacking the angst of To Have and To Hold and the sweetness of To Love and to Cherish. The class issues between the hero and heroine never really got resolved, just ignored, and the resolution didn't quite come together for me.
August 22, 2023
I feel like Patricia Gaffney has a vendetta against me because why did she have to stomp on my heart like that
July 20, 2025
I did not enjoy this book unfortunately…
The first 40% were utter brilliance ✨
The rest was just toxic unhealed communication patterns over and over and over…
Their pride and how they handled it was too frustrating at times.
Then the last 30% were just annoying. He’s too passive and poor girl wants him to start something for once!
I hated him…
Nothing beats the first book in this series.
Christy and Anne will forever live in my heart, I loved their books beyond words.
Nevertheless, Patricia Gaffney is a brilliant writer, her books are never expected. Her writing is pure poetry.
The first 40% were utter brilliance ✨
The rest was just toxic unhealed communication patterns over and over and over…
Their pride and how they handled it was too frustrating at times.
Then the last 30% were just annoying. He’s too passive and poor girl wants him to start something for once!
I hated him…
Nothing beats the first book in this series.
Christy and Anne will forever live in my heart, I loved their books beyond words.
Nevertheless, Patricia Gaffney is a brilliant writer, her books are never expected. Her writing is pure poetry.
February 17, 2023
oh!!!! i'm so sad to be finished with this trilogy. rtc!
December 13, 2020
3.5/5 stars
November 5, 2024
This book was soooooo good.... until about halfway...
It was a lovely setup for a beautiful story. I kept marvelling at the strong chemistry between the two leads. Both main characters were flawed which opened up the possibilities of growth arcs. The themes of social snobbery and workers' rights were front and center and presented very well. The natural dialogue brought a realness to the scenes. And I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the potentially funny aspects of secret love affairs which most romance books don't cover (carrying out a love affair in a romance book is either super easy or intensely tragic, never lighthearted), for example, the scene where Connor has to sneak out of Sophie's house on tippy toes without getting caught; I liked the laughter in the interactions between the leads. At multiple points during my reading, I paused to think about how good this book was turning out to be and wondered why it wasn't as popular as the other books in the series.
I found the answer in the second half. Its downfall was mainly caused by it trying to tell too many stories. There were multiple plots, multiple climaxes, so many emotional ups and downs that I lost interest in keeping up with then, then a quick resolution to the main conflict which did not in any way settle the major theme of the book (social snobbery) and did not generate any growth for the characters. For the first time in the history of my romance-reading have I been tempted to write my own version of a story (in the case of this book, everything that happens after Connor's secret comes out).
It was a lovely setup for a beautiful story. I kept marvelling at the strong chemistry between the two leads. Both main characters were flawed which opened up the possibilities of growth arcs. The themes of social snobbery and workers' rights were front and center and presented very well. The natural dialogue brought a realness to the scenes. And I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the potentially funny aspects of secret love affairs which most romance books don't cover (carrying out a love affair in a romance book is either super easy or intensely tragic, never lighthearted), for example, the scene where Connor has to sneak out of Sophie's house on tippy toes without getting caught; I liked the laughter in the interactions between the leads. At multiple points during my reading, I paused to think about how good this book was turning out to be and wondered why it wasn't as popular as the other books in the series.
I found the answer in the second half. Its downfall was mainly caused by it trying to tell too many stories. There were multiple plots, multiple climaxes, so many emotional ups and downs that I lost interest in keeping up with then, then a quick resolution to the main conflict which did not in any way settle the major theme of the book (social snobbery) and did not generate any growth for the characters. For the first time in the history of my romance-reading have I been tempted to write my own version of a story (in the case of this book, everything that happens after Connor's secret comes out).
March 8, 2015
Uma retratação impecável de usos e costumes. Não recordo de ter lido outro livro que tratasse de forma tão autêntica os variados matizes da diferença de classes e da moralidade social em uma época tão antiquada e preconceituosa, tendo como pano de fundo o amor entre duas pessoas expostas ao leitor sem floreios, profundamente humanas e por isso mesmo fascinantes.
February 11, 2016
Welllllll......I adored the first two books in the triology. This one had way too much mining for ore information for me, and the hero/heroine---well, I didn't really like either one too much. It was hard to root for them. That doesn't mean I'm not going to check out more of her books, because the first two were just so well-crafted.
June 21, 2025
Seriously underwhelming, even if it hadn't been preceded by two wonderful books. The story is disjointed and too many things are crammed into one plot. The idea of bridging a romance over such a large class and political divide is interesting and reasonably well done in the beginning, but it felt like the author was afraid of breaking the mold too much with Connor. Why can't a Cornish miner speak with a Cornish accent? Why must he sound upper class and refined to be a viable love interest? Why does part of his appeal have to be that he's so much "more" than his origins? It's counterproductive to the idea of a love that transcends these arbitrary boundaries.
Sophie and Connor themselves were immature, selfish, and frankly in love for all the wrong reasons. They would fight bitterly and then feel lonely in the aftermath and resolve to patch things up, only to wield their anger against each other in a few days' time.
They weren't healthy for each other, and no number of surrounding details and last minute plot points could distract from it. And believe me when I say there was no shortage of other plot points .
To base a novel on how cruel mining conditions were in England a few centuries ago, you can't shy away from the cruelty of it, and make sure nobody falls sick and everyone survives every fire and shaft collapse. The novel felt like a half-hearted attempt to string a bunch of pre decided ideas together, with no regard to how they actually complemented each other, and not enough grit to explore any of them to their fullest extents.
Sophie and Connor themselves were immature, selfish, and frankly in love for all the wrong reasons. They would fight bitterly and then feel lonely in the aftermath and resolve to patch things up, only to wield their anger against each other in a few days' time.
They weren't healthy for each other, and no number of surrounding details and last minute plot points could distract from it. And believe me when I say there was no shortage of other plot points .
To base a novel on how cruel mining conditions were in England a few centuries ago, you can't shy away from the cruelty of it, and make sure nobody falls sick and everyone survives every fire and shaft collapse. The novel felt like a half-hearted attempt to string a bunch of pre decided ideas together, with no regard to how they actually complemented each other, and not enough grit to explore any of them to their fullest extents.
March 26, 2021
Eles se apaixonaram tão logo se viram.
Eram de classes sociais diferentes.
Ele era descendente de mineiros, pobre, educado por um padre e que perdera toda sua família com exceção do irmão, Jake. Que estava doente do pulmão por trabalhar em péssimas condições nas minas. Era orgulhoso e tinha a força de vontade de vencer. Era um reformista e queria justiça e mundo melhor para os que como os pais e Jake sofreram na minas.
Ela herdara a mina do pai e a administrava. Era uma esnobe, orgulhosa, sensível, forte e a também caridosa.
Na segunda vez que se encontraram, já era antagonistas.
Inimigos ferrenhos que se amavam, mas tinham muito a por de lado para superar suas diferenças.
Por algum tempo andaram lado a lado, mas um fato os afastou.
Sofreram muito para superar todas suas querelas e diferenças sociais.
E o amor floresce em meio as diferenças quando superam todos as barreiras que os impediam de ser felizes.
Um leitura comovente sombre as dores, lágrimas e das perdas que acompanham nossas vidas.
Eram de classes sociais diferentes.
Ele era descendente de mineiros, pobre, educado por um padre e que perdera toda sua família com exceção do irmão, Jake. Que estava doente do pulmão por trabalhar em péssimas condições nas minas. Era orgulhoso e tinha a força de vontade de vencer. Era um reformista e queria justiça e mundo melhor para os que como os pais e Jake sofreram na minas.
Ela herdara a mina do pai e a administrava. Era uma esnobe, orgulhosa, sensível, forte e a também caridosa.
Na segunda vez que se encontraram, já era antagonistas.
Inimigos ferrenhos que se amavam, mas tinham muito a por de lado para superar suas diferenças.
Por algum tempo andaram lado a lado, mas um fato os afastou.
Sofreram muito para superar todas suas querelas e diferenças sociais.
E o amor floresce em meio as diferenças quando superam todos as barreiras que os impediam de ser felizes.
Um leitura comovente sombre as dores, lágrimas e das perdas que acompanham nossas vidas.
August 22, 2023
Well I could just die.
Macaulay Connor : You've got all the arrogance of your class, haven't you?
Tracy Lord : What have classes to do with it? What do they matter except for the people in them? George comes from the so-called lower class, Dexter, the upper. Well?
Macaulay Connor : Well...
Tracy Lord : Mac the night watchman is a prince among men, Uncle Willie is a... pincher. Upper and lower my eye. I'll take the lower, thanks.
Macaulay Connor : If you can't get a drawing room.
Tracy Lord : What does that mean?
Macaulay Connor : My mistake.
Tracy Lord : Decidedly. You're insulting!
Macaulay Connor : Sorry.
Tracy Lord : Oh, don't apologize!
Macaulay Connor : Well, who's apologizing?
Tracy Lord : I never knew such a man.
Macaulay Connor : You wouldn't be likely to, from where you sit!
Tracy Lord : Talk about arrogance.
Macaulay Connor : Tracy.
Tracy Lord : What do you want?
Macaulay Connor : [pause] You're wonderful.
More to come! I have to write about Emma and The Philadelphia Story and this book for the newsletter.
Macaulay Connor : You've got all the arrogance of your class, haven't you?
Tracy Lord : What have classes to do with it? What do they matter except for the people in them? George comes from the so-called lower class, Dexter, the upper. Well?
Macaulay Connor : Well...
Tracy Lord : Mac the night watchman is a prince among men, Uncle Willie is a... pincher. Upper and lower my eye. I'll take the lower, thanks.
Macaulay Connor : If you can't get a drawing room.
Tracy Lord : What does that mean?
Macaulay Connor : My mistake.
Tracy Lord : Decidedly. You're insulting!
Macaulay Connor : Sorry.
Tracy Lord : Oh, don't apologize!
Macaulay Connor : Well, who's apologizing?
Tracy Lord : I never knew such a man.
Macaulay Connor : You wouldn't be likely to, from where you sit!
Tracy Lord : Talk about arrogance.
Macaulay Connor : Tracy.
Tracy Lord : What do you want?
Macaulay Connor : [pause] You're wonderful.
More to come! I have to write about Emma and The Philadelphia Story and this book for the newsletter.
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September 4, 2024This mini-review is part of a list about Union organizers that can be read in full at The Smut Report
Connor is determined to improve the safety of the mining industry, especially after his last surviving brother gets tuberculosis and can no longer work. (The other brothers all died in mining accidents.) So, he goes undercover as a mine worker in order to write a scathing exposé of the mine conditions…and falls in love with Sophie, the mine owner, in the process. We don’t quite get into full-on labor organizing here, but Connor does shame Sophie into improving working conditions, so, baby steps.
Big ole content note on this book: Sophie suffers a traumatic miscarriage and goes into a deep depression as a result.
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Connor is determined to improve the safety of the mining industry, especially after his last surviving brother gets tuberculosis and can no longer work. (The other brothers all died in mining accidents.) So, he goes undercover as a mine worker in order to write a scathing exposé of the mine conditions…and falls in love with Sophie, the mine owner, in the process. We don’t quite get into full-on labor organizing here, but Connor does shame Sophie into improving working conditions, so, baby steps.
Big ole content note on this book: Sophie suffers a traumatic miscarriage and goes into a deep depression as a result.
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