As a child, Morwenna had listened to her mother's stories of Trevennon, her old home. Morwenna had pictured a castle full of the magic of love, standing high on the cliffs of Cornwall.
So when tragedy struck the eighteen-year-old Morwenna, she fled to Trevennon. Contrary to her expectations, she found a house full of unhappiness and hostility - Dominic Trevennon's hostility.
But strangely, Dominic capture Morwenna's heart as completely as her mother's stories had captured her imagination. Only this time, the story didn't seem to have a happy ending.
Anne Bushell was born on October 1938 in South Devon, England, just before World War II and grew up in a house crammed with books. She was always a voracious reader, some of her all-time favorites books are: "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen, "Middlemarch" by George Eliot, "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë, "Gone With the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell and "The Code of the Woosters" by P. G. Wodehouse.
She worked as journalist at the Paignton Observer, but after her marriage, she moved to the north of England, where she worked as teacher. After she returned to journalism, she joined the Middlesbrough Writers' Group, where she met other romance writer Mildred Grieveson (Anne Mather). She started to wrote romance, and she had her first novel "Garden of Dreams" accepted by Mills & Boon in 1975, she published her work under the pseudonym of Sara Craven. In 2010 she became chairman of the Southern Writers' Conference, and the next year was elected the twenty-six Chairman (2011–2013) of the Romantic Novelists' Association.
Divorced twice, Annie lives in Somerset, South West England, and shares her home with a West Highland white terrier called Bertie Wooster. In her house, she had several thousand books, and an amazing video collection. When she's not writing, she enjoys watching very old films, listening to music, going to the theatre, and eating in good restaurants. She also likes to travel in Europe, to inspire her romances, especially in France, Greece and Italy where many of her novels are set. Since the birth of her twin grandchildren, she is also a regular visitor to New York City, where the little tots live. In 1997, she was the overall winner of the BBC's Mastermind, winning the last final presented by Magnus Magnusson.
Coincidentally this is my second vintage in a row which is again set in a decrepit coastal Cornish castle. This too has a gothic feel with family secrets, sad tales of medieval tragedies and previous generation's heartaches trickling down to the present, and treacherous tides that almost costs the h her life. I am, of course, referring to The Youngest Bridesmaid. What differed here was that the housekeeper was very un-gothic in her warm welcome and immediately takes the h under her wing, as she resembles her mother. (In the other book, it was the ow's mom who had once been engaged to the H's father, and the devoted housekeeper preferred the ow over the h! Sorry for TMI but I cant get over the comparisons! Read on for more clarity. :p)*
*Interspersed with Spoilers* The newly orphaned 18 yrs. old h flees to this place she has never been to before - the castle Trevennon, where her mother had once sought refuge as a poor relative. All those years ago, the younger brother of the owner had been in love with the h's mother. But she fell in love with another and leaves, to never come back. In the present, the h finds herself in a similar situation like her mother- alone, orphaned and destitute. So she decides to run to the place her mother often spoke of fondly. But she finds the reception a whole lot chillier. The hostile H, who is the spurned guy’s nephew, tells that not only did her mother leave his uncle in a lurch but also stole his life’s works, and the family has barely recovered from the consequent financial ruin even after all this time. So she is definitely persona non grata in these areas.
The uncle sees her, softens up and offers her a secretarial job. And she vows to clear her parents’ name. What follows is an intriguing and entertaining tale, with present and past characters playing interesting roles. There is, of course, the ubiquitous glamorous and vampy ow, with an aunt in tow who was the ow in the previous generation’s story!
This is an older Sara Craven and I am not a fan. I find her hs wimpy and boring, and her misogynistic Hs using any and all pretexts to force the h into bed. But this never-boring vintage is so different and tells a refreshing story which keeps you completely involved. The h is endearing in being just the correct mixture of innocence, canniness, survival instincts, righteousness and grit. I like how she dealt with her greedy and selfish relatives at the beginning while keeping her dignity intact. Vintage hs had more spine than what followed later. And I can never get over them being barely 18!*
Beautiful orphan Morwenna is the daughter of a Baron, but he’s dead. So is her brother. Her mum died years ago. She’s 18 and her cousin’s family have taken over her family home because of an entail, and now they’re complaining that she’s breathing their air and being all useless and gloomy. Sure, not to her face, but it’s all there behind closed doors, which Morwenna must now knock on before she can open them, because the cousin family are all awful.
Morwenna is beautiful and a little bit talented at art. Her real skills are parties, lying, and crazy schemes. When she realises just how unwelcome she is, she decides to take her mother’s paintings of the place she grew up, Trevennon, to Trevennon. Trevonnon is this big old mansion in Cornwall. Morwenna is going there not, she would like the reader to understand, because she wants her mother’s family to take her in (although she sort of does) but because she’s sure they won’t mind looking after the paintings while Morwenna moves to the Welfare State.
After the entail in ‘Witching Hour,’ and it turning up again here, I decided to look them up. Sure, I thought I knew what an entail was: I’ve read ‘Pride and Prejudice’ lots, and other historical romances with entail plots. I had this vague idea that entails probably couldn’t still shut dependence out of inheriting, even without a will: and I was right. And wrong. While the transfer of title could continue through the male line, entails on real property could never be set up in perpetuity, and they could no longer be made at all after the ‘Law Property Act of 1925’ came into effect. So, for this plot to work, Morwenna’s grandfather most probably established the entail some time before 1925. Her father and brother could have brought the entail to a close really easily, and that they didn’t is evidence that they were being jerks. And Morwenna was even further legally disadvantaged, because any money associated with her father and brother should have gone to her, and not the miserable cousins.
While looking this up probably makes it look like I thought Sara Craven had decided to have legal stuff operate differently in her romance world, that’s not quite it. I basically just fixated on it because I was sure you couldn’t explain away how disadvantaged Morwenna was by just saying ‘entail’ and ‘her relatives are money-grubbing and snobby and mean.’ The last part is totally true: her relatives are crap. Also, it makes sense that Morwenna didn’t know anything about it: she was 18.
And the Welfare State! Rowan in ‘Summer of the Raven’ also plans to go on welfare in her book, and I can’t help but feel that Sara Craven is maybe making a tiny comment on socialism. I think until very recently, a heroine going on welfare was the equivalent of a heroine getting a nose job or having sex with some guy just because she feels like it: it’s something that a good girl might contemplate, but it simply wasn’t done.
I also have a vague feeling that if Sara Craven was being slightly sniffy about the Welfare State in the late 70s, she was about to see just how far ladylike disapproval of government as a helpful entity would be taken under Thatcherism.
Anyway, Morwenna tells all these lies to her cousins about being invited to stay at Trevennon before she takes up a painting scholarship in Carcassone. She lies to the cousin who is her own age about how she’s going to flirt the handsome Trevennon man into giving her gobs of money.
At Trevennon, she has a Jane Eyre style encounter with the hero, but with a car. She’s not welcome! Her mother was a terrible person and brought doom to the family! She cannot see the fragile old man in the tower, because she would kill him with her face! It’s all very gothic and awesome.
Morwenna basically calls this nonsense. Her mum told her great stories about growing up, and she never acted like she was harbouring some guilty secret that was tearing her apart. Of course Morwenna knows zero about psychology so she could be completely wrong about her mum. She really does know nonsense though, and she’s not having it. And of course she’s asked to stay, even though the hero makes a really good effort at throwing her out.
Dominic, the hero of the book, is very brooding and handsome. He’s the best kind of handsome: that sort of rugged brows and face lines and black turtleneck sweaters – sort of Sean Connery in really early James Bond. Or Clint Eastwood? I've run out of male actors who were big in the 70s. Anyway, he’s wrapped in this manly cloak of sexual magnetism and Morwenna thinks he’s totally hot. He’s also not rich yet. Sure, he has more money than Morwenna does, and a big house, and lots of property and a boat building business, but he’d like everyone to know that he’s not ‘sending floozies to painting school in Carcassone’ wealthy.
I liked that Morwenna didn’t cringe around him, in fact I liked her a lot because she always just got on with things. And told such crazy lies that were just designed to get her in trouble! She was the best at that. She had completely insane ideas and a dangerous attachment to seeing them through to the end, but it made her really interesting. She also wasn’t as morbidly insistent on hiding her feelings from the hero until the bitter end as some heroines, which made her seem incredibly brave by comparison.
Dominic had a bit of Rochester to him, and a talent for turning up at the right time to rescue Morwenna. He was also obviously romantically into Morwenna as well as lustful. He made the usual missteps of thinking Morwenna was a terrible person, and keeping his horrible ex girlfriend around, and not admitting his feelings, but I found his whole melodrama amusing so I liked him. I also liked that he actually admitted that he was nearly twice as old as Morwenna, and therefore probably too old for her. I was even generous enough to think that maybe his ‘nearly’ mathematics put him at early 30s, rather than 35-36. I also decided that Morwenna was probably only about 5 minutes off her 19th birthday, which made me feel slightly better over how young she was.
When ‘provoked beyond measure’ he does go in for the ‘we’re having the sex now whether you like it or not,’ scene. I see these a lot in Sara Craven novels and get a bit disappointed by how the hero’s passionate fury trumps his better, non-rapist self. My rationalisation is usually that if the heroine can turn him off the idea by convincing him that she’s a disgusting ho, then maybe he wasn’t really into the rape? It all gets extremely tenuous.
I did love this book, but then I love everything gothic and really wish gothic would come back. Proper old gothic - with book covers with terrified young ladies running away from houses during thunderstorms in their negligees! Although now that I think about it, there’s probably some symbolism there that’s really not on.
Bravo, Sara Craven! This is a masterful Gothic contemporary that has all the elements of the Gothics I grew up reading:
The orphaned heroine who is thrown out of her house by her cruel relatives after they inherit it. The mysterious house on the coast of Cornwall. The manipulative uncle, the hostile nephew (Hero), the friendly nephew (the assumed OM), the loyal family retainers, the scary guard dogs, the glamorous OW. The family legend (two lovers are caught by the high tide and die). The family secrets that have caused bitterness for two generations. The heroine's arrival is the catalyst this bitter group of people has been waiting for . . .
The romance probably only rates a 3 or 4 stars because the heroine has her hands full with all these plot devices, but the hero is *tortured* in his attraction to the heroine. *happy sigh*
Not a word wasted. Not a plot element that wasn't explained. This Victoria Holt fan girl really enjoyed this.
As you guys know, there's nothing I hate more than a bitchy heroine. I hated this one - I was willing to give her a chance, but I couldn't.
First off, she's impulsive, bitchy, deliberately provocative - and likes to give people the wrong idea about her, that she's a gold digging slut (I HATE DECEPTION UGH) - and she's a 'big fat liar', as my little sister Aamnah would say.
AND ON TOP OF THAT, SHE HARBOURED SEXUAL FEELINGS FOR HER COUSIN - NOPE, NOT THE HERO. I CANNOT BEAR MY HEROINES TO HAVE FEELINGS FOR ANYONE OTHER THAN THE HERO. UGHHHH.
Could not put it down. Crazy old skool Harley with a gothic twist. I got annoyed a few times with the self-sacrificing heroine, the crazy uncle and the alpha hero who was willing to believe the worst of our poor heroine. (Even when the facts pointed to something totally different). However, I wouldn't have my Harley's any other way.
Very Moody Gothic Romance. This was lots of fun. 🖤
- innocent young orphaned h (18)- she has nothing and no one - cast out by family - arrives at dreary mansion in the hopes of getting some help from people who knew her late mother
- Grumpy growly aggressive H (mid-late 30s??)- wants to be an asshole, but MAYBE he has a bit of a soft spot for our sweet h
- The mansion where the H lives is old and mouldering - there's a mystery behind how/why it devolved into disrepair
- Evil Cackling Whore OW
- H assumes the worst about the h... but keeps being proved wrong 😈
- enemies to lovers at its best - arguments, jaw ticks, glares, dubcon-ish Torrid Embraces, bodice ripping. OH MY! 👌🏻 😍😍😍😍😍😈
- Jealous Misunderstandings 😈
- h is rescued by the H - he's overcome when he Almost Loses Her. *sigh* 🥰. #imadramawhore
Bottom Line? I loved it. If there had been MORE interactions between the h and H, it would have been 5-star. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS⚠️
- no cheating or sharing
- OW drama - there is a woman who seems to claim the H, but the H never really explicitly reciprocates in front of the h - it's revealed at the end, that there were *relations* between the 2 of them at one time, but he was never serious about her - he's been besotted with the h since the h arrived.
- OM drama - the H thinks the h is into his little brother - and maybe had a lover prior to arriving at the mansion - he's not happy about it
- dubcon - the H is quite fond of Angry Punishing Reminder Kisses #princecharming
- h is an 18 year old virgin
- H is an experienced "almost twice your age" man (35??)
- this relationship is never consummated within the pages of this book. 😐 There are a handful of Emotionally Charged Torrid Embraces, including ripping open her clothes, but no actual sex.
Sara Craven's take on gothic romance. Stormy nights, old mansions, mystery, tragic history, almost intelligent heroine and the dark, broody, domineering Hero!
By far one of the better Hp's.
Only complaint: the ending felt rushed and too sugary.
She is one character I want to indulge in if I want to wallow in a little self empowerment. She is not contriving but she does draws you in to her unfortunate state of life and her determination to still seek independence amidst rejections and ill feelings surrounding her. It's one of those characters that draws you in to her struggles and cheer for her triumph. I like the fact that she was warm, sensitive, and understanding, but she was also strong regarding her convictions. It's a sweeping love story of triumph of love against prejudice. On his part there is definitely a very thin line between love and hate, and sparks do fly.
As a child, Morwenna had listened to her mother's stories of Trevennon, her old home. Morwenna had pictured a castle full of the magic of love, standing high on the cliffs of Cornwall.
So when tragedy struck the eighteen-year-old Morwenna, she fled to Trevennon. Contrary to her expectations, she found a house full of unhappiness and hostility - Dominic Trevennon's hostility.
But strangely, Dominic capture Morwenna's heart as completely as her mother's stories had captured her imagination. Only this time, the story didn't seem to have a happy ending.
I've read a lot of Mills & Boons, but this is my first ever Sara Craven one. As a result of this fantastic book, however, I'm going to try and read a lot more of hers. This one dated from 1978 and possibly read as a little dated, but it was still a fantastic love story with a Gothic twist. The Cornish scenery in the winter time is beautifully evoked and it would make a fantastic read over Christmas. I loved it.
I really really liked this one. Will not do a summary since many other reviewers have already done an excellent job.
Sara Craven used to be one of the vintage authors I read a lot in my younger days, I can’t believe I’ve never come across this one.
A truly good story with gothic elements, a misunderstanding from the past, so the heroine needs to clear her beloved mother’s reputation. An uncompromising Hero, who can’t reconcile his feelings for the heroine and what he has been brainwashed to believe from childhood.
There is even a dreadful family tale about the tragic love affair of a family ancestress, who shares the same name as the heroine.
من كتبي المفضلة أي أنسان يستطيع الهرب من قدره ؟ موروينا ماتت والدتها وهي في الثامنة من عمرها . وفي الثامنة عشرة قتل والدها و شقيقها في حادث سيارة . فجأة اصبحت وحيده , يتمة و منبوذة من أقاربها الذين أستولوا على جميع الاملاك . البيت الذي ترعرعت فيه طردت منه لتقف وجهاً لوجه أمام عاصفة الزمان . الى أين تذهب وهي لا تملك سوى عنوان رجل عجوز عرفته أمها في صباها , هل تذهب اليه ؟ و لكنها لا تعرفه ! تحتاج الى ملجأ , الى سقف يقيها أمطار التشرد و رياح الضياع , وفي قصر دومـنـيـك كان نوع آخر من العذاب في أنتظارها . الكره و العداء و اللامبالاة صفات ثلاث أستقبلت موروينا في قصر الأسرار . فهل تدخل أم ترحل هائمة على وجهها ؟
He was a bit harsh, old Dominic. On the strength of their encounters I'm really not sure how Morwenna found herself so quickly in love with him. Convoluted family saga involving Morwenna's late mother and the uncle, Nick, owner of Trevennon and wizened old stroke sufferer in his 60s (looks to camera. *Positively ancient*. Rolls eyes).The nephew, Dominic, chose to believe the mother was the proverbial cheat and cause of family ruin. All a tad gothic for my taste and not enough time together for H & h hence insufficient emotional development. Often the way in these older ones. Merely an ok read.
3.5 stars Sara Craven writes beautifully written, compelling stories. Loved the haunting gothic atmosphere to this one. The story seemed more densely packed that most HPs, in a good way.
There were lots of well fleshed-out side characters which added to, rather than detracted from the story. I guess that is a testament to the talent of the author. Wonderful descriptions of the Cornish coast too. I could practically feel the salty wind in my hair.
My only quibble is that I wish the heroine's horrid relatives who had done her out of her inheritance got some comeuppance.
Uh, sure. Hero was a bit of a jerk and took everything, I mean EVERYTHING related to the heroine the wrong way. I can forgive the heroine since the poor thing is 18!!!! She can't help being dumb. Really liked all the fun dynamics with all the family and the surrounding characters. But wish we had more time with the hero not being a jerk face. He was nice in ONE scene...and never before it or after. But a quick read, so yeah I recommend this one if you don't have anything else.
I very much enjoyed this family tale set in Cornwall. The heroine is flawed and grows, the hero is not perfect but darkly broody at times (swoon), and the atmosphere is very well written. There are other detailed reviews, so suffice it to say if you like May/December romances, a slightly Gothic feel, and lots of drama - this one's for you.
أي أنسان يستطيع الهرب من قدره ؟ موروينا ماتت والدتها وهي في الثامنة من عمرها . وفي الثامنة عشرة قتل والدها و شقيقها في حادث سيارة . فجأة اصبحت وحيده , يتمة و منبوذة من أقاربها الذين أستولوا على جميع الاملاك . البيت الذي ترعرعت فيه طردت منه لتقف وجهاً لوجه أمام عاصفة الزمان . الى أين تذهب وهي لا تملك سوى عنوان رجل عجوز عرفته أمها في صباها , هل تذهب اليه ؟ و لكنها لا تعرفه ! تحتاج الى ملجأ , الى سقف يقيها أمطار التشرد و رياح الضي��ع , وفي قصر دومـنـيـك كان نوع آخر من العذاب في أنتظارها . الكره و العداء و اللامبالاة صفات ثلاث أستقبلت موروينا في قصر الأسرار . فهل تدخل أم ترحل هائمة على وجهها ؟
Synopsis: As a child, Morwenna had listened to her mother's stories of Trevennon, her old home. Morwenna had pictured a castle full of the magic of love, standing high on the cliffs of Cornwall.
So when tragedy struck the eighteen-year-old Morwenna, she fled to Trevennon. Contrary to her expectations, she found a house full of unhappiness and hostility - Dominic Trevennon's hostility.
But strangely, Dominic capture Morwenna's heart as completely as her mother's stories had captured her imagination. Only this time, the story didn't seem to have a happy ending.