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From This Day Forward
A magnificent historical romance set on a Texas plantation during the Civil War. It is an unforgettable tale of two men and one woman ...of honor lost and won ...of a love that will steal your heart...
During the summer that the Yankees invaded Texas, young, wild Eric Ross stole Lori McClintock's innocence and turned her tender dreams of love to ashes. His brutal conquest left her more than devastated. Eric Ross, now away fighting with the Cavalry of the West, had left her with child.
When his older brother offered to marry her, Lori was stunned. For years, she had dreamed of being noticed by Adam Ross, of being taken to his sprawling plantation, of being adored-the way she secretly worshipped him. But in reality, Adam was a Southern gentleman; she was the daughter of a tenant farmer. He wanted her because her child would be a Ross ...or so Lori believed. But now a battle had been ignited between brothers that was careening toward tragedy...threatening to expose a long-buried family secret ...and awakening an unquenchable obsession not in one man, but in two .
During the summer that the Yankees invaded Texas, young, wild Eric Ross stole Lori McClintock's innocence and turned her tender dreams of love to ashes. His brutal conquest left her more than devastated. Eric Ross, now away fighting with the Cavalry of the West, had left her with child.
When his older brother offered to marry her, Lori was stunned. For years, she had dreamed of being noticed by Adam Ross, of being taken to his sprawling plantation, of being adored-the way she secretly worshipped him. But in reality, Adam was a Southern gentleman; she was the daughter of a tenant farmer. He wanted her because her child would be a Ross ...or so Lori believed. But now a battle had been ignited between brothers that was careening toward tragedy...threatening to expose a long-buried family secret ...and awakening an unquenchable obsession not in one man, but in two .
382 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
About the author
Victoria Thompson
78 books2,478 followersVictoria Thompson is the USA Today bestselling, Edgar® and Agatha Award–nominated author of the Gaslight Mysteries and the Counterfeit Lady novels. Humor, romance, family, justice, and compassion balance out the crimes in Victoria's unforgettable novels.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 29, 2026
This book was surprisingly good and kept me tense right until the very end. It was deeply emotional, and by the final pages I was completely invested in the story.
The hero, who is crippled in one leg , marries the heroine after she is raped by his younger brother. The hero doesn’t know the truth — he believes his brother simply abandoned her while she was pregnant. The heroine, who has loved the hero for years since they grew up as neighbors in the same town, agrees to marry him. Naturally, she assumes he married her only out of responsibility, while he thinks she accepted because she had no choice as an unwed mother. Yet despite all the misunderstandings, the attraction and affection between them slowly grows.
Their married life turns out to be surprisingly tender. At first, the heroine struggles with nightmares and fear surrounding physical intimacy, but over time she begins to heal, and together they build a loving relationship. Eventually, she gives birth to a son.
Then the evil brother returns — and he is truly awful. He brings so much pain and anguish to both the hero and heroine in the final part of the book that I became incredibly emotional reading it.
It had been a long time since a book affected me this strongly by the end.
Beyond the main couple and the villainous brother, the side characters were also important and well-developed. The heroine’s stepmother initially seemed selfish and foolish, but she improved somewhat by the end. Ironically, she was also the one who informed the hero about the heroine’s pregnancy, which ultimately brought the couple together.
Then there was the slave woman who had raised both brothers almost like a mother. I disliked her intensely at first. Later she seemed better, but then once again made terrible choices. In the end, she finally acknowledged her mistakes in constantly excusing and coddling the evil brother. It is eventually revealed that she was actually his biological mother, which explained her favoritism.
Overall, this book kept me completely engaged from beginning to end.
The hero, who is crippled in one leg , marries the heroine after she is raped by his younger brother. The hero doesn’t know the truth — he believes his brother simply abandoned her while she was pregnant. The heroine, who has loved the hero for years since they grew up as neighbors in the same town, agrees to marry him. Naturally, she assumes he married her only out of responsibility, while he thinks she accepted because she had no choice as an unwed mother. Yet despite all the misunderstandings, the attraction and affection between them slowly grows.
Their married life turns out to be surprisingly tender. At first, the heroine struggles with nightmares and fear surrounding physical intimacy, but over time she begins to heal, and together they build a loving relationship. Eventually, she gives birth to a son.
Then the evil brother returns — and he is truly awful. He brings so much pain and anguish to both the hero and heroine in the final part of the book that I became incredibly emotional reading it.
It had been a long time since a book affected me this strongly by the end.
Beyond the main couple and the villainous brother, the side characters were also important and well-developed. The heroine’s stepmother initially seemed selfish and foolish, but she improved somewhat by the end. Ironically, she was also the one who informed the hero about the heroine’s pregnancy, which ultimately brought the couple together.
Then there was the slave woman who had raised both brothers almost like a mother. I disliked her intensely at first. Later she seemed better, but then once again made terrible choices. In the end, she finally acknowledged her mistakes in constantly excusing and coddling the evil brother. It is eventually revealed that she was actually his biological mother, which explained her favoritism.
Overall, this book kept me completely engaged from beginning to end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2023
A very heart-wrenching tale between a rape victim and her longtime crush, whose brother was the one who raped her. Their unrequited love for one another had spanned for years until the tragedy happens. Adam offers for her hand to give name and protection to Lori’s unborn baby, as well as having her to himself as last.
This book follows the usual 90’s tropes of a lot of misunderstandings and unresolved trauma so bear with these also. The HEA is still very much deserved so while this book may be a difficult read, but the ending makes it all worth it.
TW : A lot of mentions of rape, the use of N word (bear in mind, this book was written in the 90’s so what wouldn’t fly by today’s standard was still accepted back then) and murders.
This book follows the usual 90’s tropes of a lot of misunderstandings and unresolved trauma so bear with these also. The HEA is still very much deserved so while this book may be a difficult read, but the ending makes it all worth it.
TW : A lot of mentions of rape, the use of N word (bear in mind, this book was written in the 90’s so what wouldn’t fly by today’s standard was still accepted back then) and murders.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews