Misfit’s Reviews > The Outlaw Hearts > Status Update

Eww, does this lad have a mustache over there?

Do otherwise unemployable artists end up illustrating romance novels? I have to wonder ...

They had to put the woman on her knees?? I'm betting a man drew or painted or whatever that awful cover.

I'm now reminded that I used to have a wacky theory about the ending. Remind me to mention it when you've finished.

Hehe, you ladies got busy whilst I nodded off to bed. Yes, I see a mustache. I'm beginning to think these Severn House covers are a bit off from those of other publishers as their cover for Forever My Love was very bizarre as well. Jill, sorry you had to have that cover :)

Kelly, would love to hear your theory and I'm also curious to those who've read it about the old man telling the story. Was there more to it than that, or was it just an old man telling the story?

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I always wondered if they actually died at the end. I don't think that's actually how Brandewyne meant it--it'd go against all romance convention--but it's kind of like when Snow White and the prince go to the castle and the castle is in the clouds? Jenny and Luke are freed from the bad guy by that explosion, and then he tells her "let's go home," but "go home" can have more than one meaning, and the ghosts at the beginning were of the couple in their prime.

Like I said, I don't think Brandewyne even did it on purpose, but it always did make me wonder. Because I overthink things. ;)

See, I was wondering as well, as I expected something a bit different. Jill, what are your thoughts?

I looked back at it in the light of day and Kelly's comment and yes, by George she's right. *sniff*

Well, like I said, I think Brandewyne actually intended them to be fine and in one piece at the end, I'm just too morbid for my own good sometimes. ;)

(We won't even go into how I manage to remember the plots of books I read ~15 years ago but not where I put the keys.)

Kelly wrote: "Well, like I said, I think Brandewyne actually intended them to be fine and in one piece at the end, I'm just too morbid for my own good sometimes. ;)"

Or she just left it up to the reader to decide.

PS, we should unclick add ot update feed so we keep this topic off-radar.

Good point about unclicking the update feed. You're right, it could have been ambiguous on purpose.

Now, you were saying you had a theory about the old man...?

I was wondering at first what was up, as he came and went and no one but Jenny saw him if I'm not mistaken. There was the music box he made, which in turn Luke bought for her at the fair. Was he a fairy-godfather type of person?

The sad thing is I barely remember him...I wonder if he is from folklore somehow.

Kelly wrote: "The sad thing is I barely remember him...I wonder if he is from folklore somehow."

Not sure, but I still think you are right about the ending the more I think on it.

Must keep these comments off the feeds, not only the spoilerish discussions but that d*** cover shows up with everyone's comment as well :p

Jill wrote: ">

That's how I interpreted him as well.
Didn't it say something at the beginning of the book
about that? Or at least alluding to it?"

I'll have to look, but it will be later. I've been out frittering at the UBS this afternoon, plus coming back and loading the covers and jacket blurbs at GR. Poor Michele, she may never forgive me for introducing her to this place.

PS - Karla, we found a book that is perfect for your plantation porn shelf (unless you already have it). Michele bought it and will send me the cover so I can upload it here. Its a classic. Uncle Walter worthy even.

I wonder if she wanted to write a tragic ending but got pressure from the editors? What I remember about her is that her books always did have a lot of darkness, and that she at least wasn't afraid to kill off characters a few books after their epic romance. Like, at the beginning of Across a Starlit Sea, Laura is an old woman and reflecting on even-older Margaret Chandler, who had just died at the age of ninetysomething, before telling her own story.

Ugh, those Love Spell reissue covers always suck. I've been trying to get the original printings of RB's stuff whenever I can.

Yeah, and often times the cover isn't even relevant. IIRC, on the one for Upon a Moon-Dark Moor, they're on a boat. And IIRC, they never get on a $%^& boat in the book.

Kelly wrote: "I wonder if she wanted to write a tragic ending but got pressure from the editors? What I remember about her is that her books always did have a lot of darkness, and that she at least wasn't afraid..."

I am definitely going to read more of hers. Might not necessarily be five star material all the time, but I do like some realism in my romances. All this sugar coating these days drives me nuts.