Leanne Shawler Reviews

Added July 8, 2004

Restrained Hearts

Author: Leanne Shawler
Publisher: Amber Heat, a division of Amber Quill Press
Available At: www.amberquill.com
Publishing Date: Available Now
Genre: Erotica: Historical/Regency/Novella
Format: Ebook download in PDF/HTML/LIT
Price: $3.00
ISBN: 1-59279-147-6
Author Email/Website: www.leanneshawler.com
Reviewer: Sharyn McGinty

She'd loved him since they were children. Her love hadn't faltered even when he'd left to join the war against Napoleon. But when he returned, her love was different, changed, emotionally cold. Wanting to find solitude, Sophia had ridden out and was caught in a winter storm. She took shelter in a small cottage she and Callum had often visited as children. As the fire died down and storm raged on, she realized she had to get more wood. What she found outside startled her.

Callum Craythorne had only wanted to make his way home and refused to stop at a local inn. Now he was stuck in a storm and his horse was lame. Fate was with him though, for while he had ridden off the track, he'd stumbled on his childhood playground. All he had to do was walk the last few feet to the cottage door.

It was Callum! Sophia couldn't believe it. This was the man who was the cause of her grief. His obvious aloofness in London had hurt her deeply and he didn't seem to notice. Fate must be playing tricks if he was here. No matter how bad he'd hurt her, she couldn't leave him in the snow to die. She manages to rouse him enough to get him to walk into the cottage and into the small bed before he falls into a deep fevered sleep.

Her gown soaked from thawing his feet in warm water, she removes her clothes and sits in front of the fire wrapped in a blanket. No longer able to keep her eyes awake, she climbs into the bed next to him. She sleeps soundly and awakens before him, yet is trapped by his body. He touches her in an intimate way and she realizes he is dreaming. Her upbringing wars with her desires; she should wake him up, but her heart and body say differently.

She knows whatever she decides will affect her future and his. What will she decide?

Ms. Shawler's debut novella is quite amazing. In a short space, she made me care deeply for these characters. I wanted to see them happy, wanted to see their emotional wounds healed and above all, wanted them to have a very happily-ever-after. Sophia and Callum possessed depth, a hard thing to write in a short space; they were also ripe with inner character, you couldn't help but admire their steadfastness to remaining true to themselves. As this is an erotic romance, Ms. Shawler did bring a wonderful amount of heat to a genre that rarely sees it.

Ms. Shawler's full-length Regency, Dangerous to Know will be out in Spring 2005; it's one Regency I'm really looking forward to reading. I highly recommend you read Restrained Hearts; it's a very entertaining read.

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