"An interesting twist on the Regency romance"

Marquelle Green Tamryn is a powerful She-Lord in a world where women are completely in control...and men are highly sought after. Green had been in no hurry to get married, content with her present way of life. She kept a man on the side to satisfy her sensual urges, so what did she need a mate for? Then she meets Jorlan again, as an adult and extremely desirable male. Suddenly she begins to rethink her past decisions.

Jorlan Reynard swears to never marry. He is unhappy with the balance of power, where men are often nothing more than playthings for their mates. He refuses to give in to society's dictates. Secretly he has been in love with Green since he was but a boy, but he fears her finding out and using that to her advantage and to change his way of thinking.

Then one day Green's greatest rival, Claudine D'Anbere sets her eye on Jorlan, deciding he will be her next mate, her past three having died under suspicious circumstances. When Green accidentally overhears the plans, she is forced to take drastic measures to protect Jorlan, fastening him to her life...and her bed. Jorlan is outwardly furious over the turn of events, but inside, he is delighted he will get to be with Green. In spite of what he sees as manipulation and betrayal by Green, he can't help but enjoy her company, and the private pleasures of his fastening.

Trouble does not end here though, for Green and Jorlan. Claudine is enraged at being outmaneuvered by her biggest rival, and swears her revenge. Now Green and Jorlan's fastening, and Ritual of Proof, are being questioned. They must join forces, something virtually unheard of in their society, to overcome the threats and bitter accusations. For they stand to lose everything they hold dear... including each other. Will their newly blossoming love overcome it all or will it be destroyed forever?

This was a fascinating look at the Regency era, with a twist. It is a fast-paced book, keeping the reader in its thrall all the way to the surprising conclusion. Ms. Joy has created characters of amazing depth and strength. She also has quite an interesting idea in her concept of the Ritual Proof.

However, some aspects of this book are highly confusing. Ms. Joy created a whole new vocabulary for this story, which is often redundant and distracting. There is a glossary in the back of the book, but it got tiring having to flip back to it for every other page. Some of the words she uses are never defined. This reviewer feels the vocabulary was unnecessary and normal every day words would have sufficed in most cases. A couple of the stories involving the secondary characters are never fully explained. One can only hope this was intentional, to be explained in a future book. But if one can get past the vocabulary and the few unexplained storylines, this is an enjoyable read.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, 2001. All rights reserved.

Reviewed by Kelley Hartsell
Courtesy Love Romances the online review magazine
Posted September 15, 2001