"An intriguing reincarnation saga"

Dorel Everly has just lost her grandfather and her job... and found a mystery. She receives an unusual package that had been kept by her grandfather for many years, in trust for Dorel. It is a one of a kind samurai sword, ancient and beautiful, that just happens to carry the weight of a curse on all who possess it. She toys with the idea of selling it, convinced such a unique piece of work would be worth more than enough money to support herself; at least until she gets back on her feet. Just as she is about to transfer it in a sale, something indefinable halts her, making Dorel change her mind and keep it. Now... the next cycle in THE ETERNAL TRUST is to begin.

Michael Gabrielli is a former military agent, with special psychic abilities honed in war, where he learned how to control and use them. He is also a collector of Eastern Asia artifacts and fine craftsmanship. When he finds out about Dorel's sword, he wants it. No... he NEEDS it, for he feels it rightfully belongs to him. When Dorel is nearly killed by a madman, also obsessed with the sword, Michael steps in, protecting her and making himself a fixture in her life.

When Dorel and Michael meet, sparks fly from the beginning, and their entwined destinies come full circle. They are the latest reincarnations in a long line of people involved with the sword. Dorel is The Guardian, and Michael, The Defender, and neither can be apart from the sword nor each other without dire consequences.

The sword has a special use; it gives immense power to the possessor, causing many to desire it. It also causes significant personality changes in Michael and Dorel, not for the better, as the ghosts of their past lives come to the forefront and take over their free will. In spite of this, or maybe because of it, their love for each other grows, and brings great danger as well, causing them to doubt everyone they know, not knowing whom to trust. If they do not break their bond to the sword's power, THE ETERNAL TRUST will claim their lives, as it did all their past incarnations.

This was an intriguing story, though slow going in the very beginning. It is a fascinating look at the possibility of past lives and how they affect the present. The lives of Dorel and Michael are often influenced by everything that has come before. The flash backs to their past lives adds an extra dimension to the story, and helps them to understand their current lives.

Ms. Haynes has written well her story, and keeps the reader going, in spite of some rather confusing segments and an ending that is a little bit hard to believe. However, there are so many surprising twists and turns, one can't wait to find out what they mean to the tale... and Dorel's and Michael's lives.

c. Kelley A. Hartsell, July 2002. All rights reserved.

Reviewed by Kelley Hartsell
Courtesy Love Romances
Posted July 9, 2002