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nellesnightstand's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't realize this was an older lease Sabrina had written as Deborah Martin. I enjoyed to story but whew was there conflict and angst! You can tell it was an older book because it had a lot of gothic connotations to it. I used to love those gothic romances!!!
sassysmutlover's review against another edition
5.0
The blurb does not do this book justice it is an absolutely amazing read. I loved everything about it and was drawn in from the start. There is a character for everyone and you will find ones you love and ones you hate for good reason. Being set in Wales was a refreshing change and it was nice to have some insight into that history. This is a couple that fell in love quickly and was meant to be together, but it was a crazy and wild road to get them together and I could actually see this playing out in real life at some point.
Juliana is a smart woman even if she is a bit of a wild child that gets into trouble from time to time. Yes, she is impulsive at the start and a very innocent young lady, but she isn't dumb and knows what she is doing at all times and that there can be trouble. She follows her heart and always sees the reason behind what people do. I cheered the moment she stood up to her family and she meant what she said. She grew into a very independent woman that wasn't going to let anyone control her and had her ways of getting Rhys to come to his senses. The fact that she never gave up is what made her amazing.
Rhys is a mix of every man you could imagine. He's a poet, a fighter, a lover, and a stubborn man that at times you want to smack. He was also very innocent in his own ways and probably didn't always think thing through either. I felt for him when he was taken and then again when he returned because of everything that happened to him in those years. When he finally realized that he was wrong I wanted to jump and cheer because he let down the wall he built around his heart.
When it comes to everyone else involved I wanted to hug her one brother because he just did what he was told out of fear and I wanted to strangle the other for everything he did. I did feel a bit for him in the end when everything was said and done because he really did think he was doing good in a way, but it may have not always been for someone else. Lettice and Morgan's story was a nice touch and added a bit more structure to Juliana and Rhys especially Morgan because he told him when he was wrong.
Juliana is a smart woman even if she is a bit of a wild child that gets into trouble from time to time. Yes, she is impulsive at the start and a very innocent young lady, but she isn't dumb and knows what she is doing at all times and that there can be trouble. She follows her heart and always sees the reason behind what people do. I cheered the moment she stood up to her family and she meant what she said. She grew into a very independent woman that wasn't going to let anyone control her and had her ways of getting Rhys to come to his senses. The fact that she never gave up is what made her amazing.
Rhys is a mix of every man you could imagine. He's a poet, a fighter, a lover, and a stubborn man that at times you want to smack. He was also very innocent in his own ways and probably didn't always think thing through either. I felt for him when he was taken and then again when he returned because of everything that happened to him in those years. When he finally realized that he was wrong I wanted to jump and cheer because he let down the wall he built around his heart.
When it comes to everyone else involved I wanted to hug her one brother because he just did what he was told out of fear and I wanted to strangle the other for everything he did. I did feel a bit for him in the end when everything was said and done because he really did think he was doing good in a way, but it may have not always been for someone else. Lettice and Morgan's story was a nice touch and added a bit more structure to Juliana and Rhys especially Morgan because he told him when he was wrong.
scoutmomskf's review against another edition
5.0
Very good book, written in 1995 and recently revised by the author. It is a story of second chances, pride, trust and ultimately love. Julianna is twenty one when she meets Rhys. She is the daughter of an English lord, living on an estate in Wales. She is fascinated by the Welsh culture and language, in spite of her family's viewpoint of it as barbaric. This leads her to secretly attend a meeting of local radicals, where she meets Rhys. He is a man who is a proponent of preserving the Welsh lifestyle, taking their lives back from the English. He is also the son of a man who lost his estate to Julianna's father and then killed himself in shame. There is an immediate connection between Rhys and Julianna, until he discovers who she is. But in spite of his common sense, he can't stay away from her. Over the next few weeks they meet secretly, sharing their passion for Welsh culture, while the attraction between them grows. Rhys talks her into eloping with him. But the next morning, Julianna wakes to discover that Rhys has disappeared. Six years later he returns from the dead, determined to have vengeance on the woman he believes has betrayed him. While he's no longer the idealistic crusader he was, Julianna has also changed from an innocent young girl to a woman with the strength to stand up to him.
The beginning of the book was taken up with their meeting and courtship, such as it was. Julianna is innocent and a bit naïve, not realizing the trouble she could get into. I loved her fascination with all things Welsh and her determination to learn as much as she can. She doesn't understand her family's attitude, and continues her activities in spite of it. She is immediately drawn to Rhys and his passion for his country. Rhys is fascinated by her also, but when he finds out who she is, he is angry and believes the worst of her. He's rather hotheaded and does something that gets her into trouble before he realizes what he has done. His apology is heartfelt, and his fascination with her continues, as they meet secretly each evening in her room. They manage their elopement and their wedding night is sweet and passionate, but all too short. Rhys is kidnapped by her brothers while she sleeps, and handed over to a press gang, but not before they fill his head with lies about Julianna. They then continue their interference by lying to Julianna. But things don't go quite the way they planned, as Julianna has developed a bit more backbone than they expected. I loved seeing her stand up to them and her father regarding her marriage to Rhys.
Six years later she has lost hope. She has made a life for herself at Llynwydd, and now wants more. She's about to announce her engagement to another man when Rhys reappears. She is stunned, and overjoyed to see him, until he begins to speak. Rhys has spent six years believing that she betrayed him and was responsible for his kidnapping and impressment. He is determined to have his revenge, and make her pay for his actions. The scene with him, Julianna and her brothers is heartbreaking, as she proclaims her innocence and he believes the lies her brothers continue to spout. He makes his plans clear, to claim "his" estate and his wife.
Now Julianna must fight for her marriage and her husband's love if her life is to be at all bearable. There's no denying that the passion is still there between them, but that isn't enough for her. I loved her determination to stand up to him until he can accept the truth. Julianna realizes that until he trusts her again, there is no chance for them to have a true marriage. There were times that I wanted to reach through the pages and shake Rhys for his stubbornness. How he could believe her brothers, when he knew their attitudes toward the Welsh people, over Julianna, I simply couldn't understand. There were some fantastic scenes with Julianna resisting his attempts to get her back in his bed, and Rhys experiencing great frustration. I loved seeing how her actions often confused Rhys, as they were contrary to everything he believed about her. I liked how she broke down his walls, little by little, but there was still a core of distrust that she couldn't get past. I loved that she continued to hold out for everything rather than accept less than she deserved. The final hurdle was the hardest and I ached for her as she laid her heart on the line for him. I loved the ending and his big moment, as he finally faced the fears that had been driving him all along.
The concurrent story, involving Rhys's friend Morgan and Julianna's maid, Lettice was also good. He was taken at the same time as Rhys, leaving Lettice to face her own challenges. Julianna's older brother had a large part in this. I loved Morgan and his far more clear-headed reaction to everything that happened. His belief in Lettice, in spite of appearances, was great. I enjoyed his attempts to make Rhys see the truth, and his frustration with his blindness. It was especially satisfying to see the retribution they visited on Julianna's brother.
Her family was a group that was easy to dislike. Julianna's mother was rather cold and stuck on appearances. Her father was ruthless and conniving and I loved seeing how Julianna ultimately won in her battle with him. Her brother Darcy was an arrogant ass, who believed that he deserved to get whatever he wanted. He pretended he was looking out for his sister, but it was really all about him. It was interesting to see the effects his actions ended up having on his life Overton was pretty much spineless when it came to standing up to him. I liked seeing him finally do the right thing in the end.
One of my favorite characters was young Evan, the Welsh boy who Julianna was teaching. I loved his intelligence and desire to learn. I loved how Rhys and Julianna were able to make his dreams come true. I also enjoyed how he defended Julianna to Rhys.
The beginning of the book was taken up with their meeting and courtship, such as it was. Julianna is innocent and a bit naïve, not realizing the trouble she could get into. I loved her fascination with all things Welsh and her determination to learn as much as she can. She doesn't understand her family's attitude, and continues her activities in spite of it. She is immediately drawn to Rhys and his passion for his country. Rhys is fascinated by her also, but when he finds out who she is, he is angry and believes the worst of her. He's rather hotheaded and does something that gets her into trouble before he realizes what he has done. His apology is heartfelt, and his fascination with her continues, as they meet secretly each evening in her room. They manage their elopement and their wedding night is sweet and passionate, but all too short. Rhys is kidnapped by her brothers while she sleeps, and handed over to a press gang, but not before they fill his head with lies about Julianna. They then continue their interference by lying to Julianna. But things don't go quite the way they planned, as Julianna has developed a bit more backbone than they expected. I loved seeing her stand up to them and her father regarding her marriage to Rhys.
Six years later she has lost hope. She has made a life for herself at Llynwydd, and now wants more. She's about to announce her engagement to another man when Rhys reappears. She is stunned, and overjoyed to see him, until he begins to speak. Rhys has spent six years believing that she betrayed him and was responsible for his kidnapping and impressment. He is determined to have his revenge, and make her pay for his actions. The scene with him, Julianna and her brothers is heartbreaking, as she proclaims her innocence and he believes the lies her brothers continue to spout. He makes his plans clear, to claim "his" estate and his wife.
Now Julianna must fight for her marriage and her husband's love if her life is to be at all bearable. There's no denying that the passion is still there between them, but that isn't enough for her. I loved her determination to stand up to him until he can accept the truth. Julianna realizes that until he trusts her again, there is no chance for them to have a true marriage. There were times that I wanted to reach through the pages and shake Rhys for his stubbornness. How he could believe her brothers, when he knew their attitudes toward the Welsh people, over Julianna, I simply couldn't understand. There were some fantastic scenes with Julianna resisting his attempts to get her back in his bed, and Rhys experiencing great frustration. I loved seeing how her actions often confused Rhys, as they were contrary to everything he believed about her. I liked how she broke down his walls, little by little, but there was still a core of distrust that she couldn't get past. I loved that she continued to hold out for everything rather than accept less than she deserved. The final hurdle was the hardest and I ached for her as she laid her heart on the line for him. I loved the ending and his big moment, as he finally faced the fears that had been driving him all along.
The concurrent story, involving Rhys's friend Morgan and Julianna's maid, Lettice was also good. He was taken at the same time as Rhys, leaving Lettice to face her own challenges. Julianna's older brother had a large part in this. I loved Morgan and his far more clear-headed reaction to everything that happened. His belief in Lettice, in spite of appearances, was great. I enjoyed his attempts to make Rhys see the truth, and his frustration with his blindness. It was especially satisfying to see the retribution they visited on Julianna's brother.
Her family was a group that was easy to dislike. Julianna's mother was rather cold and stuck on appearances. Her father was ruthless and conniving and I loved seeing how Julianna ultimately won in her battle with him. Her brother Darcy was an arrogant ass, who believed that he deserved to get whatever he wanted. He pretended he was looking out for his sister, but it was really all about him. It was interesting to see the effects his actions ended up having on his life Overton was pretty much spineless when it came to standing up to him. I liked seeing him finally do the right thing in the end.
One of my favorite characters was young Evan, the Welsh boy who Julianna was teaching. I loved his intelligence and desire to learn. I loved how Rhys and Julianna were able to make his dreams come true. I also enjoyed how he defended Julianna to Rhys.
serialbookstarter's review against another edition
2.0
Boring af….plus has all of the elements I hate. Instalove, plot so silly I can’t believe anyone felt one iota of angst. Two couples stories in one book. Throw in another bit about starting schools…. Just boring. I guess I read too much dark romance. I thought the H treated the h like a queen considering he wanted revenge on her for supposedly having him impressed into the British navy. Hea—- but who cares?
roseybot's review against another edition
1.0
Right, so this book is clearly some of her earlier work and it shows. The characters weren't as deep, and the hero was kind of an emotional landslide. One of the things I love about Jeffries' work is the way she doesn't rely on keeping her characters in the dark -- they are quick thinking characters, who are emotionally intelligent and therefore see that the way to have a strong relationship often requires talking. And while there was some of this here (I was worried she would have Rhys refuse to listen to Juliana at all, and to mistreat her while we waited for her to finally tell him that she loved him all along. This did not happen, thank goodness), it was less well formed then her other books.
That being said, it's her early work. It's really nice to see that the seeds started out well. I think I'll probably move past the other Deborah Martin books and go on to her writing under her own name though. It's fun to peek back, but I wanna consume her novels again, and that's unlikely to happen with these books.
That being said, it's her early work. It's really nice to see that the seeds started out well. I think I'll probably move past the other Deborah Martin books and go on to her writing under her own name though. It's fun to peek back, but I wanna consume her novels again, and that's unlikely to happen with these books.
lucy_qhuay's review against another edition
2.0
I confess I love to read historical romances where there was some big misunderstanding and the hero thinks the heroine is a backstabbing traitor.
However, enough is enough. The hero can't persist on his path of destruction when it's obvious the woman didn't do anything and would die for him.
That being said, I think I just wasn't in the mood for it.
Plus, I thought Rhys was a bit too much. In the beginning, he was too blind and childish. When he came back, too blind and angry.
gothai's review against another edition
3.0
This is my first book by Sabrina Jeffreis. The plot was interesting (though its an overused one). It was quite dramatic.
Thanks to netgalley
Thanks to netgalley
ufcasey's review against another edition
2.0
Do NOT listen to the audiobook for this one - the fake Welsh accent for the male character, Rhys, is honestly quite terrible. Ignoring that, the book wasn't particularly great either - the couple meet, he is taken away under mysterious circumstances, and six years later he reappears suddenly at the night of her betrothal ball to another man (none of that is a spoiler, it's all in the blurb). What happens next is that the rest of the entire book is taken up by Rhys being an ass towards Juliana and she tries to push back but mostly just takes it in stride and continues on trying to rebuild their marriage. Until of course he finally comes to his senses. The end. It's drawn out, there's no mystery involved, no real action, just a whole bunch of arguing. Oh and the person who is responsible for everything gets away with almost zero consequences which seems extremely unfair and unsatisfying. Skip.
witandsin's review
4.0
My review cross-posted from Wit and Sin: http://witandsin.blogspot.com/2016/06/review-stormswept-by-sabrina-jeffries.html
I love a good second chance romance, and Stormswept is a passionate, compelling one. Rhys and Juliana’s story is one of love, betrayal, heartbreak, bitterness, and hope.
When they first meet, Rhys is a Welsh radical and the son of a disgraced squire and Juliana is a young English lady and the daughter of the man who stole Rhys’s family estate. The attraction is instantaneous and the two of them are so young and sweet you can’t help but smile as they fall in love. It’s their innocence – Juliana’s in particular – that is also their downfall, as Juliana’s brothers have Rhys impressed in the navy and she is manipulated into keeping her marriage a secret. I’m so glad we spend a significant amount of time with Juliana and Rhys when they were younger, because that brief happy period for them sets the foundation for the book and brings hope to the dark road ahead.
When Rhys returns six years later, he’s got vengeance on his mind and he blames Juliana for what was done to him. Rhys’s anger and his determination to believe the worst of Juliana makes the road to happily ever after turn into an uphill battle for our kind heroine. Juliana is sweet and generous, but she isn’t crushed by the force of her husband’s bitterness. She goes toe-to-toe with him, and can out-stubborn him when she needs to. Their battle of wills is tempered slightly by the attraction between them that neither can deny. It’s that passion, that great chemistry between them, that keeps Stormswept moving at a fast pace. Add in the infrequently seen (in historical romance) backdrop of Wales and the bits of Welsh history and poetry woven into the story, and I was hooked.
I’m a big fan of Sabrina Jeffries’s writing, so of course I was delighted to read this story, which was first published in 1995 when Ms. Jeffries was writing as Deborah Martin. I haven’t read the original, so I’m not sure how much was revised for this reissue, but the tone of this story is markedly different from Ms. Jeffries’s more modern works. Stormswept still has that 90s historical romance feel, with its darker, less endearing heroes, and I enjoyed the change of pace. I may never have adored Rhys, but I still thoroughly enjoyed his and Juliana’s romance. Stormswept is a rich, emotional read with interesting characters and a heroine you have to cheer on as she fights for the man she loves and the life they could have together. I thoroughly enjoyed Stormswept and I hope to read more of Ms. Jeffries’s Deborah Martin titles.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I love a good second chance romance, and Stormswept is a passionate, compelling one. Rhys and Juliana’s story is one of love, betrayal, heartbreak, bitterness, and hope.
When they first meet, Rhys is a Welsh radical and the son of a disgraced squire and Juliana is a young English lady and the daughter of the man who stole Rhys’s family estate. The attraction is instantaneous and the two of them are so young and sweet you can’t help but smile as they fall in love. It’s their innocence – Juliana’s in particular – that is also their downfall, as Juliana’s brothers have Rhys impressed in the navy and she is manipulated into keeping her marriage a secret. I’m so glad we spend a significant amount of time with Juliana and Rhys when they were younger, because that brief happy period for them sets the foundation for the book and brings hope to the dark road ahead.
When Rhys returns six years later, he’s got vengeance on his mind and he blames Juliana for what was done to him. Rhys’s anger and his determination to believe the worst of Juliana makes the road to happily ever after turn into an uphill battle for our kind heroine. Juliana is sweet and generous, but she isn’t crushed by the force of her husband’s bitterness. She goes toe-to-toe with him, and can out-stubborn him when she needs to. Their battle of wills is tempered slightly by the attraction between them that neither can deny. It’s that passion, that great chemistry between them, that keeps Stormswept moving at a fast pace. Add in the infrequently seen (in historical romance) backdrop of Wales and the bits of Welsh history and poetry woven into the story, and I was hooked.
I’m a big fan of Sabrina Jeffries’s writing, so of course I was delighted to read this story, which was first published in 1995 when Ms. Jeffries was writing as Deborah Martin. I haven’t read the original, so I’m not sure how much was revised for this reissue, but the tone of this story is markedly different from Ms. Jeffries’s more modern works. Stormswept still has that 90s historical romance feel, with its darker, less endearing heroes, and I enjoyed the change of pace. I may never have adored Rhys, but I still thoroughly enjoyed his and Juliana’s romance. Stormswept is a rich, emotional read with interesting characters and a heroine you have to cheer on as she fights for the man she loves and the life they could have together. I thoroughly enjoyed Stormswept and I hope to read more of Ms. Jeffries’s Deborah Martin titles.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.