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A review by larisa2021
Surrender by Pamela Clare
5.0
Started reading this book less than an hour after "Under the Same Sky." I wasn't ready to leave the Colonial Frontier. The books have much in common - honestly using the harsh, violent perils of Frontier life as a back drop for vibrant characters evolving rapidly to survive, then thrive in the throes of fighting their passion. The books are also Completely different stories illustrating the epitome of the genre for this era.
Note: this version is reissue with 28 pages more than a previous edition.
Remember "Last of the Mohicans" with Daniel Day-Lewis? What that movie did for James Fenimore Cooper's novel, this is the book that finally delivers the sumptuous details, adventure, conflict and the film only alluded to and Fenimore Cooper never managed in his books. (see Mark Twain's scathing commentary) The Hero is a Roger's Ranger, an extraordinary alpha male, charismatic leader and man with his own staunch set of morals.
If not already familiar with the fascinating details about the rangers either read near an internet source for quick searches or be prepared to jot down notes that lead to an internet research session as lengthy as the book. Who knew tumplines, portage, snow shoes and such could be so sexy?
The heroine's plight is stranger than fiction and still manages to be plausible. She's never TSTL, even when being naive or headstrong for her time.
The main villain is a tantalizing cross between Gabaldon's Black Jack Randall and Lord John Grey; not purely evil or crazy, often honorable and never predictable. The Heroine's uncle is mindbogglingly vile without being a caricature.
Both protagonists are multi-faceted with layers of history and reasons for being who they are, which builds the same kind of relationship - messy, difficult, enthralling and delicious. They make mistakes, they have self doubt, they also have steaming chemistry. The writing paints vivid scenes of mental cinema with surround sound. The love scenes smolder, some tender, some wildly sexy, all gratifying without awkward phrasing.
Be prepared to stay up late to finish the book and want to start reading it all over again. Best of all: the Hero has two younger brothers with "director's cuts" of their own stories coming out very soon. May just have to reread this one, then the second book and reread both before the third.
Note: this version is reissue with 28 pages more than a previous edition.
Remember "Last of the Mohicans" with Daniel Day-Lewis? What that movie did for James Fenimore Cooper's novel, this is the book that finally delivers the sumptuous details, adventure, conflict and the film only alluded to and Fenimore Cooper never managed in his books. (see Mark Twain's scathing commentary) The Hero is a Roger's Ranger, an extraordinary alpha male, charismatic leader and man with his own staunch set of morals.
If not already familiar with the fascinating details about the rangers either read near an internet source for quick searches or be prepared to jot down notes that lead to an internet research session as lengthy as the book. Who knew tumplines, portage, snow shoes and such could be so sexy?
The heroine's plight is stranger than fiction and still manages to be plausible. She's never TSTL, even when being naive or headstrong for her time.
The main villain is a tantalizing cross between Gabaldon's Black Jack Randall and Lord John Grey; not purely evil or crazy, often honorable and never predictable. The Heroine's uncle is mindbogglingly vile without being a caricature.
Both protagonists are multi-faceted with layers of history and reasons for being who they are, which builds the same kind of relationship - messy, difficult, enthralling and delicious. They make mistakes, they have self doubt, they also have steaming chemistry. The writing paints vivid scenes of mental cinema with surround sound. The love scenes smolder, some tender, some wildly sexy, all gratifying without awkward phrasing.
Be prepared to stay up late to finish the book and want to start reading it all over again. Best of all: the Hero has two younger brothers with "director's cuts" of their own stories coming out very soon. May just have to reread this one, then the second book and reread both before the third.