Sweet Release by Pamela Clare

Aaarrgghhh! I returned the book before I even started this review! Disaster...well maybe not. I just don't have the book blurb to put here and my description is completely from memory. Pamela Clare was chosen as author of the month for a group I am in. As this was the only one the library had, this is the one that I went with!

When Alec Kenleigh is kidnapped from off the street, he wakes up finding himself being addressed by the name of Nicholas Braden, convicted of defiling women and indentured for a period of 14 years. When he is brought to the plantation that is owned by Cassie Blakewell's father, he collapses and Cassie feels that she has to save this man. After being nursed back to health, Alec begins to show that he is not Nicholas Braden, but behaves in a way that belies his gentlemanly background.

Cassie Blakewell has many secrets, not the least of which is that she is trying to run the estate, not because her father is overseas as all the neighbours believe, but because he has chosen to live on an island in the marshes and is slowly losing his battle for his sanity. Whilst trying to take care of all the people on the estate, she is also trying to ward off unwanted advances from her childhood friend and neighbour Geoffrey, a man who is increasingly careless of which servants he cavorts with and who is getting increasingly desperate to marry Cassie, despite the fact that he disapproves of the things that she believes about the treatment of slaves and convicts, and about the role of women.

As the attraction between Cassie and Alec/Nicholas builds, Alec tries to fight the attraction, at least until confirmation is received from England that he is who he says he is, but in the end the attraction is simply too great, nearly causing both Cassie and Alec's undoing.

As I read this book I couldn't help but feel that the author tried to include too much action in one story and almost too much time spent on expansive prose. There were kidnappings, attacks of the ague, attempted murders, blackmail and betrayal, tobacco planting and harvesting, horseracing. However this really is better than not enough so is not a huge negative.

I liked the character of Alec. He acted with dignity and character as well as apparently being a very hot looking man! As for Cassie, she is a mostly well written character, although there were times when I wanted to shout at her! I guess as I have posted before I am a more hero conscious reader than heroine conscious so as long as the hero is good then I will be happy - and I am mostly happy with this one.

I have heard really good things in particular about Surrender so I will eventually get around to reading more from this author.

Rating 4/5