Monday, August 3, 2009

85. The Maiden, #8

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
Rated:  4 Stars
From:  Amazon

There are so many rich characters in this series but Annunciata is the one that stands out the most for me so far.  I have a list of characters in my head that I Love to Hate and she is definitely on it.  I really admire an author who can create a character that will stick in a readers head long after the last pages have turned on them.  I have to give CHE credit for wringing the very last drop out of Annunciata before she finally let her die, and like the Specter at the Feast, the consequences of her reckless behavior, dangerous fantasies and delusions of grandeur will probably haunt her descendants for at least a couple more books.  She stands toe to toe with Margaret Lennox on my Love To Hate list.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
1720: political intrigue besets the kingdom as the Stuarts try to claim the throne occupied by the Hanoverians and the Morlands have to use all their wiles to keep their fortunes intact.

Jemmy Morland, sole heir to his father's will, has no option but to marry the cold-hearted Lady Mary to secure Hanoverian protection and safeguard his inheritance. Then the rebellion of '45 and the bloody massacre at Culloden thrust his daughter Jemima into the spotlight as the savior of the family.

Intelligent, single-minded, and a rare beauty, Jemima is a capable caretaker of the Morland heritage. Although Morland Place and its lands suffer from the excesses of her dissolute husband, Jemima's quiet courage earns her an abiding love and loyalty.