Vanessa Fox

This book was written so beautifully the world so exquisitely I actually slowed down to better absorb each detail. The architecture, landscape and streets of Ireland, Dublin and small village so vivid I felt I was there seeing and even smelling the environment. It was just an amazing experience to read her beautiful writing.
The story was riveting. A romance about a love grown apart for some unknown reason. An upper class man form an Estate fell in love with one of the staff's daughter. They had a young beautiful love till one day she disappeared. Years later, she returns to find her old flame engaged, enraged, and confused about what made her leave. Forced to work together, they fight, kiss, fight and things get dangerous when another factor comes at them.
I loved 95% of this book, really loved it. It would have been a 5 star read if it weren't for the rushed ending that just didn't fit the book. There was this glorious long romantic tale with suspense, danger, lies and cheating then it all just was okay. Everything was just fine, she had the ring, nobody questioned anything and it was over. The last 5% wasn't romantic or believable, it was almost as if another writer stepped in and finished it i under 10 minutes. Even with that disappointment, I would jump at the chance to read her works again, Ms. Fox is a gifted wordsmith.… (más)

As teenagers, Alex and Sebastian were deeply in love, in spite of their class differences. Suddenly, Alex packed her things and left without even saying goodbye or telling Sebastian why she was leaving or where she was going. Now, 16 years later, she has returned. When she accidentally runs into him, sparks fly. He's angry and wants to know why she left so long ago. She wonders why he's engaged to a hateful, vapid woman who only cares about money and appearances. Circumstances throw them together, and the longer they spend together, the more they realize the love for each other never died after all. In fact, the smoldering embers soon threaten to consume them completely.

Their past is told in a series of flashbacks that allow the reader to see and feel the depth of Alex and Sebastian's love story. It was pretty easy to figure out why she left, but her explanation of the event fills in some of the gaps. My only problem was that the villains are too evil. Caroline (the fiancee) has absolutely no redeeming qualities, and Peter is portrayed as a complete sociopath. It might be more suspenseful if these characters were more well-rounded, if there was more than meets the eye to either of them.

What makes this so enjoyable, however, is the romantic tension between Sebastian and Alex. It begins with their first meeting, and only increases with each subsequent meeting. Overall, it's a really enjoyable romance with a bit of mystery.… (más)