Favorite quotes:Chase realized then that he’d inadvertently barked a command rather than a question. Habit of intonation. He immediately forgave himself.“She would plummet to earth and land face first in a cow pat with wings like those.” Chase was irritated. “They would need to be at least three feet wider to get her airborne at all. She would never be able to fly, let alone be able to hold a harp while flying.” “Thank you, Icarus,” Rosalind said. “That’s fascinating.”Her heart became a kite and sailed, sailed away. Unfamiliar and a bit frightening to feel so light, so unmoored, so tempted to give away control at every turn. With an effort she furled her heart back to the concern that kept her anchored:It was outrageously disconcerting to be understood.“When the rules as you understand them—when your own rules—don’t fit your circumstance,” his cousin said, “you must trust your instincts to guide you toward the higher good. You must trust that your own innate good will lead you to do the right thing, to do what you believe is the right thing, which is the best any of us can do. None of us ever truly knows the ultimate consequence of any of our actions.”What holds the world together for us are the people we love.They heard nothing at all but their own breathing. She fancied she could hear her hair growing.“Mister…” “Wrexion,” Chase supplied with great dignity. “Mr. Hugh G. Wrexion.” It took the man a moment. “Oh, very Colin often did that: said something so surprisingly insightful one didn’t have time to formulate a sarcastic response. I did not expect to love this book. My two previous encounters with Julie Anne Long did not inspire much confidence in her authorial abilities. I started reading Since the Surrender fully believing that it would be Long’s third strike. It wasn’t. All of my previous complaints with the author—chemistry-less couples, boring prose, outdated sexist themes—were rendered moot points. This is legitimate goodness. I am unbelievably happy with myself for giving this author a third chance to impress me; it was such a good life decision, let me tell you.Chase Eversea and Rosalind March knew each other five years ago. Five years ago, in the months leading up to Waterloo, when Chase was an artillery captain and Rosalind was married to his commanding officer. Any attachment between them was forbidden, but after Waterloo, everything changed. Now they’re together again, and…stuff happens. Supposedly, they’re trying to figure out where Rosalind’s flighty sister has disappeared to, but naturally there are other things going down as well.I’ve recently come to the conclusion that the most important thing for me in a romance novel is the male lead. I don’t mean it in a Book Boyfriend kind of way. I just mean that my buying into the romance itself (and therefore enjoying the book) hinges on how the male lead acts. Is he pushy, obsessive, controlling? Is he rude, does he cheat, does he play mind games? Not that a man can’t have faults, but he shouldn’t be awful. In my own life, I hold the men I date to a high standard, and I like the women I read about in romance books to do the same. Nobody should settle when it comes to what is arguably the most important decision of one’s life.All this to say that Since the Surrender has the right kind of male lead. Previously, Long’s male leads were disgusting perpetuators of rape culture that I had no use for. Chase Eversea is not that kind of man. He’s patient, he’s respectful, he values Rosalind’s sexuality and identity as a woman. At every point in the book, he is looking at what’s best for her, making sure she’s happy. And sure, maybe that’s a bunch of sappy nonsense, but I’m allowed to want, no, demand that from a man. Even one in a book.In fact, rather than reaffirming sexist mentalities, Long tackled them head on. It turns out that Rosalind’s sister has been kidnapped and sold to a brothel, and in the confrontation, Chase disgustedly rips the rapist villain a new one. After all the problems I’ve had with the author’s lack of support for women, I could have cheered at the message Since the Surrender embodied.Obviously, I loved Chase, but Rosalind herself wasn’t a bad character, either. I really admired her attitude and actions throughout the book. (I rarely have major problems with female characters, however.) Her caring for her sister and for others she came across was endearing, and the way she owned up to her own failures was refreshing.Chemistry was not an issue here either, which, again, was not something I anticipated when walking into Since the Surrender. Chase and Rosalind already had an established relationship, so the way they built off of it and changed it into something more was believable and organic. Though we only see a few short days of their lives, I didn’t once feel that what Chase and Rosalind had was instalove or that it wouldn’t last.All in all, Long has demonstrated marked and significant improvement in this book compared to others. I enjoyed Since the Surrender quite a lot, and I’m more than happy to overlook the rocky beginning of my relationship with the author and anticipate our future good relations (hopefully). Chase and Rosalind’s romance is a good one, full of mutual respect but not at all lacking in passion. I’m happy I decided to read this book, as it definitely paid off for me.
What do You think about Cedere Alla Passione (2009)?
I'm loving this series in all of its over-the-top craziness.
—ilyvc
Not that good. Pretty predictable not much of a mystery.
—lola
Captain rescues sister of old flame he could not have
—Brookieg
