Another book in the Fallen Angels series, but very special because it is Micheal's story who has waited so long to find love when he hasn't ever had it in his long life. We get lots of flashbacks in the beginning of the story to set up and explain why Micheal is so messed up and slightly insane because of his war experiences and a crazy affair with a nasty woman who broke his spirit with lies, broken honor and betrayal of a lifelong friendship when he has an affair with his best friend's estranged wife who suddenly dies in a carriage accident (its just better if you read Thunder & Roses to understand the crazy).We meet Catherine Melbourne at her best, she is nursing dying British solders in the Peninsular wars while also caring for her uncaring husband and her darling daughter. We get to see her POV during the story, although there is lots of Micheal's POV mixed in, but she often doesn't explain enough for the reader to get a clear picture of her fears of her suitability to be a 'good' wife. This keeps the story going, but once again, the book would be so much shorter and less angst ridden, if only she would share her fears with her loved ones.So Catherine and Micheal take off to some tiny island off the coast of England to convince the Lord of Skoal, Catherine's grandfather, that they are married and can take care of the island or it will be given to Lord Haldoran, Catherine's cousin and she (and we) met earlier at the Battle of Waterloo. Haldoran is our classic villain that is selfish and wants whatever is his whim at everyone's cost not matter the trouble kicked up by him, but there is a sweet HEA. The sexual dysfunction was not surprising and very kindly treated by this author and the couple which would be awkward even in modern times to be so free about something so private.There is a crazy finish with a human hunt and a crazy mini battle before the HEA is finally earned. I would have given another star for a less anticlimactic marriage scene, I really wanted something special for Micheal, my favorite of the fallen angels and not something slap dash quick, but I suppose it wouldn't ever get to the church if it was a planned thing because he has such low self esteem.379 pages3 stars
Book 2 for my Goodreads Romance Week shelving: Mary Jo Putney has many terrific books, but this is my very favorite (thus far), and one of my favorite romances ever, especially Part 1! It's a love story between a married woman who would never dream of straying and a man who has vowed never to have anything to do with married women again. The tension as they struggle to maintain their principles and at the same time acknowledge their feelings is built up in just the right way. Also, this is the best depiction of battles in the Napoleonic Wars I've read--the Battle of Waterloo from the POV of the hero, a rifleman, puts you right there as it happens. In previous books, Michael was somewhat of a villain figure, but of course he's so much more than that. This is the story of his redemption.Mary Jo was one of my inspirations when I first began trying to write romance. Her characters are realistic rather than romance cliches or caricatures--you can imagine meeting these people and learning what makes them tick. This is book is always on my highly recommended list (and when men are curious about historical romance, I recommend this one to them).
What do You think about Shattered Rainbows (2004)?
This book is classified as "romance" but it's so well-written that after the first few pages, you realize that the emphasis is on history rather than romance. It's out of print currently, but most used book stores probably have it. WARNING: It's the fourth volume in a series called "Fallen Angels", and I highly recommend that the books be read in sequence, as some of the plot lines and characters show up in all the books in the series (there are seven books altogether). A great leisure/beach read!
—Robin
Of all the fallen angels I think this is my least favorite (I have read all of them in my youth). But I really appreciate Mary Jo Putney's writing. It sometimes flows a bit oddly, but always has a richness to it that I cannot describe. I think in the romance genre, some writers write fluffy romances, some dark, some light. And some writers, like Mary Jo Putney, write love stories. They explore a different dimension of our romantic psyche. The price they pay is that sometimes readers lose interests in all the supporting details. The good thing about this book is precisely what Putney is good at: exploring less travelled territory. Michael fell in love before with his friend's wife and was burned badly, losing both the friend and the woman in the end, wary of yet intervening in another marriage and this time, with a fellow officer's wife. Catherine, a married woman saint and army wife, was secretly attracted to Michael but could not do anything about it. The story is rich because it explores at least 2 taboos: Thou shall not lust after your friend/colleague's woman for Michael and Thou shall not betray your marriage vows for Catherine. I would have loved this book if it wasn't for Catherine's daughter. I don't do well with stories that feature a mother and her children. I always feel that the children take precedence over the hero, which is also what I observe in real life. Once women become mothers, their spouses take the backseat and nothing is more important than the children. While I find a mother's love honorable and respectable, I have trouble seeing how that could enrich a romance. These "mothers in romance" usually are extremely protective of their children and that creates a rift between men and women in the books, I feel. The mothers accept or refuse the men "because of the children". Same goes for the heros with children, too.
—Zoe
This is becoming a pattern for me with Mary Jo Putney's books: I get to a point in the book where the plot is so bad that I (figuratively) throw the book against the wall and decide to stop reading it right there. In this book it was the spot where the villain arrives in London to pick up the heroine's daughter. But I couldn't get the book out of my head - the main characters were so appealing and I had to know how it would end, so I picked it up, skimmed through the chapter that I didn't like (
—Ilze
