Falcon's Angel

Rating:
Summary: Good, with some loose ends
Review: An enjoyable page-turner with a fascinating plot.

However, it was quite frustrating to read the several aborted sex scenes. It was not believable that Will would stop before consummating their relationship so many times.

I also would have liked to seen it confirmed by the end of the story that Angel was indeed Lady Graymoor's granddaughter. It would have also been nice to learn the story of exactly how she came to live among the Brethren and how Bett came to adopt her.

The secondary love story between Lady Graymoor and Griffin Davis caught my interest and I think Ms French could no doubt write a companion book to this one, featuring their romance.

Rating:
Summary: A study in contrasts - Very highly recommended
Review: Angel ignores nineteenth century superstition that warns of the danger of rescuing a drowning man from the sea. Boldly following her intuition, Angel risks the sea taking revenge on both the victim and the rescuer. A child of the sea and of uncertain birth, Angel is said to be more fey or witch than part of the Brethren. Angel tells Will that the Brethren live on the goods that wash ashore, refusing to believe accusations that the Brethren lure vessels to their doom. A reclusive group, outsiders must be put to death unless they marry one of the Brethren members. In a handfasting ceremony, Angel marries Will to protect his life. He later escapes and forces Angel to accompany him home to Charleston.

For a girl with salt on her skin and seaweed in her hair, Angel finds herself challenged to learn the manners and restrictions of high society. Will does not honor their handfasting ceremony, and is unofficially promised to another. Angle and Will are a study in contrasts: she is the child of the sea, and Will is a member of the elite Charleston society. Angel believes in the goodness of the people who raised her. Will is intent upon revenge, blaming Angel's people for the destruction of two of his father's ships, which led to the deterioration of the financial situation of his father's business, and his father's eventual suicide.

Winner of an RT Career Achievement Award for American Historical Romance, Judith French has a gift for utilizing ambiguities to create a memorable story. Lady Graymoor desires a solution to the puzzle of what happened to her granddaughter, hoping Angel is her missing heir. Angel wants to know if Bret is truly her birthmother. For much of the story, Angel does not accept the truth of the Brethren as pirates -- again choosing to live within the ambiguities. As a result, there are no easy answers, but many challenges and demands for self-honesty within this tale. Sharply contrasting the ambiguities are vivid characterizations and fierce loyalties that give the tale a dynamic tone. The background of early nineteenth century Charleston and the Outer Banks likewise becomes a vibrant setting for this wonderfully entertaining tale. Very highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Confused???
Review: This story had great potential and the cover is pure eye candy but the story was choppy and inconsistant. The characters had great potential but didn't get a chance to live up to much. Angel the "sea sprite" was beautiful, insightful, forgiving and willing to hold fast to her beliefs-however...it seemed at times the author treated her as a dimwit. She could handle pirates, live in the wilderness, be extremely open about her sexuality/nudity--BUT--afraid to try to read/wright and refusing to attempt to become a part of the world she seemed so interested in at the beginning of the book??? From the beginning you get the feeling that she's the heroine who can do anything-she's kind and forgiving and everyone seems to believe in her except her Hero-Will. He vascilated thru the entire book and when he finally said, "I love you" he didn't seem worthy. Finally there were subplots that were left hanging. SPOILER:yeah,yeah we know she is the real "Elizabeth" and we get a glimpse of her rememberence of her past-but then it's dropped and suddenly we are expected to belive that all of Charleston's stauch society receives her with open arms-without any explaination?! Then there is mention that "Mason Edward"-secondary character-did not in fact kill his father?? "weren't we under the presumption that his father killed himself?". The author drops hints as to the true villian and that he did in fact play a part in the hero's father death-but again this seems to get lost. Finally the ending was so rushed and unsettling-it's hard to believe they were picking out baby names with dead bodies lying around-and the true villian having just been revealed.