jjares reviewed on 7/3/2015 + 3413 more book reviews

The beauty of this book, like many of Carla Kellys other stories, is about ordinary people caught up in extraordinary circumstances. This is a deglamorized view of the 1812 War of Britain with the French in Spain and Portugal. We see compassionate leaders and hostile warriors on both sides of the conflict.

Against this backdrop, Polly Brandon and Marine Colonel Hugh Junot meet. Polly is on her way from one sister to the other; her goal is to help her sister Laura and her physician brother-in-law in the hospital in Oporto.

Hugh and Polly meet while on board the ship taking them from England to Oporto, Portugal; Hugh helps Polly during and after an acute attack of seasickness. They learn about each other in close quarters then and when they are captured by the French. Their romance develops slowly and naturally.

Hugh indicates his attraction towards Polly; Laura tells him he is too old for Polly. Hugh tries to stay away but he is troubled when Polly continues to travel into the Portuguese interior with only 3 guards. At the last second, he jumps aboard the boat with Polly. When the French soldiers capture the folks onboard, truly horrific things begin to happen.

I was almost finished with this story before I ever lifted my head from this tale. Kelly charms the reader with winsome main characters and the story pulls the readers along.

Channel Fleet Series
1. Marrying the Captain (2008)
2. The Surgeon's Lady (2009)
3. Marrying the Royal Marine (2010)

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