Orphaned at five, Ellen Kallaway remembers little of her mother and nothing of her father. She is left to be raised by her Aunt Augusta who reminds her daily of her position as a recipient of the great family kindness. Upon reaching adulthood she is to become a governess, but at the last minute, Paul Carrington, of the Carringtons, proposes marriage to his long time friend. Ellen is rescued, but she continues to be tortured by the bad dream she has had since childhood. Who is the mysterious stranger who suddenly shows up everywhere, and what will she do when she realises that she really doesn't love Paul?
Holt's heroine is spunky, fun and interesting. Ellen is, in fact, sassy. I liked that she didn't just simply lay down and take her Great Aunt's abuse, and the fact that she is really curious, to the point of noisy, gives the story credibility. Although, much of the plot is predictable, I was caught off guard several times and truly shocked by the turn of events that Holt introduced into the story line. The other characters are fairly stock and even the hero seems less than sincere. In fact, I had a hard time
understanding what drew Ellen to him.
A classical romance by the "Queen of Romantic Suspense", The Lord of the Far Island is well written if a bit slow for our fast paced world. I enjoyed the author's writing style as well as the conclusion of the story which truly did surprise me. Holt is a must for any romance enthusiast.
Originally published 3/21/2011
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