The Shining of Love is an emotionally charged Harlequin Presents that explores the theme of forbidden love.
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The Shining of Love by Emma DarcyRating:
Published: 1994
Illustrator: Ron Lesser
Imprint or Line: Harlequin Presents Plus #1632
Book Series: James Family #3
Published by: Harlequin, Mills & Boon
Genres: Category Romance, Contemporary Romance
Pages: 216
Format: eBook, Paperback
Buy on: Amazon, AbeBooks
Reviewed by: Introvert Reader
TOTAL SPOILER ALERT ⚠
The Book
In The Shining of Love by Emma Darcy, a devoted wife working as a nurse in the Australian outback faces temptation from a magnetic man suffering from a family tragedy. He is determined to be with her despite her commitment to her marriage.
Their paths cross again, leading to a passionate and complicated romance.
The Plot
One Single and the Other Married
Suzanne Forbes lives in the Australian outback and is married to Brendan, a doctor. She works alongside her husband as a nurse. Her world crosses paths with wealthy playboy Leith Carew while trying to find his sister’s missing daughter.
The two have an immediate, primal connection. In the hands of a less skilled writer, the theme of possible adultery between the main characters would seem tawdry or melodramatic. However, Frank and Wendy Brennan skillfully show us that the emotional bond between Leith and Suzanne goes beyond mere physical attraction.
Suzanne has a loving and grounded relationship with her husband. Nevertheless, her profound longing for Leith conflicts with her commitment to her marriage.
Yet, Suzanne is devoted to her husband. Leith is crazy over Suzanne and asks her to leave Brendan and come away with him. Suzanne is tempted but distraught at the same time that she can even be tempted. What kind of woman is she? she wonders in shame.
Suzanne turns Leith down, even though he is persistent. When Suzanne tells them they can never be together, his heart breaks, and I can almost feel it shattering.
Leith leaves, although he promises one day they’ll be together.
Obsessed much?
One Widowed and the Other Engaged.
Time passes.
Suzanne is now a widow after two losses: her husband and unborn child died in separate tragic events.
Then, Leith’s niece, Amy, is found with the assistance of Tom, Suzanne’s adopted brother. They work together to rescue Amy just in time.
Amy clings to Suzanne. She forms a mother-daughter relationship with the orphaned Amy.
Leith makes a dramatic re-entry into her life. And the attraction that flared between them burns hotter than ever.
However, Leith is in a relationship this time as he has a possessive fiance. She’s… not a very nice person, to put it mildly. (I guess Leith was on the rebound and feeling masochistic.)
Amy is so attached to Suzanne that she refuses to let Suzanne go home. Leith and Suzanne’s feelings are as intense as ever, but can they be together?
When Leith discovers that Suzanne’s no longer a married woman but a widow, he eventually jilts Miss Sour Puss and pursues Suzanne.
And our star-crossed lovers get their happy ending.
My Opinion
The Shining of Love is an incredibly emotional romance that had me turning the pages non-stop.
The characters are exceptionally well-crafted.
Suzanne is a compassionate and nurturing woman with profound maternal instincts. However, she also possesses an endless well of passion.
Leith’s fiancée was bitchy, but her character was well-developed, allowing for some empathy towards her. She did her job by being multi-faceted enough to add some drama to the last third of the book.
But our great hero Leith was too besotted with Suzanne for her to be much of a hindrance. And besotted is putting it mildly!
Heat Level
The steam level during the actual love scene is more warm than sensual. The spiritual component is the center of the lovemaking, not the mundane.
However, the anticipation in this romance…that was highly erotic!
Final Analysis of The Shining of Love
This captivating Harlequin Presents by Emma Darcy is a profoundly emotional tale featuring intricately crafted characters. The Shining of Love delves into the complexities of forbidden love and the relentless quest for happiness.
I could feel Leith’s soul-crushing angst love for a woman he couldn’t have.
Suzanne was a loyal wife to her husband and yet was tormented by a temptation to be with another man—a temptation she fervently fought against.
This is a stellar tear-jerker romance.
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| Overall: | 4.8 |
Synopsis
Always…
Dedicated to her husband, Brendan Forbes, and their work at a rural Australian outback clinic, Suzanne had rejected the temptation Leith Carew had offered.
But he’d taken away her inner peace, just as she’d taken his. And when their paths crossed again, the longing that coursed through Suzanne’s body could no longer be denied. Except this time, Leigh was not free….
The Shining of Love by Emma Darcy