A Compromising Situationby Shannon Donnellyreviewed by Cybil SolynNovember 2001, 310 pages, Publisher: Zebra, ISBN: 0821767518 Back Cover Blurb: An independent governess finds love with an irascible lord! Accustomed to depending on herself and not the kindness of others, Maeve Midden learned long ago to be sensible above all else. So when she is hired for a great deal of money as companion to Lord Rothe's niece, Maeve accepts- though the prospect of living with a spoiled girl and the irritable lord seems less than happy. But there is something vulnerable beneath her employer's dark facade--something that touches her very soul. Maeve knows it's wrong to live for the romantic fancy that Andrew considers her more than a friend, especially when her shameful past threatens to destroy her--and the man she has come to love so well…
I have been in a horrible book slump lately. Nothing I read can capture my interest. I have started eight books this week and not ONE of them has made it past the first chapter. Have you ever suffered this condition? If you have you know exactly what it's like to find yourself sitting in front of the tv listlessly flipping through channels when all you want to do is sit in your cozy bed and excitedly flip pages. You have caught yourself standing in front of the fridge, staring into its evil depth, searching for that "something" that will satisfy a craving that won't seem to go away. And you know the feeling of dread when you catch yourself wandering around the house aimlessly, desperate for a story that will capture your attention and keep it!
I think any reader goes through this once in a while, but this time was really bad. This hadn't been a few days, or a couple of weeks, but a MONTH!
So it was with great trepidation that I reached over to my stack of books and picked up Shannon Donnelly's A COMPRAMISING SITUATION and was saved from my horrible book slump.
Maeve Midden is hired for as companion to Lord Rothe's niece. She accepts--though the prospect of living with a spoiled miss and an irritable lord because she has no where else to go and Lord Rothe bribes her with a LOT of money! As Maeve gets to know the family she can't help (and neither will you!) falling in love with them. She feels she can see the special qualities in them all, and works to try and heal their old emotional wounds.
I am not a big governess story fan. I don't like weak heroines so the subservient thing annoys me. I also don't really like the stories that generally accompany governess plots. To be truthful, (as I always am with you) if Shannon hadn't sent me a copy of this book I would never have willingly picked it up off the shelves and that my friends would have been a travesty!
A COMPRAMISING SITUATION is not your average governess story. Infact this is not your typical Regency story at all! Donnelly in her own way has captured the feeling and uniqueness of Carla Kelly novels, but has added her own spark and creative genius to the mix. I can't say enough good things about this book except BUY IT! I don't care what type of book you usually like, good writing is good writing and this book is sure to find a permanent place on your keeper shelf.
Bottom Line: Shannon Donnelly is a stunning new talent not to be missed. She rivals Carla Kelly in her uniqueness of plot and depth of characters. Snatch up the book before it becomes a hard to find!!
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Cybil Solyn, csolyn@rakehell.com
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