Review: Shadows of Love by Gail MacMillan

Starr Reynolds is determined to fight her way out of a life of poverty and violence, and she’s not above using her beauty and feminine wiles. But when she marries into wealth and position, she discovers the path leads to despair for a love she can never have, as well as a growing awareness of the ruthlessness of her new family’s patriarch. Starr will do as he dictates or find herself thrown out to once more fend for herself.

Charismatic, darkly fascinating, Captain Barret Madison has earned his place as commander of a fleet of merchant ships, but no woman has ever tamed him. With the presence of Starr on his ship, his emotions are stirred, but she is promised to another. When she becomes the wife of his employer’s son, how can he do more than wish them well?

Series: N/A
Release Date: 02/22/2014
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Source: Publisher
Reviewer: Michelle
Rating:

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Reviewer’s Thoughts

Shadows of love is not your typical romance story, but I couldn’t put it down.  Starr Reynolds is the heroine.  Starr has not had an easy life and learned from her mother how to be a survivor.  I loved Starr’s brave, adventurous nature.  She was the true definition of an independent woman.  However, she also knew how to keep her family together and stood shoulder to shoulder with her husband in times of battle and uncertainty.  She never let the odds defeat her and each time she fought her way through to come out triumphant.

Starr encounters several men as she journeys from adolescence to adulthood.  During her adolescence she meets a young man, Darcy Pod.  Starr follows her dream and encounters Captain Barret Madison.  Captain Madison is strong with a heart of pure gold.  Starr feels instant chemistry with him, but she is determined to honor her first commitment.  After an unfortunate tragedy Colin Douglas comes into her life and sweeps her off her feet. Colin is handsome, musically inclined, and shadowed by secrets.

The storyline was filled with twists and turns.  Just when I was convinced that things were going to work out with one guy a dramatic twist would happen.  I rode the waves of adventure, adultery, manipulation, backstabbing, greed, envy, and murder.  Honestly, there wasn’t a lot of romance during the book. I lost count of the number of bodies that seemed to pile up and wives impregnated by men other than their husbands.  This was truly a story that tugged on my heartstrings and had me hanging on until the end.  The only element to the story that was really unbelievable was how long it took Starr to learn the truth about Darcy, Colin, and Barett.  That was a minor irritation, and I actually enjoyed the timing and way the author ultimately exposed the truth about each of them.

It was well worth my time to read this book, and I look forward to reading more works by this author.