Book Review: SHANNA

I was so sorry to hear of Kathleen Woodiss’s passing. I remember feeling this overwhelming sadness whenever it was announced at National. And then probably like most everyone there, the amazing novels she wrote fanned through my mind. The one I’m reviewing today is one I remember well. I chose this one because I found the hardback on my mom’s bookshelf. My old paperback has been read so many times, the front and back cover had disintegrated. Literally. So, the hardback is even more precious to me with mom gone.

Shanna Trahern finds herself in a difficult situation. She’s been given a year to find a suitable husband, or her daddy with find her one. With time almost up, she arranges to meet a man condemned to die at the gallows. Ruark Beauchamp is not what she expects, nor the plans fate has in store for them. Her promise of a full night as his wife, is the only way he’ll agree to the marriage offer. And this promise haunts her as circumstances make her accountable.

This sweeping historical takes readers from London to a tropical paradise in the Caribbean. As a doted only child, Shanna experiences a painful awakening as she battles her desires, and the last visages of her childhood. It’s obvious to her, that Ruark Beauchamp is not the man she first thought.

If you haven’t read this novel yet, I highly recommend it. Anything with this author’s name will not dissapoint. As I was reading about Kathleen recently, I was shocked to discover that her best-selling novel, THE FLAME AND THE FLOWER, was rejected by hardback publishers. At 600 pages it was deemed too long. Instead of rewriting it and settling for something less, Kathleen submitted to a paperback publisher. Avon gladly snatched it up, and the rest as they say is history! Smart people.