This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Reviewed by Jennifer Joyce
As You Wish is actually made up of two novellas – Seduced By A Pirate and With This Kiss. In Seduced By A Pirate, Sir Griffin Barry has been away at sea for fourteen years, leaving his new bride on their wedding night. But now injured and pardoned by the crown, Griffin has returned to England and plans to track down his wife.
Phoebe is shocked to learn that Griffin has returned to England, having fled from their marital bed as a short weedy 17 year old. Griffin is now tall and muscled but, despite her growing attraction to Griffin, Phoebe isn’t pleased by the reappearance of her husband. She is quite happy with the life she has built for herself and doesn’t want Griffin, practically a stranger, to disrupt it. However, the biggest shock of all is waiting for Griffin in the form of Phoebe’s three children.
I really enjoyed Seduced By A Pirate and loved the spark between Griffin and Phoebe as they battled over whether they should remain married. I was enjoying it so much, I would have liked the story to be a full-length novel, so we could see Griffin and Phoebe’s relationship blossom and see for ourselves how the bond develops between Griffin and the children.
With This Kiss follows on from Seduced By A Pirate, only it is eleven years later and the story centres around Colin, the oldest Barry child and Grace, the daughter of the family’s close friends. At just twelve, Grace finds herself falling in love with 16 year old Colin. Colin follows in Griffin’s footsteps and goes away to sea – though as part of the navy rather than as a pirate – but when he returns he falls for the charms of Grace’s sister, Lily. Grace is heartbroken but can’t switch off her feelings, even when Colin asks for Lily’s hand in marriage.
I enjoyed With This Kiss as much as Seduced By A Pirate, but it did feel like a more fully formed story and I wasn’t left wanting more. I really felt for Grace as her crush developed over the years, only to be ignored by Colin and my sympathy grew as Colin was charmed by Lily. Grace already felt overshadowed by her sister, so it must have been horrendous to have Colin snatched away by her own sister.
Both stories are romantic and passionate and I liked how the stories continued on through the generations.
8/10
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