Now And Forever

Rating:
Summary: Good Read Could Have Been Better
Review: I am a die-hard Diana Palmer fan, but I found this book was not up to her usual expertise. I felt that the hero and heroine didn't have as much conflict other than the age difference (14 years) than most of Ms. Palmer's characters do. Although I enjoy all of Diana's work I probably won't read this one a second time. :I

Rating:
Summary: Well written and confusing
Review: This is the first Diana Palmer story that I read, and I loved her writing style so much, that I'm here checking out her other work.

I enjoyed the premise of "Now and Forever". It reminded me of these old classic love stories in which the young virgin falls in love with her older, worldly and arrogant guardian. It was unexpected in this day and age, and perhaps it's the reason I found it so entertaining--initially. The fact that the entire novel is written in the heroine's POV was also a call-back to old romance novels.

But, despite loving Ms. Palmer's writing style, I was disappointed that she only used the 14-year age difference between the characters as an obstacle to the relationship. Given that the hero had raised the heroine, I would have also expected other socially-motivated obstacles to emerge, especially in their close-knit community.

And why, if the hero was so adamant that there was no future with the heroine because of their age difference, was he constantly trying to seduce the poor girl? His motivations didn't ring true.

I also had a difficult time loving the hero and respecting the heroine. Cruel men and submissive little virgins just don't really belong in contemporary romance. Their characters would have been more at home in a late 19th/early 20th century setting.

This story would, in my opinion, have been better if the author had really explored the age difference and 'family ties' as obstacles to the relationship. Instead, she kept throwing secondary characters in the mix to make the hero or heroine jealous, which was too contrived. The hero's motivations are shaky at best...or should I call it a plot hole, as we learn in the end that he had apparently resolved his issues with their age difference a year earlier. It was confusing.

All that said, I still give it a 3-star because I absolutely adore Ms. Palmer's writing style.