Rating: 
Summary: Awesome
Review: A powerful story of a courageous young woman who defys the conventions of the false and restrictive world she has known all her life and dares to love a family far beneath her social standings. Emma's passions are deep, but quiet, expressed through actions rather than words. I admire her strength of character more than anything, her ability to separate herself from her mother's snobbery to see the truth in her own heart. This is a beautiful, wonderful story that will touch your heart.
Rating:
Summary: One of my all time favorites
Review: A rich young heiress, Emma Tremayne, becomes engaged to her childhood friend at the last social event of the season, soon after noticing and being rather intrigued by a young Irishman who is way too familar with her. The encounter that day raises her social conscience and she soon befriends a young Irishwoman suffering from tuberculous, while risking being ostracized by her social group for associating with shanty Irish.
A wonderfully written book with multidimensional characters, this story is told from the various points of view of the main characters, but doesn't jump around enough to make it confusing. A story that will make you believe again that true love is possible. This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. I found myself going back rereading especially well-written and moving passages, something I'd never done before in a novel. It will appeal to readers of historical fiction, romance novels, and mainstream fiction as well. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Stunningly Beautiful
Review: A story and characters that could have been trite and cliched, but, instead, are breathtakingly real. Ms. Williamson's character devleopment is exceptional from the major characters to the minor ones. They are then all woven together to form a beautiful tapestry set against a turbulent time in America (the late 19th century). The action is just enough to garnish the story without drowning it. At the heart of the book is life, death, love, the hypocrisy of the social classes, and the capacity of the human heart to have more than one great love in a lifetime. Her cadence is lyrical and sweeping without being corny or maudlin. I was left breathless, in tears, and wanting more of Shay and Emma at the end of this book. Definitely a keeper to be enjoyed again and again.
Rating:
Summary: Passionate, well-drawn characters, suspensful conflict.
Review: Desire burns deep in the heart of beautiful, wealthy Emmaline Tremayne, prized rose of the illustrious Tremaynes of Bristol, Rhode Island. Though cossetted among the gilded sophistication of an early 1890's society, Emma secretly yearns to flaunt duty and stilted propriety, to scratch beneath her own surface and discover a true sense of place in the world. Betrothed to Geoffrey Alcott, the staid, eldest son of Bristol's most prestigious family, Emma is the Tremayne family's last hope to secure a proper marriage and produce the next generation of Tremayne blood to sit among the Great Folk of Bristol. Yet when Emma finds herself inexplicably drawn into the life of a poor Irish immigrant family, her hidden nature is suddenly set free. In Bria McKenna, Emma discovers her first and truest friend. Humbled by the Irish woman's earthy exuberance for life and an unconditional love of family, theirs must be a painful bond, as Bria struggles against the consumption slowly stealing away her existance. A promise to look after Bria's children upon her death only serves to tempt Emma's forbidden attraction to Shay McKenna, Bria's husband. Yet though his sea green eyes and roughened voice may haunt that deepest part of her, it's the abiding love he demonstrates for his wife and children, his pain, like Emma's, of watching Bria die--that heighten her awakening passion. As her wedding day to Alcott looms nearer, Emma wonders if she's brave enough to cast away the security of fortune and society to live the life her friend Bria left behind. If Shay's love is deep enough to allow her to make such a sacrifice. Torn between her two lives, Emma must choose... PASSIONS OF EMMA is Penelope Williamson at her best. Rich in emotion and texture, her story delivers a heartrending tale of how the human spirit is strengthened and set free through the power of love.
Rating:
Summary: A very speciial historical drama
Review: Emma Tremayne is engaged to marry fellow blue blood Geoffrey Alcott in 1890 Rhode Island until her world radically changes when she meets Bria Mckenna, a poor pregnant Irishwoman with two small children. In spite of their different social classes, the pair becomes close friend. Emma falls in love with Bria's husband Shay, but will do nothing to betray that friendship. Bria, who is dying, notices that her friend deeply loves her husband. She decides that it is a good thing for both of them, the girls, and the unborn baby.
When Bria dies just after giving birth, Emma and Shay deeply grieve the loss of the woman that they both have deeply loved. However, Emma and Shay also realize that they love each other. They reach an emotional impasse when the stubborn Irishman will do nothing that he feels will hurt his beloved Emma's golden future, or impact on his loving memories of his cherished deceased spouse. He breaks off their budding relationship before it can take off, thinking that Emma is better off marrying Geoffrey, a fellow Great Folk. It appears that love is not going to be strong enough of a force to break down the social and economic barriers even as it propels Shay to plan to leave for New York so that he can avoid the temptation of Emma.
THE PASSIONS OF EMMA is an enjoyable historical romance due to its brilliant depiction of class distinctions that impact relationship and the Dickensian style description of the mills. Penelope Williamson is one of the best at scribing an American romance and her latest will leave her myriad of fans clamoring for more from the Divine Ms. W.
Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: too overblown
Review: everyone else seems to have liked this book more than I did. I was especially disappointed because the setting in Rhode Island and the paradoxes of Emma's personality were a refreshing change. However, the story and the writing began to frustrate me before long. The romance never developed at all until almost the end of the book. Even then I was not convinced that Shay loved her. He remained fixated on Bria who seemed too saintly to be real. Emma just suddently gives in to her lust and it never seemed more than that for either of them. They say "I love You" but it is never developed with more than words. The children definately were not like any children I ever knew. More like miniature adults and one was clairvoyant? Come on. As part of a subplot I kept waiting for Stu to develop the depth that had been revealed under his facade--no luch there either because a few lines at the end doesn't count. The book was entirely too somber throughout and the writing was self-consciously trying to be literary.
Rating:
Summary: This should be LITERARY FICTION.
Review: I couldn't put this book down. I would encourage you to read it.
Rating:
Summary: One of my favorites
Review: I couldn't put this book down. I would encourage you to read it.
Rating: 
Summary: sweet story
Review: I love this story. It makes you think about how you live your life and what you want to be. It makes you want to live and love more. I don't usually cry when I read fiction but this story had me dabbing away the tears a few times. If you like romance with substance then you should read this book :)
Rating:
Summary: sweet story
Review: I love this story. It makes you think about how you live your life and what you want to be. It makes you want to live and love more. I don't usually cry when I read fiction but this story had me dabbing away the tears a few times. If you like romance with substance then you should read this book :)
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