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The Shadowing (Candleglow)

The Shadowing (Candleglow)

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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Enjoyable
Review: "Shadowing" by Joan Overfield is a gothic which tells the story of a man, the last of his line, who is living with curse that has been passed down the line for about 400 years. It takes the love a special lady to lift the shadows from his soul. He's not the only one who benefits though, she's been living with her own sort of curse in the form of a demanding, cantankerous father who treats her like dirt.

This was an interesting, engrossing read and fresh in a gothic sorta way.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Better than most gothic romances
Review: Don't be put off by the shallow advertising copy, this romance has unexpected depths. When Annie Garthwicke comes to Castle MacCain she doesn't expect to meet her destiny -- just to help her father.

What makes this romance unusual is the richness of the evil and the buildup of the real tension in the story. Because it is a romance you know how it will end -- but if were any other genre, there would be considerable doubt if the hero survives!

The only negatives I find is that it has tantalizing loose ends. Why does Annie "know" this place? What is it specifically about the villian that links him to the item-of-power (I'm not going to spoil it for readers)? I suspect that editors ask her to dump plot insights for more descriptions of sex, and more sex, and even more sex. Her characters deserve time to have more depth, and she needs a better cover.

But The Shadowing is worth keeping on my shelf.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: a fun read in spite of certain shortcomings
Review: I finished "The Shadowing" with mixed feelings. On the one hand this was not one of Ms Overfield's better works -- as a previous reviewer has already noted it seemed as if several plot-lines were allowed to fall by the wayside in favour of more explicit bedroom scenes. From the manner in which the novel started and progressed for the first few chapters, I expected either reincarnation or psychic empathy to figure prominently in the novel, thereby explaining Anne's intuitive feelings about the castle and the strange goings on within it. But this was never really explored, and I felt as if the novel suffered a little because of this. Another plotline that was also not satisfactorily developed was the one involving the magistrate, Mr. Beechton. Ms Overfield does provide us with a reason behind Beechton's antagonism towards the laird, Ruairdh MacCairn, but it is more of an afterthought and a tying up of loose ends, rather than an incorporating of the explanation more fully into the story. And again, I felt as if the novel suffered a little because of this. This novel didn't really unfold all that smoothly either, and it really took a while for the attempt-to-break-the-curse bit of the novel to kick into high gear. (Another detraction is that the character of Ruiardh MacCairn is never really developed properly, and all we ever 'see' of this character is that he is bad tempered and sex starved. Understandable perhaps, but it really made me feel as if he was not entirely worthy of someone like Anne.) Over and over again, Anne keeps asking Ruiardh to explain what's going on, but he keeps putting her off, preferring to bed her instead. I felt like screaming with exasperation! Perhaps Anne should have withheld her body until he told her everything. And yet this novel also possesses a very strong and empathic heroine in Anne Garthwicke. I liked this character so much that, truth to tell, I forgot much of the 'flaws' about "The Shadowing" and only remembered them when a friend asked if I thought she should buy the book. So all in all, I'd say that "The Shadowing" is a rather fun read. It has some shortcomings but the heroine, Anne Garthwicke, made me forget every single one of them.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A GREAT READ!!
Review: I really liked this book. If you're a gothic romance fan like me you'll want to read this late at night snuggled under the covers with just a book light on. I thought it was well balanced with just enough love scenes and suspense to make a really good story. The hunk on the cover doesn't hurt either!!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A great Read
Review: If you like gothic romances you will love this book it has a little bit of everything for everyone.(ghosts curses ect) The characters in this book were well developed and the story line was strong. I read this in one reading. (i just could not seem to put it down. I would recommend this book!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: exciting gothic romance
Review: In 1851 Anne Garthwicke accompanies her father to Castle MacCairn in Scotland so they can examine, appraise, and catalogue the edifice's contents. Anne's first reaction to the foreboding castle is a combination of déjà vu with a strong sense of evil and power.

When Anne meets the owner Ruairdh MacCairn, she feels empathy and more misfortune. Ruairdh wants to sell the castle so that he can use the money to help his tenants before the four centuries old curse placed on his family by a monk disables and ultimately kills him. Though they avoid each other, Anne and Ruairdh feel strongly attracted to one another. As Ruairdh steps closer to insanity, Anne becomes his last thread of normalcy as love blossoms between them.

Regency author Joan Overfield provides readers with an exciting gothic romance that includes a foreboding castle, a brooding hero, an innocent woman, and a nasty curse. The lead couple makes the tale interesting as well as fun because readers will empathize with both of them. Ruairdh's last grasp is his love for Anne while she struggles with mourning the death of her father and helplessly observing her beloved going insane. Gothic romance readers will thrill to THE SHADOWING.

Harriet Klausner

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Chilling and intense!
Review: THE SHADOWING is all a reader could want in a Gothic romance and more. Of course, I LOVE "woo-woo" (better known as paranormal <g>) stories, and this is one of the best, IMO.

Strong characterization, believable and sympathetic characters, a fresh and original storyline, all kept me reading at break-neck speed.

Thank you for a wonderful book, Ms. Overfield. Write on!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Chilling and intense!
Review: THE SHADOWING is all a reader could want in a Gothic romance and more. Of course, I LOVE "woo-woo" (better known as paranormal ) stories, and this is one of the best, IMO.

Strong characterization, believable and sympathetic characters, a fresh and original storyline, all kept me reading at break-neck speed.

Thank you for a wonderful book, Ms. Overfield. Write on!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A GREAT READ!!
Review: This book was good but I felt that the author did not take advantage and follow through with all of the plot lines that were introduced. There was so much that could have been better explained sooner in the book such as the concept of "the shadowing", the importance of the aromory, and the character Beecham. Otherwise the book was good. The things that I mentioned did not deter terribly from the story it would have just made it in my opinion a 5* book instead.

The love story between Anne and Ruairdh is strong and believable. Gothic in nature with plenty of mystery and pain as well as the brooding dark handsome hero kept me reading.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: a good gothic romance
Review: This was a quick read for me. I was able to finish it in one setting. The plot line is dark and mysterious and kept me guessing. I found the characters to be fairly well developed but I would have liked to have the "Shadowing" explained in a bit more detail. It was a bit weak in that respect. The love scenes were wonderfully written. I enjoyed the struggle that both main characters had to go through to finally find happiness.

I would like to read more from this author in this same style. Great cover art as well. It's what first drew me to the book.


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