To Have and to Hold

Rating:
Summary: He's a monster
Review: The "hero" rapes the heroine multiple times. Not "she says no but really means yes" - it's RAPE. No book recovers from that for me. I wish I could give it zero stars.

Rating:
Summary: I just found a new favorite author.
Review: This book was wonderful, very erotic and I just couldn't put it down. It didn't take but one page to "get into it". It was the first I read by this author and I intend to read all of her others now.

Rating:
Summary: He's a monster
Review: This is easily one of the best romances I have ever read. As the other reviews reflect, the romance is quite dark. The hero is fairly awful in the beginning, but he does redeem himself in the end. The story is about two very lonely, scarred people healing and finding love. The author's character development is superb. Her descriptions of the English are lush. I can't say enough positive comments about this book. If you don't mind your romance a little dark, I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Incredibly Moving and Thought Provoking Story
Review: This is easily one of the best romances I have ever read. As the other reviews reflect, the romance is quite dark. The hero is fairly awful in the beginning, but he does redeem himself in the end. The story is about two very lonely, scarred people healing and finding love. The author's character development is superb. Her descriptions of the English are lush. I can't say enough positive comments about this book. If you don't mind your romance a little dark, I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: The best romance book I've ever read
Review: This is my favorite romance novel; it is also one of the darkest love stories I've ever read. An extraordinary book unlike anything you'll ever read, "To Have and to Hold" is beautifully written and breaks new ground for the romance genre, but is not for those who like their romances sweet. It is the middle book in Gaffney's Wyckerly trilogy (begun in "To Love & to Cherish" and completed with "Forever & Ever")but it also stands on its own. This was the first book of Gaffney's that I read and I immediately looked for the rest of them; none of them were anything like it, although she's a wonderful writer. The hero is by far the most complex and morally ambiguous character I have seen in popular fiction outside of Anne Rice's vampire books. Rachel and Sebastian meet after she has been released from ten harrowing years in prison for a crime she did not commit and is about to be sent back to prison for vagrancy. Sebastian is bored, previleged, and beginning to cross the line from decadence to corruption. He rescues her at the hearing and offers her a position as his "housekeeper," meaning mistress. She accepts out of desperation. Sebastian soon finds himself obssessed with his reserved housekeeper and responds by tormenting Rachel psychologically and sexually. Just when I was afraid to read anymore the story did a stunning 180-degree turn (I don't want to give it away). Suffice it to say that "To Have and to Hold" is dramatic, suspenseful, harrowing, intensely erotic, and deeply moving. You have not encountered a love-hate relationship in a romance until you've read this one. What's more, the quality of Gaffney's prose is far above 99.9% of the authors in the romance field. To quote Susan Elizabeth Phillips from the back cover: "An emotional roller coaster, complete with a dark, tortured hero, a complex heroine, and sex scenes so charged...I was riveted."

Rating:
Summary: The best romance book I've ever read
Review: This is my favorite romance novel; it is also one of the darkest love stories I've ever read. An extraordinary book unlike anything you'll ever read, "To Have and to Hold" is beautifully written and breaks new ground for the romance genre, but is not for those who like their romances sweet. It is the middle book in Gaffney's Wyckerly trilogy (begun in "To Love & to Cherish" and completed with "Forever & Ever")but it also stands on its own. This was the first book of Gaffney's that I read and I immediately looked for the rest of them; none of them were anything like it, although she's a wonderful writer. The hero is by far the most complex and morally ambiguous character I have seen in popular fiction outside of Anne Rice's vampire books. Rachel and Sebastian meet after she has been released from ten harrowing years in prison for a crime she did not commit and is about to be sent back to prison for vagrancy. Sebastian is bored, previleged, and beginning to cross the line from decadence to corruption. He rescues her at the hearing and offers her a position as his "housekeeper," meaning mistress. She accepts out of desperation. Sebastian soon finds himself obssessed with his reserved housekeeper and responds by tormenting Rachel psychologically and sexually. Just when I was afraid to read anymore the story did a stunning 180-degree turn (I don't want to give it away). Suffice it to say that "To Have and to Hold" is dramatic, suspenseful, harrowing, intensely erotic, and deeply moving. You have not encountered a love-hate relationship in a romance until you've read this one. What's more, the quality of Gaffney's prose is far above 99.9% of the authors in the romance field. To quote Susan Elizabeth Phillips from the back cover: "An emotional roller coaster, complete with a dark, tortured hero, a complex heroine, and sex scenes so charged...I was riveted."

Rating:
Summary: A true gem in the romance genre!
Review: This is one of my favorite books ever. It is the second in her trilogy (the 1st being TO LOVE AND TO CHERISH). It has such amazing depth and characterization...I was entralled while reading it. Sebastian is not a simple man. He is very flawed and very selfish. He is also extremely weary of being that way and his truggle to change is truly courageous and heart-wrenching. His treatment of Rachel at times borders on the unforgivable. Their story is multi-layered, very emotional, and sometimes dark. This is an exceptional book...Do not miss it!

Rating:
Summary: Dark love story.
Review: This is one of my favorite love stories. The characters of Rachel and Sebastian are very complex.

The love scenes are disturbing and highly erotic. Actually sitting in front of a fan while you read, may not be a bad idea. It is by far the best writting Ms. Gaffney has done.

Very original. Strong prose. This is a book to keep.

C. Hartford

Rating:
Summary: Wish I Had More Stars to Give
Review: This is the best effort of one of the romance genre's finest writers and on my top five list of best romance novels ever.

I don't know that I have ever encountered such rich character development---the story is almost entirely character driven. Sebastian Verlaine is no cardboard cut out of a hero. He is infinitely complex with the potential to realize either extreme of good or evil. The book opens at a crossroads in his life where he must decide which path he will follow. Rachel is the playing field for his experiments. Sebastian's moral ambiguity is fascinating and you will love him even when he is at his worst.

Rachel is an amazing heroine no less richly drawn than Sebastian. Ms. Gaffney has done an excellent job exploring the character of a woman locked away for ten years forbidden even to speak to another person. Rachel is by no means a pathetic character, however. Her strength and the inner core of integrity that sustains her is one of the most subtle pieces of development I've seen.

Additionally the cast of supporting characters are vividly drawn. They have real lives and individual personalities ---never serving just as "props" for the main story. They add a richness and veracity to the tale that is sadly lacking in many books today.

To Have and To Hold is a shining example of how very little "action" can be completely engrossing particularly when so many romance novels today seem determined to toss the reader from one outrageous happening to the next. This story reaches right into your gut and grabs hold of you. It is a rough ride at times and the scenery gets a bit dark, but it is a journey well worth the undertaking.

Rating:
Summary: Powerful, sensual, original - WHAT A DISCOVERY!!
Review: To Have and To Hold is my first novel to read by Patricia Gaffney and it will certainly not be my last. This was such a fantastic book in so many ways! Not only is the storyline highly unusually for romance writing, it is also very engrossing. Both leads are written with a great amount of depth and progress beyond all standards of typical romance character growth. This is a novel that you will make time to keep reading because its intriguing narrative just gets better with each page.

Sebastian Verlaine, a viscount and soon to be an earl, has recently inherited a country estate near the village of Wyckerly. As part of his new duties, he decides to adjudicate some of the local cases - only out of curiosity - not out of any sense of obligation. He is a jaded and disillusioned hero, bored with life and sinking further into depravity. He comes complete with many of the "neglected childhood" haunts typical of many dark romance heroes. But most of the similarities end there. This is a story of his redemption.

Rachel Wade is a country gentleman's daughter who has spent ten years in prison for the murder of her husband. Prison life has left her defeated and she seems to be just a shell of a woman. No one has stood by her during her imprisonment and she has no one to turn to once she is released. Repeatedly denied employment and robbed of her "start up" funds, she has no place to go. She is brought before a court of sorts (English nineteenth style) in the village of Wyckerly for vagrancy. It seems she is headed for a lifetime at a workhouse since she cannot provide for herself. Then a local viscount, sitting on the bench at her hearing, decides he will save her. He announces he will give her the position of his housekeeper. This is also a story of Rachel's rebirth.

Sebastian doesn't believe there is much good left in him. If any of his deeds come close to respectable, he immediately denies it. Although he finds himself defending and helping Rachel, he knows the real reasons for his seemingly altruistic actions. He is bored with the world and she can offer him a diversion. He wants to dominate her, defeat her, and attempt to break apart her protective shell. He sees it purely as a source of entertainment. And, of course, she may be hired as his housekeeper but he intends for her to be his mistress. For the first portion of the book, he truly is as miserable as he envisions himself.

Even at his worse, Sebastian is a delectable hero. He does everything he plans with Rachel and in doing so, unknowingly aids her recovery. He also begins to sense some kindness in himself - but that can't be. He is past saving. So he attempts to show himself to be even more depraved. But it's not working. Rachel responds to his kindness and is gaining some self-confidence in her new position as his housekeeper. Oh, imagine this - Sebastian may have to admit to himself that he is actually doing something for someone else for the right reasons.

Rachel and Sebastian develop an endearing friendship. The development of their relationship is at times heartbreaking and at other times so uplifting! They are a very unusual romance pairing and their story totally captivates you as the reader. There are definitely some serious sensual scenes that rate high - about a 4.5 to 5.0 out of 5.0 (see More About Me for rating guidelines). This couple's sensual scenes are, for once, very intricate to the overall story line and are very well written.

I highly recommend To Have and To Hold. You have to put up with some alpha male behavior but you also see that behavior evolve. Rachel is a precious heroine that you may expect to be weak but you will be surprised. She is a true lady as she begins to enjoy life again. This is such a precious story. It is a definite keeper for my read again shelf. I know I will enjoy reading this book again and again and probably again.