For Her Love

I have read all three of these books...out of order of course, but that has no bearing here. Suffice it to say that each of the stories are strong stand-alone reads. This one though touched me deeply. The many "taboo" subjects such as child molestation, bi-racial relationships, and slavery are important to the storyline and character development. Grace's life has not been easy. A victim of child molestation she has grown up on her father's sugar plantation with a very strong stance on the issue of slavery (she is a result of a bi-racial relationship) and wants to have nothing to do with marriage much to her father's dismay. When Giles Courtney shows up one day to transport sugar but not the slaves Grace's father would like transported, they find that they share a common belief. But, will this be enough to bring them together? Giles is cautiously smitten with the pretty Grace. When he finally asks for her hand in marriage it's with the belief that they could find the happiness that his former Captain found with his wife. Giles wants a wife and children. He wants to settle down. But will Grace allow Giles to defeat the demons that haunt her and allow her to dream of a happy loving ending? I dare the reader not to fall a little in love with Giles themselves. He is a true hero especially when it comes to the damaged heart and soul of Grace. Ms. Reed was true to character development and Grace's standoffish manner was understandable and added actually to the romance between Giles and Grace. Readers should be patient with the developing relationship between these two characters. Obviously they just don't jump right in with both feet and find true love. Instead this is a relationship that is slowly built over time and in my opinion much "richer" as a result. Ms. Reed is a stellar example of what the genre has to offer as far as writers go. She is not afraid to tackle touchy subject matter, and her descriptive writing will transport her reader to time and place with little effort. Kudos' Ms. Reed for thinking outside the box. Official Reviewer for Romance Designs

Although very different from the author's debut, "For Her Love" proved to be very enjoyable and an excellent story. I got into this faster than "Into His Arms", and it kept my full attention to the very end. It didn't take much for me to develop a crush on the hero, Giles. Our heroine, Grace, was also memorable. I loved the way she had compassion for her father's slaves (a good example is a poignant scene in which she cares for an injured slave child). The relationship between Grace and her nurse was touching. I fell in love with the way Giles was so patient with Grace throughout their whole relationship, and I found myself longing for him to be real. Another high point in this book is when we see Diego, a side character whose story will be told in the upcoming "Nobody's Saint". Diego's kind nature is first revealed in "Into His Arms", and we see more of that come out in "For Her Love". Although it's a sweet love story, this book also deals with slavery, molestation, and prostitution, among other sensitive subjects. Some might say including such issues is unnecessary and disgusting, but I don't think the author included any subject that wasn't important (for example, the fact that Grace was sexually violated as a child plays an important part in her relationship with Giles once the two are wed). In general, this was a highly enjoyable read and I find myself eagerly awaiting the author's next release, "Nobody's Saint".

When I read Paula Reed's first novel, Into His Arms, I could hardly believe it was this author's debut! It immediately took its place on my keeper shelf, and I eagerly awaited the follow-up, For Her Love. Ms. Reed did not let me down! Giles Courtney and Grace Welbourne were well-written, fresh, fascinating characters that I couldn't help but sympathize with and root for. The plot was fast-paced and intriguing, and like no other romance I've ever read. The descriptions were vivid and colorful, and I truly felt transported back to the Caribbean in the 17th Century. For Her Love was truly a treat, and I'm eagerly anticipating Reed's next book in the trilogy, Nobody's Saint.