Kissed by Shadows (The Kiss Trilogy)

i can understand while readers would be disturbed by the main deception in this novel. i too was disturbed and was wondering whether i would myself could forgive this man for what he had allowed if i were Pippa myself. i think Ms. Feather did an excellent job with this novel. it is gritty, dark and genuine to the time in history that was Queen Mary I regime. Horrible, unthinkable things were committed at her orders and at Spain's orders also. If you had to live through what Lionel Ashton experienced, i think perhaps you could judge what he did. But who of us, in his shoes would not want to crush the man that instigated such crime upon people who were merely thinking freely, and at whatever costs possible? it happens time and time again.anyways, off my soapbox, this book manages to capture in a light sense the essence of the deceit, the fear, the hope and the living that went on in the mid 1500's and Pippa and Lionel's story, along with Robin & Luisa, make it interesting and brings that time in history to life. i notice that Lisa Kleypas also manages to include in her novels a certain genuineness that seems to be missing in most of this genre. it was a dark time and that shouldn't be glossed over and i feel that Jane Feather is able to successfully pen a truly happy and enjoyable story in a very dark setting. My hat's off to her!

This was the third book in the `Kiss' trilogy and it was an amazingly powerful historical romance. Set during the Tudor reign, atrocities that had always been committed in the guise of religion, politics etc overcame any and all thoughts of humanity. In this story our heroine, Pippa, unfortunately and unconscious of the deed, was the recipient of just such an atrocity. From the very first pages, I was hooked!In the 16th century when Lady Philippa Nielson meets Lionel Ashton, a close confidant of Queen Mary and King Philip II, she knows that she's met the mysterious English lord before but cannot remember where or how. Lionel denies any prior connections as even though, as a married woman, her feelings and attraction become stronger . Ultimately as Pippa's friendship with Lionel grows, her relationship with her husband, Stuart, deteriorates. She suspects Stuart, doesn't love her and is having an affair. Soon she learns she's pregnant and discovers the truth of Stuart's love affair. Later, through Lionel she learns an even more shocking discovery finding both herself and Stuart as pawns in a plot to secure Queen Mary's place on the throne. But the most shocking and devastating blow comes when she discovers Lionel's part in the same plot - the man whom Pippa had trusted and even loved, was part of the plot and now he wanted her to trust him to save her!This was an absolutely mesmerizing story as Ms.Feather skillfully draws out the intrigue, dangers, and inhumanity of this period. I was swept away into the time period with her historical knowledge of and colorful descriptions of court costumes, protocols, and customs. The love story between Pippa and Lionel was so touchingly powerful and as a side bonus there is a delightful secondary romance between Lionel's ward Luisa and Pippa's brother Robin. This was an awesome read!

Jane Feather can always be relied on to create a new scenario for a romance novel. In an effort to ensure that England has a healthy heir, Queen Mary and King Phillip have committed an atrocity-- Pippa has been drugged and, while she is unconcious, King Phillip has sex with her to concieve a child. If the Queen's child is born stillborn or deformed, then they can switch the children at birth. Lionel has assisted the King in this endevour for his own purposes.Pippa knows that something strange is going on and, while she tries to decifer what it is, she meets Lionel and they become friends. The feelings for each other that ensure are tangled by the fact that she is married, that he feels guilt for his complicy in the crime against her, and the political wranglings of those around them.As ususal, Feather has created a new story-line filled with emotion and historical concepts. I had difficulty deciding exactly how I wanted this story to end; it was one scenario where I an unhappy ending could be possible. The atrocious nature of the crime committed against Pippa is rather disturbing, but Feather carries it off better than most authors could.

"Kissed By Shadows" is the third installment in Jane Feather's trilogy about the Mallory and Beaucaire families, who lived in the shadowy time between the death of King Henry VIII and the reign of Elizabeth I. This was a time in history when the Spanish Inquisition was at its height, and when there were plots and counterplots afoot between supporters of Catholic Queen Mary, her husband Philip of Spain, and the Protestant Elizabeth I, Mary's half sister. Against this back-drop, Jane Feather sets her well-written historical romance involving Lady Pippa Nielson, a former lady in waiting to Elizabeth whose husband Stuart serves in the Court of Queen Mary. The Queen, in her late 30's, is desperately trying to conceive a child to secure her claim to the throne. When her efforts do not meet with success, a plot is hatched to have King Philip secretly impregnate a Lady of the Court, so that her child can be passed off as the Queen's. The Queen does not like Pippa Nielson(because of Pippa's ties to the imprisoned Elizabeth) and Stuart Nielson is a weakling with a secret to hide. Hence, Pippa is chosen as the victim and Stuart is blackmailed into drugging Pippa for the King's nightly pleasure. Lionel Ashton, an English member of King Philip's coterie, is in on the plot, but he has a hidden motive. Once Pippa conceives a child and discovers the plot, she realizes that her life and her child's life are in danger and that she must make a run for safety, but the only one who can save her is Lionel Ashton, the one man she both loves and mistrusts. Jane Feather does an excellent job in capturing the ambiguous politics and morals of this turbulent time. The flight of Pippa and Lionel from Philip's soldiers kept me on the edge of my seat, and the love that grows between them, despite the obstacles of Pippa's sham marriage, her difficult pregnancy with the child of her rapist, and Lionel's complicity in the plot, is believable and touching. Like other reviewers, I, too, was disturbed by the opening scenes of the book and by Lionel's involvement in them--which do cast a shadow over him as a hero, as another reviewer has pointed out. However, Jane Feather does a good job of explaining Lionel's motives, so I did not hold the rather minor part he played in Pippa's rape against him--too much. In the end, this story cannot be judged by modern standards of morality but must be considered in its historical context, in which it fits very well. As much as I liked this book, I did not give it five stars because I felt that the sub-plot, involving Pippa's half-brother Robin and his romance with Lionel's ward, Luisa, detracted from the main plot a bit. Jane Feather never explains to my satisfaction why Lionel, single-mindedly bent on revenge against King Philip and Catholicism (ouch!), would take on the Spanish Catholic Luisa as his ward. Did he really have affection for Luisa despite her nationality and religion (we are told that Lionel saved her father's l

I love the plot and the characters in this story. The plot is not only believable (could have happened) but vividly shows the intrigues,machinations,the single minded quest for power and the lack of morals during 1554. Pippa ,being caught in the heinous plot of Mary and Philip, shows us that an intelligent and brave woman can overcome anything. Having a man like Lionel Ashton to lean on increases the odds of winning.I love the twist in the plot.The escapades of the secondary characters, Luisa and Robin, gave the story a light hearted touch. The life of a Spanish lady is no fun at all and I'm not surprised at the lengths a teenager(Luisa) has to go to have some fun. This is a truly an enjoyable book and one I expect from this author.