Winterset [Large Print]

What do you think of when someone says the word, "Gothic?" Do you think of moody moors, craggy trees, moonless nights, crumbling old manor homes? Does your pulse race a bit? IF you define gothic as moody, haunted, thrilling, and a bit frightening, you want to read Winterset. Candace Camp is a wonderful writer. Her stories never disappoint me, her characters always entertain me. Winterset has a good plot and the characters provided a good reed (pun intended). I know some reviewers might feel there wasn't enough romance in Winterset (which is a subjective thing. Frankly, there was plenty of romance for me. Enough to make me root for the characters, but not so much that it was just one big "suck face fest." I particularly liked the Uncle Charles character - with his unsettling madness. WARNING: SPOILER COMING My only negatives were: 1. Mrs. Bennett's speech and behavior (and even her name) was right out of a Jane Austen novel. She seemed too pat, too to type. 2. The ending bummed me out. I know it is a romance and everything had to be tied up neatly, with a pretty little bow. Frankly, though, I would have preferred it if Anna truly was related to mad people. I would have liked the hero to make a declaration that he would love her through sanity and madness, and society be damned. The author's ending seemed a bit too convienent, a way to appease the superficial romance readers who would not like a heroine from a mad family. That's sad to me. I say, let her be from stark raving lunatics. It makes her more sympathetic and her achievements greater.

Because of the otherworldly phenomena that impacted his sisters, Reed Moreland worries about Anna Holcomb, who has visions. Though she rejected his attempts to court her, he decides to return to WINTERSET to insure she is okay because he believes she is in trouble. Anna is stunned to see the man she love return to her as she was positive he would never come back for her let alone try to keep her safe. She never told him that she loved him and still does. Ending their relationship was for his sake as she believes madness flows through her veins. That is why she and her brother Kit vow to never marry. However, Reed risks his life to keep Anna safe as the Beast is killing anyone associated with the Holcombs. This entertaining romantic suspense feels somewhat like a gothic tale, but what hooks readers is whether The Beast has supernatural skills. The heroine is an interesting protagonist who loves Reed, but wants him out of her life for fear of his safety. Her pact with her sibling to end the gene pool with them will touch the audience. Fans will appreciate this tense thriller while wondering if the seemingly paranormal is real or not. Harriet Klausner