Always Mine

4.25 stars—captivating and entertaining

4.25 stars--ALWAYS MINE is the third and final instalment in Cheryl Holt’s historical ALWAYS romance series focusing on the Blake siblings. This is twenty-seven year old Rebecca Blake Carter, and thirty year old wealthy businessman and traveller Raven Shawcross’ story line. ALWAYS MINE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from several third person perspectives including Raven and Rebecca ALWAYS MINE focuses on Rebecca Blake Carter as she struggles in the home of her abusive Aunt Beatrice. Rebecca was orphaned at the age of three, and has no memories of the past including the family she can no longer remember. Fast forward to present day wherein a dark but dashing stranger comes into her life, and turns Rebecca’s world on its’ access. Enter world traveller and wealthy businessman Raven Shawcross, and the man with whom Rebecca will fall in love. What ensues is the building relationship and romance between Rebecca and Raven, and the fall-out as Raven reveals the truth about who he is, and his plans for the future including destroying Rebecca and the only family she has ever known.

Raven Shawcross is on a mission. Since the age of ten when his family lost everything including the father they loved, Raven has been h*ll bent for fury to take down the people responsible. Meeting Rebecca Blake became a distraction, a distraction directly connected to the people he wanted to destroy; a means to an end that he would also take down in the process. Rebecca Blake was completely oblivious to the life she was knew. Always feeling like something or someone was missing, Rebecca dreamed of the day she would be rescued from the life fate had ordered but her would be rescuer was nothing more than the devil in disguise.

The relationship between Rebecca and Raven was one of immediate attraction but Raven had placed his plans into motion and no one was going to interfere. Using Rebecca as a means to an end meant breaking Rebecca’s heart in the process, a heart he would soon discovered had fallen for his own. The $ex scenes are passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble case of secondary and supporting characters including the previous story line couples: Nathan Blake and Nell Drummond: Sebastian Sinclair and Sarah Blake Robinson; Rebecca’s cousins Beatrice and her son Clayton, as well as a Alex, a young orphan Rebecca has help raised since an infant.

ALWAYS MINE is a story of betrayal, vengeance, family and loss; secrets and lies. The premise is engaging and entertaining; the romance is captivating but struggles with a need for revenge; the characters are colorful, dynamic and lost. ALWAYS MINE is a satisfying conclusion to Cheryl Holt’s ALWAYS trilogy