Windswept

Catrin Price is also known as the Lady of the Mist. Legend has it that the females in Catrin's family are cursed because when they married they did not drink from the Druid challis and the males in her family will all be infertile. Catrin didn't even know about this legend until the day of her wedding to Willie where he ends up dead even before they can consummate their marriage. Now Catrin is determined to find this challis that was sold years ago so she can marry again and not lose her groom to death. Catrin finds out that Lord Justin Mansfield has the challis and has agreed to sell it to her so she travels to London to buy it. After the sale, Catrin heads back to Wales and Justin ends up being murdered.

Evan Newcome's best friend, Justin was murdered and he is trying to find out who is responsible. He is able to figure out that Catrin was suppose to meet with Justin on the night he was murdered and Evan plans to confront her. When Evan meets Catrin, she isn't at all what Evan expected. I just loved their first meeting. It was so pure and raw.

As Evan is trying to get information out of Catrin, Catrin is also trying to purposely keep information from Evan while at the same time these two were enamored with each other. I really enjoyed how these two were so drawn together. It's like they were destined to be each others soul mate.

Just when Evan believes that Catrin is innocent and didn't have anything to do with Justin's death, something big happens and all hell breaks loose! I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED when Juliana stepped into action! That was awesome! I really enjoyed the big rescue at the end too. I could really picture what was happening very vividly. I also really enjoyed their well deserved happy ending.

This story was different than any other Sabrina Jeffries book I have read. Overall I enjoyed the story and the characters but it didn't have much of the humor I have grown to love with Sabrina's books. It was certainly an enjoyable read and I even learned a bit about ancient Druids.

Sabrina Jeffries tells readers she wrote WINDSWEPT (orig. pub. 1997) under the name Deborah Martin near the beginning of her career. With this edition, she revised the story to make it more appealing to today's romance audience. And I believe she succeeded. It's an enchanting romance and an absorbing mystery with the themes of abuse, loneliness, and love.

The heroine, Catrin Price, has denied herself a loving relationship after her husband was killed on their wedding day. She believes her family is cursed from a spell cast by an ancestor causing the death of her descendants' husbands within the first three years of marriage. The hero, Evan Newsome, has denied himself the chance to find love after he almost killed an innocent person in a jealous rage, resulting in his broken engagement.

Catrin and Evan meet when he tries to discover who killed his best friend. Evan knows that a person calling herself the Lady of the Mist offered to buy an ancient Druid cup his friend owned, so he follows that trail. When he discovers the woman is Catrin, he misrepresents himself as needing information from her on a book he's writing. She knows of the genious Evan Newsome, who speaks multiple languages, has essays published in prestigious journals and writes of the beauty of Welsh verse. So she falls for his lies. As Evan gets to know Catrin, he begins to doubt she's a murderer. Their attraction is strong, and though Catrin knows she can never remarry, she opens up to him, trusting him more each day.

Pros: 1. Catrin and Evan are extremely likable, believable characters with strong moral beliefs and depth of personality. Like real people, they have faults and issues to overcome, but are primarily caring and supportive individuals who try to do the right thing. 2. It's a well-written romantic mystery that is interesting and unique. 3. Vivid descriptions pulled me into the story and kept me enthralled until the very end. 4. Supernatural elements are lightly woven throughout the book with a successful conclusion. Cons: The story had to end.

Overall: WINDSWEPT is a fast-paced romance with a unique storyline and well-developed main and secondary characters. I truly enjoyed the stsory and recommend it to anyone who loves their romance with a hint of mystery.

3.5*
Carting Price
Evan Newcomer
I enjoyed this book. It was fun to see that Evan Newcome grew to be an intelligent and interesting young man. I liked his character a great deal and he and Catrin Price had good chemistry and they made a good and believable couple.
Catrin is the current Lady of the Mist. She has land and tenets and a future to take care of and she feels totally inadequate to fully do it. There's a curse that has ended the lives of all men who marry the Lady of the Mist for the last five generations. Catrin husband died on their wedding day and if she can't break the curse she will be alone and her lands and people will be lost.
Evan comes from a farming family and his father was very abusive. If it had not been for Lord Rhys and Lady Julianna who saw what an intelligent boy he was and gave him a chance at a life that was out of his grasp. He may of been a abusive man like his father and he feared he just might be.
After the death of his best friend Justin who was to meet the Lady of the Mist the night be died Evan goes in search of her. Instead of an old woman he finds Catrin a young beautiful woman he suspects to be a murderer. Catrin fears Evan is a constable from London to investigate the mans murder after meeting with her. Neither Evan or Catrin can be truthful with each other and spin lies. As their relationship blossoms their lies unravel and threaten any future possible.
My only problem with the story is that the author went back and forth with Catrin's strengths and weaknesses. I felt she was far stronger then the author gave her credit for.