“To Have and To Hold” is an apt title, in that Sebastian, the male lead, initially “has” the heroine sexually, and throughout the course of the book, learns to really “hold” her . . . to cherish her.

Readers who love a bona fide dark hero and self-doubting yet steadfast heroine should love this story. Gaffney writes with rapier-like skill. Paragraphs so vivid, that it seemed like a cinema screen unfolding in front of me.

Sebastian is a rake, headed toward thirty with no real accomplishm...

“To Have and To Hold” is an apt title, in that Sebastian, the male lead, initially “has” the heroine sexually, and throughout the course of the book, learns to really “hold” her . . . to cherish her.

Readers who love a bona fide dark hero and self-doubting yet steadfast heroine should love this story. Gaffney writes with rapier-like skill. Paragraphs so vivid, that it seemed like a cinema screen unfolding in front of me.

Sebastian is a rake, headed toward thirty with no real accomplishments other than attaining his future title. He’s not into noblesse oblige, he’s into satisfying his own whims. If he were to stay on this particular trajectory, we could only assume he’ll go to seed, done in by his boredom, sexual appetites and contempt for his fellow man. Once he loses his youth and looks, this is a man who won’t have much to offer other than money.

Bravo, Ms. Gaffney, for not sugar-coating this character. As readers, we’re drawn to his seductiveness, his imperious confidence, but we’re also repelled how shallow and self-serving he is. We know he must change, the grist to creating an unforgettable story.

Enter Rachel Wade. We first see her as flattened, graying before her time, bent over from years of bleak imprisonment, for the crime of murder – which she did not commit. As part of the village tribunal about to pass sentence upon her, Sebastian hears the details of her case. She’s charged with a petty crime – stealing apples. When she lifts her head, Sebastian is captivated by her face, particularly her eyes.

Sebastian flexes his power to arrange an unusual sentence – she can either serve out more time, or agree to be his housekeeper, under his “supervision.” His goal is to seduce her, and he wants her to respond to him, not to be limp or comatose or disgusted or traumatized.

While Rachel doesn’t make it easy. After the horrors she’s endured, she understandably has PTSD. However, she is drawn to him. Scenes in this novel feel very intimate, as though you’re “right there” in the room with these characters. Rachel, having suffered greatly, is drawn sharply against Sebastian, who hasn’t suffered or been deprived. His emotional issues stem from a home incapable of love, reared by indifferent parents who reveled in their own bacchanal pursuits.

After ten years in jailed squalor, Rachel finds her way back to a civilized life, interacting with people, enjoying the gardens and flowers, and of course, reading. An enjoyable cast of secondary characters liven up each scene, and the English countryside is vibrant.

Rachel’s suffering makes the reader cheer her on, and Sebastian stepping into the role of a true landowner – actually working, being productive – is gratifying. Far better to be committed to your estate and care about what happens, rather having things handed to him.

At the end, he confesses that he loves her for her kind heart that “neither cruelty nor perversion nor captivity had been able to crush.”

My only quibble with the book is that it seemed to end too abruptly.

This isn’t a read for everyone. I personally prefer darker storylines. If you loved “Flowers from the Storm” by Laura Kinsale, you might enjoy this story, too.

This was a very interesting romance – some very difficult and uncomfortable circumstances, but very well told. I was a bit disturbed by some of the H’s actions, but because this was not a traditional story-line, I found his transition to be quite interesting, although I may have wanted to slap him a couple of times. The h’s story is incredible, and I felt it was the staying power for this book. Her story alone made it very worthwhile – the romance was the icing on the cake.

Rachel has been...

This was a very interesting romance – some very difficult and uncomfortable circumstances, but very well told. I was a bit disturbed by some of the H’s actions, but because this was not a traditional story-line, I found his transition to be quite interesting, although I may have wanted to slap him a couple of times. The h’s story is incredible, and I felt it was the staying power for this book. Her story alone made it very worthwhile – the romance was the icing on the cake.

Rachel has been imprisoned for murdering her scum of a husband. The author lets us believe that her imprisonment is probably wrongful, but we are not entirely certain of the details – I appreciated the allure of the unknown as far as this part of the story goes. She is released from prison after serving her term, and her treatment is abysmal – and probably very true to the times. She cannot stray far from “home” and has to report in once a week. That being said, her local reputation precedes her, and she is shunned by the community and therefore cannot support herself. She is then threatened with reincarceration for vagrancy (also true to the times).

Her previous imprisonment has left her a shell of a woman, and she presents herself as extremely withdrawn and subservient. To her this was her means of survival, as she had been severely punished if she even attempted to interact with any other human beings during her imprisonment. Sebastian, the H, functions as one of the magistrates and finds some perverse attraction to her and her condition and agrees to take her on as a housekeeper to keep her out of prison. His motivation is a bit sleazy here, as he makes it clear to her that her obligation to him will eventually include some non-housekeeper duties. But she finds this, at least for the moment, more tolerable than the alternative – although the reader understands she is extremely fearful of this impending obligation as her brief sexual experiences with her husband were beyond brutal. In truth, she basically trades one prison for another. She has no choice - he knows this, and exploits it. Her situation is so sad, and the author was very effective in portraying her no-win situation.

Sebastian comes to know Rachel in a way he could not have predicted. I will not spoil this with any more details, but I really enjoyed the journey. I honestly didn’t always like Sebastian, but his redemption is very believable. Rachel’s circumstances and behavior are worth the time to read – I didn’t think the author trivialized or glamorized her situation, which made it quite the bittersweet story. It is sometimes quite uncomfortable to read – for multiple reasons.

There is sex, and I’d warn readers that initially it’s not consensual – it could be considered rape, and although it is not violent it is not glamorized – she says “No,” he ignore it. That was the uncomfortable part, and it took a bit to get past it. The ending was a bit too tidy, and may have been the book’s only other shortcoming. But I thought about this story for days.

I recommend this book for readers who would be able to get beyond the nonconsensual sex and who are willing to experience Rachel’s uncomfortable but incredible journey to regaining her sense of self, and Sebastian’s journey to becoming an honorable person. It was really worth the torment.

Addendum: I just finished Gaffney’s “Lily”…….also a bit angsty. But all I can say is Gaffney must like her heroes on the cruel side…….