Abandon

Terrible...kept trying to find something redeeming

I had to check the author several times since I couldn't believe Hunter wrote this one. The characters are poorly developed, the dialogue trite and often completely predictable, and even the intimate scenes were poorly written. I don't mind an element of fantasy in a novel, but in this book there is not enough of a foundation in the environment and history in order to make the "magical" events meaningful. It's so easy to guess who the "bad guy" is that the characters seem beyond stupid for not having the least suspicion of him. Hunter seems to use the excuse of everyone being "distracted" to cover her own lack of imagination in developing motivations and plot lines to allow the reader to immerse herself in the tale and make the story remotely enjoyable.

Funny!

This was such a refreshingly different kind of historical romance. Laughed many times--out loud. Such a nice story. An enchanted island, Abandon, is supposedly the final resting place of King Arthur. Enjoyed the characters and the read.

A Charming & Magical Tale...

This is the 3rd novel by Jillian Hunter I have read. I also read ¿The Seduction of an English Scoundrel¿ (excellent!) and 'Daring' (excellent plus one!). I have also bought a few others as I know she will continue to be interesting to me. I like this author and how descriptive she can be and her characters always seem to come alive off the page which is refreshing. They are not flat characters with little dimension. Her plot lines are always complete without becoming over whelming. This book had the charm of being set on an island called ¿Abandon¿ and it seemed to have touches of the supernatural ¿ both in what people did and what happened to the land itself. Fortunately, any hokey pokey was for the good of man and not evil (except for the creepy little man called Pasco). The lead heroine Morwenna was beloved by the island people for all the good that she did for everyone and they were also a little mystified of the ¿magic¿ she could perform. Morwenna¿s magic was more what occurred around her versus what she could conjure up herself ¿ that was the charming part of her mischief. Our hero Anthony Pentargon took over the island when his brother died. Anthony came to clean up his brother¿s estate and planned to sell the island and land to a high ranking English lord in parliament for the exchange of help in passing laws to help out the poor and indigent children of London. Morwenna and her fellow countryman would loose out if the land was sold off so, she attempted to intervene and stop the transaction. Needless to say, the hero and heroine become charmed with one another during their interactions of the sale and their relationship developed. The love scenes were few but detailed. I was a little disappointed that they fell so quickly for one another and their early intimate scenes were a bit ¿advanced¿ for the average virgin girl but, that¿s love story writing for you. The story was a bit short compared to most romance novels I have read so, it seemed things might have taken a quicker pace due to this. Regardless, the scenes were tasteful and pleasing to read. There are twists and turns in the book for the reader to find out who is sabotaging things, who is trying to hurt Morwenna and if the sale does occur. Although this book is not super heavy in terms of deep romance, lusty sex or advanced plot lines it is still interesting and fun to read. I liked all the illusions to Anthony getting to hear musical harp music, seeing white cats, talking to spirit ghosts that no one else seems to hear or see and flowers growing from stones in only hours! This look into the other world is only for him as he develops into a better man and falls for the magical siren called Morwenna. It¿s fun to watch a man so set I his modern ways fall prey to the magical side of life. This was a charming book and likeable in every way. It was smart, witty and fun to read. I got the book read in only a few hours ¿ easy to follow. I say buy this and others from this author as I¿m sure you¿ll be pleased. Judging by other feedback, I¿m not alone in this praise! Enjoy!!

wonderful satire of the Arthurian legend

Anthony Hartstone, the Earl of Pentargon is closing out the estate of his recently deceased brother Arthur by selling his beloved island ABANDON to the Marquess of Camelbourne. In exchange for ridding himself of a worthless piece of granite, Anthony expects to gain the Marquess¿ support on a child labor reform bill.

The islanders turn to Morwenna Halliwell as the only hope to change Anthony¿s mind because they fear the changes that Camelbourne will do to their beloved home. When she fails to persuade the noble to change his mind even while casting a spell on him, everyone feels forlorn that Anthony will desert them. However, he knows that without the Marquess¿ support his bill to make things safe for children will fail. There is also a dark sorcerer causing trouble and animals and mythical people doing strange things that make no sense to the practical minded Anthony. Only love for Morwenna seems right in this upside down ABANDON.

ABANDON is a wonderful tale that satirizes the Arthurian legend with a powerful historical romance that never slows down on the action or the magic. The story line is filled with weird characters that make for an enchanting tale that proves Jillian Hunter is clearly a descendent of Merlin by magically transporting readers to a world of enchantment.

Harriet Klausner

Excellent Mystical Romance

Anthony Hartstone, Earl or Pentargon, has inherited the island of Abandon from his brother Ethan. He decides to sell Abandon to the Marquess of Camelbourne in exchange for Camelbourne's support for legislation to change child labor laws. Morwenna Halliwell, thought by some to be an enchantress, pleads with Anthony not to sell Abandon, believing that the new owner would destroy the livelihood of the islanders.

Anthony becomes enamored with Morwanna and the two are forced to marry. Morwenna continues her search for King Arthur's cave in her effort to finish her late father's book, as mysteries and legends abound.

Mysticism, romance, and mystery are all packed into this wonderful novel. The relationship between the hero and heroine is exciting, starting as an attraction and evolving into a stronger love when both realize that they are not enemies after all. The supporting players are wonderful and add much to the fantasy and suspense elements of the book. A MUST READ