I thoroughly enjoyed this novel - it's a real page turner that gripped me from beginning to end. The story was original, fresh and exciting as you follow the lives of Rebecca North/Wythe and her "husband" Lord Nicholas Wythe in their quest for love and happiness. Rebecca met Nicholas as a child when she found and looked after him in her family's barn when he was injured during the war - even though he was a 'red coat'. Thinking that he was about to die Nicholas married Rebecca so that he could repay her kindness by leaving her his wealth. Of course he doesn't die but vanishes. It is years later when Rebecca has grown up and forgotten about the soldier she saved, that he comes to interrupt her wedding to another man... As his legal wife Rebecca has no choice other than to leave her home, family, friends and the man she thinks she loves to travel back to England with her husand to his home the Foxbridge Cloister. A very inhospitable reception awaits her - after all she's an American! Complete with an unfriendly mother-in-law who wants her son to marry a well-to-do Lady, a jealous charlatan in the form of her husband's ex-lover Clarisse who will stop at nothing to gain back her lover and became Lady Foxbridge, and an unknown scheming rival looking to take control of the Foxbridge Cloister, the action never stops right up to the last page. Once you've started reading you won't be able to stop until you find out whether or not there's a happy ending...

I love this book. I read it several years ago and have now began a frantic search to get my hands on the entire series. Forget the other Rebecca, this is the Classic!

I have recently purchased extra copies after an extensive used bookstore seach for my sisters because we "argued" over whose book it was!

I humbly beg the publishers to publish this book again! I have never met a person who read it that did not love it.

I have three copies of this book just in case I lose one. I have lost track of how many times I have read it but so much happens in it I'm always surprised again at the bits I've forgotten. I don't know what else to say without giving too much away except beg borrow or steal a copy of this book.

Why I didn't find this book last Christmas is a mystery. Better late than never, however. It is certainly a book that can be read--and enjoyed--at any time of the year. There is the customary family get-together, new traditions (a tree in the house! an idea from Germany) as well as old ones (ringing the chapel bell once for each year since the birth of Christ, 1818 peals in all.) There is a sometimes irascible grandfather who longs to see his oldest heir married. And a mystery. Who is the young woman known as Serenity Adams?

The two cousins, Timothy Crawford and Felix Wayne are on their way to Christmas with their grandfather, the Earl of Brookindale, at Cheyney Park in the north of England when they come upon an accident. Of the three inhabitants of the carriage that has gone over the side of a hill, two are dead. The other, a young woman, has suffered a severe blow to her head, which has resulted in amnesia. Purely by chance, the young woman greatly resembles the imaginary fiancée the the young man have created for Timothy, in lieu of the real thing.

For Timothy is an enlighted young man, devoting many hours each day to the care and enlargement of his grandfather's business interests. Such activity has discouraged several young ladies in the past, so he has created the perfect example in Serenity. The young man is not at all looking forward to his grandfather's seventieth birthday party on Christmas Eve, at which time he'll have to confess his falsehoods.

But the young woman, not knowing her real identity nor where she belongs, dressed as she is in servant's clothing, agrees to accompany the men to Cheyney Park. This is as much to recuperate as to set in motion the inquiries that will hopefully find her own real family and allow her to go home once again.

In spite of not knowing who she is, what she is quickly becomes very evident: a young woman of quality. Timothy is soon head over ears in love with her, and hesitantly, she reciprocates, knowing full well the relationship may well have to be abandoned if she is not worthy to be a countess.

This is very much a feel-good book, and when the villain gets his comeuppance, you'll chuckle in spite of yourself. And probably shed a tear or two when a very young lady takes her 'turn'. An added enjoyable ingredient is the author's own variety of Regency slang, or language, not usually encountered in other books. All in all, a book that should live on for several more Holiday Seasons.

Timothy Crawford has been writing to his grandfather with tales of the woman he loves--Serenity Adams. His grandfather has asked Timothy to bring this paragon of womanhood home to meet the family. Unfortunately this paragon is not real, and Timothy realizes that he will have to reveal that truth to his grandparent during a family gathering. As he and his cousin are en route to the family estate, they come upon a carriage accident and discover one survivor. It is a woman who fits the physical description of Serenity perfectly. When she awakens, she has no memory of anything.. Jo Ann Ferguson has written another wonderful novel. She mixes just the right amounts of humor, sentiment, passion, and adventure to guarantee a story to enchant her audience from page one until the final word.

We have a woman with a secret - a seven year haunting.
And a man with a past - five years of running. Can a child bring them together?

Emma Delancy has lived in Haven, Indiana for seven years after being on the run from a hauntng horror.

Noah Sawyer is a handsome newcomer to Haven, hoping to raise his little girl, Belinda in a safe enviroment.

Of course Noah's first meeting with Emma involves the little orphan, Sean O'Dell from the Orphan Train. These children seem to meld many lives together.

When a flash flood just about destroys Noah's farm, he soon learns what neighborliness is all about in Haven.

He also finds a very strong attraction to Emma just about impossible to resist. Despite Emma's wariness she also finds much to love in Noah and his little girl.

Ah you must read the rest -- HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ? - Add this to your must read list.

Emma Delancy owns the general store, she has been
in Haven, Indiana for seven years and has a secret past.
Noah Sawyer is a widower, with a young daughter that has just bought a farm outside of town.....he has his own secrets.
When Emma and Noah get together their secrets might destroy the future they both want together and the family they both seek.

TWICE BLESSED also has a small boy, Sean, that Emma has living with her from the orphan train. The orphan train brings abandoned children from New York City to the
west.........Sean is a delight to read about as well as Noah's daughter Belinda.

Haven, Indiana (1876) .....the first
book is TWICE BLESSED (3/2002), then MOONLIGHT ON WATER (7/2002), and then AFTER THE STORM (9/2002).

Ms. Ferguson has woven a delight of secondary characters, I hope to see many in future books about Haven and revisit with the Sawyer family.
I smiled as Emma and Noah found love and cried as their secrets hurt each other. TWICE BLESSED has a bit of suspense at the end, having me hold my breath for the happily ever after.
I've added MOONLIGHT ON WATER and AFTER THE STORM to my wish list.

"She had nowhere to go ---- He had everything to lose --- Until they discovered the power of love"

Cailin Rafferty arrived in Haven, Indiana looking for her children. She found love. [I would say sex as neither trusted the other]After four years, she had followed her husband from Ireland to New York.

Samuel Jennings was a lawyer from Cincinnati, Ohio looking for a place to heal his heart and he found a family. He took in the three Rafferty children from the Orphan Train, Brendan, Megan and little Lottie.

The Children's Aid Society was told that the 3 children were orphans and had no one to look after them. Cailin had to unravel the mystery of the disappearance of her children from their grandmother's home.

Cailin was penniless and alone when she finally found the farm on Nanny Goat Hill Road and her children with Samuel.
Samuel, who was more of a father to the children than their own was. How could Cailin take her children away from the quiet, warm-hearted man.

How could she trust her own feelings for this man who scrambled her own emotions and yearnings.

This is a wonderful story of how two people learn to trust and love again [after sex! my only complaint with this story]and how they make the best decisions for the children.

Oh, and Lottie does find her "Dahi" after a lot of looking and misunderstanding. Mr. Thannington confused Lottie, and imported Englishman trying to claim the title of "his Lordship".

Definitely recommended --M -- #3 in the HAVEN trilogy.

Dominic St. Clair has just captured an American ship. Its crew is being delivered to the French authorities in Calais, and its holding will be sold to raise money for the French efforts against the English. Imagine Dominic's surprise to discover that Captain Arthur Fitzgerald's daughter had left without an apparent care for her safety or virtue. When Dominic first sees her, he decides that she is his prize alone. Unfortunately Abigail Fitzgerald seems to be immune to his charm and unappreciative of his efforts to protect her from the other men on board. Abigail doesn't understand why her father was sailing so close to England with a cargo of weapons. Nor did she understand his reasons for leaving her to the mercies of Captain Dominic St. Clair, either. His honeyed words and tender caresses confuse her, but she will not share the bed of the man who attacked her father's ship. Her father's crew stages a mutiny, and soon the ship goes down with all hands save herself and Dominic.. Jo Ann Ferguson is widely known for her romantic tales of adventure, and this latest release is no exception.

Valeria's life is complicated - a nephew she's inherited, her newly impoverished state . . . and the her biggest complication is her "guardian." Lorenzo likes his life quiet and uncomplicated, but Valeria and her nephew have put an end to his quiet days. To remedy the situation, he sets out to find her a new husband . . . and chances are he won't have to look far! A wonderful regency romp, full of humor, and treasures of the heart.

First, I have to state that I like the majority of what Jo Ann Ferguson writes. This book was a great escape. The characters were lively and interesting. I especially liked the character of "Count" Natalya Dmitrieff. Even though she was dressed like a male Russian officer she still battled with just wanting to be a woman, but she never let that get in the way of fulfilling her duty as an officer. The chemistry between her and Lord Ashcroft was great to follow. This is the kind of book that you wouln't mind reading again.

J. A. Ferguson's Dreamshaper is a return to the world of Gayome, and the magic of Dreamsinging and shapechangers. Abnormally tall, Hyndla Shenvirl doesn't know where she came from. Abandoned as a child, her loyalty now belongs to the new Tyria, Nerienne. To help her ruler, she seeks allies hidden in the myths of the past. Secretly fearing and hoping, she searches for the people who may represent her birthright. Traveling along with Hyndla and a hastily gathered band of misfits, is Runolf Tocho, who has fantastic secrets of his own. He also searches for others of his kind, wondering if they may be extinct. His growing love for Hyndla makes him uneasy. Will his feelings for her hold him back from his search? Their adventure takes a disturbing turn when they indeed find the mythical, potentially violent Thrym, and try to make an alliance with them. Will Hyndla stay with these tall, handsome people, or will she take a chance on Runolf? J. A. Ferguson has created a wonderful otherworld, peopled with fantastic creatures, marvelous magic, and good old-fashioned love. Read it, and you'll fall in love, too.

Lisabeth Montague is just out of mourning for her husband and re-entering the ton, when she is called on by one of her late husband's relatives to help a Lord Tristan Radcliffe learn the ways of polite society, and to find him a bride. Lisabeth is expecting a young boy barely out of short pants, but what arrives on her doorstep is a man who has been crippled in the Napoleonic Wars. As the Season gets underway, Lisabeth dutifully sticks to her agreement to find him a deb to wed, but what she really wants is to wed him herself.

LORD RADCLIFFE'S SEASON is a delightful book, mainly because Ferguson writes it so well. She manages to create sexual tension between the characters, even though there's no sex, and carries it through to the end, concluding with a fairly tense climax and a satisfying ending. Radcliffe, though insufferably rude in the beginning of the novel, becomes genuinely likable as the story progresses, and one can't help but WANT these two to be together, because they're so obviously right for each other.

Another wonderful read from Ferguson that left me smiling at the finish, and one I would definitely recommend, even to those who aren't fans of the genre.

This story brngs Wyatt Colton to Haven, Indiana in 1876 shortly after Emma and Noah are married.

Here he meets Rachel Browning from River's Haven, just down the road from Haven somewhere near the Ohio River. This community is considered strange in Haven and people are suspecious of the residents and their considered immoral practices.

Rachel was allowed to take into her care, little Katherine, also known as Kitty Cat by her friends from the Orphan Train.

Rachel has a fear of child bearing because of her relatives dying in childbirth, so she figures that Kitty Cat will be her only chance to have a child to love.

Kitty Cat forms a friendship with Wyatt and his partner, Horace and takes off most every chance she gets to visit them and her friend, Sean O'Dell. Kitty Cat is approximately six years old.

Rachel must help heal and take care of Colton and Horace when their boat, The Ohio Star, is set on fire - Noah Sawyer and Sean helps to rescue Rachel and Kitty Cat from the river.

Ah, you must follow the action after the Centennial celebration and the resolution of the conflict between Rachel and Wyatt and his no commitment idea [neither one wishes to marry].

My only problem is the liscense the authors take with the morality of the times. Although most women may have been aware of sex, they were very circumspect in their deportment. They may have thought about hoping in bed, but their fear of ostracism would have prevented most actions not to mention their folks probably would have killed them.

Very entertaining story and excellently written but just like all the others with premarital sex. Of course it helped me skip through a lot of parts for a faster read.

Definitely recommended but a little bit of the same O, same O!
I wish the authors would get a bit more original in the romance department or give us more action.