A very exciting and fresh romance from debut romance author Jenny Brigalow. This is an author with a very exciting voice - fresh, in your face descriptive - a bit like what my dear friend and fellow reviewer Desere calls 'kick ass' writng. Well, this is all that and more.
You know how it is in romance, boy meets girl, girl meets boy, they like, they get put off, they get involved, they split up and finally go for the HEA. It's the author's voice that makes the difference. That and the setting.
I never saw the twist coming, not for a minute. This author really surprised me. I loved the premise - that you fall in love with a person, not a type, not a person picked out by your parents. This came through beautifully.
Seraphim didn't really come across as British blue blood aristocracy. Not with a surname like Driscoll, which is, of course, Irish. Then again, the equestrian set is diverse - it can consist of British aristocracy and Irish country people, not to mention Austrialians. Seraphim just came over as a person brimming with love and humanity. I was immensely attracted to her as a person. Chad, her rodeo hero boyfriend was attractive too. But in this novel, the heroine definitely stole the show. The Australian Outback came through vividly. I could really feel the heat and the drought.
There was also some terrific humour in the story. I'm thinking herbal cigarettes here. But you'll have to read the book to find out about that.
I heartily recommend Jenny Brigalow's writing to readers of romance fiction. You just have to try it.
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Reviewed by Desere
Being engaged to what you believe is the man of your dreams, even if it is a case of your parents picking him out for you and you have convinced yourself this is what is best, is always a nice and also a secure feeling, but never what a woman dreams of.
But what if another man makes his appearance and you suddenly find that your heart lies elsewhere, and you simply need to get out of the current situation and walk away from a love less relationship, would you be able to do it?
That for some woman is easier said then done, you need courage and strength and most of all you need to accept that you are taking a risk every step of the way.
In the debut read from author Jenny Brigalow, she showed me as reader such a woman and the remarkable journey she embarks upon to ensure she gets her happy ending.
The main characters of Seraphim and Chad were both very well written. I loved that Seraphim shows so much courage in fighting for what she believes in, standing up to those around her, showing that courage can be found deep inside everyone you just need to dig deep to let it out.
Hold-on-and-I'll-show-you-the-ride-of-your-life Chad was a truly wonderful character, I loved how the author used him to bring Seraphim out of her shell, making him the kind of hero that creeps into your heart and re-enforces your believe in true love.
The backdrop setting was perfect for these two love birds, for me as reader the heat of the outback matched the flames of passion building between Chad and Seraphim, giving the book that level of spice that ensures you as reader your in for a excellent romance read.
The dialogue was one that showed the courage of Seraphim to a perfect extent but also exciting as the past threatens to tear the new found relationship to shreds. The author did a fantastic job of gliding from old life to new life, but at the same time keeping the element of the past in the shadows, ready to shatter the perfect new life the characters has built.
And if your thinking this sounds like the typical romance read, you would be wrong, as when the twist reveals it self you will be shocked, at not stage did I see it coming or could I even begin to puzzle the outcome together. The author ensured to keep me on the edge of my seat till the very end.
A message of if you believe in love you need to fight for it, was what I took away from this read.I highly recommend this read for lovers of romance with unforeseen twists but also for those who are looking for writing that is not only new and fresh but also laced with emotion and heart felt passion.
5/5 star review
" Come rain, come shine, he will be her hero for all time"
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Reviewed by Nas
A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS by author Jenny
Brigalow is a Steam eReads Publishing release for April 2013.
Chad Cherub went over to England to get a
stud horse for his stables. There he met Seraphim Driscoll, daughter of the man
he went to visit. He enjoyed riding and spending time with Seraphim.
Seraphim was not happy with her fiancé and
broke off her engagement. She ended up coming back to Brisbane with Chad.
Flying in first class, she realized the difference between them but disregarded
it. But when she came face to face with the dry, drought stricken outback Chad
called home, she was shocked. After he explained that they hadn’t had rain for
the last seven years, she realized the vastness of outback Australia and the
hard life Chad lived. Will she go back to England on the next flight out?
Can Chad let her walk away after he realized
that he loved her? And what about Seraphim, does she love him? But why had her
dad warned her against getting too close to Chad? What was the secret around
him? Why was he alone with no family?
A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS is a well written tale
of the prejudices still rife in society. This story had a unique twist very
well done with good dialogue and fast narration. Debut author Jenny Brigalow brought
this tale of unexpected and chance encounters turning into red-hot passion. It
has humour with steamy sensuality and heart tugging pathos. And the story is
intensely emotional.
Highly entertaining and well worth reading.
Return to Romance Book Haven
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Reviewed by Nancy Crocker
A Man For All Seasons by Jenny Brigalow
Chad Cherub has traveled to England from The Outback to look at a horse that belongs to his friend Walter Driscoll. What he did not plan on was taking one look at Seraphim Driscoll and falling in love.
Seraphim is engaged to be married to Stuffy and Uptight Englishman Barry Wellington-Worth, but coming face to face with Chad, has made her come to a quick decision. There will be no marriage at least not with Barry. You have to admire Seraphim for jumping in and taking charge of her life. She sees a chance to get closer to Chad and runs with it.
Traveling to Australia with Chad, Seraphim quickly sees the differences between the privileged upper class she was raised in, and Chad who has made a life for himself and fly's in the coach section. There is a cute scene with Seraphim and some strangers while at the airport during the layover flight.
You learn just how hard life can be in The Outback, but you also learn how sweet it can be to have someone you love to share that life with. I could feel the couple struggle with a love that was true, and yet a love that would not be accepted because of some prejudices from others. But I have to say I figured something was up but did not see the twist in this story coming. It was a very nice surprise in this book.
The author does a really good job of describing the Settings, The English Countryside and The Australian Outback. I personally felt that more time should have been spent with the love scenes, maybe describing how each other felt. I could feel the attraction and the need to be with each other but not the passion.
Some personal notes for the Author. While I found the humor of the layover flight quite entertaining, I wondered how It came to be. Unless the story transpired before security changes took place, it left me wondering how this could have happened. I personally have never flown internationally, so I don't know if it was an error or not, but I also wondered at Chad & Seraphim being separated in the airport during the layover. Are the classes kept separated? Also I stress to the Author, please be careful with characters descriptions, especially hair color. Seraphim started out with Dark Mahogany and ended up with black. While Chad started with a brown beard which lead one to believe he had brown hair then it was crisp black hair then wavy brown hair. It just makes this reader a little confused.
All in all for a first book, job well done. I look forward to reading more.
4/5 Stars
