Reviewer: Robyn Roberts
Title: Always and Forever
Author: Gretchen Craig
Publisher: Zebra Press
ISBN: 0-8217-8019-0
Release Date: April 2006
Genre/Sub-genre: Historical Romance
Year/Setting: 1830’s Louisiana
Overall rating: 3.75
Sexual content rating: Subtle
Language (profanity) rating: Mild/Moderate* (see below)
Gretchen's Website:
mysite.verizon.net/rscraig210/index.htm
*Please note, due to the setting and the time period of this novel, there are racial slurs used in conversation. While it was accepted as non-vulgar at this point in history (during slavery), some people from our modern time may be offended by the casual use of these words...
This historical romance is set in Louisiana in the mid 1800’s. It covers the lives of Josephine (Josie) and Cleo from the time Josie is 5 until she’s about 30 years old. Cleo is her best friend, only one year younger, and a slave. Josie’s dad ends up giving Cleo to Josie so she’s technically Cleo’s owner. Cleo helps care for Josie more like an older sister than one who is a year younger.
There are strange undercurrents throughout this French-Creole plantation home. Josie’s mama and papa don’t seem to get along so great and her mama is mean to certain slaves and nice to others. Eventually, these things come to light and it’s quite a hurricane of emotions flying around. As Josie gets older and of a "marriageable age", she has feelings for a very distant cousin as well as feelings for a totally unsuitable backwoods Cajun. The story takes us through her decisions affecting her future and what happens when the future becomes the present.
Overall, I enjoyed the book very much. To me, it started off incredibly slow. My husband thought it would never pick up and get interesting to me and I have to admit I was getting worried about the same thing. It took the first third of the book to wade through the background information and the extras that aren’t as important to me as a reader before we got to the heart of the matter. After that, I loved the last two thirds of the book and found it to be a fascinating story with intrigue and subtle nuances I would expect to see from a more seasoned writer. I know some of you will think I’m off my rocker in finding the first third of the book slow moving. I prefer to cut any unnecessary background information and stick to the things relevant to the here and now. If you enjoy thoroughly getting to know every facet of a character, you’ll love all the details about Josie and Cleo.
I found the ending section to be totally wild and something I would never have guessed in a million years. It kept me hopping all the way through. Even the last chapter held more surprises that I couldn’t fathom.
Ms. Craig has a wonderful sense of storytelling and while this book didn’t hit all of my hot buttons, I do look forward to more novels to come. I think some of the issues I had with the book will be resolved in future novels as she becomes more seasoned as a writer. I do think there’s a bright future ahead for Ms. Craig and I hope you’ll enjoy this look at plantation life.
Robyn
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