Cross the Ocean
Holly BushHistorical romance
Available from New Concepts Publishing
ISBN: 1-58608-771-1
December 2005
| The Duke of Wexford, Blake Sanders is holding a social at his home. Everything is going well except his duchess has not come down yet to help meet the guests. Blake sends a note to his wife telling her she is expected to be present. His housekeeper returns with a letter in which Blake finds out his wife has left him for another man. His only concern is how this will affect the family's reputation and social standing. As Blake is realizing all this means to him, his friends arrive with a guest. Tony Burroughs grew up with Blake. He is his closest friend but he does not understand how Blake treats his family. Tony loves his wife and would be lost without her. The last thing on his mind would be what people think. Tony's wife Elizabeth has a cousin visiting. Gertrude Finch doesn't understand Blake at all. She sees his children that are taking their mother leaving them hard. She goes about giving them attention and listening to them while their father is busy with his own anger. Blake and Gertrude do not get along. Gertrude believes in women's rights, she is loud, and she is an American. Although Blake finds many things he doesn't like he admits he likes sparring with her and he can't keep his mind off her voluptuous body.
Cross the Ocean is titled for the numerous times Gertrude and Blake cross the ocean to decide where they belong. This is a delightful romance with colorful characters. Blake is a typical male member of the peerage. He is a snob. He worries over social standing due to business and making a good match for his children. He has a mistress. He is sinfully handsome and arrogant but he loves his children. Gertrude is an atypical female of the times. She believes in women's rights. She is loud and she doesn't wait for a man to tell her how she should behave. She has a low self-esteem, thinking she is too tall and unlovable. She is smart and Blake thinks she is beautiful. Their personalities clash and make for some very entertaining dialogue. I found myself laughing out loud over the way Blake behaves around Gertrude. There is definitely chemistry whenever they are in the same room. There is also the fact that Gertrude does not mind bloodying Blake's nose when needed. The real fun though takes place when Blake comes to America. Think about a member of the peerage encountering the Wild West with Indians and all. It's just too funny to think about. Behind all this fun Holly Bush has written a delightful romance that has you rooting for the time they realize their love is mutual. She does a wonderful writing job of describing the different settings as the story takes us to England, America and back again. 'Cross the Ocean.' is a marvelously creative adventure filled with comedy and romance that all readers will find completely entertaining.
Overall rating:
Reviewer: Anita |
