The Captain’s Woman

Since The Captain’s Woman by Merline Lovelace came out in 2003 it’s moved right up to the top of my personal comfort reread list (surpassing even The Bride by Julie Garwood some of the time I might add, which is saying quite a lot) for the simple reason that it has it all-

• an intelligent but not so much spoiled as indulged young heroine who goes on both an emotional and physical journey/adventure, truly growing up in the process
• a not-so-old but definitely more mature hero who is extremely honorable if somewhat dense at times who also does his share of growing and changing
• a unique setting that makes it stand out in one’s memory on almost any list because the hero is one of Roosevelt’s Rough Riders and she follows him through Florida to Cuba
• just enough angst to say it’s there without out overdoing it to the point of making me squirm (without any soap opera at all)
• a definite Relationship that the reader can literally see blossom as they discover new nuances to what they thought their relationship was – that ends with a big Happily Ever After and intriguing epilogue
• all of which is told in a relatively fast-paced writing style that uses all the “right” romance language but still manages to respectfully convey the effects and realities of war on both soldiers and the civilians linked to them

And as a side note to the writing style point, Merline Lovelace is one a handful of romance writers that can actually manage to separate her hero and heroine for what can be months at a time and not even have me notice. As near as I can figure it’s because her separations are a part of the plot not just obstacles thrown in to keep them apart.

(originally written January 2005)