Member Review

Oh, wow. Courting your wife after a major traumatic event. I love a second chance romance between a husband and wife. Then put it in a historical setting and you got me. I have never read a historical romance like this and now must read more of Sandra Sookoo's backlist. Her writing was so involved and just when it looked like our couple found their way back to each other, something else happened. Please note, because of the sensitive subject of multiple loss of pregnancies, death of a mother/babies, and accidental gun violence. Please cover yourself accordingly.
Our main characters, Gilbert and Madelene were estranged after a death of their baby. Both were blaming themselves because of their own traumatic history. I can imagine how families dealt with a death of a child without therapy. Both Gilbert and Madelene are carrying some heavy emotional baggage that was never shared with each before their wedding day. So when the death of their child occurs, Gilbert suddenly leaves his wife and runs to India; somewhere he always wanted to go because of tea trade and he hears a rumor about his wife that breaks his heart. While Madelene deals with the guilt of the death with the help of Gilbert's best friend, who also is in love with her. The pain that Madelene has been carrying is heartbreaking and to experience it without her husband is horrendous. It's an isolating pain for everyone involved.
The frustration from keeping secrets and running away from pain was a thread throughout the romance. This estrangement between our married couple lasted for three years and allowed Gilbert to develop a hate towards himself, his wife and best friend. I believe Gilbert was dealing with other stuff that was alluded to but he definitely needed a professional to help him process his feelings. His unspoken pain poured from his soul and made him make so many unwise decisions.
I can't believe they got a happily ever after but at the end, they did.