Review: Stormswept (Wales #1) by Sabrina Jeffries writing as Deborah Martin

Stormswept (Wales #1) by Sabrina Jeffries writing as Deborah Martin

Blurb from Goodreads:

New York Times bestseller Sabrina Jeffries reignites a daring love affair in this intriguing tale of desire and deception—originally written as Deborah Martin and newly revised for today’s audience.

The first wedding night that Lady Juliana St. Albans spent with the dark and daring Rhys Vaughan was intoxicating, the heady culmination of her new husband’s driving hunger and her own awakened sensuality. When he mysteriously disappeared the next morning, she waited for him in hope and desperation. And when he was finally proclaimed dead in a shipwreck, she bitterly mourned the loss of her love.

The second wedding night that Juliana spent with Rhys Vaughan was six years later, after he returned to claim her just as she was about to wed another. This Rhys was different—bolder, harder, and convinced that she’d betrayed him. Only their blazing passion remains from their years apart. But is it enough to light their way through the maze of mystery, menace, and mistrust—to the love they once shared and would have to find again? 

My Review:
 

I believe this is an older book, written by Sabrina Jeffries as Deborah Martin and revised to be re-released since SJ has had such success.  Unfortunately, however, I didn't love this.  I will say that I really have to be in the mood to read and love HR but I did read another SJ release earlier this year and really enjoyed it.  This one was definitely not as successful -- while I did like Rhys and Juliana as characters, this one just seemed a bit cheesy and over the top with its never-dying conflict.  That is, a large portion of the book is dedicated to Rhys believing Juliana has lied and is lying to him about loving him and marrying him for love. While I liked that this was not a marriage of convenience (so often used in HR) but was a marriage of love -- that seemed so overshadowed by Rhys not believing Juliana despite her word and all the evidence that supported her word.   Truly, most of the book was dedicated to Rhys' anger and wanting Juliana to admit something that wasn't true and submit to him more than the the building and strengthening of their relationship.  Ultimately, this didn't work for me because of that focus but I do plan on reading more by SJ in the future.

Stormswept came out last month on June 28, 2016, and you can purchase HERE.

What a fool he was.  He thought he'd shown his feelings for her, but women liked words-- and he's never said them.  "I could say I want to marry you because I want to make love to you, and that would be true."   

She colored prettily, though she didn't turn away.   

"And I could say I want to marry you because you and I both love poetry and Wales.  That would be true, too." Taking her face in his hands, he stared into her eyes. "But the main reason I want to marry you, Juliana St. Albans, is because I love you.  With all my heart."