In the Presence of Angels
Grade : C-

In search of a hero worth falling for? Able to overlook annoying plot contrivances in order to meet him? Then In the Presence of Angels may be just the book you're looking for.

Major Lord William Fitzpatrick never wanted to become a soldier. He was the type of man who got heartsick at the thought of shooting an animal, but a pending scandal forced this son of a marquess to become a killer for his King. After his best friend Val dies in his arms at Waterloo, Will resigns his commission and heads home to face the wrath of his older brother.

Before he died, Val shared his letters from his loving wife Louisa with Will. Louisa's letters gave Will a glimpse of the happy home life he always dreamed of having. Through those letters, which he read time and again, Will's fallen half in love with Louisa. On his return to England, Will makes the impulsive decision to hand deliver those letters to Louisa.

Louisa has been struggling to keep the family farm afloat, and she mistakenly thinks Will is applying to be hired as the handyman she so desperately needs. Tongue-tied at her beauty and deciding God has finally smiled down on him, Will pretends that he is "Will Cutter," a simple handyman, and takes the position. For the first time in a long time, he feels free of his past. He doesn't regret deceiving Louisa.

Louisa immediately regrets hiring the secretive and far too handsome Will Cutter, but keeps him on because he's the only applicant. She is determined to keep her distance and immediately starts acting all angry and prickly-like towards Will. She's been taken in by a pretty face before: Val, you see, was not the fine family man Will always believed he was. He left Louisa and their young daughter Pip in dire straits. Louisa only wrote those letters to soothe her pride, and with the slight hope that she could make Val suffer a bit of guilt for his desertion.

Thus begins this bumpy love story, steeped in deception and half-truths. After a compassionate and gripping beginning, the story slows down and gets caught in a vicious cycle that halts the progress of the developing romance for a huge chunk of the book. In a desperate attempt to keep him at a distance, Louisa repeatedly treats Will (who is nothing but kind and helpful) to harsh tongue-lashings. Why it didn't work is still beyond me! Any other man would have hopped on his horse and hightailed it out of there, but Will endures. He isn't bothered or even offended by Louisa's lightning-fast mood swings because he fancies himself in love with her. He's also got a terrific sense of humor, which helps immensely.

About a third of the way through, things begin to turn around, when Louisa warms up. Her walls begin to crumble and there are some very entertaining, sensual, and touching moments to be found. Unfortunately, this bliss doesn't last. Just when these two finally start getting somewhere in their relationship, several things happen that are nearly too annoying to be believed. One involves an incredibly frustrating misunderstanding that keeps the couple apart for several weeks (Talk? Why talk? That would actually solve things!), another involves a catastrophic event where Louisa acts so pathetically that I cringed, and finally, there's a three-month-long separation at the tail end of the story. One of these obvious plot contrivances would have been just fine, but taken together, these three pushed my patience over the edge.

Will's a great hero, no doubt about it, and for him alone the book was worth a read. The love scenes are also a step above most and there is a spiritual element of hope that is beautifully done. Unfortunately, however, there was just too much to dislike about the plot for me to give this one an enthusiastic recommendation.

Reviewed by Laurie Shallah
Grade : C-

Sensuality: Warm

Review Date : March 6, 2000

Publication Date: 2000

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Laurie Shallah

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