Amberleigh

By Carole Nelson Douglas

Book Overview

Amberleigh Dunne must find the key to the lethal secrets haunting a great Irish estate when she travels to Carnhaven in 1893 to aid her mysteriously distressed school chum, Elaine. Reprint. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0812522648
• ISBN13: 9780812522648
• Release Date: January 1992
• Publisher: Tor Books
• Length: 448 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.3" x 1.3" x 4.5"

Customer Reviews

Romance and danger in Ireland.

A really engrossing Historical Romance. The Setting is Ireland in the late Nineteenth Century. Amberleigh Dunne is the daughter of a widowed Irish Merchant. Unfortunately, he was a bankrupt and suicide. Nearly destitute Amberleigh, is hired by Lady Devora St.Clare to be the companion to her stepdaughter, the delicate, fey heiress, Elaine St.Clare. Amberleigh arrives at the St.Clare's Irish estate, Carnhaven. Here the adventure begins. Things are not as they seem at Carnhaven. Motives are hidden. Manipulation and deceit is as common a pastime as riding to the hounds. There is political intrigue. Patriotic rebels, the underground United Irish, are at work fomenting unrest in the neighborhood. Captain Mayfair of the British Army and the local English landlords are hard at work trying to capture the ringleaders. Someone at Carnhaven is involved with the Rebels and The Cause. Amberleigh finds that her true purpose is to serve less as a companion and more as a ruse. A tool to be used in Lady Devora's affairs and schemes. Elaine is involved in a secret love affair which results in a pregnancy and a secret confinement. Amberleigh finds herself torn between two men. The charming, feckless Devlin Quade and the sardonic, reserved Lord Hugh Davenant. Who can she trust? This is all very entertaining, with a strong historical background. The characters are three dimensional with understandable motivations and actions. The mystery and romance are equally well done. Recommended.

Read it Twice

I thought that it was a great novel. I completly agree that [the lack of sexual scenes] has a positive impact on the book. I liked the character developement and Amberleigh's sprightly character. It is a fun read and worth a shot.

Amberleigh is definitely a keeper!

This is a great book! I have read a few romance books and have always been discouraged by their sexual content. One major plus about Amberleigh is that there are no sex scenes at all. The book focuses on a young girl who is forced into a lower quality life than she once hoped for, by a friend's mother and a costly death. She accepts this way of life, and therefore proves her true friendship. She struggles with self-image problems, but also stays true to herself and her ideals. It is easy to identify with Amberleigh and her problems. One also can't help but have sympathy for her, as she struggles with more than one dark secret that could cost her life. This is definitely a keeper, and has long since found a spot on my shelf!