Lavender Blue

by Sandra Heath

Book Overview

Jovian Cathness, twelfth Duke of Chavanage, was one of the greatest prizes in the Marriage Mart. Now, while he seems to be constantly befuddled by drink, there are rumours of the duke flying to the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451208587
• ISBN13: 9780451208583
• Release Date: April 2003
• Publisher: Signet Book
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Magical and delightful

Setting - Regency England 1813 --- Lady Anthea Wintour was once deeply in love with the Duke of Chavanage, Jovian Cathness and they both happily planned to be married. Then out of the blue, Jovian turned to drink for no apparent reason and it was a rarity to ever find him sober. Rumors abounded of his drunken displays and even stranger behavior with even sightings of him flying up to second story windows. At about the same time, Anthea's father remarried, then his bride died, and in his grief he left the country sending his newly acquired step-daughter Corrine to live with Anthea. After Corrine's arrival, Jovian and his new neighbor, Erebus Lethe, seem to continually cross their paths. Strange occurrences start to happen beginning with a posy of fresh lavender given to Anthea in the middle of winter by an unusually sober Jovian along with a strange warning. Jovian, the man whose very kiss sends her sailing over the rooftops, makes Anthea realize that he is the only man she will ever love even if he has broken her heart with his terrible behaviour. As the strange happenings begin to take on sinister overtones danger takes on new meaning. Anthea realizes Jovian is the only person who will be able to stop the insanity and save her step-sister's life.There are more and more twists and turns in this short and delightful little regency than one can shake a stick at! It is my first Sandra Heath novel but definitely not the last, as she mixes in romance, magic, and ancient myths into this one brilliant little book. Talk about original! Jovian is total mystery and divine hero and in addition, you are treated to a non-stop action page-turner that will have you panting for more and rushing to the bookstore to discover more gems penned by this outstanding talent. Do yourself a favor and put a little bit of magic in your life and this novel in your beach bag! --- Marilyn, Official Reviewer for www.historicalromancewriters.com ---

a master stroke of writing

Lavender Blue by Sandra Heath is not so much a Regency Romance as a true Gothic. And wow what a read! It's totally amazing how the writer wove such an intricate tale in so few pages. I simply could NOT put this one down. I love history and lore, and this one is so steeped with ancient myths of paganism, so perfectly portrayed. I am utterly delighted to discover a writer with such love for the ways of Auld, who depicts them without the cheap sensationalism. Althea has always loved Jovian, the Duke of Chavanage, and all believed they would marry and Althea would be his next Duchess. They considered them the perfect couple. But then, suddenly, the year before the book takes up, something distressing began to occur, shattering Althea's hopes. The Duke was on one drunken binge after another and never seems to stop drinking. Althea's heart is bruised by his often-callous treatment of her, still she is pained and worried to hear tales about Jovian - not just about his public drunkenness, but how he can fly over rooftops, and summon objects to his hand by will. She would like to dismiss these tales, but one cold January morn, she is woke from a strange dream. She could swear Jovian was looking into her bedroom window! From the second floor! She rushes out into the cold winter morn and finds him. He presents Althea with a posy of fresh Lavender, a summer blooming flower, and warns her not to trust anyone or believe everything see sees. Althea is puzzle; he is so like the old Jovian she loved and loved her, does not seem drunk at all. It warms her heart when he says he still loves her, but when she presses for answers that make sense, she gets riddles. Her life soon undergoes changes. At first, she receives a missive from her father, saying he has married again. Then later, another letter arrives and says she has a new stepsister coming to stay with her, that her stepmother has mysteriously died. Althea and her aunt welcome the girl. After her arrival, they are suddenly seeing a lot of Jovian and his new neighbor, Erebus Lethe. As events grown more sinister, Jovian's warning back in the winter comes to Althea's mind. Something very bizarre is circling Althea and her stepsister, something old and ancient, something very deadly and only Jovian can stop it. There are layers upon layers, riddles and more riddles. Ones steeped in knowledge of ancient lore will see some of the mystery coming, but it still is a master crafting of fiction and myth. For those unfamiliar with the Maid-Crone Cycle, they will be in for a super introduction to such lore. The pace keeps the reader hooked. This is my first book by Heath, but NOT my last!

Awesome book

Set mainly in the year 1814. Lady Anthea Wintour had been in love with Jovian Cathness, twelfth Duke of Chavanage, until he hurt her deeply one Christmas. Everyone watched as Jovian appeared to become an alcoholic. Anthea was unable to stop loving him, but stayed away as much as possible. Lady Anthea received a letter from her father, who was in Ireland, and was amazed to learn he had remarried! Only a short time later, his bride died. In his grief, he went on an expedition to Brazil. He sent his new stepdaughter, and eighteen year old named Corinna, to live with Anthea and his sister. Anthea and Aunt Letty quickly came to care for Corinna. Jovian Cathness was seen often with Sir Erebus Lethe. Lethe had eyes for Corinna. However, nothing and no one were as they seemed. Danger would come to a head on Lammas Eve, July 31st, when Corinna became nineteen! * Author Sandra Heath has written a wonderful tale based on Greek gods, goddesses, and myths. Quite a few magical happenings add luster to the story and I could not stop reading! This is a story that can be read over and over. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Lavender has many lives --

Classical mythology, from the days of Ancient Greece, traditionally tells a story in one of three styles. First, are imaginative tales of the gods and other supernatural beings; second is the saga or legend, and third are the folktales or popular fiction, if you will. Many of the characters of these stories derived from different countries in different eras of history, and it would take a more scholarly person than I am to de-bunk the entire concept. I prefer to believe there is at least a smidgeon of reality to even the most fantastical story, which may be one reason why I so adore-and admire-the writing of Sandra Heath. No matter which bit of ancient lore she chooses to embellish her fiction, it is after all, just that. Fiction. But, in my estimation, it is fiction of the very highest caliber; well-written, witty, clever, endearing, and with just enough of the fantastical to prompt one to think, 'it could have happened that way!' Certainly, stranger things happen nearly every day in our world, so why couldn't such strange things have happened nearly two hundred years ago? It's all illusion, all fiction, all entertaining. 'Lavender Blue, dilly dilly, Lavender Green. If I were king, dilly dilly, you'd be my queen' has been a popular folksong for several hundred years. It didn't just appear for the first time on the hit parade of 1949 or 1959 (both years saw high sales for various renditions, following an appearance in a movie of 1949), and obviously, it had some meaning at the time of its birth. Lavender (in blue or various other shades) dates to Biblical times and has been used for a multitude of purposes: food (Elizabeth I, for example), laundry (laundry/lavender=logical?), medicine, air freshener and last but not least, aphrodisiac. In "Lavender Blue", the latest book from Ms. Heath, a sprig of lavender (out of season) serves as a charm against witchcraft. It may also serve as a love charm when presented by Jovian Cathness, Duke of Chavanage, to his love, Lady Anthea Wintour, daughter of the Earl of Daneway. Although ideally matched, the course of true love has not run smoothly for this pair. For unknown reasons, Jovian has apparently taken to the bottle, seriously disturbing Anthea, who, in spite of her inner self advising against such things, believes the next-to-impossible stories of Jovian's behavior while in a state of intoxication.Why-wasn't he observed, flying to the upper windows of his townhouse? Or making a wine bottle slide across the table to him? And doesn't it seem as though she can hear him speak to her, when he isn't even there? Not to mention those occasions when he can absolutely read her mind! The summer of 1814 saw numerous celebrations and an influx of visitors to London, the result of Napoleon's apparent defeat. For Anthea, however, and her aunt Letty, the news is of a different sort. In short order, the Earl has married for the second time, and been suddenly widowed again. In the process, he has acquired a step-daughter