Banished from her uncaring family home for her growing friendship with older neighbour St. John, Alexandria Thaine is unprepared for the new life she encounters with her distant cousins in England's West Country. She blossoms under the warmth of the Falconers, and as she throws herself into the thrilling danger of the family's smuggling trade, Alex forms an unbreakable bond with the eldest son, Rane.
But just as Alex begins to imagine a future in Devon with Rane at her side, the death of her older sister forces her back home to care for her sister's motherless twins. Still yearning for Rane, Alex grows to love the helpless babies, and as she rekindles her friendship with St. John, she finds herself caught between her heart and her home.
When the opportunity comes to start anew in Maryland's lush horse country, Alex faces the agonizing choice between the life she dreamed of and the promise of the new world. But starting over in a golden land on the brink of war brings unforeseen dangers to her door, and when Alex's new family is threatened, can she find the strength to risk her happiness today for the wild hope of a brighter tomorrow?
The sweeping, epic and emotional novel by beloved storyteller Celeste De Blasis, available in eBook for the first time. Perfect for readers who love Poldark, Outlander and Daphne du Maurier.
A Wild Hope was originally published as Wild Swan.
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The air was cool and shadowed in the great oak. ONE
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(@bookouture, 8 October 2020, 832 pages, ebook, #ARC from the publisher via # NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed, #BlogTour 10 October)
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I'd never heard of the author before but this sounded like a good read and something outside my comfort zone so I decided to take part in the blog tour. I'd like to read the original version published in 1984 to see if any big changes have been made. I did enjoy most of the book. The love story between Alexandra, Rane and St. John Carrington left me a little cold. Romance is not my thing. This isn't the backbone of the novel though and there is plenty to enjoy. The book starts in 1813 and weaves through England and Maryland. The settings are well researched and written and brought to vivid life. The story is interwoven with many issues including horse racing and slavery. This defines the word epic. I loved the author's use of description and detail which bring the era and people to life. I don't know if I'd read the whole trilogy but I enjoyed this a lot.
