Roanna has been in love with Webb for as long as she can remember. As a child, it was a sort of hero worship, but as she grew older, the love matured into something more real. So it broke her heart when Webb married her spoiled cousin, Jessie.
Then one day, everything falls apart. Roanna spies Jessie with another man, but she doesn’t want to tell Webb, because she’s afraid of hurting him. She does lose her mind, however, and kisses him, a kiss that Jessie interrupts. Jessie and Webb fight, and later that night, Roanna finds Jessie’s body. Webb is convicted in the eyes of public opinion, even if there is no proof, and he leaves.
Ten years later….
I loved this story. I did think the setup (which I summarized for you) was just a bit slow, but worth it to get through to the good part, when Roanna and Webb meet again. Both Roanna and Jessie were orphaned as children (when Roanna was 7 and Jessie 13), and taken in by their grandmother, who loved Jessie more. Roanna was a challenge, and had to fight to be worthy of love in her family’s eyes. She never measured up in anyone’s eyes except Webb, the second cousin who was also her protector. Her life came with consequences, chief among them an eating disorder (anorexia), which nearly killed her after Webb left.
Roanna and Webb were wonderful characters, and this book was full of both passion and love. (Not the same thing!) I highly recommend this to romance readers. Or heck, I recommend just about anything by Linda Howard. She’s one of those authors I just pick up — no questions asked. I don’t even bother reading the back of the book; if I find a new Linda Howard book (or an old one I haven’t read), I’ll be reading it within a few days, regardless of what’s waiting on my nightstand!
Rating: 5/5
Title: Shades of Twilight
Author: Linda Howard
ISBN: 0671019716
Published: November 2009