[.ca] The Secret Swan (ISBN 0553591851)

From Amazon.com:
Setting: England 1349 Sensuality: 7 With one look, 9-year-old Lady Amiranth St. Clare fell hopelessly in love with Tristan Geraint, while Tristan never gave the girl a second glance, that is until her family agreed to an arranged marriage. At 15, Amiranth thinks her dreams are coming true until she overhears Tristan tell a friend that he is marrying her only for her impeccable bloodlines. His words cut her to the bone, and when he leaves her a week after the wedding to fight for his king in France, she feels betrayed and abandoned. Neither of them know that Tristan will be wounded, imprisoned, and absent from England for eight long years--years that teach Amiranth bitter lessons about men, life, and trust. The memory of his young wife has kept Tristan sane during torture and isolation. He returns to find a beautiful, hauntingly familiar woman who claims to be Amiranth's cousin, Lily, and she tells him that his young wife has died in the plague that has decimated England. Both Tristan and Amiranth (posing as Lily to escape her former life) have deep secrets they refuse to share, and both are drawn inexorably to each other. Now Tristan must not only accompany Amiranth to safety, but he must find a way to retake his position as Earl of Haverlocke, a title now claimed by his younger brother. He needs Amiranth's help to do so, and the two strike a bargain, working together in a castle filled with intrigue and treachery. They can't trust the nobles that surround them, but can they trust each other when eight years apart have taught them to rely on no one but themselves? The Secret Swan is a tale of two people wedded as youthful strangers, separated, and brought together again as adults who have been tested by time and heartache. This deeply emotional and intense story not only has superb characterization, but also features a terrific plot, a complex villain, and a wonderful setting. Author Shana Abé just keeps getting better and better with each new novel, so if you love fine historical romance, don't miss The Secret Swan. --Lois Faye Dyer

secret swan:
i found this book to have one of the most heartfelt and true characters. I loved the way Shana went into detail about Amaranth's insecurities (i mean, come on! we all have them) and feelings she had over the years. I found the flashbacks to be very helpful. You really get to know the characters and see what they've been through over the years and how they're trying to over come that. I had tears forming when I read the part, when Tristan finally realizes that Amaranth is alive. Tristan, had gone from cocky, war-livng youth, to a noble and determined man. Sure he's not the most polished guy, and he has NO experience what-so-ever as being a husband and knowing what the term means. But that doesn't stop him from trying to regain the one thing he had truly lost over the years- acceptance. Amaranth had accepted him right -faults included- because she understood the value of loving another and wanting to be loved. And Tristan was wanting that too, yet he thought he could find it through glory from war. Well, for those who read it, knows how well that turned out...not so well. I recommend this book to any of those that are hopeless romantics at heart.

Love at first sight when one really looks hard...:
Lady Amiranth knows the minute she sees Tristin at court (she is 8-9 at the time) that this is the most amazing man she will ever meet. When her brother suggests him as a potential husband for her she does not disagree as she has with many others. Well the blessed day arrives and they are married, after she overhears that he is only marrying her for money and breeding... Then he takes her to his remote home (not even his castle) and leaves for the war. She is left to contend with everything including the plague that come through and wipes out the house and everyone in it. While he is not doing much better in a hellish French prison. Once he is finally out he has come home to seek Lady Amiranth and make up for all his lost time. You see he has done a lot of thinking while in prison. He finds that she is dead and her cousin is who is left at the home... (but is it her cousin) the story develops as you watch the attraction grow and see the guilt felt by both over things from the past. As with all good romances things work out in the end. I loved the work from a new author for me! I look forward to reading more by her.

Fantasy Mystery Romance!:
There were some parts of this book that was hard to believe. Initially, the love of Amiranth for Tristan and later vice versa. Hers was love at first sight and his was close to that by merely just holding on to a memory of her. Also, Amiranth is a strong, smart female character and to have her willingly stay in the godforsaken, stronghold Safere for 8+ years is another hard to believe aspect. I'm not quite sure about the ending and how she set up the mystery of the two brothers... who was suspect and all.. a little cliche. That could have been worked on more. Usually, if someone is truly innocent but their innocence is questionable, their actions can speak for them. I know the author didn't want readers to know who really did it until the end, but I didn't agree with her making both look questionable by their actions/looks (i.e. Tristan sometimes looking evil). I would have preferred more of the situational confusion that may make them look suspect (such as the part where Tristan threatens Hugh). I guess I like it more because it's a more thought out device, rather than an easy slap-on-a-evil-look trick to make one look guilty. Additionally, although I did love the book, I wished the ending could have gone on longer. Shana Abe does a great job with suspense and surprising twists, but I felt that by doing that, readers are on the edge of their seat a lot and that the ending should somehow make up for that by resolving it in a longer feel-good chapter or 2! :) That being said, I did give the book 4 stars for a reason. I still truly loved the way the author did not fall into most cliches and though there were some cheesiness to it, it was far and few between. I loved that the female protagonist had more involvement in the end instead of just having the hero save her. The trials of her life definitely taught her to be smarter and it showed. I loved the romance, sexual tension between the two, and how the tension was relieved occasionally throughout the book (unlike some other romance books) but the emotional tension (which I think counts more, too) was resolved in the end. I think I truly appreciated that Abe pulled us through the book on emotional strings and not physical ones. I think that's why I would call her book a romance book and not a trashy romance one. In the future, I hope Abe will put more believability into some of the storylines, but aside from that I definitely will be reading more of her books!

Couldn't put it down:
When her husband of days heads off for the war against France, Amiranth resolves to wait for him--she can teach him to love her when he returns. But when he fails to return, year after year, Amiranth comes up with a new plan--she'll take her dead cousin's identity and seek a new life in a convent. Her husband Tristan's return after eight years in a French prison disturbs Amiranth's plans--but she resolves to continue, despite the rekindled love that Tristan creates within her. Eight years in a French dungeon has changed Tristan. Over those years, he learned to hold onto his few memories of Amiranth and cherish them in ways that he had never done during their week together. He dreams now of returning to what was taken from him--his lands, his wealth, and most especially his wife. When he finds that his wife has died in the plague sweeping England, he knows he must go on--but Amiranth's cousin Lilly is strangely attractive, and strangely familiar to him. Author Shana Abe takes these two tortured characters through a rebirth--of their lives and their love for one another. But love alone is not enough. Can Amiranth trust Tristan with her heart and her body again, after all that has happened? And can Tristan learn to give up what he most wants? In 1300s England, even survival is not guaranteed, and Amiranth and Tristan must learn to work together to hold onto both love and life. THE SECRET SWAN was a 2002 RITA Award finalist and understandably so. Abe's writing is smooth and satisfying and she provides both emotional depth and enough plot twists to keep the reader fascinated.

A \oreal\c good read!:
Tristan Geraint, Earl of Haverlocke, married fifteen year old Lady Amiranth St. Clare. He immediately deposited her at his remote Safere estate and left for the glory of war. Eight years later, after escaping the French prison he had dwelled in the entire time, he returned to Safere a changed man. All he wanted now was the love of a wife he had spurned long ago, a home, and no more killings. Lady Amiranth had loved Tristan for years before they married. On the day of their union, she found out that he only married her because the king demanded it. She never even had time to show him how happy they could be. He left only days after the ceremony. Time passed. Eight long years went by. Everyone at Safere was either gone or dead from the plague. Lily, the cousin Amiranth resembled so much, had succumbed to The Black Death only two months before. She was alone. "Amiranth, Countess of Haverlocke" was placed upon Lily's stone. Taking the place of Lily, the king would think Amiranth dead and no longer press her to remarry. She was alone, but she was free! That was, until Tristan unexpectedly returned! Playing Lily, she nursed the feverish Tristan back to health and they departed to one of his larger estates. The countryside was hostile. No town would allow them entrance for fear of plague carriers. And when they finally reached Glynwallen Castle, Tristan found out that Liam had done more than just take over his title! ***** A \oreal\c good read! Viewers, Historical Romance stories get no better than this one! It's not only highly recommended, it is extremely recommended! I loved it so much, that it will never leave my possession! Awesome! *****