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Further Than Passion

by Cheryl Holt

Kate Duncan has learned to agree with all of her spoiled cousin's wishes, rather than listen to her whine or yell. But when she asks Kate to help her catch the notorious Marcus Pelham as her husband using an apothecary's love potion, Kate firmly says no… in her own mind. To prove to herself that the potion is a sham, Kate drinks the elixir and unknowingly finds herself watching Marcus in the throes of an indiscretion. Fortunately, the evening is a dream, caused by the strange tonic she imbibed – at least she certainly hopes so.

Marcus Pelham definitely noticed the observer watching him that night. Bored with the seduction of women, he is surprisingly aroused when he realizes that he's being watched. To attempt retaliation for affecting his senses, Marcus drinks the elixir, and finds himself genuinely attracted to Kate and her virtue. But are the feelings Marcus has developed for Kate caused by the potion, or is he truly falling in love?

I did enjoy reading this book, although I must admit that I did not feel as satisfied with the story as I could have been. The characters that were mistreating Kate Duncan were just a little too malicious and just a little too unkind. Yes, there is a happy ending, but reading this book left me with an overall feeling of unhappiness because of the many injustices that Kate goes through – too many than the ending could overcome. There were not enough small victories along the way for me to feel the urge to read further; all Kate's victories came at the end. In addition, I felt that Kate and Marcus Pelham came together too quickly, and too easily, to really feel pleased once they spent time with each other. No time was invested in the development in their relationship before the seduction began; I felt that it was entirely rushed into the bedroom for the sake of sensuality.

However, there were many moments of radiance in Cheryl Holt's story, moments when Kate and Marcus had self realizations about themselves and each other. The antagonists received their just desserts in a fitting way, and Kate and Marcus had a happy ending that promised a future of love and comfort. Ms. Holt's style of writing and her story are definitely worth spending time with, and although I did not completely fall in love with the book, I could very much appreciate her talent and art.