Patricia Gaffney
Author of The Saving Graces
About the Author
Image credit: http://booktrib.com/books/circle-of-three/
Series
Works by Patricia Gaffney
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1944-12-17
- Gender
- female
- Education
- Marymount College (English ∙ Philosophy)
Royal Holloway College ( University of London)
George Washington University
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (Literature) - Occupations
- teacher (high school English)
court reporter - Awards and honors
- RT Career Acheivement Award Nomination
- Short biography
- Patricia Gaffney was born on December 17, 1944 in Tampa, Florida, and grew up in Bethesda, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C. She earned a bachelor's degree in English and philosophy from Marymount College in Tarrytown, New York, and also studied literature at Royal Holloway College of the University of London, at George Washington University, and at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After college, Gaffney taught 12th grade English for a year before becoming a freelance court reporter, a job shepursued in North Carolina, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C., for the next fifteen years.
Her first book, a historical romance, was published by Dorchester in 1989. Between then and 1997, she wrote 11 more romance novels (Dorchester; PenguinUSA), for which she was nominated for or won many awards.
In 1999, she went in a new direction with her hardcover fiction debut, The Saving Graces (HarperCollins). A contemporary story about four women friends, the novel explored issues of love, friendship, trust, and commitment among women. The Saving Graces enjoyed bestseller status on theNew York Times, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and other lists. Circle of Three (2000), Flight Lessons (2002), and The Goodbye Summer (2004) followed,all national bestsellers.
Patricia Gaffney lives in southern Pennsylvania with her husband. - Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Tampa, Florida, USA
- Places of residence
- Tampa, Florida, USA
Bethesda, Maryland, USA
Pennslyvania, USA - Associated Place (for map)
- USA
Members
Reviews
There are a lot of "women's novels" out there about groups of women who form lifelong friendships and end up helping each other through major changes. But most of them don't tell the story as well as Gaffney does here.
At first, it looks like a set-up. Emma is hopelessly in love with a married man. Lee is so intent on having a baby that the effort is endangering her marrieage. Rudy is slowly being subsumed by a passive-aggressive husband who's not above gaslighting her to get his way. And show more Isabel has survived divorce only to face a battle with breast cancer.
Pretty much Hallmark Movie of the Week up to this point.
But these women are so well drawn, and their responses are so consistent to their characters, that the reader really will begin to care about what happens to them. show less
At first, it looks like a set-up. Emma is hopelessly in love with a married man. Lee is so intent on having a baby that the effort is endangering her marrieage. Rudy is slowly being subsumed by a passive-aggressive husband who's not above gaslighting her to get his way. And show more Isabel has survived divorce only to face a battle with breast cancer.
Pretty much Hallmark Movie of the Week up to this point.
But these women are so well drawn, and their responses are so consistent to their characters, that the reader really will begin to care about what happens to them. show less
Forever & Ever is the third and final novel in Patricia Gaffney’s Wyckerley Trilogy, which follows the lives of a colorful group of characters who live in the small fictional village of Wyckerley in the English countryside. This one is the story of Sophie Deene, a young woman whose father left her his copper mine upon his death, something almost unheard of in the Victorian era in which it’s set. She’s a shrewd but fair businesswoman who’s been running the mine quite well for the past show more two years. Then Cornishman Connor Pendarvis comes to town. He’s impersonating his brother, Jack, who’s a former miner, in order to get a job at the mine for the purpose of secretly evaluating its working conditions and safety protocols for a progressive political organization that hopes to enact legislation to regulate the mining industry. As the two often see each other at various events around town and start getting to know one another, they slowly fall in love despite the differences in their social stations. But when the truth of Connor’s identity and actual mission come out, it puts their fledgling relationship to the test. I loved To Love and to Cherish, the first book of the series, but the second one, To Have and to Hold, was just an OK read that left me feeling rather cold. Because of that, I went into reading this book not quite sure what to expect, but I’m happy to report that I very much enjoyed it.
While not a titled lady, Sophie is definitely near the top of the social ladder in Wyckerley. She’s always considered herself to only be beneath Rachel Verlaine (To Have and to Hold), the viscountess of the nearby estate, and Anne Morrell (To Love and to Cherish), the former viscountess of the same estate. As such, Sophie feels she has a reputation to uphold and has always behaved with the utmost propriety. She also prides herself on running her father’s mine well, wanting to live up to the faith he placed in her when he made her his heir. While her uncle and cousin would like to see her find a husband, Sophie is far more interested in simply being a businesswoman. She likes being in charge and doesn’t really want to turn the mine over to a man who would likely expect her to cease her participation in the day-to-day activities of running it, so she’s content with where she is in life. Then Connor comes to town and she’s instantly intrigued by him. When she discovers that he’s a simple miner, she balks a bit at her attraction to someone of low birth, but ultimately he proves to be a temptation she can’t resist. They begin to spend more and more time in each other’s company and eventually become lovers, but just when things seem perfect and she’s come to terms with making things more permanent with him, she learns his true identity and understandably feels betrayed. Things end badly between them, but fate conspires to soon bring them back together. However, just as they’re starting to understand each other again, more drama and tragedy ensue. Sophie is the perfect mixture of the sweet ingénue who’s kind to everyone and always happy to lend a helping hand, and a highly intelligent, strong-willed, mature woman who can run a business every bit as well as a man. She also has a certain stubborn pride that causes her to get in her own way at times. Despite that, though, she can still be quite reasonable and usually finds her way around to seeing things differently when warranted, so I very much liked her in spite of her flaws.
Connor tragically lost his entire family except for Jack, an older brother who is seriously ill with consumption from working in the mines all his life. Connor was the only member of the family to get an education and his family always had high hopes for his future. He had his own aspirations of becoming a barrister until that part of his education was cut short. Because of his brother’s condition, he desperately wants to enact mining reform, so he took employment with a political organization for which he secretly investigates mines, using Jack’s identity and work record, and then writes reports that are used to create legislation. When he first arrives in Wyckerley, Connor is instantly smitten with the lovely Sophie, but when he learns she’s the owner of the mine he was sent to investigate, it just as quickly makes her his enemy. But the more time he spends with her and the more he learns about her and how all the workers at the mine seem to revere her, he can’t help his attraction to her. However, it doesn’t change the fact that her mine is still a dangerous place for the workers, so he goes ahead with writing his preliminary report, not knowing that the society he’s working for is planning to publish it. Just as he realizes he’s in love with Sophie and decides to reveal the truth of his identity and hope that she’ll forgive him, the cat is let out of the bag before he can. Connor isn’t unlike Sophie in that he, too, can be stubborn and prideful and get in his own way sometimes. But at the same time, he’s a very kind, caring, and generous man who only wants to do what’s right. In fact, I felt like he leaned more toward being a beta hero, because he isn’t bothered by Sophie continuing to work at the mine and he’s never a possessive jerk. I also very much liked that he wasn’t a womanizer, focusing his energies instead on his scholarly work, and even when another woman practically handed herself to him on a silver platter, he politely refused in spite of not being with Sophie at the time.
Overall, I very much enjoyed Forever & Ever. It’s an extremely well-written and well-researched story. The first half of the book is sweet and tender as Connor and Sophie get to know one another and share plenty of romantic and passionate interludes. After their separation, it’s difficult for them to find their way back to a place of love and trust. Sometimes this could be just a tad frustrating, but usually their arguments don’t last long before they make some kind of peace and they do eventually find their way to a much better place. However, there’s still some fairly intense drama toward the end of the story that was emotionally heavy for me to read. In fact, Sophie suffers from a case of what I’m sure would be diagnosed nowadays as clinical depression, which might distress readers who’ve experienced this condition themselves. During this part, I felt that the narrative was perhaps just a little too melodramatic. Otherwise, this was an excellent read. I liked the little visits we get with Christy and Anne (To Love and to Cherish) and Sebastian and Rachel (To Have and to Hold) to show where they are now, as well as the love triangle between supporting characters, William and Sidony, who were introduced in the second book, and Jack. Everything came together nicely to make Forever & Ever a great wrap-up to the Wyckerley Trilogy and another of this author’s books that will go on my keeper shelf. show less
While not a titled lady, Sophie is definitely near the top of the social ladder in Wyckerley. She’s always considered herself to only be beneath Rachel Verlaine (To Have and to Hold), the viscountess of the nearby estate, and Anne Morrell (To Love and to Cherish), the former viscountess of the same estate. As such, Sophie feels she has a reputation to uphold and has always behaved with the utmost propriety. She also prides herself on running her father’s mine well, wanting to live up to the faith he placed in her when he made her his heir. While her uncle and cousin would like to see her find a husband, Sophie is far more interested in simply being a businesswoman. She likes being in charge and doesn’t really want to turn the mine over to a man who would likely expect her to cease her participation in the day-to-day activities of running it, so she’s content with where she is in life. Then Connor comes to town and she’s instantly intrigued by him. When she discovers that he’s a simple miner, she balks a bit at her attraction to someone of low birth, but ultimately he proves to be a temptation she can’t resist. They begin to spend more and more time in each other’s company and eventually become lovers, but just when things seem perfect and she’s come to terms with making things more permanent with him, she learns his true identity and understandably feels betrayed. Things end badly between them, but fate conspires to soon bring them back together. However, just as they’re starting to understand each other again, more drama and tragedy ensue. Sophie is the perfect mixture of the sweet ingénue who’s kind to everyone and always happy to lend a helping hand, and a highly intelligent, strong-willed, mature woman who can run a business every bit as well as a man. She also has a certain stubborn pride that causes her to get in her own way at times. Despite that, though, she can still be quite reasonable and usually finds her way around to seeing things differently when warranted, so I very much liked her in spite of her flaws.
Connor tragically lost his entire family except for Jack, an older brother who is seriously ill with consumption from working in the mines all his life. Connor was the only member of the family to get an education and his family always had high hopes for his future. He had his own aspirations of becoming a barrister until that part of his education was cut short. Because of his brother’s condition, he desperately wants to enact mining reform, so he took employment with a political organization for which he secretly investigates mines, using Jack’s identity and work record, and then writes reports that are used to create legislation. When he first arrives in Wyckerley, Connor is instantly smitten with the lovely Sophie, but when he learns she’s the owner of the mine he was sent to investigate, it just as quickly makes her his enemy. But the more time he spends with her and the more he learns about her and how all the workers at the mine seem to revere her, he can’t help his attraction to her. However, it doesn’t change the fact that her mine is still a dangerous place for the workers, so he goes ahead with writing his preliminary report, not knowing that the society he’s working for is planning to publish it. Just as he realizes he’s in love with Sophie and decides to reveal the truth of his identity and hope that she’ll forgive him, the cat is let out of the bag before he can. Connor isn’t unlike Sophie in that he, too, can be stubborn and prideful and get in his own way sometimes. But at the same time, he’s a very kind, caring, and generous man who only wants to do what’s right. In fact, I felt like he leaned more toward being a beta hero, because he isn’t bothered by Sophie continuing to work at the mine and he’s never a possessive jerk. I also very much liked that he wasn’t a womanizer, focusing his energies instead on his scholarly work, and even when another woman practically handed herself to him on a silver platter, he politely refused in spite of not being with Sophie at the time.
Overall, I very much enjoyed Forever & Ever. It’s an extremely well-written and well-researched story. The first half of the book is sweet and tender as Connor and Sophie get to know one another and share plenty of romantic and passionate interludes. After their separation, it’s difficult for them to find their way back to a place of love and trust. Sometimes this could be just a tad frustrating, but usually their arguments don’t last long before they make some kind of peace and they do eventually find their way to a much better place. However, there’s still some fairly intense drama toward the end of the story that was emotionally heavy for me to read. In fact, Sophie suffers from a case of what I’m sure would be diagnosed nowadays as clinical depression, which might distress readers who’ve experienced this condition themselves. During this part, I felt that the narrative was perhaps just a little too melodramatic. Otherwise, this was an excellent read. I liked the little visits we get with Christy and Anne (To Love and to Cherish) and Sebastian and Rachel (To Have and to Hold) to show where they are now, as well as the love triangle between supporting characters, William and Sidony, who were introduced in the second book, and Jack. Everything came together nicely to make Forever & Ever a great wrap-up to the Wyckerley Trilogy and another of this author’s books that will go on my keeper shelf. show less
TL;DR - Many people think this is a wonderful Romance novel, I do not agree. It is a good book that you should consider reading, for reasons I will go into below.
So, I’m looking for some light-weight cheerful summer reading, and say to myself, hey! why don’t I pick up some Romance, you get a happily-ever-after with those right? Look at some blogs, pick a few from the lists, one of which is this Patricia Gaffney “To Have and To Hold”. It has a pretty estate pictured on the cover of show more the Kindle edition I have. Lots of sun! Looks light and cheerful.
First few pages I’m introduced to the “Hero” Sebastian Verlaine, I’m thinking, ‘oh he’s a little edgy, great, don’t want it too sappy’
Few more pages, ‘hmmm this is a bit dark isn’t it?’
Few more, ‘ WHAT THE HELL AM I READING????’
Light read, not so much. Excellently written character study of a ’rake’, a charismatic, abusive, emotionally controlling rapist (reminiscent of Lovelace from[b:Clarissa, or, the History of a Young Lady|529243|Clarissa, or, the History of a Young Lady|Samuel Richardson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1373639647s/529243.jpg|2767990]) is what I got.
The first half of the book did an incredible job of putting me in the head of a privileged member of the aristocracy. There is very little romanization of what many authors consider an idyllic time in history. The author touches upon the power disparity between the classes, how the lower classes go to prison for crimes the upper classes are never even charged with. We see how very vulnerable certain members of society are.
The last half of the book becomes more of a conventional romance, replete with a puppy and bubble bath.
We meet the heroine, a woman convicted of a crime who has no alternative but to accept work with Villian/Hero knowing full well there would be extra ‘duties’ e.g. multiple rapes.
It is here that I feel this book distinguishes itself. For the first half of the book it is made clear exactly how helpless and vulnerable Rachel is. We are also put inside Sebastian’s head and see how he plans his emotional and physical assaults.
Why in the world would anyone consider this a Romance? I guess some readers think the rapes are really ‘seductions’, but no, no, there is no ambiguity here. I was really surprised in 1995 this could still be considered a grey area. Sure, probably 1850 would have considered it a forceful seduction, but this is a Romance written for modern readers. Surely our concepts of consent have advanced since then?
Sebastian is a very interesting character and the book is worth reading (with trigger warnings) just for him. If you don’t mind your hero raping your heroine, then yes it might be romantic. show less
So, I’m looking for some light-weight cheerful summer reading, and say to myself, hey! why don’t I pick up some Romance, you get a happily-ever-after with those right? Look at some blogs, pick a few from the lists, one of which is this Patricia Gaffney “To Have and To Hold”. It has a pretty estate pictured on the cover of show more the Kindle edition I have. Lots of sun! Looks light and cheerful.
First few pages I’m introduced to the “Hero” Sebastian Verlaine, I’m thinking, ‘oh he’s a little edgy, great, don’t want it too sappy’
Few more pages, ‘hmmm this is a bit dark isn’t it?’
Few more, ‘ WHAT THE HELL AM I READING????’
Light read, not so much. Excellently written character study of a ’rake’, a charismatic, abusive, emotionally controlling rapist (reminiscent of Lovelace from[b:Clarissa, or, the History of a Young Lady|529243|Clarissa, or, the History of a Young Lady|Samuel Richardson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1373639647s/529243.jpg|2767990]) is what I got.
The first half of the book did an incredible job of putting me in the head of a privileged member of the aristocracy. There is very little romanization of what many authors consider an idyllic time in history. The author touches upon the power disparity between the classes, how the lower classes go to prison for crimes the upper classes are never even charged with. We see how very vulnerable certain members of society are.
The last half of the book becomes more of a conventional romance, replete with a puppy and bubble bath.
We meet the heroine, a woman convicted of a crime who has no alternative but to accept work with Villian/Hero knowing full well there would be extra ‘duties’ e.g. multiple rapes.
It is here that I feel this book distinguishes itself. For the first half of the book it is made clear exactly how helpless and vulnerable Rachel is. We are also put inside Sebastian’s head and see how he plans his emotional and physical assaults.
Why in the world would anyone consider this a Romance? I guess some readers think the rapes are really ‘seductions’, but no, no, there is no ambiguity here. I was really surprised in 1995 this could still be considered a grey area. Sure, probably 1850 would have considered it a forceful seduction, but this is a Romance written for modern readers. Surely our concepts of consent have advanced since then?
Sebastian is a very interesting character and the book is worth reading (with trigger warnings) just for him. If you don’t mind your hero raping your heroine, then yes it might be romantic. show less
The first Patricia Gaffney book I read was Wild at Heart, which I loved for it’s uniqueness and depth of emotion. I’m rather appalled to say that was nearly six years ago. I have no idea why I didn’t read another of her books until now, other than that I’ve found a lot of equally talented authors who’ve been drawing my attention away since then. In any case, I’m so glad I finally got around to reading Ms. Gaffney again, because To Love and to Cherish was equally as unique in show more it’s own way and filled with a richness of detail and sumptuous emotions that really grabbed me and didn’t let go.
When I started the book, I wasn’t sure if this would be the case. I was enjoying it, but it seemed a little subdued. The first 150 pages or so move rather slowly with not a great of relationship building from a romantic standpoint occurring between the hero and heroine. I did, however, like the slow-building friendship between Anne and Christy. It was appropriate for the circumstances, since she’s a married woman when they meet and he’s a minister. I also very much enjoyed how Anne, an atheist, feels more comfortable and can be more herself with Christy, a minister, than anyone else in her life. I felt it showed just how open their hearts were that two people from such disparate religious backgrounds could become so close. During this time, we see just enough of their interactions to feel the deepening of their friendship and a blossoming attraction, but sometimes I felt like the author was holding back somewhat on the emotional development. I'm not sure if it's because of the sensitive nature of the relationship or what, but I kept wanting to feel more or for something more to happen between them. At that magical 150 page mark, though, that all changes, and from there, we get an emotional feast that at times was so deep and intense as to leave me feeling either euphoric over their shared joy or a tad wrung out from their shared turmoil. Either way, I wouldn’t have changed a thing about this part of the story. From that point on, it was practically perfect in every way.
In some ways, I think this story is more about Anne’s journey, as she went through more changes and growth. When she first comes to Wyckerley with Geoffrey, her husband, and the hero, Christy’s childhood best friend, she’s in a very morose place. It’s easy to tell that her marriage is an unhappy one, but exactly what makes it that way isn’t revealed until much later in the story. All we get are little hints: that Geoffrey may have been cruel to her in some way or possibly even abusive, that at least one of his dissolute friends behaved inappropriately toward her, and that they haven’t been intimate since their honeymoon. But the why of all these things unfolds slowly over time. When we finally learn the full import of what Anne’s life has been like, I couldn’t help feeling empathy toward her. She feels rather blind and stupid for having allowed her girlish self to believe Geoffrey’s lies and manipulations and now she feels trapped in a loveless marriage. Yet she still feels some loyalty to her husband in spite of his treachery. When she meets Christy, Anne is in a desolate place. Even though she wasn’t raised in the high life, she’s now an aristocrat, and as the only aristocratic lady in town, she feels isolated and has trouble making friends. I could really relate to Anne in this way as well as her almost overwhelming sense of loneliness. Christy becomes something of a lifeline to her, so much so that when he reveals his growing feelings for her and tries to call off their friendship, she all but begs him not to. The last thing she wants to do is tempt him or hurt him in any way, but she feels like he’s all she has. I really enjoyed watching Anne go on her journey to finding emotional wholeness, a deepening spirituality, and a growing sense of community with the people of Wyckerley.
I greatly admired Christy. He's an amazing man and most definitely a sweet beta hero, a kind, gentle soul who IMHO genuinely embodies his role as a minister. He always thinks of others first, even putting his life in danger at one point to bring spiritual comfort to a man who everyone believes is going to die. He truly cares about people, and is deeply committed to all of his parishioners. That’s how things begin with Anne, with him trying to befriend her and bring her some comfort. It just so happens that he comes to care for her on a much deeper level than his other parishioners. Christy is the type of minister who really brings the love of God to his flock and doesn’t judge them for their weaknesses. But at the same time, Christy feels like he's living in the shadow of his father, the former minister, and can't quite measure up. Anne, however, sees the truth and knows how much help he is to his congregation even when he can’t. It’s through his gentle, heartfelt faith that he brings about spiritual change in others, most especially Anne. Readers who don’t like perfect heroes, probably won’t care much for Christy. At one point, even Anne teases him, asking whether he has any flaws, because he seems so perfect, and in my opinion, he nearly was. But I loved that about him. He’s a truly honorable man, who is also deeply self-controlled which I found very sexy and appealing. (Not every hero has to be a randy goat 24/7.;-)) Even though Christy is deeply passionate and desires Anne, he refuses to merely have an affair with her like she initially wants, but he’s not averse to compromise when he’s finally able to wear her down a little. This really helped to build a sense of anticipation and once he does get her to compromise, their intimate scenes are filled with tenderness and emotion while still being quite sexy and sensual.
There are a couple of very unique elements in To Love and to Cherish, the first of which I’ll address being the faith message. In many ways the story almost reminded me of an inspirational romance, because this element is front and center throughout. This might bother some readers who are averse to religious messages in their books, but I found it refreshing, in part because it’s rare to find a character outside of inspirational stories who has a deep faith in God like Christy does. At the same time, it wasn’t like any other inspirational story I’ve ever read, because the characters act like real people. They curse, they have vices, they experience temptations and doubts, and they reason things out through logic and intellect, instead of merely following a set of pious, puritanical rules and regulations. The author also doesn’t gloss over or completely omit sexual desire and even love-making, which no true inspirational author I know of would do. However, I actually liked all of these things much better than most inspirational romances I’ve read, because of how it all seemed more deeply rooted in reality with characters I could relate to. Even Anne’s conversion experience was very organic and not the type that you would typically see in inspirational fiction, not to mention, Christy fully accepted her as she was before that, without trying to change her or placing unrealistic expectations on her. Even when she had doubts that she could ever make a suitable minister’s wife, he completely trusted her.
The other unusual element is that a significant part of the story is told through Anne’s journal entries. I appreciated the uniqueness of this storytelling medium, which is rarely seen in romance. They were well-written, and as a whole, I liked them. They give us some insights into Anne's life, and show her introspections in a different way. However, some of the earlier entries, during that first 150 pages, didn’t delve quite as deeply as I would have liked. There are also a few interactions with Christy that Anne writes about in her journal that I think might have had more impact if written in real-time rather than after the fact in this narrative format. Otherwise, I liked this uncommon look into Anne’s POV and think that it proves my earlier point that this story is a little more about her and her journey.
I also have to say that Ms. Gaffney did an incredible job of bringing the little village of Wyckerley to life, so much so that it became a character unto itself. Some of this is because of the author’s sumptuous descriptions of the environment, while the other part is the people of the town itself. Throughout the course of the story, we meet many of the townspeople, who, of course, are also Christy’s parishioners, and I came to care about all of them. In her author’s note at the end, Ms. Gaffney says that she didn’t originally envision this book as the start of a series, but some of the characters she created just wouldn’t let go when it was finished. She wanted to know more of what happened in their lives, which is why it ended up being a trilogy. Although we don’t get to meet him in this story, the presence of Geoffrey’s cousin can be felt from afar. He comes to town and becomes the hero of the next book, To Have and to Hold. Then there’s pretty, young Sophie Deene, who if memory serves is the niece of the mayor. Her father dies, leaving her the heir to his copper mine, and she becomes the heroine of the final book, Forever and Ever.
Overall, To Love and to Cherish is a wonderful, heartfelt story that makes the reader feel everything that Anne and Christy are feeling. If anyone starts it and isn’t quite feeling it during the first 150 pages, I encourage you to stick with it, because it definitely takes off after that and is completely worth it. And for anyone who might be worried about a potential cheating element, due to the heroine being a married woman, there’s no need for concern. Anne and Christy are very controlled in their relationship, never doing anything improper, not even kissing, until they fully believe she’s a free woman. Except for the slow early parts that I mentioned, this was a great story. It has earned Patricia Gaffney a spot on my favorite authors list, and I’m very much looking forward to continuing the series and revisiting this quaint little town in the English countryside soon. show less
When I started the book, I wasn’t sure if this would be the case. I was enjoying it, but it seemed a little subdued. The first 150 pages or so move rather slowly with not a great of relationship building from a romantic standpoint occurring between the hero and heroine. I did, however, like the slow-building friendship between Anne and Christy. It was appropriate for the circumstances, since she’s a married woman when they meet and he’s a minister. I also very much enjoyed how Anne, an atheist, feels more comfortable and can be more herself with Christy, a minister, than anyone else in her life. I felt it showed just how open their hearts were that two people from such disparate religious backgrounds could become so close. During this time, we see just enough of their interactions to feel the deepening of their friendship and a blossoming attraction, but sometimes I felt like the author was holding back somewhat on the emotional development. I'm not sure if it's because of the sensitive nature of the relationship or what, but I kept wanting to feel more or for something more to happen between them. At that magical 150 page mark, though, that all changes, and from there, we get an emotional feast that at times was so deep and intense as to leave me feeling either euphoric over their shared joy or a tad wrung out from their shared turmoil. Either way, I wouldn’t have changed a thing about this part of the story. From that point on, it was practically perfect in every way.
In some ways, I think this story is more about Anne’s journey, as she went through more changes and growth. When she first comes to Wyckerley with Geoffrey, her husband, and the hero, Christy’s childhood best friend, she’s in a very morose place. It’s easy to tell that her marriage is an unhappy one, but exactly what makes it that way isn’t revealed until much later in the story. All we get are little hints: that Geoffrey may have been cruel to her in some way or possibly even abusive, that at least one of his dissolute friends behaved inappropriately toward her, and that they haven’t been intimate since their honeymoon. But the why of all these things unfolds slowly over time. When we finally learn the full import of what Anne’s life has been like, I couldn’t help feeling empathy toward her. She feels rather blind and stupid for having allowed her girlish self to believe Geoffrey’s lies and manipulations and now she feels trapped in a loveless marriage. Yet she still feels some loyalty to her husband in spite of his treachery. When she meets Christy, Anne is in a desolate place. Even though she wasn’t raised in the high life, she’s now an aristocrat, and as the only aristocratic lady in town, she feels isolated and has trouble making friends. I could really relate to Anne in this way as well as her almost overwhelming sense of loneliness. Christy becomes something of a lifeline to her, so much so that when he reveals his growing feelings for her and tries to call off their friendship, she all but begs him not to. The last thing she wants to do is tempt him or hurt him in any way, but she feels like he’s all she has. I really enjoyed watching Anne go on her journey to finding emotional wholeness, a deepening spirituality, and a growing sense of community with the people of Wyckerley.
I greatly admired Christy. He's an amazing man and most definitely a sweet beta hero, a kind, gentle soul who IMHO genuinely embodies his role as a minister. He always thinks of others first, even putting his life in danger at one point to bring spiritual comfort to a man who everyone believes is going to die. He truly cares about people, and is deeply committed to all of his parishioners. That’s how things begin with Anne, with him trying to befriend her and bring her some comfort. It just so happens that he comes to care for her on a much deeper level than his other parishioners. Christy is the type of minister who really brings the love of God to his flock and doesn’t judge them for their weaknesses. But at the same time, Christy feels like he's living in the shadow of his father, the former minister, and can't quite measure up. Anne, however, sees the truth and knows how much help he is to his congregation even when he can’t. It’s through his gentle, heartfelt faith that he brings about spiritual change in others, most especially Anne. Readers who don’t like perfect heroes, probably won’t care much for Christy. At one point, even Anne teases him, asking whether he has any flaws, because he seems so perfect, and in my opinion, he nearly was. But I loved that about him. He’s a truly honorable man, who is also deeply self-controlled which I found very sexy and appealing. (Not every hero has to be a randy goat 24/7.;-)) Even though Christy is deeply passionate and desires Anne, he refuses to merely have an affair with her like she initially wants, but he’s not averse to compromise when he’s finally able to wear her down a little. This really helped to build a sense of anticipation and once he does get her to compromise, their intimate scenes are filled with tenderness and emotion while still being quite sexy and sensual.
There are a couple of very unique elements in To Love and to Cherish, the first of which I’ll address being the faith message. In many ways the story almost reminded me of an inspirational romance, because this element is front and center throughout. This might bother some readers who are averse to religious messages in their books, but I found it refreshing, in part because it’s rare to find a character outside of inspirational stories who has a deep faith in God like Christy does. At the same time, it wasn’t like any other inspirational story I’ve ever read, because the characters act like real people. They curse, they have vices, they experience temptations and doubts, and they reason things out through logic and intellect, instead of merely following a set of pious, puritanical rules and regulations. The author also doesn’t gloss over or completely omit sexual desire and even love-making, which no true inspirational author I know of would do. However, I actually liked all of these things much better than most inspirational romances I’ve read, because of how it all seemed more deeply rooted in reality with characters I could relate to. Even Anne’s conversion experience was very organic and not the type that you would typically see in inspirational fiction, not to mention, Christy fully accepted her as she was before that, without trying to change her or placing unrealistic expectations on her. Even when she had doubts that she could ever make a suitable minister’s wife, he completely trusted her.
The other unusual element is that a significant part of the story is told through Anne’s journal entries. I appreciated the uniqueness of this storytelling medium, which is rarely seen in romance. They were well-written, and as a whole, I liked them. They give us some insights into Anne's life, and show her introspections in a different way. However, some of the earlier entries, during that first 150 pages, didn’t delve quite as deeply as I would have liked. There are also a few interactions with Christy that Anne writes about in her journal that I think might have had more impact if written in real-time rather than after the fact in this narrative format. Otherwise, I liked this uncommon look into Anne’s POV and think that it proves my earlier point that this story is a little more about her and her journey.
I also have to say that Ms. Gaffney did an incredible job of bringing the little village of Wyckerley to life, so much so that it became a character unto itself. Some of this is because of the author’s sumptuous descriptions of the environment, while the other part is the people of the town itself. Throughout the course of the story, we meet many of the townspeople, who, of course, are also Christy’s parishioners, and I came to care about all of them. In her author’s note at the end, Ms. Gaffney says that she didn’t originally envision this book as the start of a series, but some of the characters she created just wouldn’t let go when it was finished. She wanted to know more of what happened in their lives, which is why it ended up being a trilogy. Although we don’t get to meet him in this story, the presence of Geoffrey’s cousin can be felt from afar. He comes to town and becomes the hero of the next book, To Have and to Hold. Then there’s pretty, young Sophie Deene, who if memory serves is the niece of the mayor. Her father dies, leaving her the heir to his copper mine, and she becomes the heroine of the final book, Forever and Ever.
Overall, To Love and to Cherish is a wonderful, heartfelt story that makes the reader feel everything that Anne and Christy are feeling. If anyone starts it and isn’t quite feeling it during the first 150 pages, I encourage you to stick with it, because it definitely takes off after that and is completely worth it. And for anyone who might be worried about a potential cheating element, due to the heroine being a married woman, there’s no need for concern. Anne and Christy are very controlled in their relationship, never doing anything improper, not even kissing, until they fully believe she’s a free woman. Except for the slow early parts that I mentioned, this was a great story. It has earned Patricia Gaffney a spot on my favorite authors list, and I’m very much looking forward to continuing the series and revisiting this quaint little town in the English countryside soon. show less
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