Lawson’s review of Shadow Music by Julie Garwood
Historical romance released by Ballantine December 26, 2007

Blurb:

For Princess Gabrielle of St. Biel, Scotland is a land of stunning vistas, wild chieftains, treacherous glens, and steep shadows–skullduggery, betrayal, and now murder. Prized for her exquisite beauty, the daughter of one of England’s most influential barons, Gabrielle is also a perfect bargaining chip for a king who needs peace in the Highlands: King John has arranged Gabrielle’s marriage to a good and gentle laird. But this marriage will never take place.

For Gabrielle, everything changes in one last burst of freedom–when she and her guards come upon a scene of unimaginable cruelty. With one shot from her bow and arrow, Gabrielle takes a life, saves a life, and begins a war.

Within days, the Highlands are aflame with passions as a battle royal flares between enemies old and new. Having come to Scotland to be married, Gabrielle is instead entangled in Highland intrigue. For two sadistic noblemen, underestimating Gabrielle’s bravery and prowess may prove fatal. But thanks to a secret Gabrielle possesses, Colm MacHugh, the most feared man in Scotland, finds a new cause for courage. Under his penetrating gaze, neither Gabrielle’s body nor heart is safe.

I make no excuses for the fact that I’m a Garwood fangirl. My first book was The Bride and some of my best memories are of reading The Secret or The Gift. However, the last few historicals just weren’t up to par with those earlier novels. I didn’t even try any of the contemporary novels. So I was a happy child when I heard a new historical was coming out.

There have been some not so good reviews about it and Sybil felt perhaps she should let me review this one. We’ll see if this is a good idea or not. . .

What worked well was the typical Garwood Scottish Highlander Alpha male. Colm is her braw highland laird, drawn to a expected depths and warrior status. He obviously cares about his clan and his family, even when he brings in Gabrielle after she’s been viciously slandered by various English barons and other lairds. Gabrielle is a Garwood herione, she can ride, shoot a bow and arrow, speak four languages and doesn’t cower to the obvious strength of Colm or his highland warriors. There’s also a priest for comic relief as well as to keep a moral compass to the story.

What was confusing was where Gabrielle’s country of St. Biel actually was. It’s on a coast guarded by mountain passes and King John wants it. Crusaders needed to pass through it on the way to the Holy Land. It snows in the mountains rather fiercely. I can think of nowhere in Europe this place could exist.

Gabrielle was so oblivious to the fact that men were lusting after her innocent body (and her connection to a store of gold). She’s trained in all these ways to protect herself and feels no qualms about killing a man who deserves it, but she tries to escape many times and puts herself into more danger and thus throws a lot of other people into danger as well. It’s not that she does things that make her TSTL, it’s that she’s spoiled, oblivious, sheltered, and naive. Or a stupid twit.

Liam, Colm’s brother is aducted and beaten to draw Colm out to be killed, but Liam is a great highland warrior, so why didn’t he put up a fight?

What didn’t work was the extra stories about the battling Barons, Coswold and Percy, who wanted what the other had and wanted, just to take it away from and rub it in the other’s face. King John and his quibbles with his barons and how selfish and barbaric he his. The fact that Colm is so struck by Gabrielle’s beauty he has to keep himself away from her and thus the hero and heroine spend quite a bit of time apart. What build up there is in their romance, the actual act is rather a let down as well as the contrived HEA.

I haven’t read Shadow Dance either, but from reading the summary of that one how does this one tie in? It’s been a long time since Garwood had a historical out, and I suppose my expectations were pretty damn low, because I did like this book better than The Wedding and Ransom. It wasn’t up to par with her older novels. It was almost trying to be Saving Grace in a way, since they’re both set at the time during the turmoil in King John’s reign. But it didn’t work the way it could have, in my humble opinion.

I know this is getting pretty long, but if you’re a Garwood fan, I know you’ll probably buy this book. Don’t keep your expectations up there for a grand romance. Hopefully the next one will show the growth and expand the style of the Garwood of the past.

Grade: D+