‘Desire by Starlight’ by Radclyffe

Author: Pamela Bigelow

January 10, 2011

Jenna Hardy, who is bestselling romance writer Cassandra Hart, has managed to overcome a childhood of abuse and poverty. She has life under control, with no intention of letting go of the reins. In the middle of a book signing, however, her life begins to spin out of control. After a fainting episode, she is told by an ER doctor that she must reduce her stress, eat more than junk food and caffeine, and slow down.

Gardner Davis, coroner and veterinarian in rural Vermont, calls Jenna to tell her that a distant relative has died and Jenna is the dead woman’s only heir. Reluctantly, Jenna agrees to go to Little Falls to deal with her relative’s estate. Jenna feels the tug of attraction for the handsome vet who is hiding a past that nearly destroyed her. While she is in the small town, Jenna reluctantly begins to see her life for what it is and what it isn’t. Gard, like Jenna, thinks she has her life under control.

Both women have told themselves so often that they don’t need anyone in their lives that they’ve come to believe it – right up to the point in time when they meet.

Little does Jenna know that a trip to a small town will change her life, and Gard’s, in unimaginable ways.

Radclyffe spins a tale of discovery and, of course, romance. Fans of Radclyffe won’t be disappointed by this outing – there is romance and lots of sex. However, the storyline of two strong women discovering what life has to offer, that change isn’t always awful, and that letting someone in isn’t always a disaster is diminished by the emphasis on the love scenes, which are plentiful, explicit, and seem to overwhelm the story. That said, Radclyffe is a strong writer and her characters are, as always, interesting.
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DESIRE BY STARLIGHT
By Radclyffe
Bold Strokes Books
Paperback, 9781602821880, 261pp.