TEST
Draycott Abbey, that great gray cat Gideon, and the ghost of Adrian Draycott are back for another adventure. In the latest Draycott Abbey romance, author Christina Skye has given us another wonderful story of love and adventure. Hero and heroine, Jared MacNeill and Maggie Kincaide, are fighting their own demons when they meet. Maggie is trying to come to terms with her father’s disappearance and apparent death while Jared is fighting memories of being a prisoner in the jungles of Thailand. Not only do these two have to fight an attraction to each other but they are also fighting external forces that seem to want to get rid of Maggie.
Nicholas Draycott (of the short story Enchantment) has chosen Maggie for an international jewelry exhibit for her expertise in classic metalwork. The problem is, her father has disappeared, along with some rare and expensive jewels. While no criminal charges were brought against him or Maggie, the backlash is taking its toll on her. Nicholas realizes that hiring her on will mean a huge media frenzy. He asks his friend Jared to check her out – he’s fairly certain she’s not involved in wrong-doing, but wants to make sure. Jared reluctantly agrees. He and Maggie are instantly attracted to each other but fight this attraction tooth and nail. Because of his older brother’s death and his own near death in Thailand, Jared has picked up a family trait: through touch, he can read people’s thoughts and feelings. This is torture for Jared, and he feels that he has to keep himself separate from people lest their feelings overwhelm him.
Maggie has spent her life learning the art of metalsmithing from her father, an often emotionally distant man. She is a genius at her craft but she also is afraid to let people in. She is so lonely that she has convinced herself that any relationship with a man would take away from her art. She chooses to believe this since it’s safer for her. If two people ever needed healing through the magic of love, it’s Jared and Maggie.
They travel to Draycott Abbey and begin to experience some strange things, both of this world and not of this world. It becomes increasingly obvious that the two were doomed lovers in another life, brought together in this one to make things right. But there is also a very real danger afoot. Someone is trying to harm Maggie, but whom? Maggie is also confronted with the news that her father is most likely not dead. If this is the case then he may be involved in what’s going on. Or could it be a threat from centuries earlier coming back once again to separate Jared and Maggie? The threat grows closer and always seems to be one step ahead of the couple. Eventually they end up at Glenbrae House (from Skye’s story Christmas Knight) to stay with Hope and Ronan Macleod. They hope that trouble won’t find them there, but it does. It’s not easy to figure out who is trying to harm Maggie. While I managed to guess a couple of the players, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I hadn’t guessed what was really going on.
Christina Skye is masterful at spinning her interwoven stories of the Abbey, its inhabitants and those who visit it. Reading a Draycott Abbey novel is like visiting old friends you haven’t seen in awhile: always pleasant and always a little sad to leave. The Perfect Gift is no disappointment to fans of Skye and the series. Jared and Maggie are a compelling couple and seem perfectly suited to healing each other’s hurts and creating a strong lasting love.
The secondary characters are wonderful as well. Here we meet Faith and Chessa (Maggie’s cousins), and Izzy, a coworker and close friend of Jared’s. And of course, we have the Draycotts, the Macleods, the Wishwell sisters (who also figured significantly in Christmas Knight), and Gideon as well. Even Marston is featured well throughout the book. Those who read Christmas Knight know Ronan’s secret, and after shaking his hand, it’s safe to say Jared knew it too. My only minor complaint about The Perfect Gift is that the set-up is there for something to happen based on Jared’s knowledge of Ronan’s secret, but the author just lets it die. We only know that Jared knows because he stiffens a bit when they shake hands. I would have liked to have seen something come of it but it in no way detracts from the book.
Christina Skye’s The Perfect Gift is just that. If you are fan of Skye’s or are hoping to pick up a new author, than I can think of no better gift to yourself than this book.
Grade: A
Book Type: Paranormal Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 02/11/99
Publication Date: 1999
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.