For the Love of a Gypsy

Declan Forrester was sent to Newgate prison without ever knowing why. Rescued by an Earl and forced to wed his disgraced daughter, they have built a good life on an Irish estate. Martine was rescued by gypsies as a child, and raised as the future leader’s sister. A chance meeting in the forest, and his wife’s death set them on a course for happiness: if, that is, Declan can absolve himself of his original crime, so he can live openly in London.

The idea for this story is amazing. Not only do wrongly convicted peers garner sympathy, so do the always beaten down gypsies. The culprit in the murder done at the beginning of the story is discovered very quickly, and is a bit unsatisfying as it was not yet half way through the story. From that moment on everything falls apart, almost as if there are separate stories that were hurriedly put together. Nothing either the gypsies or Martine does is believable. Once in London (an odd journey on its own), the explanations found, and accepted, by Declan about his imprisonment make absolutely no sense. Even with dialogue and inner thoughts giving reasons, it seems as if something was left out. Family pops out of nowhere near the end, and though this is a good thing for Declan, behaviors and decisions in the past are…odd, with no reasons given and no closure.  The first half is good, and worthy of a good ending. Eliminating the multiple directions taken after that point, and honing would make this a splendid tale.

Julie York