ISBN 0380732289 - With teens the target audience, and with teens largely able to pick their own reading material without mom and dad nosing in, let me at least note that the sex scenes aren't as bad as romance novels for the grown-up audience, but they're there.

Clare and her mother, Frances, have some trouble getting along lately, partly because of the boy Clare's been dating. Once somewhat idealistic, Clare has taken up Adrian's opinions, which tend toward the "every man for himself", greedy sort. This is a little thing compared to what's coming next - Frances has taken a job as a private nurse and tells Clare, basically, that she ought to stay behind in London. Clare, however, makes up her own mind (for once) and decides to go along to Ravensmere, where her mother will be caring for 87 year old Mr. Aylward. Slowly, long-hidden truths begin to come to light.

So many things Clare thought she knew - from where her mother was born, to her own name - turn out to be half-truths or outright lies. Frances had spent Clare's entire life protecting her from Ravensmere and the legacy that will be hers, no matter what she does. With a history that might well go back tens of thousands of years, Ravensmere and the families tied to it protect a secret so powerful that the head of the Aylward family and his bride, always a Kenward daughter, must protect it with their lives.

Really well done, with a nice build up (that others found too slow) that leaves you wondering where everything is headed. As the secrets are revealed to the reader, and to Clare, understanding begins to dawn - but the real secret is beyond your guessing. You're going to have to read it to find out!

On the negative side, there's not much. At one point Clare snaps "Cat fleas don't live on humans." at Roger Fletcher, which is just stupid, since there's no such thing as "cat fleas" and fleas DO live on humans. And I hate to say it, but the ending wasn't as well done as the rest of the book. If Clare and Mark hadn't actually SAID what it was that they were sworn to protect, I'd still have no idea. Don't let that scare you off, though, because this one is one you'll be sorry to miss out on!

- AnnaLovesBooks

What a delightful book! While this is a Young Adult book, I found many layers and insights available to the adult reader. Rich, lyrical, mythological writing. A quick and easy read that will have you thinking about it for days to come. Fans of "Garden Spells" would enjoy this book.

This was charming! It's a lovely coming of age story with a dose of otherworldy magic. I especially loved the setting - there's nothing like an English country estate with a long, mysterious history for great atmosphere! I do wish we'd gotten to know Mark a little better, and I'd be a bit worried if some of the geneaology escaped into real life (yikes! LOL!), but those are more observations than complaints. Good story, characters, setting...quick read.... Yup, definitely recommended, both for young adults and adult fans of YA literature!

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Definitely a fun and quick read. This book had just enough romance, fantasy, and mystery to make it flow yet still remain a simple and light read. I highly recommend it!

this is a neat book,i couldn't put it down,i finish it in one evening

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