DAUGHTER OF GOLD

Author: Janeen O'Kerry ISBN: 0505525844 10/2004 HISTORICAL/FANTASY Publisher: Love Spell
Time Period: Celtic Ireland

To the First Harvest fair Niamh went, for revelry with others of the island. The Fianna went, too: the finest of the king's young warriors. Of them, Bryan caught Niamh's eye. He was strong of body and fair of face, and he wanted her for his "Lughnasa Sister"—his lover for fourteen nights. But what good was a fortnight, for when it ended she would have nothing. No; no matter how mighty Bryan was nor how tempting his kiss, she would give her heart only to one who wanted more. To Bryan she offered an ultimatum: "There are three things that women want, and it will be your task to learn them if you want to win me." Bryan has never turned down a challenge.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Having not have the pleasure of reading Janeen O'Kerry before, I was quite excited to start DAUGHTER OF GOLD, her newest release. Unfortunately, I was not as impressed as I had hoped to be. That is not to say I won't try again. A few of her books sound really good, so maybe DAUGHTER OF GOLD just isn't her best.

I realize that the time period this is set in makes the love story more of a "talking and wishing" type, than an actual "touching and experiencing" romance. Not that some other characters weren't rolling around in the hay, but the heroine, Niamh, and the hero, Bryan, were too busy fighting a possessed horse and their own values to give into simple lust. I admire that (the values, not the horse) but I need a bit more sexual tension between characters to make the romance more believable. That tension simply doesn't exist here.

The horse thing, well, it is unique, but a little odd. Coming from me, a lover of vampire, witchcraft, and Dark Hunter books, that is saying something. I normally love the odd stuff, but this, surprisingly, just wasn't odd enough. The spirit horse runs through the fair breaking open the animal pens to free other abused animals. He gives one man a terrifying ride through the forest, but other than that, he watches and laughs. That's it. Nothing else crazy and wild, but I admit I would be freaked by those things had I witnessed them. However, just like the romance, I need some more scary stuff from my spirits. Even horse ones.

The good thing is, that despite my lukewarm reception to DAUGHTER OF GOLD, I will try another Janeen O'Kerry book. She has interesting ideas and the type of imagination I can get into.

Shannon Johnson