Wild Surrender

(Aylesbury #2)

Gina Delaney

2.71 · Rating details · 7 ratings · 1 review

Number 2 of the Aylesbury series.

BLAZING DESIRE
Though she'd grown up in Australia's wild frontier, emerald-eyed Penelope had never lacked material comforts. As a Cranston she'd been spoiled and pampered: as a blossoming beauty, she was the belle of every dance up and down the Hawkesbury. Then Aaron Aylesbury returned from England and Penelope's blood rushed with hot desire ...more

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Paperback, 496 pages

Published June 1st 1986 by Zebra Books

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Mar 22, 2020 Blue Falcon rated it it was ok

Shelves: tbr-master-list

This review is of “Wild Surrender”, book #2 in the “Aylesbury” series by Gina Delaney.

The book takes place in two parts. Part 1 goes from 1822-1824, and part two from 1825-1829.
Part 1 takes place in Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia, and begins with Penelope Cranston, the heroine of the book, awaiting the return of her childhood friend Aaron Aylesbury, the hero of the book, from England. (Aaron and his half-brother, Mark, were sent to England to study; Aaron medicine like his father, Matth This review is of “Wild Surrender”, book #2 in the “Aylesbury” series by Gina Delaney.

The book takes place in two parts. Part 1 goes from 1822-1824, and part two from 1825-1829.
Part 1 takes place in Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia, and begins with Penelope Cranston, the heroine of the book, awaiting the return of her childhood friend Aaron Aylesbury, the hero of the book, from England. (Aaron and his half-brother, Mark, were sent to England to study; Aaron medicine like his father, Matthew, and Mark to study law). Aaron’s return is semi-happy. He’s happy because he gets to see Penelope again-they become lovers shortly after his return-but he’s unhappy because he and Matthew don’t see eye-to-eye. Aaron wants to be an explorer and discover new lands in Australia, which puts him at odds with Matthew, who wants Aaron to immediately go to work as a doctor.

Aaron gets to go on his exploration, paid for by Oliver Cranston, Penelope’ father. This angers Matthew, who has a long-standing feud with Cranston. Aaron goes on his expedition. While he’s away, Penelope discovers she’s pregnant with his child. When the explorers return, Aaron isn’t with them (more on that later). Mark swoops in and marries Penelope (which he wanted to do all along, for reasons that have nothing to do with love).

Aaron didn’t return because he was bitten by a snake and survived in the bush for four months before being found by his cousin, Deen Crawford and his father, Aaron’s uncle Buck. Aaron returns home to Parramatta to discover that Penelope has married Mark, and that another woman, Annabelle Moffett, who, like Penelope he grew up with, is also pregnant. (She is pregnant by Deen, who is aboriginal, and society would frown upon a aboriginal male marrying a white woman).

Part II-1825-1828. As the years go by, Aaron marries Annabelle. They live on a cattle station owned by Oliver, and have a daughter named Jessica. (This is actually the second Jessica; the first, Aaron’s younger sister, died from a snakebite at age 4). Penelope and Mark are also married, and they have a son, Eric. Soon, secrets are revealed that cause major rifts in both marriages (which weren’t that strong to begin with since neither was for love).

Tragedy soon befalls both couples as Annabelle dies giving birth to a stillborn child. Mark, meanwhile, dies on a trip to England, leaving both Aaron and Penelope-who cheated on their respective spouses-free to love each other and have their Happily Ever After.

Upside: The best part of the book is Part II, where Ms. Delaney finally makes an effort to reach her character’s emotions. It’s not pretty-there is a scene of Mark verbally, physically and sexually abusing Penelope-but it it’s real. Ms. Delaney does a good job researching Australian history and folds her characters into that.

Downside: Like “Wild Flame”, the first book in the “Aylesbury” series, there is WAY too much description of the environment, the furnishings of the homes, than there is of character development or emotional depth of the characters. The only really likeable characters in the book for me are Jessica the second and Eric; the adults are mostly egotistical and self-centered, which I didn’t find interesting.

Sex: A handful of sex scenes, none of which are particularly hot or erotic.

Violence: Assault, battery, rape, all occur in “Wild Surrender”. The scene where Mark rapes Penelope is slightly graphic.

Bottom Line: “Wild Surrender” is too devoid of emotional depth to be called likeable.
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