The changing tide

Conyngton #3

by Sylvia Thorpe

"A WOMAN ABOARD SHIP BRINGS ILL LUCK!'Especially one as distractingly fair as Roxanne Stapleford. And from the very first, Captain Tom Pennan's two closest friends, Sir Darrell and Charity Conyngton, had warned him that this voyage seemed strangely singled out by fate.But Tom agreed to let Roxanne sail with him to Barbados. He did not know he was also carrying her fugitive lover-and a hold full of trouble.Roxanne was willing to follow her' fiance across--the ocean. She would go anywhere to escape the ever-watchful eye of her pompous, disapproving guardian. It never occurred to her that Tom Pennan, too, would soon stand in the way of her happiness.She had a plan. Not even the dashing sea captain could prevent her marriage now. Roxanne never imagined she was setting herself on a collision course with a dangerous adventure--and a new love.

Genres: Romance, Historical

305 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

June Sylvia Thimblethorpe was born in 1926 in London, England. Educated in London at a school in Brondesbury, Kilburn High School for Girls, Slade School of Fine Arts, and University College. She worked as secretary from 1949 to 1952 and later she worked as school teacher.

As Sylvia Thorpe, she wrote over 25 historical romance novels from 1950 to 1983. Her novel "The Scapegrace" (1971) won the Elizabeth Goudge Historical Award. She was the third elected Chairman (1965-1967) of the Romantic Novelists' Association, and was named a Honor Life Member of the organization.

Sylvia is now a trustee for the Goodrich Village Hall Trust. Goodrich is a village, in south Herefordshire which is very close to Gloucestershire and the Forest of Dean situated near the River Wye and is famous for its old red sandstone Norman and medieval castle.

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book #3 in the continuing Conyngton series finds the main action far from the village of Conyngton St. John and instead on the high seas bound for Barbados and the pirate stronghold, Tortuga.

The year is 1652, and Cromwell still holds absolute power over England. Charity Shenfield and Darrell Conyngton (the leading couple from the last 2 books in the series) are now finally married, and find their mutual friend Tom Pennan ready to embark on a voyage to the west indies as Captain of his vessal, Loyal Friend. Tom is ferrying his good friend Colonel Ingrave and his wife to their new home in Barbados. Joining the Ingrave couple are Mrs. Ingave's younger brother, and her sister Roxanne Stapleford. Also sequestered aboard ship is the handsome yet opportunistic Robert Appleby, who is clearly a bad "apple" to everyone but the stubborn Roxanne, who has cherished a devotion and puppy love for him since childhood.

How Tom woos and wins Roxanne makes for a fun and frothy tale, but it's much less entertaining and more simplistic then the previous 2 books in the series (i.e. Fair Shine the Day and Spring Will Come Again). The heroine was often TSTL and very childish and silly. So much so that I wanted to slap her - extremely hard.

Now on to the final in the series:

[Frances · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why would anyone fall in love with this girl/woman? Immature, spiteful, and according to the description not even that beautiful. I could find nothing about her to explain his regard.