The Sacred Marriage [Kindle Edition]

I read this book over the wet bank holiday weekend. It was a perfect bit of escapism - mainly set in Britanny in the sunshine,so what's not to like? I would describe it as chick lit (which I love - so that isn't a criticism), but with a twist, and because I don't want to spoil it for anyone, I won't say what the twist is.

The author seems to know Brittany well (lucky girl!), the descriptions are beautiful and once I started reading it, I didn't want to put it down. I would heartily recommend it to anyone looking for a bit of escapism, romance and magic!

At its centre The Sacred Marriage is a love story, but the book is so much more than that, taking us into the heart of the countryside and immersing us in the spirit of the land and the mystical power of the earth energies there. The story is seen through they eyes of Sophie, a young English woman staying in southern Brittany. We follow her journey of self-discovery and her quest to find a reason for the dreams and strange happenings that mark her emotional journey through a sensuous Breton spring and summer. How she finds herself and resolves certain issues in her life make for powerful reading.

This book enwrapped me from the start. The Authors descriptive text and style held me with warmth from the beginning. I normally read more fantasy than this genre, I was more than pleasantly surprised by how flowing and engrossing a read this is. Well worth reading.

I have to declare I am the author's sister and romance is not my normal choice of novel. The Sacred Marriage however was magical. I became Sophie, every sight, sound,taste,smell and emotion she experienced I did too. Can't wait for the next one!

This wonderfully evocative book has a touching romance at it's heart and is deeply embedded in the countryside of Brittany and the City of Oxford. The relationship between the main characters is convincing and draws you in to their world. This book is not just a romance it has a depth to it not only from the wonderfully recreated landscapes but also from it's mysticism and spirit of place. This book has a gentle spiritual dimension which lies behind a timeless tale of two people.

What a wonderful book - romance, mystery, supernatural - it's all here.

The descriptions in this book jump out at you and take you to Brittany. And the characters are all there to also help draw you in. Read from a Pagan perspective, this book does not "jar" in any way like some books written with a mystic twist do.

This is a wonderful read. At heart it is the story of an 18 year old girl, Sophie, on the threshold of womanhood - a love story with a very strong mystical, pagan element.

Set in Brittany and Oxford, the first half of the book takes place in Brittany, and is absolutely fantastic. It is extremely well written, the whole area being beautifully described; the countryside comes alive on the page in a very magical way which gives this section a very "misty" "hazy" feel to it. The best way I can describe it is that it is like walking into a Cadbury Flake advert. The mystical "earth power" of the land is certainly well brought out in the book.

It is a very emotional, sensual read and the second half of the book, set in Oxford, deals with Sophie's attempts to make sense of events in Brittany whilst planning for her future, including making decisions about a career and how she is going to live. The contrast in atmosphere of the two sections is very well done, you certainly sense the faster, more normal pace of live in Oxford whereas Brittany is slow, languid, lazy and other-worldy.

My only criticism of the book is that Sophie is only 18, naïve and a little bit gullible, yet at times you feel you are reading about someone older - her emotional responses and reasonings sometimes seem more to belong to someone a few years older who maybe has "lived" a bit more. Having said that, it is still an extremely enjoyable read - a lovely bit of escapism.

The Sacred Marriage.
I got this when it was free, partly out of curiosity because the author had given Earth Magic a glowing review (on .com) and I wondered what her writing is like, partly because it looked like a good read. If I didn't like the book I would not leave a review. This is not just a tit-for-tat review.

Every time I start an indie book, it is with a certain amount of trepidation because of the wide range of "finish" and styles. I knew within the first few sentences that I would enjoy this book. It's well written and well presented. The mysticism was believable and the descriptions of the landscape were evocative and not overdone. I enjoyed it very much.

It reminded me obliquely of the Merlin series by Mary Stewart in that the mystic elements were so well done as to seem real, utterly plausible.

My only concern is that the protagonist is 18 and yet her sexual comprehension seems at least three years older. I could see why the main character had to be so young, for the plot, but it was a slight ripple in my pool of contentment.

Nevertheless, this was a minor niggle and the book deserves five stars.