GINGER'S SPICE
Flavored Reviews
Flavored Reviews
by Ginger Gelsheimer
The Blue Amaryllis
by Sonia De Leon
The Ultimate in Forbidden Love
5 Stars!
The Ultimate in Forbidden Love
Brief synopsis: When we first meet Leia York, she is depressed and alone, mourning the loss of her mother to cancer. She's never had a real relationship and has no shoulder to cry on. Fortunately, she receives an invitation from a former professor to come to the Amazon and assist him with gathering and studying various plants that may have medicinal purposes. With nothing to lose, Leia sets off on the adventure of her life. After a long journey deep into the Amazon, she finally reaches the Matis village. At first, she is awkwardly shy about the native dress (strings of beads only) and I had to laugh when she first sees her professor, James, completely naked along with the rest of the Matis tribe. One of the first people in the tribe she meets is Tanun because she falls unconscious at his feet. If she had only know the foreshadowing... It doesn't take long for Leia to forget about the high-pressure rat race she came from and she settles in to the Matis tribe, learning there ways and also learning to love them. One, far more than others... unfortunately, Matis must keep their bloodlines poor and a girl with green eyes from Chicago will never suit the tribe.
Characters: The author did a beautiful job creating characters that are believable and interesting. I absolutely fell in love with Tanun and the rest of his tribe for their sheer simplicity and how happy they were in their lives. They care for each other as a village, not as the "Smith and Jones who has the nicest house and car" syndrome. What I would give to live like them! Tanun is gorgeous and primitive, but smart and a healer and he falls for Leia every bit as much as she falls for him. If he would have only told her his secret from the beginning! Leia is so fun to grow with as the story moves along from her embarrassment of being naked all the time to a point where she actually participates in their painful rituals in order to fit in and try to become one of them - all out of love. I thought the author also did a great job with the dialogue because obviously, they didn't speak the same language, but it had great flow and never became distracting.
Originality: This one gets 5 stars for originality for sure. The story was so much more than a romance novel. It intertwined the serious and very real situation the natives in the Amazon are facing and hopefully brings to attention their need for help. You can't help but want to go there and help these people to continue their beautiful way of life. The author says at one point that it is like traveling back in time and that is true. Would we destroy our Indians in America now if we had the chance to do it over?
Recommendations: This one has to go with barbecued tapir, one of Leia's favorite dishes from the Amazon. Sorry, but it can't very well go with fine wine and a steak now can it? I highly recommend this story not only to romance readers, but to anyone who loves rich history, stories with a strong purpose, being lost in a lush tropical rain forest or simply getting away from the rat race.
-Ginger
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