Early Book Review; Forever and a Day by Delilah Marvelle

Forever and a Day by Delilah Marvelle is a historical romance novel due to be released on Dec. 27, 2011. This regency romance begins in New York City with Roderick Gideon Tremayne on an urgent task, but is distracted by a pretty woman on the street. That woman is Georgia Milton, a widow trying to retain her dignity and reputation despite her current situation. His attempt to spend time with Georgia, and help her, ends with an accident which results in injuries and memory loss. When he wakes up with no knowledge of who he is, Georgia takes it upon herself to see that his family is found, and that the obviously rich man survives long enough to remember himself. Georgia takes Roderick home with her, in order to protect him of course, and in the dangerous Five Point District they fall in love. The path is not easy, and everything is at risk when Roderick discovers who he is, and what he has done in the past. Neither fits in the other's world, and neither wants the other to change themselves for love. Can the two rise above the class differences, responsibilities, and fear of painful possibilities to keep the love that they have found?

In Forever and a Day I must admit to really enjoying the heroine. Georgia is smart, outspoken, and not willing to sit back and let others make decisions for her. While she does not take silly risks, and is very practical, she is willing to put everything on the line for love. I really liked her integrity and understanding for those around her. She does not condemn those that have made other choices than the ones that she has made, but instead understands how easy it would be to end up in their place with only a few missteps. The solid history Marvelle built for Georgia, and the colorful characters that she has in her life, make her real to the readers. Roderick is without history, obviously, for a good portion of the book. However, when his background and full situation is revealed, it feels as real as Georgia's. My only complaint with Roderick is that he seemed too willing to give up for 'Georgia's sake' rather than taking the harder road. Good thing Georgia is one smart and determined woman! At the end of the book there are still a few unanswered questions, but I believe that to be because there are to be two more related books to follow Forever and a Day, in which I hope there will be resolution on a few of the questions.

I recommend Forever and a Day to fans of historical romance, especially those with a particular love for regency romance. There is a lot more than a simple love story here, although that is the heart of the novel. So those looking for a basic love at first sight, and little more might want to skip it for now and wait until you are in the mood for romance with a little more. Readers that enjoy the romance, but are more drawn to novels with characters that really come alive, and detailed action included in the story line, will love this book.