It was at the end of this, in an open square of sunlight, that Hannah caught her first glimpse of the Chateau d'Aubrignon. 'The road turned again, narrowing, the boughs of trees folding into each other overhead until the roadway became a kind of tunnel and the leaves above became a deep, vaulted ceiling. Hannah's first awe-struck glimpse of the chateau adds to the feeling of the chateau's presence as more than just a building. He will stop at nothing to ensure he meets this goal. Sebastien's single-minded pursuit of having the chateau back where it belongs - under the control of the de Saint Vallier family in general and his control specifically - is comparable to a man in pursuit of a woman as lover, mistress, or wife. Because it is the reclamation of the chateau that motivates all of Sebastien's actions in 'Bliss'. The chateau and its treasures are perhaps the only things Sebastien holds dear - more dear than his wife, his children, perhaps even more than loves his brother, Nardi. It is almost as much a character, albeit an ethereal magical one, as the de Saint Valliers, Amelia Besom, and Nardi's bodyguards.

The chateau in 'Bliss' is not just a backdrop for Hannah Van Evan, Nardi de Saint Vallier, and the other characters. I know from reading blogs and review sites that there are lots of readers, like me, who wonder why most historicals today are set in jolly old England and why there aren't more diverse settings. What's so special about 'Bliss'? Well, how many books have you read that were set in France? At a ramshackle chateau? In the Normandy countryside? In 1903? Not many, I'd wager. It's understandable that, indeed, 'words do thrill' her and, in turn, thrill the lucky reader who opens up one of these gems. Every single one of them is unique, just simply unforgettable.

However, that's why Judith Ivory/Judy Cuevas books are beyond special. Even more significant, most of the authors who can do this cannot do this consistently, hitting that magic spot dead center sometimes but missing the mark at other times. While most anyone can do this, only a few writers can do it in such a way that the story lingers long past the final page, the last word, that last image. And, really, that's what a book is - just words strung together to make an image, express an idea, get a point across. I first read my first Judith Ivory book in 2009 so I was VERY late to this party, but it only took one book for me to realize that this author had something very special in the way she puts words together. 'Bliss' was written in 1995 by Judy Cuevas (later Judith Ivory), her second novel. With Margaret Fraser 'Florida Romance Writers newsletter 1996.) Get a point across.' (Judith Ivory/Judy Cuevas interview

Waiting for that day when I will need just this specific word to

Bliss by Judy Cuevas