A Year and a Day
Grade : C+

A Year and a Day is a Harlequin Superromance with a Sleeping with the Enemy plot. The heroine, Audrey Colby, is trapped in a violent marriage with a wealthy Atlanta businessman, and she’s desperate to escape and make a new life for herself and her son. This plot is compelling. So compelling, in fact, that it completely overshadows the romance.

Audrey met her husband Jonathan when she was still in high school. Audrey came from a poor family in a small town, and was pretty sheltered and naïve. She could tell that Jonathan’s mother was abused by his dad, but never dreamed that the same thing could happen to her. Years later, she fears for her life. Twice she has fled from Jonathan, and twice she’s come back. She lives in a beautiful home and has every material possession anyone could hope for, but she lives in fear for her life, and she’s ashamed and terrified of what her son Sammy has witnessed. Jonathan has systematically stripped her of everything she enjoys – her art, her family, and any real friends. Every time they go out in public, he is completely insane with jealousy. Audrey can’t even look at another man without Jonathan accusing her of flirting, a “sin” for which he later punishes her with his fists.

Enter Nicholas Wakefield. Nicholas is a former county prosecutor who recently decided to go into private practice. He meets Jonathan and Audrey Colby when he starts at his new law firm; Jonathan is their biggest client. Almost immediately, he feels an attraction to Audrey, and he knows something is off. Though he’s sworn off the whole white knight rescue routine, he can’t help getting involved. Jonathan naturally picks up on all this and Audrey feels the consequences. Audrey is attracted to Nicholas, but right now is the worst possible time for him to make an appearance. She’s finally found a way out of her marriage, but it will involve leaving the country. She doesn’t need anything messing up her plans.

I found that this story worked very well as suspense. I was utterly convinced that Jonathan was a ruthless, abusive tyrant. In fact, I think I was even more afraid of him than the heroine was. I enjoyed the mounting suspense as she laid her plans and prepared to leave, and even the impending sense of doom as I was sure Jonathan was going to track her down (after all, we’ve seen this plot before). The plot also works well because Audrey is both believable and sympathetic. It’s easy to see how she got herself into this horrible situation, and easy to cheer for her as she fights back and tries to get out. Little things, like the way she quietly makes her own money selling hand-painted glazed pots to a gardening store, help to illuminate her humanity and her spirit.

The problem is that Jonathan’s character is a little too believable. There’s nothing wrong with realism, but in this case I had a lot of trouble buying into the romance. I felt (as Audrey initially did) that every move Nicholas made toward her endangered her life. The problem was that Audrey was still married, and still living with her abuser. Eventually she does manage to flee to a different country, but since the situation with Jonathan was still unresolved, it wasn’t like the reader – or Audrey – could really relax. The conventions of the genre dictate a final showdown, and until that happened, I had trouble buying into any of the romance. I didn’t really think Audrey would be able to think about that with basic survival hanging in the balance.

There wasn’t anything wrong with Nicholas per se. He has his own demons, and his reason for wanting to save women in danger. I wouldn’t have minded him romancing Audrey, had he not been so ham-handed about it. When he first pursues her, she is very much married and very much at the mercy of Jonathan. Every time he so much as meets her on the street, there’s a chance that Jonathan will find out and take out his anger on Audrey. I think the plot would have worked better had Audrey already left Jonathan when she met Nicholas; at least the danger would have been less immediate.

This isn’t a bad book. The writing flows smoothly, and much of the story is intriguing. But I would read it as just that – intrigue. As far as romance goes, it doesn’t quite work.

Reviewed by Blythe Smith
Grade : C+
Book Type: Series Romance

Sensuality: Subtle

Review Date : November 29, 2005

Publication Date: 2005/11

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Blythe Smith

I've been at AAR since dinosaurs roamed the Internet. I've been a Reviewer, Reviews Editor, Managing Editor, Publisher, and Blogger. Oh, and Advertising Corodinator. Right now I'm taking a step back to concentrate on kids, new husband, and new job in law...but I'll still keep my toe in the romance waters.
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