Love's Proof
Grade : C

In an age when scientific proof is paramount, how is one to simply accept something on faith alone? And, if not, can one scientifically prove the existence of God? These are some of the difficult questions posed in Love's Proof, issues not often pondered in romantic fiction. Had the plot been a little more inclined toward showing and less toward telling, it would have been an intriguing story.

This tale of Regency England is far different than most. Though the characters are drawn from the gentry and the aristocracy, the social whirl of the day is quite far from their thoughts. Instead, heroine Jane Fellowes wrestles with questions raised by a box belonging to her ancestor - Sir Isaac Newton - that is rumored to contain, among other things, Newton's proof of the existence of God. The box, however, also appears to possess some disturbing powers.

Jane's uncle, after much time spent in the presence of the box, has begun to suffer from fits of madness. Her aunt, upon coming in contact with the box, falls into a stupor from which doctors fear she will never awaken. Even Jane's sister Henrietta reports seeing lightning within the box. These events, coupled with her scant knowledge about the box, move Jane to beg a noted scholar to examine the object.

To Jane's disappointment, the professor does not answer her pleas, but instead sends three of his students to meet with her. One of these is Mr. Thomas Norcross, who finds himself falling in love with Jane from the very moment he meets her. She doesn't return his fond regard, but he is intrigued enough by both her and the box to persist.

As the story develops, it becomes apparent that Jane and Thomas, both practicing Christians, suffer from the same doubts of God's existence. Each would like to find a way to scientifically prove His existence and cannot easily accept it on faith alone. As this problem becomes apparent, however, the story begins to fall apart.

Jane and Thomas are both sympathetic characters, but it is difficult to get inside their heads. The author shows her audience Point A and Point B in her characters' thinking, but crucial parts of the journey between these points is often missing. This distances the reader from the characters - a disconcerting flaw in a story that deals ultimately with the inner lives of its hero and heroine.

In addition, most of the secondary characters are rather simplistically drawn. For example, the reader sees nothing of Henrietta, save that she seems to be a chronic whiner. Most of the other characters are drawn either as blandly good or purely evil, with little attention given to developing them as multidimensional people within the story.

These flaws result in a book that amounts to a rather average read. Despite an intriguing historical background and the inclusion of many actual people from the period, the world of Thomas and Jane seemed rather bland and did little to inspire me. The questions raised in the novel could have been interesting and thought-provoking, if only they were contained within a more richly drawn story.

Reviewed by Lynn Spencer
Grade : C

Sensuality: Kisses

Review Date : October 22, 2003

Publication Date: 2003

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Lynn Spencer

I enjoy spending as much time as I can between the covers of a book, traveling through time and around the world. When I'm not having adventures with fictional characters, I'm an attorney in Virginia and I love just hanging out with my husband, little man, and the cat who rules our house.
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