Swear by the Moon    by Shirlee Busbee Order:  USA  Can Warner, 2001 (2001) Paperback, e-Book     Reviewed by Martina Bexte Starry-eyed and love-smitten, 17-year-old Thea Garrett has chosen a chill November evening to elope with the love of her life, Lord Randall Hawley. She's done so against the wishes of her family and her beloved brother Tom. Thea's happiness changes to disbelief as Randall turns into a man she doesn't recognize - when she refuses to give in to his ardor, he rapes her. Tom catches up with the pair; he and Randall duel. Both men die and within a matter of a few horrific hours, Thea's life lies in ruins. She swears never to trust a man or fall in love again. For the next ten years society regards her as an eccentric, hedonistic outcast. Patrick Blackburne is in London to visit his British mother and soon learns that she is being blackmailed. He's determined to expose the blackguard. In short order he meets the notorious Thea and learns that she too, is being blackmailed, likely by the same person. They decide to work together to expose the villain who is causing Patrick's mother and Thea so much grief. Such close proximity creates a mutual attraction that Patrick is more than willing to pursue, but that Thea rejects, since she still feels horrible guilt over what happened that cold November night ten years before. Patrick's love remains steadfast, despite continuous machinations by others ... and Thea soon realizes that she can't run or hide from the powerful feelings she has for the dashing American. Shirlee Busbee emerged on the historical romance scene a few years after Kathleen Woodiwiss and Rosemary Rogers rewrote the rules governing what the 'historical romance novel' should and should not be. Both went on to become the grand mistresses of today's booming romance industry. While not as prolific as her contemporaries, Busbee penned equally fine and multi-layered stories and developed a loyal following. Even after she disappeared from the romance lists for a number of years, her fans didn't forget her. In Swear by the Moon Busbee justifies once again her readers' faithfulness to her work. This latest story is full of intrigue and adventure; main characters whose mutual attraction sizzles and keeps readers turning the pages; and a fine, if not overly mysterious villain. At times the dialogue seems stilted by today's standards, and some plot threads are never really resolved, but overall this is an entertaining historical romance. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Romance books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews