Amaryllis

Joyce
Proell
Genre: 
Historical

After Lily Fitzhugh learns her father is imprisoned in New York for being a traitor to the crown, she determines to leave England to get him released. She stows away on the Providence, where she meets gun runner Griffin Faraday. Along with Griffin’s shipment of guns to America, they take on a pirate with an eye for Lily. The captain is willing to give Lily to the pirate until Griffin tells him they wish to marry. This is a ruse to keep Lily out of the hands of the ruthless pirate. They agree to keep it a marriage in name only, but soon find themselves falling in love. With Griffin a spy for the colonies, will Lily be loyal to the king or will they be loyal to each other?

“Amaryllis” is a thrilling romance whose heroine has a head full of unrealistic ideals. Griffin Faraday is a realist except when it comes to Lily. These two make the story come to life with their many escapades both at sea and on land. Ms. Proell has an excellent grasp of the language and describes the ship so well that the reader can see, hear, and smell the ship and the vermin it harbors. Minor characters add flavor to the novel, but they have very little depth. The time spent on the ship drags, as does the story. Too much of the story is clichéd, it’s a typical girl stows away, marries the handsome spy to avoid the pirate tale. Yet, a story well worth reading. The Revolutionary War intrigue woven into this novel keeps the reader engaged.

Belinda Wilson