This is historical romance the way it ought to be. The historical atmosphere in Sweet Release, Pamela Clare's debut novel, is woven seamlessly into a satisfying love story where both hero and heroine must learn to trust the other with not only their secrets, but their hearts as well.

Virginia planter's daughter Cassie Blake has a heavy load to bear. Though others believe her father to be in England on business, Cassie knows he is nearby in body, but far away in mind and spirit. She purchases a convict known as Cole Braden, a ravisher of women, but hale and hearty enough to endure the rigorous work required of tobacco planting.

Cole also has a secret…he is not a convict at all, but shipping magnate Alec Kenleigh, betrayed by his own and sent far from his native England. Unless he can prove his true identity, he is bound for fourteen years to serve the strong-headed beauty.

Though secrets and social station should keep Cassie and Alec apart, Ms. Clare weaves them into each other's lives and hearts with a deft hand. This is one couple that has real chemistry, and it's a treat to see it fall into place in a natural fashion.

A colourful cast of secondary characters with lives and motives of their own provides a lively look at the social structures of colonial plantation life. The differences between bondservants and slaves are addressed, and character views on the issue span a realistic spectrum. A secondary romance among the servants was particularly satisfying, and a colonial villain with a smooth exterior will have readers rooting for justice.

I look forward to the author's next book, which features the heroine's younger brother as an adult. Pamela Clare is an author to watch, and Sweet Release a treat for fans of colonial romance that is truly both.