UN AMOR A PRIMERA VISTA... Resultaba dificil creer que Kate Fitzleger se hubiera convertido ya en una hermosa jovencita. Casi toda una mujer, como no dudaba en afirmarlo ella misma. Y es que lo cierto era que la impulsiva y apasionada muchacha llevaba esperando ese momento durante toda su vida. O, al menos, desde su llegada a Torrecombe, momento marcado por su primer encuentro con el encantador Val St. Leger... el hombre que se adueñaría de sus sueños. No obstante, Kate sabía que una vieja maldición se oponía a sus designios. Pero también sabía que nunca, nadie, le había hecho cambiar sus planes...; Y LA LUCHA CONTRA UN DESTINO MALDITO. Descendiente de un antiguo hechicero, y al igual que todos los de su estirpe, Val St. Leger había sido agraciado con un don único y mágico. En su caso, la facultad de absorber el dolor de los demás, con el sólo toque de sus delicadas manos. Para muchos de los habitantes de Torrecombe, no se trataba más que de una vetusta leyenda. Para otros, era el regalo que les había salvado la vida. De todas formas, con semejante talento, Val St. Leger se había ganado el prestigio de un amable y reservado doctor de pueblo. Aunque muchos ignoraban que la fuente de sus poderes, era también... una pesada cadena.

This is the third and final book in the St Leger trilogy. The hero is Valentine St. Leger, the second son of Madeline and Anatole. Val has the gift to heal people by getting their pain into his body. Unfortunately, this has caused him a limp that pains him awfully, when he tried to heal his brother from a severe wound during wartime. Val being a healer, is a gentle, tender, even tempered man who's very lonely. Evie, the current bride finder, has declared in [b:The Night Drifter A Novel|353731|The Night Drifter A Novel|Susan Carroll|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174018488s/353731.jpg|1123705] that she cannot detect a bride for Val. Since any woman he would choose to marry and has not been chosen by The Bride Finder, would face death as the St. Leger's legacy has predicted, Val is destined to live alone. But Kate, Evie's adopted daughter has loved Val all of her life and is determined to have him at her side, no matter what others say. After all, all that about fated brides and curse of death are silly superstitions, right?Enter the last Mortmain, sworn enemies of St. Legers. He also appeared in the previous book, as a friend of Lance's that everyone distrusted, Val being the most prominent. Mortmain is now dying, but he has one final mission: to get revenge on Val. Somehow by the power of an ancient crystal those two men change personalities: Good, shy Val becomes a rogue and selfish man free to pursue that which he mostly wants: Kate. On the other hand Mortmain becomes a more decent man than he ever was, even feeling guilt for what he knows Val must be suffering. But even as he considers returning back to save the good doctor, a new better life is suddenly at his reach. Can he give it back for his old enemy? And will Val realize how dangerous the crystal really is? Because he is originally blinded by the miraculous heal that has happened to his knee, giving him the ability to ride and fence like any other young man. Now he can go after Kate, since he doesn't feel sorry for himself anymore. But Kate seeing Val's change is becoming more and more afraid for him and of him. Trying to free him from the spell he's under, she's spending most of her free time with Prospero and they become friends.The major problem of the book was Val's change of character. Val was just adorable and interesting as he initially was. When he becomes a selfish rake, he loses the reader's sympathy completely. His total disregard about what would happen to Kate if he goes on with their affair -either death as the curse predicts or at least social ruin as the whole village learns about it- is not something a reader can overcome easily in the end. As Val goes on to test how much his powers have returned riding alone, Kate spends most of her time with Prospero letting too little room for the romance to grow. I found at that point Mortmain's story much more interesting than Val's which is so much shame as Val had potential to be the best hero of the trilogy if he just stayed as he was.However, the heroes pain and emotions are strong and palpable throughout the book, the tone dark and menacing and the mystery very very addicting. If someone is not looking for a romance with some mystery but a complete gothic nonel with mystery and some romance thrown in for good measure, then I would definitely recommend it. Otherwise, this is only recommended for hard core fans of the series who want to read the closure to the St. Leger-Mortmain fight that's been going on for ages. ( )

Valentine St.Leger can take the pain another person is feeling and take it upon himself, this can help people heal. When he did this for his brother however he did himself damage and now he limps.

Kate Fitzleger has loved Val almost all her life but as she isn't his "destined wife" she will die young if they marry. She gives him a love potion and casts spells to try to ensnare him.

Okay, morally dubious stuff all over the place here. With the destined love and fate stuff that I tend to dislike, but it was very readable. Still didn't manage not to leave a slightly bad taste in my mouth afterwards. ( )

This is my first book I have read by the author Susan Carroll. Too bad I had to read the last book in the trilogy first. I enjoyed the book. The plot was well thought out. The book was a little tame, but overall it was a very good book. ( )

The third story about the St. Leger family and their strange powers. Val's is the ability to heal. The bride finder, Effie FitzLeger, has told him that he has no chosen bride and so he has remained an unmarried man though he envies his brother's happiness with his chosen . This is Val's story.

I didn't find this book as compelling as Carroll's The Bride Finder and the Night Drifter but it has been several years and I may be remembering them as better than they were. Still, I did enjoy the book and it did tie up loose ends from the Night Drifter for me.