Romance Book Reviews: Come Pride Come Passion by Jennifer West

One of my favorite books to read during the warm, summer months is Come Pride, Come Passion authored by Jennifer West. The setting of Come Pride, Come Passion is in Greenridge, South Carolina. In the first chapter, we meet Southern Belle, Elizabeth Hart. At the ripe age of twenty-eight, she is suddenly cast into the role of widowhood. She is used to living a sheltered life when her husband was alive, now she is alone and will have to fend for herself.

She finds herself drowning in debt. To keep her head above water, she rents her mansion to boarders and tries to maintain the operation of her mill that has been in her family for generations. One of her boarders is Cade Delaney, who came back to his hometown to settle old scores. He is consumed with hatred and a passion for revenge.

When he was a young boy, his father was brutally murdered by members of the upper class. He is also consumed with lust for the rich girl he could never have. In his youth, he was infatuated with Elizabeth, but he was ignored because of his poor background. Thirteen years later, he is financially independent and successful. When he saw her again, he instantly remembered her from his childhood. She was also the daughter of his father’s enemy.

Although he knows that she is innocent and was not responsible for the cruelty that was meted out to his father, he still sees her as his inherited enemy. Elizabeth is desperate to save her mill, but Cade is intent on exacting revenge on her since she is the daughter of the man who killed his father. His goal was to use her and to have her financially ruined.

However, the power of love is blocking his revengeful path. He tries hard to put aside his true feelings, but his desire for her is too strong for him to resist. Although he came back to settle old scores, the power of love led him away from the past and into the future. Come Pride, Come Passion by Jennifer West is a contemporary fiction romance novel that takes readers on a pleasant journey. The story consists of mystery, suspense, revenge, and love. There are dark moments in the book that were very realistic and heart-wrenching. There are also sensual scenes that will keep readers glued to the page.