Some may find this unusual but stay with me: I started reading Jude Deveraux's romances when I was young—far too young, in my view. My "mother's library" was full of historical romances, many by Jude Deveraux, and was where I turned when I got tired of reading the age-appropriate books I already owned. I don't recall my age, but let's assume I was nine or ten, so around 1990 or 1991. That was my first introduction to Deveraux's stories. Let's jump to the present when I've just read Thief of Fate, the third and final novel in Jude Deveraux and Tara Sheets' Providence Falls Trilogy, which began with Chance of a Lifetime and Impossible Promise. The trilogy—like the Medlar Mysteries—bears little relation to Deveraux's Montgomery and Taggert novels—not even a distant relative.
The Providence Falls Trilogy is written in a distinct tone and feels nothing like the historical novels the author is known for penning. The trilogy is a time-traveling love story with angels thrown in for good measure. In 1844, a rogue and thief named Liam O'Connor fell in love with Cora McLeod, a squire's daughter, and accidentally altered her fate. Fate meant for her to fall in love with another man, Finley Walsh. Angels join the story at this point and attempt to modify destiny by transporting Liam to modern-day Providence Falls, North Carolina, and giving him a second chance to ensure Cora, who is now a cop, falls in love with Finley Walsh.
In this timeline, Liam is also a detective who works side by side with Cora on a murder investigation, and the more time they spend together, the stronger their feelings for each other from their former lives become. Liam has three months to make things right, but he has yet to reconnect Cora with Finn. Liam has no choice but to drive Cora away from him and into Finn's arms to prevent eternal damnation.
The trilogy concludes satisfactorily with Thief of Fate. It's not ideal by any means, as I have several quibbles with the series, most notably the inconsistent narrative approach, which sadly throws off the pacing. The "changing fate" storyline is fascinating, and the characters are endearing enough to keep me turning the pages. I would add that it became far too predictable in the latter half, and I correctly predicted the ending before reading it. Nonetheless, I enjoyed reading the Providence Falls Trilogy and would suggest it to other readers searching for something unique and different to read. ╌★★★½✰
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