Flowers From the Storm by Laura Kinsale

Would you like to convert someone who says romances aren't "real" novels? This book is the one that will do it! Flowers from the Storm is one of the best books in the genre. Christian Langland, Duke of Jerveaux is the ultimate hero. A brilliant mathematician and a complete rake, Christian is a man of contradictions. When a stroke leaves him permanently unable to speak, his family believes him to be mad and relegates him to a sanitarium. Fortunately, Maddy, a righteous Quaker and do- gooder, recognizes that Christian is not insane--he just can't talk! Maddy may not be the most likable heroine you'll encounter, but she has depth and character, and is probably one of the few people you could imagine who would have the patience and understanding to accept and live with Christian's intense anger and frustration. This is a book that defines the word "keeper."

I was completely gripped from the beginning. Such an original story, not light in any means. It dealt with some intense issues, such as: horrible conditions in lunatic asylums. I was originally wary of reading romance novels, but my opinion was given unfairly. Never judge a genre! There are gems everywhere. I knew just from reading the summary that this book would change my mind, and it did!