In the future, a plague has left the world with a shortage
of women and those few can only produce male children. To
continue the population, the men of Blackfell retrieve
brides from the past by having specially trained artisans
paint the women's portraits with a unique combination of
mediums. They then are able to step through the portraits
and bring the women back through time to Blackfell. This
retrieval must be achieved within an hour's time, or the
portal between the two time periods will close. Since only
the richest men are able to attain brides this way, and
with the supply of the special medium to add to the
artists' paint soon to run out, rebel forces have formed
the FFA (Families for All) in an attempt to find a cure for
the plague and make brides available to all men who want
them. All of this was set forth in the first book of this
series, PORTRAIT OF A BRIDE (Love Spell, 1/05), which told
the story of Jordan and Conlean.
This time, Rourke of Calandor, a close friend of Jordan and
Conlean and one of the FFA leaders, must return to modern-
day Philadelphia and try to stop the event that unleashes
the infertility plague that will affect mankind in the
future. His portal is a portrait he's painted of Jordan's
sister, Alexis. Of course, as Rourke painted her likeness,
he became more and more attracted to Alexis. When he first
encounters her in the flesh, the only thing he can think to
do is grab her and kiss her.
Alexis, a paranormal researcher who's always been
fascinated with unexplained phenomenon and things that go
bump in the night, can't believe it when a man steps out of
an antique painting she's observing in a dark room, kisses
her passionately, then walks away into the night. When
Rourke shows up at her apartment claiming to need her
assistance in meeting the scientist her sister once worked
for and looking through Jordan's papers concerning the
fertility drug, Alexis doesn't recognize him. But she does
want to do whatever she can to help him in his quest. It
doesn't hurt that he's a real hunk and the only man she's
been sexually attracted to for several years. When the full
truth finally comes to light, will she be able to trust
this man she's come to care for so deeply? And will the
plague be prevented?
Starting where PORTRAIT OF A BRIDE left off, it's
imperative that you read the first book to fully comprehend
the scope of PORTRAIT OF A MAN. You'll need the plot
premise and background information, which is not fully
explored in the backstory of this sequel. I enjoy the fact
that Fobes has taken a fresh approach to the time-travel
element of paranormal romance and given us a unique reading
experience. This book's conclusion has a surprising twist
that leaves the door fully open for a future book to
resolve the situation.
In a quest to save the people of Blackfell from a plague
that prevents the birth of girls, a rebel from the realm
and a paranormal reseracher from the past find more than
they expect - a love that spans space and time.
The Portrait
In a world where only the wealthiest man has the price of a
bride, Rourke of Calandor holds no hope of knowing a wife’s
gentle touch, or having a helpmate of his own. A rebel
against the established order, he will do anything to bring
down the Patriarchy, even travel into the past to the place
where it all started. Only by painting the likeness of a
very special woman could he open the doorway between
Blackfell and Philadelphia; only by concentrating his
entire being on her could he safely pass through.
The Portal
Alexis Conner has been fascinated by the macabre all her
life. As a kid, she loved horror stories and haunted
houses; as an adult, she made a career of verifying the
paranormal. But the image materializing before her in the
charged darkness is no ghost. This is a man, heart
stoppingly real, powerful, dangerous. And the first thing
he does is crush her into his arms and blow away all her
scientific cool with a kiss.
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