I read this story over a year ago & reviewed it. I just finished reading it a second time. I NEVER read fanfics a second time, but I read this one & I STILL think it's the BEST Tavington story on this site! You rock!

This was a most satisfying and consuming novel. I thoroughly enjoyed your insight into the affairs of those in this time.

Thank you for sharing it.

You are perhaps the most ruthless author I have read on this site, but that is not a criticism.

You are heartless with your characterizations and exposing their flaws, particularly your heroine. It is refreshing. I would imperceptibly tense when approaching some parts of the story where I was expecting a certain (cliched) outcome, but I have breathed a sigh of relief at every one.

Refreshingly honest. Good!

I've read and reread this story many times and still enjoy it. I just wanted to point out, though... I've never *seen* the Patriot movie. It's thoroughly not necessary.

Given that, and given that you mention changing some details of the movie anyway AND your story includes Tarleton... It would seem logical to me to quietly change Tavington's name and try to sell this to publishers as a historical romance.

I got so caught up in the story, I never noticed, did you ever reveal if the rightful heir to the throne and his siblings are anyone we know? Wonderful novel!

I was just wondering- is Lord Fanshaw at all Welsh? I know that Jesus was established to help Welsh students, and I don't know how frequently they would have admitted students of other origin. Also, being set up in Elizabeth's time, it is newer than some colleges, and a peer may well have matriculated to the same college as his family before him. (Just another minor thing, and it might be modern usage that might not be true of the past, but you've said Jesus College, and Caius College (opening another bracket to say that Caius was an expansion on Gonville, and I've never heard anyone shorten the name), and while Letty might include the word 'college', I don't think any one who had attended either university would. I respect your research, and I may be wrong about usage at the time, just adding my two cents.

You seem to have done a lot of research about the period, and I wonder if you would answer a question. My knowledge of St James is limited to Jane Austen, in whose writing it doesn't seem to be that fashionable. Would you tell me a little about how the popularity of court rose and ebbed over the period?

I read the first half of this story as you were writing it, but eventually forgot about checking updates for your second half. Something stirred my memory however and I searched everywhere for this half-remembered story and finally found it again. Now that I have, I cannot stop reading for the life of me! Your writing style is wonderful and the amount of detail and historical accuracy is equally impressive. Your work of fan-fiction brings me far more pleasure than any published book I have read to date. Which means you are beating out Austen and Poe! I am on your 42nd chapter and am anxious to finish and yet feel I will be sad to do so as well. Bravo!

I finished reading your story months ago and feel bad that I never reviewed. I remember I was going to wait until the end before I would write you a review and when I did finish I just never did.

First of all, your story is brilliant. I'm going into my last year of highschool in the fall and want to go on to study history and the attention to historical detail made it a real pleasure to read.

I don't usually read stories as long as this, so for me to finish "Tavington's Heiress" means a lot.

Once again, I apologize for not reviewing until now. I'm going to add this story to my favourites and check out some of your other stories.

Thank you for writing this amazing story.

Many apologies for my long absence. I still have every intention of resuming my reading and reviewing, though given my chronic disorganization it will probably be a while. However, I've just realized that I accidentally skipped this chapter the last time I attempted to catch up on the story.

It was a great pleasure to renew my acquaintance with your characters (at least some of them!), but this was a very melancholy chapter. Lady Cecily's destruction of Jane's old love letters was distressing, especially when one considers that Ralph--though not handsome and dashing like William--loved Jane faithfully, and would have provided her with a much more harmonious, albeit narrower, future life. Of course in that scenario Letty's lot would have been more narrow still, but the thought of her never becoming Fanshawe's fashionable little doll is actually rather comforting. I really felt for Jane over how Letty has almost become a stranger to her in some ways, with her posh new accent, causing Jane to feel positively provincial in comparison.

Sorry for sounding so negative--despite being somewhat depressed by this chapter, I am still very impressed by the story. It's wonderful how you used the horrid movie, with its bad history and 2-D characters, as a springboard for a complex and well-researched story set during and after the Revolution.

It may be weeks, it may be months, but I'll be back to R&R!

*sigh*
Sorry for not reviewing more frequently, but I wanted you to know that this is one of my most favorites on my favorites list. Whenever I need a good read, I come here first. In all honesty I think I've lost count of how many times I've read a recommended your story. Is there even the slightest possibility that there will be a few one-shots or shorts about the adventures beyond the epilogue?

Thanks for sharing this wonderful story.
Blessings,
LW

This is a very well-written story and all, and I suppose that like your other reviewers, I really ought to go on and on about how superb and ingenius this lovely story was, but you've no doubt heard enough of that and I really do have a point to make.

I'm terribly sorry, but I don't see much of The Patriot in your story. While I was reading this, I had the distinct feeling that you were merely writing about a character who happens to share some similarities with Tavington and, instead of uploading it to fictionpress like you really ought to've, you made the character Tavington and added in Bordon and slapped it under The Patriot section.

I am sorry for sounding rude, but quite frankly, I was rather annoyed that the movie seemed completely disregarded in your fiction. Your other fanfiction was much the same; it almost appeared that you didn't like the movie, only the character. And that really is quite a shame.

Very intresting story...I like it!

I am sorry to have only stumbled across this story so recently and therefore will be leaving just this one review, but I shall do my best to emphasize how simply brilliant this entire tale was.

Where to start...?

I think the main thing that I adore about this fabulously told story, is the fact that Jane isn't some kind of beautiful, head-turning princess who is so very 'Mary Sue'. It's very heartening to read about a character who wins love and respect simply by the virtues of her heart, rather than transcient beauty. While I'm sure we all wish Colonel Tavington was our own, I think he and Jane proved to be a very good match by the end. Their relationship is so nice to think about because it's not the usual/boring 'catch each other's eyes and fall in love' hullabaloo which he suffered with that irritatingly flirtatious Kitty Sattersby. He was such an arrogant arse at times and I wouldn't have been surprised if Jane had thrown him out the window or even better, kicked him in the you-know-whats! I would only think it to be a natural reaction for a woman whose husband's being a *. :D

As you can see, I'm still very caught up in the beauty of your lovely writing and find myself constantly thinking I am back in the 1700s, watching the wonderful phaetons trundling past the window. I do love a nice dose of past centuries, and ever since watching The Patriot, I had to admit that I wouldn't mind living in that era if all the men could wear such handsome uniforms like Tavington! I'm in awe of your knowledge for the period and it was very educational to read about all the little details to do with fashion, etc.

The characterisations were done flawlessly and I came to love them all in their own way. The Colonel was obviously the centre-piece of affection, seeing as he's unresistably handsome, etc., etc. but I liked him the best when he realised he was actually in love with Jane (not so shocking, seeing as they seemed to be good friends by then). Sir John was terribly funny at times, and I still think of the time when Lord Colchester said something like he hadn't thought Jane able to say 'boo' to a goose and John had muttered 'who would want to say "boo" to a goose?' That had me laughing outright! Of course, there are so many others who I loved reading about, including Letty, Moll, the Tavington sisters and Mr Bellini, but I don't want this review turning into a novel itself!

While at first, I felt a bit daunted about having to read 75 chapters, I realise now that even that number is not enough! If only this fanfiction was not derived from a film, you could have published it as a book! That would have been so great... :)

There are so many things that were wonderful about this story and I wish to thank you so much for writing this epic! It was definitely worth the read, and I admit that I read it into ridiculously early hours of morning!

Since this is getting long, I'll end it here, but not before I say that this has got to be one of the best pieces of fanfiction I have ever read in any fandom, so thank you for that. I'm still stuck in thinking 18th century, but I'm sure that'll disappear from my mind although I'll always be thinking about your fantastic characters and writing.

A hearty well done for writing such an enormous virtual tome (!) and kudos all around for writing so much without giving a single moment of boredom for the readers.

Yours most gratefully and in awe,

Duco Lacuna

Dear Author,

I wanted you to know that I have never written a review for any fanfiction before, as I am not savvy with computers in the least and am constantly afraid of screwing something up (which is often the case!). However, I had to make an exception this time, as your story "Tavington's Heiress", is just too wonderful not to be praised in the highest. I haven't been reading fanfiction for long, only about a year, now, but this is without a doubt the best piece of fanfiction I've ever had the pleasure of reading! I'm an extremely discriminating reader, and am often bored or disappointed with many fictions but I can say, in my own opinion of course, that your attention to detail is amazing. And you are not afaraid to write about the kinds of things that would put off most readers. Kudos!

A case in point; in the beginning chapters, when Tavington is contemplating marrying Jane Rutledge while dallying with her younger and perhaps more comely stepmother, my heart was just aching - maybe being an ugly-duckling with a pretty blonde stepmother myself, has made me sentimental towards Jane! At any rate, even though I found it to be distressing, I had to keep reading, even though I feared the worst for poor Jane and would walk away from my computer depressed. I just couldn't tear myself away from this story. I admit I have a problem, but am not in the least bit interested in getting help for it!

And the part where Mrs. Tavington is giving birth in the carriage before due, and being attacked, and then Moll comes to save the day? I cheered and whooped out loud so that my husband heard me all the way from the living room downstairs! And you have no idea how happy I was to read about Tavington finally getting the better of Ben Martin. I had a self-satisfied smirk on my face all the rest of the day!

I'm not even finished with this story yet, and I'm writing a review - I got halfway through the chapter, "Over the Horizon" when I just felt I had to write to you. I guess I should have waited, but I couldn't help myself, I just had to attempt to convey to you my grattitude for writing such a wonderful piece of fanfiction, and sharing your gift with the world. Thak you!

I thoroughly enjoy reading your work! However, I do not think I would be as forgiving as Jane is for Tavington's hurtful behavior. Now then, write on!