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.

Book Summary

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.