This exquisitely lensed Brad Armstrong-directed film is easily one of the most traditionally romantic looking and feeling productions adult has seen in recent years. Stormy Daniels stars as a young bride hearing about her family history. She also plays the role of her great-great grandmother, a woman forced to sacrifice love for financial security for herself and her widowed mother in colonial America.

AVN Hall of Famer Veronica Hart shines as Daniels' mother, who narrates the sad but moving tale, and Randy Spears appears in one of his most brilliant acting performances ever as land baron Adam Dalton. He's evil, cruel and vile throughout this costume drama - the perfect villain- and he absorbs all ones attention every minute he's on the screen. The storyline is compelling, and women viewers will find themselves rapt to see if Daniels' character, Sylvie ever gets to live with love again.

The sex is pure couples stuff in the best and most lovely sense. Daniels really brings her acting into her fucking well - she emotes a tenderness throughout the carnality - and her sex scene with Spears is a prime example of that. When she gives herself to Spears as the man she doesn't love, the sense of hesitating is palpable and good and adds a depth to things rarely represented well in adult. A girl/girler with maid Jessica Drake carries the same sense of heated reserve that delivers its passion well, and a final tryst with doomed love Eric Masterson carries the emotion it should.

Pre-noms yonder: Best Film to the whole shebang, Best Director - Film to Armstrong, Best Editing - Film to Eddie Door, Best Cinematography to Francois Clousot, Best Art Direction - Film, Best Screenplay - Film to Armstrong, Best DVD, Best DVD Extras, Best Actress - Film to Daniels, Best Actor - Film to Spears, Best Supporting Actor - Film to Masterson, Best Non-Sex Performance to Hart, Best Anal Sex Scene - Film to Sable and Spears, Best Couples Sex Scene - Film to Daniels and Spears.

Retailing: This is purely romantic couples stuff; multiple copies in your Wicked Pictures section. A superb selection for first-timers wanting a storyline.