His Shadowed Heart
Hazel StathamHistorical romance
Available from Wings ePress
ISBN: 978-1-59088-267-1
June 2008
| Richard, Earl of Waverly is determined never to marry for love again. The memory of his first wife is too strong.. He does have a three year old daughter who needs a mother and something about Caroline Northam appeals to him. She will be the perfect companion to both his daughter and herself. Caroline is the daughter of a disgraced man who committed suicide and she lives with an aunt who sees her as a duty. When Lord Waverly is kind to her she is instantly smitten. His proposal is a dream come true, until he tells her it will be a marriage of convenience only, but she still has hopes.
This is a classic regency tale with appealing characters, love story with many twists and turns and a suspenseful mystery which endangers the couple. Richard and Caroline are wonderful characters who gradually learn to understand and appreciate as well as love each other. They seem to trust each other from the beginning despite the efforts of others to undermine that. The three villains of the piece are petty and selfish but only one is truly evil. The subplot of the vagrant that Caroline befriends is engrossing but sad. The characters are the best part of the story. Aside from the brooding earl and his shy but brave wife, Richard’s sister Victoria would like to be overbearing but loves her brother too much to really domineer, and her husband Lord Stanton who seems mild mannered until it really matters are both outstanding and well written. Once again Ms. Statham has written a memorable and entertaining story that is definitely a keeper.
Overall rating:
Reviewer: Maura Frankman |
