Enchanting the Heiress - Kristi Ann Hunter

The Hearts on the Heath series has been an enjoyable series to read, and in this third volume was have a novel in which fans of Emma may notice a number of familiar elements.

 

Harriet Hancock likes to meddle in her friends lives to make them happier – whether they like it or not. She’s surprised to find her friend Sophia Whitworth (whose own story is told in Winning the Gentleman) is set on improving the happiness both of Harriet, and of Jonas, Sophia’s brother.  

 

Jonas isn’t at all keen on this idea, as he thinks Harriet interferes in his sister’s life far too much. He would rather live a quiet life among the horses he loves. 

 

When Harriet finds out Jonas’ gift for words she asks for his help to write a book. But there is far more behind this request than first appears, and the bubbly and engaging Harriet has a secret of her own.

 

This is an entertaining story, with enough intrigue to keep this reader interested.  (I prefer suspense to romance, so like my romance reads to have a good helping of mystery!)  It flows on very nicely from the earlier two books in the series, but it would be possible to read it as a stand alone novel, although I would recommend reading the others first, for background detail.

 

As an English reader who has spent quite a few years riding and working with horses, there are some ‘horsy’ elements I found jarring.  We don’t say ‘shall we run’ when we mean ‘shall we canter or gallop’, we don’t refer to ‘stirrup straps’, and some of the racehorse training described didn’t ring true. For the largely US readership though, and probably for ‘non-horsy’ readers elsewhere, these elements won’t even be noticed.

 

More likely to raise eyebrows is the idea of a high born English Lady pursuing a serious relationship with a stable hand. I found this a huge stretch of my credibility, even though we do know that his background certainly wasn’t as a stable hand. That said, the story survived these glitches, and I really do enjoy Kristi Ann Hunter’s storytelling skills. Her characters are all well rounded and feel ‘real’ and her descriptions bring places to life in the reader’s inner eye.

I very much look forward to seeing what comes next from Kristi Ann’s pen (or laptop!).

9780764235276

Bethany House, out now

Note: for transparency, I was sent an advance copy of this book, but I was not required to write any specific or favourable review. All views herein are my own. 

The Healing - Joy Margetts

Long before I read this, others were saying how wonderful it is. Now I’ve read it, I can echo every other plaudit it has rightfully received.

 

Philip de Braose is an angry and bitter nobleman and soldier found near death in a ditch when Cistercian monk Brother Hywel notices a magnificent war horse standing, saddled but alone, on the side of a French road. Hywel and Noble the horse take Philip to the nearby Abbey, where Philip begins the very long road to healing and back to Wales, the country of his birth. Along the way, it’s not only his physical wounds, but also his spiritual and emotional ones which slowly begin to heal.

 

This is a story which is beautifully told, with wonderful descriptive writing and perfectly chosen and positioned bible verses throughout. 13^th century France and Wales are so well described that it’s obvious that the author has done her research very well, and that she knows and loves the land she describes.

 

The Cistercian Abbey Cymer reminds me of the Shrewsbury Abbey of Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael novels and I have no hesitation in saying the The Healing is as engrossing as any of the Cadfael books.  I would love to learn more of the other monks – especially Brother Aldred.  Faith is an obvious element of the book, woven in perfectly and not just inside the Abbey church and pastures.  Hywel’s outworking of his faith as he travels home to his Welsh community is both lovely to read and inspirational.

 

I read lots of books which never make it to my shelf but this book is a keeper.  I am truly thrilled that The Pilgrim, which tells Hywel’s early story, is due out in July and I am chomping at the bit in my eagerness to read it!

9781912726424, Instant Apostle

Note: for transparency, I was sent an advance copy of this book, but I was not required to write any specific or favourable review. All views herein are my own.