Showing posts with label Heidi Kimball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Heidi Kimball. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Review & Giveaway: Where the Stars Meet the Sea by Heidi Kimball




My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

http://www.amazon.comhttp://www.amazon.comhttp://www.barnesandnoble.comhttps://deseretbook.com/p/where-the-stars-meet-the-sea?ref=Grid%20%7C%20Search-1&variant_id=183295-paperbackhttp://www.goodreads.com

Synopsis

A broken man. A fiery young woman. Neither one's heart will come away unscathed.

Juliet Graham fervently counts the days until her twenty-first birthday, when she can claim the inheritance that will grant her the freedom she has always craved and the guardianship of her younger brother. Until then, she is trapped under her aunt Agnes’s domineering will. When forced to accompany the family to a house party at Shaldorn Castle, Juliet’s only objective is to keep to herself. That is, until a chance encounter with a boorish stranger stirs up an unexpected whirlwind of emotions in her. Thrown off-balance, Juliet does the unthinkable: loses her temper and insults the man—who turns out to be her unwilling host, the Duke of Halstead. Fully expecting to be sent away, Juliet is surprised when the brusque and callous duke instead takes an interest in her.

Drawn to the duke in unguarded moments, Juliet finds herself more and more intrigued by the man who shuns Society’s rules as completely as she does, and over the next few weeks, their unlikely friendship deepens into a connection neither expected.

But even as Juliet comes to recognize her true feelings, her scheming aunt issues an ultimatum that threatens the future she was just beginning to hope for. Juliet must choose: either break the promise she made to herself years ago, or lose the man who has captured her heart and soul.


My Review

First of all, isn't that a striking cover?! I think it's my favorite of the year. This is a wonderful Regency romance, with a house party setting, a mysteriously brooding duke, and a spirited young woman who makes friends easily but is long-suffering under her domineering aunt. Juliet has some complicated dynamics in play- the unrequited love of her brotherly best friend/cousin, an inequality in her social status, a younger brother unhappy at boarding school, and an unexpected attraction to the brusque Halstead. I enjoyed how the author wove the story around the various comings and goings at the castle, and the tension that built as Juliet grows closer to Halstead but was pressured to accept her cousin's proposal. It's alluded that there is some secret reason for Halstead to be avoiding society and refusing to marry, so I was a bit let down when the resolution turned out to be rather simple and cliche. I felt like there could have been deeper exploration into his character, but the plot moved on with more misadventure in store for Juliet and her brother. Overall this was an entertaining story perfect for fans of sweet Regency romance!

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

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Friday, March 8, 2019

Review & Giveaway: A Guarded Heart by Heidi Kimball



Heidi Reads... A Guarded Heart by Heidi Kimball

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

http://www.amazon.comhttp://www.amazon.comhttp://www.barnesandnoble.comhttps://deseretbook.com/p/guarded-heart?variant_id=173375-paperbackhttp://www.goodreads.com

Synopsis

Three years after a shocking scandal destroyed her family and forced her into isolation, Eleanor Hayward finally has an opportunity to put her painful history and dashed hopes behind her. But reentering society is no simple task. In her cousin's glittering ballroom, Eleanor is stunned when she comes face-to-face with the man who broke her heart those years before.

Edmund Fletcher thought he had laid the past to rest until he unexpectedly encounters the woman who so nearly became his wife. Soon to be engaged to another, Edmund knows he must let go of the complicated feelings he harbors for Eleanor. However, when the Hayward scandal resurfaces and the truth behind their parting is revealed, Eleanor and Edmund are left reeling. Tormented by thoughts of what could have been, they realize it is impossible to rewrite history. But is there a future in which they might both find happiness—and true love?


My Review

I loved the creative storytelling in this bittersweet Regency romance, with alternating perspectives of Eleanor and Edward, and also the past and present. It allowed details to unfold gradually and added  elements of suspense and anticipation to the plot. Conflict due to misunderstanding isn't my favorite, but the characters were complex and well-developed, drawing me into their world and emotions. The relationship between Eleanor and Edmund was a pleasure to read, and it was gratifying to see them have a second chance at love after everything went so wrong. So happy to have a new Regency author to follow and read!

Monday, November 12, 2018

Spotlight & Giveaway: An Unlikely Courtship by Heidi Kimball



https://amzn.to/2JZn7r8

http://www.amazon.comhttp://www.amazon.comhttp://www.goodreads.com

Synopsis

One can only be careless with so many hearts before he ends up breaking his own.

Lord Anthony is an outrageous flirt with a devil-may-care attitude. The last thing on his mind is settling down. When the Countess Du’Breven invites him to her house party, promising to see him married, Anthony finds the prospect diverting and accepts. But when he meets a damsel in distress unwilling to accept his help, Anthony realizes his attraction to her may be his downfall.

Isabel Townshend is at her breaking point, caring for her ailing father and her innocent younger sister. She has a family secret to protect and no time for handsome young men, even at a house party with so many eligible bachelors. When Lord Anthony disturbs her well-laid plans, Isabel realizes her determination to protect her family may cost her future happiness.

With hearts at odds and defenses drawn, will Isabel and Anthony be able to put aside their differences and find love at last?

An Unlikely Courtship is one of five books set in the Regency House Party Series. While each is a stand alone story, watch our characters mingle together with others from the books in the series. The stories can be read in any order.


About the Author


At a young age Heidi perfected the art of hiding out so she could read instead of doing chores. One husband and four children later, not much has changed. She has an abiding love for peanut butter M&Ms, all things fall, and any book that can make her forget she is supposed to be keeping her children alive.

Heidi currently lives just north of Boston, in a charming old town in southern New Hampshire.





Giveaway

Giveaway is subject to policies HERE.

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Tour Schedule



Friday, October 26, 2018

Review & Giveaway: A Christmas Courting by Jennifer Moore, Chalon Linton, Jen Geigle Johnson, Heidi Kimball



Heidi Reads... A Christmas Courting by Jennifer Moore, Chalon Linton, Jen Geigle Johnson, Heidi Kimball

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

http://www.amazon.comhttp://www.amazon.comhttps://deseretbook.com/p/christmas-courting?variant_id=169590-paperbackhttp://www.goodreads.com

Synopsis

This holiday season fall in love, with heartwarming tales of Christmases past in A Christmas Courting, an enchanting collection of Regency romances.
 

Love and Joy Come to You by Jennifer Moore
Lord Covington has planned a quiet holiday with his grieving mother but finds his plans rudely disrupted when lovely Cassie Weatherby and her young siblings are invited for Christmas. Despite his reservations, however, he begins to recognize in Cassie a kindred spirit.
 

A Christmas Courting by Chalon Linton
When obligations keep her in London, Keturah Hensley sadly anticipates missing the festivity of Christmas at her family's country home and the company of her best friend, Christopher Shepherd. When she learns that Christopher will be joining her family in London for Christmas, she is delighted--but her elation is short-lived. Christopher is coming to Town to court the woman of his dreams, and Keturah fears she may have lost the chance to win his love.
 

Mistletoe Memories by Jen Geigle Johnson
From childhood, Patrick, Duke of Montrose, knew he'd found his perfect match in Lady Alice Tarrington. When he's sent on a grand tour, Patrick is confident he'll marry his sweetheart upon his return. But when he receives word that Alice is to marry another, will he be too late to claim her heart?
 

Second-Chance Christmas by Heidi Kimball
Francie and Gerard have been friends since childhood, but their friendship ended when she declined his heartfelt proposal of marriage. However, when her interactions with Gerard's holiday houseguests provoke in Francie unexpected jealousy, she realizes she must fight for Gerard's affections or risk losing him forever.


My Review

This is a lovely collection of holiday Regency novellas! It definitely put me in the holiday spirit, and it was fascinating to learn some of the traditions of the era for celebrating Christmas. There's something special and even magical about the Christmas season and I think it enhances the connections and emotions of the characters. The romance in each story is sweet and even though the couples had various obstacles to overcome (some with excessive angst), the happy endings left me with a smile on my face. I'm a fan of Jennifer Moore and Chalon Linton, and was excited to read two new-to-me authors. I'm looking forward to reading more of their other books.