Heartstorm by Elizabeth Stuart

About the Book:

An opulent epic of passion, loyalty, and betrayal set amidst the splendor of 17th-century Scotland.

Sweeping from the wild Scottish Highlands to tapestried castle halls, from court revelries to battlefields, from the unstoppable desire for power to the unquenchable hungers of the heart--they struggled passionately toward a triumphant destiny.

Robert Randall - The cruel and powerful Earl of Glenkennon, sworn to bring English rule to the untamed  Scottish countryside...

Sir Francis MacLean - The rough-hewn cheiftain of a Highland clan, pledged to protect his people...

Anne Randall - A ravishing young woman trapped between the ties of blood and the the ties of love, her heart sworn to the man her father has vowed to kill...



My thoughts:

This turned out to be a really well-written Scottish historical romance! For me, there's something about an older paperback that appeals to me...I'm drawn more and more to historicals and romances written many years ago, and I stumbled upon this little gem in a used paperback pile.

 Upon the death of her mother,  young Anne Randall is being escorted to live with her estranged father, the treacherous Earl of Glenkennon. Glenkennon has imprisoned members of the MacLean clan, and the daring laird, Francis MacLean, abducts the earl's daughter during her journey with the intent to use her as a pawn. While Anne is kept as a hostage at Camereigh, the clan castle, the two develop a growing relationship that both know can only end in heartache......she is English and the daughter of MacLean's sworn enemy; he is a Scottish rogue and an outlaw who will be hunted to the death by Glenkennon. How can the star-crossed lovers find peace and fulfillment with each other when all odds are against them?

Very interesting historical details and engaging writing style -- I just ordered a few more of Elizabeth Stuart's novels I enjoyed Heartstorm so much. (Without Honor, Where Love Dwells, and Bride of the Lion.)


4/5 stars

Title: Heartstorm
Author: Elizabeth Stuart
1989
St. Martin's
genre: historical romance

Iron Lace by Emilie Richards

About the Book:

"When Aurore Gerritsen watched her lover kill her father, it was just one act of violence in a long chain of dramatic events.Years later, behind the iron lace gates of wealthy New Orleans, beneath the veneer of her society name, linger secrets that Aurore Gerritsen has hidden for a lifetime, and truths that threaten to change forever the lives of her unsuspecting family. Now, as Aurore faces her own mortality, she needs to reveal those secrets that have haunted her for so many years.

Aurore seeks out Phillip Benedict and asks him to tell her story. He's intrigued, but wonders why the matriarch of a prominent white family would choose to confess her sins to an outspoken black journalist.

Finally Phillip agrees, but though he thinks he's ready for anything she might say, the truth is that nothing can prepare him for the impact of Aurore's shocking revelations."(from Goodreads)


My Thoughts:

Iron Lace is a gripping, heartbreaking story of a forbidden love from the past in Old Louisiana.

As the story begins in New Orleans in the racially turbulent 1960's, an ailing matriarch of an aristocratic family wishes to have her memoirs written, and her unusual choice for a journalist to write her life story will come as a surprise.  As Aurore begins recounting the memories of her life, old secrets unfold, tragedies and prejudices of the past are revealed, and the destruction of long-held hate and revenge play out across generations.  From the 1890's to the 1960's, Aurore's life story and the choices she made changed the course of many of her family's lives, and the revelation of these past secrets will have shocking repercussions.  It is a very emotional and intense read.

Great storytelling with spot-on historical accuracy wins high marks from me. The author captured the authentic colors, flavors, and essence of the history of southern Louisiana without being cliche. 

 My only minor quibble with the book is that there is not complete closure at the book's end...there are obvious loose threads that will be picked up in the sequel, Rising Tides, which I have already added to my kindle. I must find out more about the unforgettable characters in Iron Lace (a reference to the beautiful decorative ironwork on the balconies of southern mansions).


***A note about book covers: The cover pictured above is the new cover for the rereleased paperback version and the kindle edition. I'm not a fan of the cover as when I look at it, I think "women's fiction" or a contemporary romance.

The older covers do a better job of conveying an "old south" feel which is the heart of this story:

My paperback cover:

The hardback cover:

My rating:

4/5 stars

Title: Iron Lace
Author: Emilie Richards
1996
genre: southern historical fiction/romance

Defiant by Pamela Clare

Charged with a crime they didn't commit, the MacKinnon brothers faced a death sentence until they agreed to serve the British Crown in the colonies and take up arms against the French. Allied with the Indian tribes who lived beside them in the wilderness, the Scottish Highland warriors forged a new breed of soldier...

MacKinnon's Rangers

Major Connor MacKinnon despises his commander, Lord William Wentworth, beyond all other men. Ordered to rescue Wentworth's niece after the Shawnee take her captive, he expects Lady Sarah Woodville to be every bit as arrogant and contemptible as her uncle. Instead, he finds a brave and beautiful lass in desperate peril. But the only way to free Sarah is for Connor to defeat the Shawnee warrior who kidnapped her—and claim her himself.

Torn by tragedy from her sheltered life in London, Lady Sarah is unprepared for the harshness of the frontier—or for the attraction she feels toward Connor as he guides her first through the consummation of their forced union and then through the dangers of the wilderness. When they reach civilization, however, it is she who must protect him. For if her uncle knew all that Connor had done to save her, he would surely kill him.

But the flames of passion, once kindled, are difficult to deny. As desire transforms into love, Connor will have to defy an empire to keep Sarah at his side.
(from Goodreads)

My Thoughts:

Pamela Clare's MacKinnon's Ranger trilogy is the kind of story I could read over and over again!

 Full of adventure, danger, history, and passionate romance, the exiled Highlander brothers of Iain, Morgan, and Connor will stay with me for a long, long time (like Jamie and Clare). While the plot of Defiant followed the same pattern as Surrender and Untamed (the story of two unlikely people thrown together by fate), Connor's story touched my heart as it brought together characters from the past and gave closure to the MacKinnon brothers' plight. Pamela Clare's ability to recreate the wild and untamed land of early colonial America and her love and respect for the Native American culture is such an exciting part of the series. Her characters are so well drawn that they literally leap off the page. Very, very sexy, too!

 Loved all the books in this series! I also have reviewed Surrender (my personal favorite) and Untamed. Highly recommend.

4.5/5 stars

Sea Change by Karen White

"For Ava Whalen, a new marriage and a move to St. Simons Island means a new beginning. But what she doesn’t realize is that her marriage will take her on an unexpected journey into the deep recesses of her past that will transform her forever…

For as long as she can remember, Ava Whalen has struggled with a sense of not belonging, and now, at thirty-five, she still feels stymied by her family. Then she meets child psychologist Matthew Frazier, and thinks her days of loneliness are behind her. After a whirlwind romance, they impulsively elope, and Ava moves to Matthew’s ancestral home on St. Simons Island off the coast of Georgia.

But after the initial excitement, Ava is surprised to discover that true happiness continues to elude her. There is much she doesn’t know about Matthew, including the mysterious circumstances surrounding his first wife’s death. And her new home seems to hold as many mysteries and secrets as her new husband. Feeling adrift, Ava throws herself into uncovering Matthew’s family history and that of the island, not realizing that she has a connection of her own to this place—or that her obsession with the past could very well destroy her future."
(book description from Goodreads)

My thoughts:

What a surprise this book turned out to be!

 I wasn't sure if this was going to fall into the category of "beach read" as that is not the kind of book I typically read. Fortunately, I read a great review by Laura at Laura's Reviews  and she described Karen White as one of her favorite new authors. Intrigued, I kept on reading her review and was surprised to see that Sea Change is indeed right up my alley. It's actually a blend of a little history, suspense, layers of mysteries, love stories in the past and present, all blended against the backdrop of a lovely southern setting of St. Simons Island, Georgia.

Karen White's writing style is easy and breezy and she grabbed me from the get-go and kept me moving through the story, intrigued by the enigmatic characters and the secrets they were holding close to their hearts. I always enjoy a dual-time storyline as a plot device, and Sea Change has a compelling love story and mysterious legend from the 1800's that has significance for the characters in the present time. This is a heartwarming  story of families and  hope and second chances with  stunning revelations  that is sure to please fans of romantic suspense. Very reminiscent of Susanna Kearsley's style of novels.

Highly recommended! 

Karen White has a lovely book trailer that is worth checking out to get a sense of the beautiful setting.

5/5 stars

A Lasting Impression by Tamera Alexander

"Claire Laurent's greatest aspiration is to paint something that will bring her acclaim. Yet her father insists she work as a copyist. A forger. When she's forced to flee her home, her path collides with attorney Sutton Monroe, who shows her kindness by not turning her in to authorities. But when he later refuses to come to her aid, Claire fears she's sorely misjudged him. Finding herself among the elite of Nashville society, Claire believes her dream of creating a lasting impression in the world of art is within reach--but only if her past remains hidden.

The Federal Army destroyed Sutton's home, confiscated his land, and now threatens to destroy his family's honor. His determination to reclaim what belongs to him reveals a truth that may cost him more than he ever imagined--as well as the woman he loves.

Set at Nashville's historic Belmont Mansion, a stunning antebellum manor built by Adelicia Acklen, A Lasting Impression is a sweeping love story about a nation mending after war, the redemption of those wounded, and the courage of a man and woman to see themselves - and each other - for who they truly are."(from the publisher)

my thoughts:

Tamera Alexander's A Lasting Impression was a delightful historical romance set in the beautiful Belmont Mansion in Nashville, Tennessee. Beginning in a New Orleans French Quarter art gallery, Claire Laurent is forced by her father and scheming uncle to use her artistic talent to create forgeries. When a tragedy forces her to flee her home, her uncle sends her to Nashville to meet up with a "business partner" -- and from there, things go awry. With no one to turn to for help, she overhears a conversation that sets her on the path of seeking a position at Belmont as an assistant to the famous society matron, Adelicia Ackland. Claire hopes to put her past behind her and start a new life...

A very charming love story unfolds between Claire and handsome attorney Sutton Monroe, set against the backdrop of the luxurious Belmont Mansion. Lavish entertaining, beautiful sculptures and artwork, and opportunities to use her artistic talents in her position as Mrs. Ackland's assistant, Claire feels she has finally found a place of acceptance.....but her past constantly haunts her, and her greatest fear is that her secret past of illegal art dealing will be revealed and cost her to lose all that she holds dear.

Loved this well-written and inspirational romance! Claire and Sutton made a very cute couple and brought out the best in each other. I especially enjoyed visiting Tamera Alexander's website and viewing the photos of the mansion (then and now) and the art pieces mentioned in the novel. Looking forward to reading the next installment in the Belmont Mansion series.


4/5 stars

Title: A Lasting Impression (Book #1 of The Belmont Mansion series)
Author: Tamera Alexander
2011
Bethany House Publishers
430 pages
genre: Christian historical romance