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Candace Camp

Secrets of the Heart by Candace Camp

By

ISBN: 1-55166-657-X

Publisher: MIRA Historical Books

On the night before her wedding to Michael Trend, the Earl of Westhampton, Rachel Aincourt tried to elope with another man only to be unceremoniously returned to her fiance by her father.  What a start to a marriage!  Rachel sees Michael as a cold, bookish man who has saved her from scandal.  What she doesn’t realize is that Michael agreed to marry her even though she tried to elope as he had been in love with her for years.

Our story starts 7 years after the failed elopement and subsequent marriage.  Rachel and Michael have co-existing for the past 7 years each having formed their own lives.  Rachel spends most of her time in London surrounded by her friends and parties.  Michael spends most of his time in the country.  Rachel still views Michael as bookish and consumed by running his estate.  What we find out is that Michael has been an investigator for many years and is drawn into one of Bow Street’s toughest cases.  When the case turns to murder and Rachel is at risk, Michael turns to his mastery of disguise to win the heart of his wife.  The first third of this book is a bit slow, but the story really takes off after that!  It keeps the reader turning pages, guessing at the “who done it” aspect to the mystery, cheering for certain characters and laughing out loud at times.  The Romance Reader says: “Secrets of the Heart is a tale that is slow to start, has an intriguing mystery, and requires a major suspension of belief, but if you can buy it, there is entertainment to be found.”

I found this book to be a wonderful story about two people who certainly start a marriage off on the wrong foot, but grow and develop into the ideal partners for each other.  The mystery aspect of this story is well told.  The reader is kept guessing for some time.  The dialogue and the reaction of the various characters are well thought out and appropriate.  The story progresses beautifully.  This book serves as a wonderful conclusion to a heart warming trilogy about Devin & Miranda and Richard & Jessica and finally Michael & Rachel!
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The Hidden Heart by Candace Camp

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ISBN: 1-55166-922-6

Publisher: MIRA Historical Books

Richard, Duke of Cleybourne, was introduced in Candace Camp’s first book in this trilogy.  He apparently had the love match of the season with Dev’s sister several years prior.  She and their daughter died four years earlier in a carriage accident as she was leaving him, and Richard has not been able to recover from his grief.  Our book begins with him coming home to his country estate to commit suicide.

General Streathern, the guardian of his great-niece Gabriela Carstairs has suffered a stroke and is afraid for her safety after his death.  He makes her governess, Jessica Maitland, promise that she will take Gabriela away to her new guardian, Richard, before his great-nephew, the perverted Lord Vesey can get his hands on her.  It seems that Lord Vesey likes little girls and he and his wife need Gabriela’s money.  As promised, Jessica flees in the night with Gabriela and ends up on the depressed Richard’s doorstep….much to the relief of his concerned staff.

A winter snow storm descends on the estate and as various people stumble in, the weather prevents them from leaving.  Soon after Jessica and Gabriela arrive, the Veseys as well as several other groups of people seek refuge from the storm.  To further the story along as well as muddy the waters, there is now a number of plots that all intertwine.  We have a series of break-ins, a murder and an intricate mystery unfolds.

This novel introduces us to yet another of Candace Camp’s feisty heroines.  Jessica has red hair and a temper to match.  She seems to be mature beyond her years and and puts her life on the line to protect her charge.  She also seems to be the spark that makes Richard want to live.  The added people and associated drama at times seem to detract from the core story.  This book seems to be well named.  Many of the characters in this book  have a Hidden Heart and in true Romance Novel fashion the Hidden Hearts are no longer hidden by the end of this wonderful addition to Candace Camp’s repertoire and in particular this “Heart” trilogy.

RT Times says: “Take a brooding, hostile duke and a strong-willed, outspoken governess and you have an appealing romance by the always clever Candace Camp.”

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So Wild a Heart by Candace Camp

By

ISBN: 1-55166-877-7
Publisher: MIRA Historical Books

So Wild a Heart is the first book in Candace Camp’s “Heart Trilogy.”  This book begins with us meeting the hero of the book – Devin Aincourt – the Earl of Ravenscar.  He is a drinker, a womanizer and a gambler, having been cast aside by his father years before; Dev is happy to live out his life in a hedonistic fashion.  His mother begs him to restore the family name and fortune by marrying a rich American heiress.  It seems that the family needs money and Dev’s reputation is such that no respectable English family would have him!

Miranda Upshaw, the American heiress, is much more than Dev has bargained for!  She is the daughter of a wealthy fur trader; she is feisty, independent, business-minded and completely unimpressed by the English aristocracy.  She and her father are interested in restoring “Blackwater” the earl’s estate and have the money to do it!  Although Miranda refuses Devin’s offer of marriage at first, she eventually realizes that there are advantages to a marriage of convenience.

As in all good romances, Miranda and Dev’s relationship eventually becomes intimate.  It is entertaining to see Miranda extricate Dev from the clutches of his former debauched mistress and win his heart while putting his estates in order and encouraging Dev to become involved again with painting – his true passion in life.

Candace Camp just keeps getting better!  Miranda is one of the best heroines that I’ve met in some time.  She is smart, self-confident, knows what she wants and how to get it.  Devin at the beginning of the story makes my hair curl with the level of his debauchery.  Devin at the end of the story is a wonderfully grounded person who has truly found his place in life with an admirable love by his side!

RT Reviews says the following of this book: “Candace Camp brings drama, suspense, a bit of humor and plenty of passion to her exciting first novel in a new trilogy. She delights us with her remarkable characters and keeps us engrossed in their warm and fast-paced love story.”
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