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Heart Trilogy

Heart of Courage by Kat Martin

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ISBN: 0778326098

Publisher: Mira Books

Heart of Courage is the third book in the “Heart” trilogy by Kat Martin.  Although this series has been very favorably reviewed, I continue to struggle to find all the redeeming qualities the reviewers speak of!

Heart of Courage continues the story of the Draugr brothers.  The brother that is the hero in this story is Thor and he seems to be the least civilized of the two.  He is a hard worker, holding down several jobs and investing his money in well-researched investments. But he seems to also have the “me Tarzan, you Jane” mentality that his brother has and the physical size to carry it off.

Lindsey Graham is a society reporter (pseudonym of “Lady Smart”) who’s wastrel brother, Rudy, has been accused of murdering prostitutes.  Lindsey seems determined to carry out a dangerous investigation and clear her brother’s name.  Thor is sent by Krista (Lindsey’s employer) to protect Lindsey as she carries out her investigation.  Although Thor and Lindsey seem to butt heads at every turn, their mutual attraction continues to grow.  It seems that as she and Thor go from bawdy house to pubs looking for clues that the police could never hope to find, their physical attraction grows.

This book had too many out of place story lines for me.  I found it lacking in believability in many spots.  If a book is going to be set in the aristocracy of Regency England, the character’s behavior needs to be more suited for that era than more modern times. The daughter of a viscount wouldn’t be holding down a job, and certainly wouldn’t be conducting an investigation of her own into her brother’s supposed crimes. Her father’s title would carry more weight with the police then her questions.  This particular book never seemed to get off the ground for me.  Lindsey was inconsistent and self-absorbed.  She made too many excuses for her brother’s behavior and seemed to be unwilling to put any faith in the investigative skills of the police (possibly justified).  I found it sad that she repeatedly put her family before Thor.  Thor was stubborn and frequently overbearing.  Although I’ve enjoyed many of Kat Martin’s novels, this trilogy will not be a set of books I will keep!

That being said, this book as well as this series received one positive review after another.  The following is an example from Romance Reader at Heart.  “A knockout!  From the first page it pulls the reader in….the plot is so rich with twists and turns that I couldn’t put it down…[Martin] is one talented writer and Heart of Courage is one for the keeper shelf!”  RT Book Reviews also liked this book and gave it 4 stars.  They said: “This book, the last of Martin’s Heart series, is fun, intriguing and full of enough twists to keep you glued to your chair. Sparks fly and hearts are conquered in this sensual conclusion to a great trilogy.”
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Heart of Fire by Kat Martin

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ISBN: 0-7783-2452-4

Publisher: Mira Historical Romances

Heart of Fire is number 2 in Kat Martin’s “Heart” trilogy. Our heroine, Coralee Whitmore takes over Krista’s writing at “Heart to Heart” while she was on her honeymoon. Coralee is a Viscount’s daughter and our story starts with the funeral of her sister. Coralee’s sister is believed to be guilty of committing suicide and killing her child in the process. Coralee is certain that her sister couldn’t have done such a thing and is determined to find out if Lord Tremaine seduced and then murdered her beloved sister. With this thought, Coralee heads off to Castle-on-Avon with only a maid for company and lies her way into Lord Tremaine’s house. Although this allows Coralee to come into close contact with Lord Temaine, a man who is still in mourning for the wife he lost four years ago, it pushes believability!! Would the daughter of a viscount really head off to the country without telling anyone and pose as a poor relation to live in the house of someone she believed murdered her sister???

As time progresses,  Coralee decides that Lord Tremaine really couldn’t have killed her sister. Sadly, by this time, Coralee’s father comes searching for her, and when he finds her unchaperoned in Lord Tremaine’s house, forces her to marry him. Coralee is supposedly a good reporter for Krista’s newspaper, but shows herself time and again to be immature, reckless and not worthy of the hero, Lord Tremaine. Some of the scenes sizzle as is typical of Kat Martin, but I was disappointed by lack of believability of this particular story. What almost interests me more is that this book got wonderful reviews by various publications. It made me wonder if we were reading the same book.  Have you read this book? What did you think?

Publishers Weekly – “Heart of Fire is blessed with a strong plot and a rich supporting cast, making this fun, full romance a surefire crowd pleaser.” The Romace Reader’s Connection, “Heart of Fire is a wonderful historical romance….Kat Martin has created a story that delivers emotion, steamy romance, and a suspenseful storyline. This is one you don’t want to miss.”
“Ms Martin keeps you burning the midnight oil as she sets fire to the pages of Heart of Fire…Don’t miss this fabulous series! It is a definitely a winner.” Reader to Reader

Heart of Honor by Kat Martin

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ISBN: 0778323838

Publisher: Mira Historical books

Heart of Honor is the first book in Kat Martin’s “Heart” trilogy.  I must admit, I read this book when it originally came out, desperate to read another Kat Martin book!  I have been enjoying her books for years and was so pleased to find a new series.  I didn’t like this book when I originally read it, but after reading the next two in the series, I picked it up to read again, and saw it in a different light!  I enjoyed the book much more the second time around!

This book is a big step away from Kat Martin’s usual glittering ton romances of Regency England!  We find our hero as part of a sideshow at a carnival.  Leif Drauger, a Viking, who was shipwrecked on English shores has been taken captive and placed in a cage as “the barbarian” in a circus act.  He can’t speak English and therefore can’t communicate with his captors. (One has to wonder why he couldn’t have used other forms of communication other than speech….)

Krista Hart is the editor of a lady’s weekly gazette and isn’t afraid to speak her mind.  She seems to be frequently doing things that would put her reputation or safety on the line.  She and her father find Leif at the circus, recognize that he is speaking an old Norse dialect and demand his release.  Leif is the first man who makes Krista feel anything; the attraction between them is strong, but she continues to fight it.

Krista’s father  takes on Leif as a project; teaches him English and and also teaches him to be a gentleman.  Although Leif quickly proves to be a smart student, his Viking background seems to keep him firmly rooted in the “Me Man, You Little Woman” scenario.  Krista is a strong character, taking on social inequalities and Woman’s rights issues in her newspaper.  This seems to frequently put her in danger, and Leif takes on the role of protector.  He feels that the Gods have brought him and Krista together and she is the woman destined for him.  He also is a strong character he is intent on enforcing his “way”.  He kidnaps Krista and takes her back to his island to fulfill a promise he made to his father.

This book was a reverse version of “My Fair Lady” with Leif being the one groomed.  Upon second read, the characters seemed to make more sense and what I felt were weird actions the first time around, seemed to fit the characters when I had another look.  I have to admit, though, Leif still came off as too alpha-male for my tastes!  When he is found in the next two books in the series, he seems a bit more toned down and more believable!

Kat Martin is a talented writer, not afraid to take on complex plots or characters.  Don’t dismiss this series because of this book.  Give it a fair chance!  The Historical Romance Writers review of this book says, “The first of a new series, Heart of Honor, is a grand way for the author to begin…Kat Martin has penned another memorable tale. Martin puts a twist on the captive/captor theme by cleverly combining it with a bit of pygmalion and a touch of Tarzan for a fast-paced, sensual, entertaining tale.”  “Heart of Honor sweeps the reader away on a tidal wave of emotion, bittersweet, poignant romance and a tantalizing primal sexuality that are the inimitable trademarks of multi-talented author Kat Martin” Winterhaven News

Romance Readers at Heart kind of mirror my thoughts when they say: “…what Martin does do well is create a fascinating historical depiction of the Vikings and their culture, although I must say I did get a bit of tired of Leif’s chauvinistic attitude and his constant “You’re Mine!”reminders to Krista.”
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