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Kat Martin

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

Against The Wind by Kat Martin

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I have been eagerly anticipating this new series by Kat Martin!  I am a long time reader of her’s and when I found the ARC available on NetGalley, I sent a request to Harlequin to read it.  I was so excited when my request was approved!

Against the Wind is the first book in Kat Martin’s latest series about the “no account Raines boys”.  In the trailers, the “Raines Boys” Jackson, Gabe and Dev are now all grown up and ready to accept love. Here’s the trailer so you can have a sneak peak at Ms. Martin’s next set of three books due out in the new year.

Jackson was humiliated in high school by his secret crush, Sarah, when she refused to attend the prom with him.  He headed off to college on a boxing scholarship and has since made millions of dollars.  He longed to be back in Wind Canyon and bought Raintree Ranch and has become a rancher.

Sarah Allen packs up her daughter and leaves L.A., hoping to leave ugly memories behind.  Her husband has been murdered and no one seems overly motivated to solve the murder, least of all her.  He spent years beating her and spending time with a series of mistresses.  Although when they married, he had lots of money, his spending habits and his gambling problems left Sarah almost penniless and his estate massively in debt.

Sarah leaves L.A. to return to Wind Canyon, the town of her childhood where she felt safe.  It seems that the cabin she has arranged to rent for her and Holly, her daughter, is on Raintree Ranch, now owned by Jackson.  Jackson doesn’t want her living on his property because of what happened in high school, but he’s immediately attracted to her again, and decides to let her stay.  Unfortunately Sarah’s problems have followed her from L.A.  Her cabin is ransacked and she is confronted in town by a man with a gun.  Everyone seems to be looking for a list or a disc containing her late husband’s blackmail information.  I’ll leave the rest of the story for you to read without spoiling the details!

The pacing of this story is good.  The reader is gently lead along through the details of what’s happened in the past as well as the current story.  We are kept in suspense at times, but not left missing an essential piece of the puzzle as happens in some stories.
Jackson is a strong hero without being too alpha.  Often when authors create cowboys they seem to create an over-the-top unrealistic character.  Jackson is strong and capable, decisive without being overbearing.    He loves kids and is capable of opening up to love.  Sarah has been through a rough time with her husband, but sees to have few lasting effects from the beatings and abuse she got from her dead husband.  She is portrayed as a loving mother to her daughter and determined to make a new, safe life for them.  The problems that follow Sarah from L.A. make for an interesting twist on the story.  They allow us to meet Jackson’s brothers.  We mainly learn about Dev, the investigator, who helps Jackson and Sarah sort through information in order to determine who is behinds all the threats.

There is gentle chemistry between Jackson and Sarah. I’m used to glitter filled historical romances that Kat Martin writes.  The swash-buckling heros of the Necklace trilogy or the alpha men in the Heart trilogy.  This is a different style of novel from what I’m used to reading from Ms. Martin.   This isn’t a book filled with clothing flying and graphic details, it is the progression of a love story with just enough details to be titillating.  There are enough suspenseful moments to keep the story interesting without suspense being the overwhelming theme.  This is a comfortable book to spend a stormy afternoon with!
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