I was a little wary going into this book. From the blurb, I was worried that I would get annoyed the the heroine. Run away from a guy, then keep his son from him? Really? But, though that was a small issue, I ended up really enjoying this book. With steamy romance, the mystery of the letter, and a shocking revelation at the end, this book turned out to be a great read.I wasn't entirely happy with Charlotte. For the most part, she was a great heroine. She might not have made the best choices, but she was strong in how she handled her situation. Overall, she was likable. But, she lost a lot of my respect for how she just ran away from her wedding and it took a while for her to gain it back. I didn't get why she didn't at least told Alex why she was running. Then, when she came back, she came up with the story the she had fallen for some other guy (no one believed that). Damn, girl. Why don't you stomp over the poor guy's heart some more? There must be some part of it that isn't shattered. And, worst of all, why didn't she at least inform Alex that he had a son? He had a right to know.The whole debacle of Charlotte having run away was only a real issue during the first part of the book, so I managed to move past it and I ended up liking her character. But, it was enough that I knocked a bit off the rating. Alex, on the other hand, was absolutely wonderful. He immediately won sympathy because it was obvious how torn apart he was over Charlotte leaving him. It just made me want to give him a hug and tell him it would be okay. He was a sweet man. Even when he was trying to be mad at Charlotte, he still couldn't be flat out mean. He was adorable.The romance was well done. Though the emotions were already there (they were betrothed and in love), they had to work through some trust issues. I liked that the progression of them falling back in love was realistic. And, there was quite a bit of spice. These two definitely had a passionate relationship.The plot kept me hooked the entire time. The mystery of who wrote the letter threatening to expose Charlotte had me riveted and the revelation of who did it was a total shock. Though somewhat anticlimatic after the dramatic, borderline apocalyptic scenarios I had imagined based on Charlotte's intense reaction to it. And the ending was lovely.Though it had some small issues, An Heir of Deception turned out to be a lovely read. If you want a great historical romance to read, this is your book.*Thanks to Netgalley and Season Publishing for a copy! The past couple of days have been jam packed, while I have been trying to migrate north to Montana. During this time I had taken the task of reading An Heir of Deception by Beverly Kendall. I started reading it late on Thursday night and couldn't put it down. However, I knew that I must for we were traveling 10 hours north the next day. Got onto Montana Friday night and got half way through the book. Saturday I was determine to finish reading. Starting with the prologue, we basically see Alex Cartwright left at the altar. His life fell apart right there. We jump five years into the future with Charlotte Rutherford coming back from the Americas believing her twin sister is on deaths door. To her astonishment Catherine was not. While visiting her sister Alex finds out Charlotte has return and not alone. Angry and hurt Alex basically forces Charlotte into a fake marriage to gain access to his son. Yes, rocky roads ahead. Will there fake marriage become a real one or stay as it is for the sake of their son? Can Charlotte gain the trust she lost from Alex or is all hopeless?I read the book and found out the answers and Loved it. I was absolutely amazed I couldn't put it down. It was an emotionally moving story worth the wait, so take a chance on An Heir of Deception.
What do You think about Secret Ardent (2014)?
Great! Hope that this is not the last for this series.
—jac
