Book Description: Madeline Whittington, daughter of the deceased Earl of Richfield, emerges from English society's prescribed period of mourning in the winter of 1815. Madeline believes that she no longer belongs in a world of gossip and gowns; instead she wants to help the orphans living within the walls of Ashcroft Insane Asylum. Once there, she discovers a dark secret within the asylum walls.
Because of his elder brother's unexpected death, Devlin Greyson becomes Earl of Ravensmoore and struggles between two worlds: one of affluence and privilege and one of poverty and disease. Torn between his desire to become a doctor and the numerous responsibilities of his title, he wrestles with God's will for his future. Will he be able to honor this God-given gift and win the woman he falls in love with in a society that does not value gentlemen who work? And will Lady Madeline Whittington be able to honor her father's memory when she is attracted to the one man who could destroy the promise she made to her father?
My Review: Secrets of the Heart, Ravensmoore Chronicles Series 1 is Jillian Kent's debut novel. I love a good regency novel! Reading about days gone by, beautiful flowing dresses, gentlemen with impeccable manners and huge beautiful mansions where tea is served as an everyday event not just on special occasions is a refreshing read.
I was hooked from page one as Madeline, sometimes quite headstrong, is riding her horse and takes a spill. A handsome man comes along and tries to take care of her but she recognizes him....for years she has blamed him for her father's death!
Ironically, when he carries an injured Madeline to her home and meets her mother....Madeline's mother holds no grudges. She insists that he did not kill her husband and that Madeline needs to forgive.
Devlin longs to be a doctor, helping people is something he feels compelled to do. But he is a now an Earl....it's not widely accepted that an Earl should "work" and much less should be a doctor! The early medicine descriptions were fascinating. I could just imagine the crude instruments! And sometimes the out dated ideas made me squeamish...the author does a great job of bringing out Delvin's hopes and interest in medicine.
This is a fast, interesting read about love, forgiveness and not.judging.a.person.
There is also a mystery that has eluded Madeline all these years. As gets to know Devlin, she also sees a different world... A world of hurting people. But can the differences that attract two people to each other also create a division because of misunderstandings and town gossips?
This is one of those great reads that was truly hard for me to put down. I loved the interaction of the characters as well as the message. Having a mystery was an added plus! If you enjoy reading about times past then this is a must read for you!
*This book was provided for review by Charisma Books*
About the Author:
I'm Jillian Kent. I'm more than enthusiastic about the release of my first book, Secrets of the Heart, The Ravensmoore Chronicles, Book One. I've been writing for years and now the dream is coming true. I'm also a full-time counselor for nursing students and have a masters degree in social work. I'm fascinated with human behavior and how our minds work. Because I work in contemporary society I thought it would be fun and interesting to explore what might have happened in a lunatic asylum in Regency England and that's just a snippet of how my story idea was conceived. I hope you will escape into the past with me and find faith for the future. I think you'll enjoy this journey. If you want to read the first chapter of this novel to see if it's your kind of read please visit my website at http://jilliankent.com/books.html You can also join in the conversation on my blog anytime. Hope to see you there!
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