Enchanting the Heiress - (Hearts on the Heath) by Kristi Ann Hunter (Paperback)

Enchanting the Heiress, Wow! This author really did a wonderful job writing and surprised me in this book with its twists and turns. Jonas Fitzroy is a silent, hard working, protective man who has watched out for his twin sister, Sophia, all their lives. Now that she's connected to a great man and is more settled in her life, he's contemplating his role as her protector. He asks himself some great questions to examine his life, but most of the answers come short of what life should be. Harriet Hancock, on the other hand, knows exactly what her role in life should be. She is living it. But having a secret comes with limits to her life. How long can she keep protecting her secret? Jonas and Harriet are acquaintances. Sophia being Harriet's companion, she is their common thread. To Harriet, Jonas is just another man in Newmarket. To Jonas, Harriet is someone he has to put up with. His protectiveness for his sister heightens when Harrient is around. From the beginning of this book, I wanted Jonas and Harriet to hit it off and be together, but this book is deeper than that. Soul searching and being introspective is more a theme than any romance. But what comes out of this searching? Can Harriet stay in Newmarket and keep her secret? Can Jonas keep living his life as a stable hand and be satisfied?

4.5 stars Harriet laid her head on top of the desk and cried." Honestly, I wanted to lay my head down and cry as well, for these characters had burrowed their way into my heart and stubbornly taken hold. Granted, it took me a few chapters to get inside their heads, but once I did . . . . . I wanted to use every means possible to make love work. But that was the problem to begin with, was it not? Female machinations. Well intended, but rarely forthright. "You've been hiding since Thursday. That's four days. Even Jesus came out after three." ( I think I laughed out loud ) Harriet Hancock spent her days living out someone else's life. And she was very good at it. Very good. Except that one day her good intentions hit a wall in the form a of a very handsome stable hand, Jonas Fitzroy, the brother of a friend. His twin sister Sophia had appealed to Harriett for help, knowing that Jonas had skills that he was refusing to admit, or simply had not realized could make a difference in his life. As Harriet combines his particular skills with her own little-known conundrum, she places Jonas in a terrible predicament, thinking that his heart could rise to her occasions. What a tangled web! The astonishing depth of this story is nearly impossible to convey within a few short paragraphs, for this author consistently pens some of the most vivid conversational scenes that I have ever read. Effectively drawing her readers into the story, they become part of it, a wall flower in the room, (Jonas knows all about that, doesn't he?) or a guest around the table. Clever wit and arresting descriptions combine with perfectly placed spiritual truths (Jonas gets the prize for that ability, too!). A totally enchanting reading adventure, wouldn't you agree? Or do we need to give St. Patrick a toss?

Jonas Fitzroy is settling into life as a stable hand in Newmarket after years in a traveling circus with his twin sister. Now that Sophia is married, Jonas is no longer needed as her protector and he has to figure out what his life is to look like now. She encourages him to step out of his shell and explore what he would like to do. Sophia gets her friend Harriet Hancock to ask Jonas for help writing a book. He can barely tolerate Harriet but agrees, for Sophia. Harriet has been living a lie and has much to learn about herself as it all unravels. Romance novels don't often have an heiress fall for a stable boy six years younger, so that was an unique element of this book. It certainly created obstacles, as did all the learning about themselves they had to do before they could have a happy ending. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and this entire series. I really hope these series characters will appear again in subsequent books.

“People didn’t have to abandon themselves in order to make a meaningful life, though. They just had to open who they were to the world.” Harriet and Jonas. Their story is enchanting from the start. Their misunderstandings are intriguing, their conversations and banter are absolutely delightful, and their friendship that evolves into romance is delicious. Harriet, with her grand schemes that are over-the-top, and Jonas, with his self-deprecation and wonderings about his purpose, are such complete opposites yet balance each other out well. Jonas’ gift with words is lovely to behold and his letters are breath-taking. The lengths to which Harriet goes to deceive her father felt a bit unreal but was quite necessary, as this is how Harriet and Jonas become friends. I really enjoyed the cameo appearances of other characters from the author’s previous series. I received the book from the publisher/author and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.