Mel's Shelves: Blog Tour/Review: A Guarded Heart by Heidi Kimball

Monday, March 4, 2019

Blog Tour/Review: A Guarded Heart by Heidi Kimball

A Guarded Heart, by Heidi Kimball
2019, 232p, Clean Regency Romance
My Rating=5 Stars
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, which did not affect my review in any way

Three years after a shocking scandal destroyed her family and forced her into isolation, Eleanor Hayward finally has an opportunity to put her painful history and dashed hopes behind her. But reentering society is no simple task. In her cousin's glittering ballroom, Eleanor is stunned when she comes face-to-face with the man who broke her heart those years before.

Edmund Fletcher thought he had laid the past to rest until he unexpectedly encounters the woman who so nearly became his wife. Soon to be engaged to another, Edmund knows he must let go of the complicated feelings he harbors for Eleanor. However, when the Hayward scandal resurfaces and the truth behind their parting is revealed, Eleanor and Edmund are left reeling. Tormented by thoughts of what could have been, they realize it is impossible to rewrite history. But is there a future in which they might both find happiness—and true love?

I love second chance romance stories, and this book delivers! For most of the book, the chapters go back and forth between present day (1816) and three years earlier, when Eleanor and Edmund first met and fell in love. I liked that we got their history in bits and pieces and it kept me reading to find out what went wrong and if it could be fixed. I liked how the author developed the story so that what happened seemed plausible, even though I still felt frustrated when it did.

Eleanor and Edmund were both likable characters.There were some great secondary characters as well and I enjoyed reading about all of them, even the ones I didn't like that much. I loved everything about this book, and especially love that it's clean, so I can recommend it to everyone! This is the author's debut and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author in the future!

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Deseret Book

At a young age Heidi perfected the art of hiding out so she could read instead of doing chores. One husband and three daughters later, not much has changed. She has an abiding love for peanut butter M&Ms, all things fall, and any book that can make her forget she’s supposed to be keeping her children alive.

Getting a book published has been a dream come true. Heidi currently lives just north of Boston, in a charming old town in southern New Hampshire.

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