Review: Heart of Stone – Jane Jackson
Sarah Govier has brought shame upon her family when she had succumbed to Philip Ansell’s seduction and had ended up pregnant with his illegitimate baby. Sarah had been naïve enough to think that Philip loved her and would one day make her his wife, but when he scorns her and chooses to wed Margaret Tregnanza, the daughter of one of the richest man in the district, Sarah vows that she will not let another man take advantage of her, so much to her father’s wrath, she decides to keep her baby and to bring him up on her own.
Although Sarah loves her beloved son, Jory, people whom she used to call friends turn her back on her and accuse her of being a loose woman with no morals out to seduce their men. Their words cut deep and their gossip and scurrilous whispers behind her back make life difficult for her, but Sarah will not let their petty, narrow-minded and ignorant indictments deter her from her path and from giving her son the best childhood she possibly can.
Working as hard as any man and making plenty of sacrifices, Sarah does her best to ensure that Jory never goes without. Now in control of her father’s quarry, Sarah is dismayed when she realizes that the once lucrative business is struggling to make a profit. But with enemies on every corner ready to pounce and to destroy her life, Sarah cannot help but wonder whether she will ever manage to achieve her objective of making her late father’s business the success that it once was.
When she goes through the books, Sarah realizes that in order to make her dream come true, she needs money. However, nobody in Cornwall would countenance giving a woman with such a blemished reputation the capital she so desperately needs – until she musters up the courage to ask newcomer James Crago, who owns lands adjoining to hers, to help her in her venture.
A former soldier who had been scarred in India, James has experienced his fair share of dirty looks since he moved to Cornwall. The town folks hostile welcome and their lack of understanding has made him reclusive and withdrawn and unwilling to let anyone get close to him. But James cannot help but be intrigued by Sarah’s courage, fortitude and determination and when he accedes to her request, little does he realize that his life is about to change forever…
James soon finds himself falling in love with Sarah. But Sarah has been hurt before and she refuses to allow anyone to breach the defences round her heart. Will James be able to change her mind and prove to her that he will not break her heart? Or will Sarah continue to live in the past and thus risk losing the one man who truly cares for her?
Heart of Stone is the latest in a long line of captivating Cornish historical romances from the superb pen of talented storyteller Jane Jackson! Rich in period detail and atmosphere and full of drama, action and romance, this evocative historical romance is so well-written and so densely-plotted that I devoured the book in a single sitting!
Jane Jackson’s ability to bring to life eighteenth-century Cornwall is simply stunning and readers will be enthralled from the very first page as they are swept away by her mesmerizing narrative, her resourceful heroine, her flawed hero and the nail-biting pathos and poignant tenderness which pervade throughout the story. Fast-paced, wonderfully romantic and riveting from start to finish, Heart of Stone is another triumph from the outstanding pen of Jane Jackson.
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Genre: historical ISBN: 9780727868251 Page Count: 208 Pages Price: $ £18.99 Reviewer: Julie Bonello |
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Sweet Star Rating: 4.5 Stars Author's Website: www.janejackson.net |
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