Lord Eden is intrigued by Lady Mercy Grayson’s secret, but how can he hope to gain her heart if he is forced to betray her?<
Lady Mercy Grayson longs to be a physician like her older brother, Lord Ravensmoore. However, society would never tolerate a female physician, let alone one who is a noblewoman. So Mercy takes matters into her own hands, disguising herself as a man to get through medical school. But when a colleague grows suspicious, Mercy is in danger of losing more than her dreams.
Returning home from a secret voyage for the regent, Lord Eden agrees to give Mercy passage back to London. As their attraction to each other grows, they face circumstances, decisions, and treachery that could forever change the course of their lives.
Jillian Kent spent the first semester of her senior year of college at Oxford studying British Literature, where she fell in love with England. During this season, she came to appreciate the written word, the rich imagery of romantic poetry like The Highwayman, and historical novels of many types, including Jane Austen and all things Regency.
Today Jillian, still loves to watch Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Sense and Sensibility, but she also enjoys digging deeper into the darker aspects of the Regency period. This balance of light and dark is reflected in her books.
Jill received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Bethany College in West Virginia, and her Masters Degree in Social Work from WVU, and she brings her fascination with different cultures and societies into her writing.
Faith is another feature of Jillian’s work. “My Christian faith is very important to me and its only natural that God plays a part in my writing, because He is so much a part of my every day life. Faith is a journey for each of us, and I love to explore my character’s faith issues–whether they are running toward God or away from Him–and the reasons behind their motives. Fascinating stuff!”
Jill has always been a romantic at heart, so readers will find a good dose of romance woven through each of her novels. Jill, her husband Randy, and children Katie and Meghan are animal lovers. They currently own one dog, Bandit and a menagerie of cats, Lucky, Yuma, Snow, and Holden. Critters of all assortments make their appearance in her stories.
My Impressions:
Jillian Kent again takes her readers back in time to the Regency period with another book in The Ravensmoore Chronicles — Mystery of The Heart. This time around youngest sister Mercy is the focus of the story. Intrigue and danger begin in the first pages and continue on to the conclusion. If you are a fan of Regency romance novels with an emphasis on mystery, you need to check out Mystery of The Heart. (You can read my review of book 2 in the series, Chameleon, HERE.)
Lady Mercy feels called by God to the healing arts. Her heart’s desire is to be a physician like her older brother Lord Ravensmoore. But the expectations of society and the restrictions of the times prohibit her from pursuing her dream in the usual way. So she dons a disguise and attends medical lectures as a man. But a stalker discovers her true identity and forces her to flee Scotland with threats and blackmail. A startling turn of events finds her tossed into the sea and washed up on the shore in England where Lord Eden finds her. This begins her attraction to the gentleman-adventurer charged with retrieving a legendary relic from Jesus’ life. Magic, faith and vodun (voodoo) are worked into this suspense-filled tale.
Mystery of The Heart is a light read that will please the Regency romance fan. Customs of the day, including the practice of medicine and the restrictions placed on women, are well-researched by Kent. The romance is a bit predictable, but I was rooting for Lady Mercy and Lord Eden from the beginning, so I didn’t mind. Other characters from previous books in the series play a large role in this concluding book. And Kent ends the story with an intriguing possibility for a new series (I hope) — adventures in New South Wales at the beginning of that colony’s existence.
A quick read with likable characters, mysteries surrounding ancient practices and relics — recommended for Regency genre fans.
(I received this book from Booketeria in exchange for a review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)
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