Customer Reviews

Arrow to the Heart

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Arrow to the Heart is a wonderfully written book. It had suspense, romance, and betrayal. Katrine makes a wonderful change from a passive wife to a woman with a mind of her own due to the fact that she is pushed into something she doesn't want to do, but finding she likes it.

Katrine is married to an older man Giles who can not perform his marriage duties and get an heir upon his wife. So he arranges a tournament in which, unbeknownst to the all, the winner will be the man to produce an heir with Katrine. Enter Rowan. Handsome and skilled, destined to be the winner. But he is here for other reasons. The year before his brother was found dead. He believes that Katrine knows why. In the midst of Rowan trying to find out the mystery of his brother's death, Giles tries frantically to push Katrine and Rowan together so he can have his long awaited heir. This story is a marvelous whodunit with enough romance, suspense, and sexual tension to keep any reader hooked. I liked Rowan right off, but Katrine seemed too cool at first, until I realized that she wasn't being difficult. She was merely trying to protect a friend. Very enjoyable.

This is my first time reading this author and if all of her books are like this one, it will be my last. My library copy is from 1993, so even considering that and making allowances for writing back then I think this was bad. Above is the summary so I'll get straight to my review.

Pros: I think the plot was fairly well thought out. I couldn't see any major plot holes. The characters were well described. The time period/location was unique. The author did a really good job at keeping you guessing as to who committed the crime.

********SPOILERS BELOW!!!!! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK********


Cons: Katrine's (heroine) reason for not telling Rowan(hero) about his brother's death was absolutely pathetic. An honor vow for knowing nothing? Plus its not as if Musetta was discreet. Everyone knew about Perry.

I don't know whether it's the authors style or what, but the language and especially the dialogue is horrible. I freely admit I didn't understand a few conversations what with the flowery and purple prose. One example that kept sticking out was the word "species"- "Driven by a species of despairing anger, he had taken everything she had to give, given everything he had inside him." pg 282.

I agree with Stacey Renee that the sex was rather long and did get boring after a while. Repetitive. From pg 194 to 243 you have 33 pages of those devoted to sex and intimacy. With another love scene about 7 pages long later in the book. The latter one being in bad taste if you ask me- with Katrine's ill/dying husband laying on the other side of a connecting door.

Did Musetta share Giles' love or was it just one sided? It was never really clarified. Also, didn't Katrine say that Musetta was not that stupid to flirt so obviously with someone she was sleeping with? But supposedly she was or was doing everything, but sleeping with the men she was flirting with. At least with Terrence.

The last little gripe is: When is the story set? We get indicators like it not being Louisiana yet. However, those like myself who are not into history would appreciate a date to start the story.
********END SPOILERS********

You would think with being locked in a tower and attempted murders this story would be exciting however it was quite dull and boring. Nothing really happened until half way through and as Stacey Renee said the mystery isn't a focus until the last 2 or 3 chapters. Overall I would say it might be great for its time, but definitely not my preference.

If you are looking for something similar I would recommend Lisa Kleypas' Vallerand series:
When Strangers Marry(book 1)
Only With Your Love (book 2)

After learning the death of his step-brother, Rowan decides to do his own investigation which leads him to a plantation home in Louisiana. He arrives during a time of festivities and tournaments based on a Roman Theme. The owners of the home and over the festivities are Katrine and Giles Castlereigh who have been married over 5 years. Theirs was an arranged marriage between Giles and Katrine's father- both of which were best of friends and around the same age. Katrine has settled into the life style of having an older, wealthy husband- but has not given him an heir. The main reason being because the marriage has never been consummated. Why? And Giles desparately wants an heir. He has decided to choose a lover for Katrine to give him his desire. And it will be the Champion of Tournaments. You will find romance, suspense, betrayal, murder, love... and Rowan will make your heart beat fast. There is every thing needed for a juicy story. Good read but not a keeper for me.

Giles has built a wonderful legacy, 'arcadia' for his heirs but he finds he is impotent. Obsessed with medieval jousts and the manly arts, he conducts a medievil tournament and the winner of the tournament will be deemed appropriate to sire his heir off his wife, katrine. Katrine, of course, is unwilling. Rowan deBlanc is unaware of the plan but joins the games to find out how and why his brother terrance was murdered. Rowan, of course, wins the tourney and receives giles 'proposal'. At this point the book takes a huge dive into unreality and tediousness with talk of sex and sex scenes filling the next many chapters. Since both katrine and rowan are against giles plans, he locks them, fairly naked, in a tower, assuming the close proximity will lead to sex and thus a heir.......If you read on, hoping for something wonderful to 'restart' the story, as I did, you will be disappointed. Eventually the last 2 chapters get into the mystery of who is trying to kill katrine and rowan, and who did kill terrance........This book was a waste of time and money unless you just want to read about sex, which frankly I thought got boring.