Chameleon (The Ravensmoore Chronicles) [Paperback]

Jillian Kent (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 2012 | Series: The Ravensmoore Chronicles (Book 2)

How much can you really know about someone?
Lady Victoria Grayson has always considered herself a keen observer of human behavior. After battling a chronic childhood illness that kept her homebound for years, she journeys to London determined to have the adventure of a lifetime.

Jaded by his wartime profession as a spy, Lord Witt understands, more than most, that everyone is not always who they pretend to be. He meets Victoria after the Regent requests an investigation into the activities of her physician brother, Lord Ravensmoore.

Witt and Victoria become increasingly entangled in a plot targeting the lords of Parliament. Victoria is forced to question how well she knows those close to her while challenging Witt’s cynical nature and doubts about God. Together they must confront their pasts in order to solve a mystery that could devastate their future.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A fascinating story of intrigue and romance. Chameleon is the perfect novel for a rainy evening with a bottomless pot of English tea at one’s side.”—Serena Miller, author of Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio and The Measure of Katie Calloway

About the Author

Jillian Kent has been a member of American Christian Fiction Writers for several years. She has also been a member of Romance Writers of America for 20 years and a member of The Beau Monde, Kiss of Death, and Faith, Hope, and Love specialty chapters of RWA. With a master’s degree in social work, Jillian is employed as a counselor for nursing students, which reflects within the pages of her first novel, Secrets of the Heart, which won the 2009 Inspiration for Writers contest and was a finalist in the Daphne du Maurier; the Noble Theme; and Faith, Hope, and Love’s Touched by Lovecontests.
 

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Realms (May 15, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1616384964
• ISBN-13: 978-1616384968
• Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 5.2 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #462,799 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Hi there! I'm Jillian Kent. Book Two of the Ravensmoore Chronicles, Chameleon,released in May of 2012 and is available for your reading pleasure. It was May of 2011 that my first book, Secrets of the Heart, The Ravensmoore Chronicles, Book One hit the shelves. My books have been published during a tumultuous time in the publishing world. It's a constant personal challenge of seeking balance while writing new books, working as a counselor, and enjoying my family. This has taken the development of new self-management skills. I'm happy to tell you that Book Three in the series, Mystery of the Heart will release in January 2013 with the youngest sister, Mercy's story and is now available for pre-order. Of course you will be reunited with many of the characters, that I hope you've developed a fondness for, in the previous two books. Mystery of the Heart will complete this series.

If you read Book One you know I'm fascinated with human behavior and how our minds work. This will be even more clear to you if you read Chameleon.:)And if you do read this book PLEASE don't give away the ending so that others can enjoy the journey the whole way through to its conclusion. Once again you will find yourself in Regency England. You will return to Bedlam. You will meet Devlin's sister, Victoria, aka, Snoop. It won't take long to find out why the family calls her Snoop. I hope you will escape into the past with me and you, just like some of my characters may find faith for the future. If you are a sleuth at heart you will love this story. If you want to read the first chapter of this novel to see if it's your kind of read please visit my website at http://jilliankent.com/books.html You can also join in the conversation on my blog anytime. Hope to see you there!

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Will this be compared to The Chronicles of Narnia? June 18, 2012

By adam77

Format:Paperback

I'd read about two-thirds of the way through Chameleon when I decided I didn't like the book. It didn't appear to be the genre I read. Characters drank liquor, which I don't usually see in Christian fiction, and this predator hawk flying about symbolized danger.
Yet, I was hooked. Lady Victoria and her physician brother, Lord Ravensmoore, are determined to change the cruel or neglectful treatment of patients at the asylum for the insane.
Then there is the handsome former spy, Lord Witt, looking into a human attack by a hawk where the victim is near death. Witt allows Lady Victoria, whom he calls "little snoop,"to help investigate sometimes because he has an affection for her and she likes to solve mysteries.
I hated the character who trained hawks. I deducted he was the vicious Talon, the object of their search. But no one knows who Talon is.
A mental health institute was on my beat as a newspaper reporter and I was astonished at the diagnoses thought to be linked to insanity in the late 1800s: Paralysis, syphilis, Down's Syndrome, epilepsy, deafness, and a whole lot of physical problems that later experts learned had nothing to do with insanity. This book is set in 1818.
So it wasn't Lady Victoria's visits to the asylum and reading to patients that bothered me most, but the dreaded mammoth hawks who attempts to kill Ravensmoore and Witt.
I don't know if the author intended this book to be an allegory using imagery to reflect a spiritual message such as C.S. Lewis uses in the The Chronicles of Narnia, but a message came through loud and clear to me as the mammoth birds circle their prey.
First, Jesus warned that when the seeds of the gospel are sown in our hearts, some falls on the wayside and birds come in and devour it. In his explanation of the parable, Jesus said the birds symbolize Satan (Matthew 13 KJ).
Then we're told in John 10:10 the "thief," Satan, comes to kill steal and destroy, so I see the hawk, as Satan, pecking spiritual eyes out, ripping away faith's flesh, as well as destroying the eggs, baby chicks and squabs.
Yet, hawks are majestic beautiful birds with characteristics of the eagle. The Word reminds us the devil takes on many forms and could disguise himself as "an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14).
In Chameleon, the characters fight against the killer falcons, but according to scripture all we have to do against Satan is to resist him--for greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.
Jillian Kent, the author of Chameleon, has written a unique novel that satisfies the reader because there is victory, as well as romance.
The novel didn't follow through quite as far as I expected with the reflective imagery, but it's still a great read if you like suspense and allegories. As I said, I don't know if the author meant for it to be an allegory, but it seems so to me.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A STEP BACK IN TIME June 8, 2012

By Kym McNabney VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

If you love a good murder mystery set in the early 1800's, CHAMELEON by JILLIAN KENT is the novel for you. It's well written with well thought-out characters, and descriptive details. You'll feel as though you've stepped back in time.

Lady Victoria Grayson is swept into a new and exciting world. After being isolated with a childhood illness for most of her life, she is finally living what she had only read and dreamt of.

Lord Witt`s wartime profession as a spy, taught him that all are not who they claim to be. When the Regent request Lord Witt to investigate Lady Victoria's physician brother, Lord Ravensmoore, Witt could not have guessed he'd be taken with his sister.

It's not long before Lady Vitoria and Lord Witt find themselves in the middle of a plot targeting the lords of Parliament. Together their feelings for one another will be tested, as well as their faith.

CHAMELEON is heavy on mystery, intrigue, and scandal with a light sprinkling of romance. CHAMELEON is as much about Lady Victoria and Lord Witt, as it is about Victoria's brother, Lord Ravensmoore. As soon as Mercy came into the picture, I sense the next book in this series would be hers. What a great introduction to the next book.

*Please see my profile for more information on this review.

4.0 out of 5 stars Love the Mystery May 22, 2013

By GMS186

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Waiting for the next book in the series. How much society has changed in their attitudes to physicians from regency to now.