Customer Reviews

The Heart Queen

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

 

 

In 1738 Scotland, Neil Braemoor learns a lesson about love and life. He knows he loves Janet Leslie with all his heart, but will never have her even though she loves him as deeply. Neil's uncle explains that coming from the wrong side of the sheets makes his blood inferior to the blue-blooded Janet and can only lead to trouble. Neil does the noble thing by stepping away from his beloved. Janet ultimately married Alasdair Campbell when she felt Neil betrayed their love because she cared for Alasdair's three young daughters not her suitor.

A decade is a more than a lifetime in the Highlands and by 1747 many things changed. With the death of his uncle and his cousin and another cousin assumed dead, Neil is the Marquis of Braemoor. At the same time an unhappy Janet prays that her abusive husband dies. When Alasdair does everyone believes Janet killed him. With no safe place within her present home or that of her patriarchal family, Janet flees to Neil for protection. He takes her in only to have their love blaze brightly again, but conspiracies abound to kill both of them.

THE HEART QUEEN is an exciting sequel to the fabulous BLACK KNAVE. In fact it is the Black Knave who kills Neil's cousin. This tale fits quite nicely with the previous book, but nicely stands on its own story line that centers on some positive, some negative, but often strange bedfellow relationships. Within that mix, the charcaters are a powerful cast, not just the charming lead duo. Scottish historical romance fans will relish Patricia Potter's pleasant page-turner.

Harriet Klausner

Neil Forbes purposely tramped on the heart of the only woman he would ever love, Janet Leslie. He forced her away from him because of the madness in his blood. In all of Scotland, Janet never thought to lay eyes on Neil ever again after his cruel betrayal of her six years earlier. Yet there he stood
among the mourners at her late husband's grave side. Forced to ask for help, Janet turns to Neil only to find him appointed her young son's guardian. Their forced relationship turns up old feelings and causes them to rethink the bond between them, wherever it may lead.
Patricia Potter has written an engrossing story full
of angst, danger, and love. Her straightforward writing style and descriptions help convey the turmoil inherent in the characters and in post-war Scotland. She sets her hero and heroine in an uncomfortable and untenable situation with a plot that moves forward slowly but steadily as the couple faces
the reality of their new positions. The characters grow and develop, rekindling their love, as they encounter each other in every day situations. These are characters worth caring for and a story worth reading, thanks to the author's talent.

This one just wasn't in the same league as some other works by this wonderful author. It will put you to SLEEP. And what's with the names of the ponies? They were called Snow White and Charming. Were the Brothers Grimm stories THAT old? I don't think so.

Could this guy have felt any more sorry for himself? He'd obviously led a staid and wasted life. And once the book was over I realized that very little actually happened in the story, there was not much of a plot. For what we got, it could have been cut in half.

I knew this story was in trouble when I had difficulty figuring out just who Neil Forbes was and what he looked like. This guy had little confidence in himself and he didn't make it easy for the reader to have confidence in him. What little excitement occurred was relegated to a few pages there at the end when Neil dealt with Reginald.

I had high hopes for this book after reading The Black Knave, (and the 3rd book, The Diamond King), both of which were outstanding. Neil & Janet's story was too slow, and the events surrounding this story held little interest, maybe because Neil and Janet weren't that interesting.
The Diamond King had numerous mistakes in it,which were distracting, but so did this one. Was there an editor anywhere?
A man had just told Reginald that Braemoor 'is holding a ball in two days' time.' Yet in the same conversation, a moment later, Reginald says, 'There is a ball in three days' time.'
I know it's trivial, but proper dialogue matters.

What a difference in this book than in The Diamond King & The Black Knave!!! Those were awesome stories but Neil's story was boring. Even the plot was nowhere near as intriguing or interesting as the other books. Come to think of it, there wasn't really much of a plot at all. If Neil had been a stronger hero maybe he could have carried off this subtle, slow story, but unfortunately, he wasn't. And Janet lacked enough personality to make it work.

Compared to many of Ms Potter's books, this one was almost boring. No where near the pizazz of the others. Neil was okay, handsome and all that, but he was so dull. If not for the appearance of Alex Leslie, that gorgeous hero from THE DIAMOND KING, this book would have tanked completely. Even the Frenchman Renard was lively and interesting, and he was only in it for a page or two.

Neil Forbes was a decent, handsome, and tortured man, but he wasn't nearly as interesting as Rory Forbes or Alex Leslie. On the other hand, Janet was very similiar to Bethia and Jenna in personality. This story did not have the intensity the others had, either. It was good, but a little flat.