Customer Reviews

Heartless

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Ariel Summers, a peasant girl living in nineteenth century England, decides that she wishes to better her lot in life. She offers to become the mistress of the Earl of Greville in exchange for his providing her with the schooling to become a proper lady. Upon completion of her education, she plans to be his mistress.

Unbeknownst to Ariel, the old Earl dies prior to the completion of her schooling and the new Earl, Justin Ross, the newly legitimized son of the late Earl, inherits his father's soon to be mistress.

In the years since his father's death, Justin has relished the letters sent by Ariel, and something in those correspondances touches his hardened heart. When Justin meets Ariel, he wants her for his own. But she will not be any man's mistress, having decided that she want to try to repay Justin in some other way.

Justin deliberately hurts Ariel thinking that she has betrayed him with another. Tensions arise as she must learn to trust him again, and he learns the meaning of real love.

Kat Martin has written a well-pleasing historical that holds the reader's interest with the constant tension between the hero and heroine as they discover that their mutual attraction leads them on a journey filled with misunderstandings that ends when they find enduring love.

When I read the a review on HEARTLESS, I thought, "Oh, oh! Another plot placed in England in the early 19th century that has been done to death." Wrong! It could easily have been just another story of a poor peasant girl meets and falls in love with the local Earl....except Ms. Martin doesn't write anything just like anyone else. The peasant girl, Ariel, made a bargain with the Earl of Greville if he would send her to school so she could learn both academics and the fine art of being a lady when not to the manor born. By the time she graduates, the elderly Earl has passed on and his son, the handsome but cold-hearted Justin Ross is ready to collect on the bargain that was cast between the previous Earl and Ariel. She on the other hand has already made plans to renege on the arrangement. So begins a wonderful story of two people at opposite ends of the caste system that meet on the common ground known as love. They don't arrive at it easily, but once they do, sparks fly in the special way Ms. Martin has of making romantic scenes come alive and leaving you more then a little breathless! Oh, and as a special bonus....I understand there's a sequel to look forward to involving Justins friend, the handsome but slightly mysterious Clayton and Ariels spirtited friend Kassandra. This will be quite a twosome and I'm eagerly awaiting RESTLESS!

This is my first of Kat Martin and certainly not the last. I am happy my sister introduced me to her. Because of the interesting back description, I didn't hesistate in reading this one even if I haven't heard of Kat Martin before. I was right, the book was one a kind. In the first chapter however, I thought I wouldn't like Ariel Summers. I thought she was too ambitious and too high flown but as the story progress, I ended up admiring her. I don't think I would have the courage to make such bargain. Justin was a bit too cold and too hard for me in the beginning too. I actually feared him especially after reading the part wherein his father called him to his deathbed. But then slowly, you'll get to know him. He appears cold yet inside, there is something burning waiting to set free. He is actually scared and insecure. Ariel helped loosen him up and melted that ice by offering him her warm heart.

I liked the way Kat Martin touched my heart through her words & specially the ways statements was being said. Everything seems to be said & done at the right time and at the right moment. The misunderstanding & twist of this book is truly heart quenching. This is probably the only book that really made me cry for such a long time. I mean, I have been teary eyed in some books but this one actually made me sob. I cried for Ariel. I felt for her more probably because of her past, her being a farmer's daughter who worked hard to be a Lady. I don't want to ruin it for others so I'll just suggest you read the book and watch out for the chapter 15 to 18. The page 201 is my favorite. This part went to show that a person can be worth more IF he/she chooses to be. No amount of money or title or even high powered education can belittle someone who value oneself. Selfpride and Selfworth cannot be taught, it comes from within. Absolutely wonderful. This book is certainly not heartless but full of it and more. A MUST READ!

Ariel Summers had a drunk father that delighted in beating her. So at age fourteen Ariel made a deal with Edmund Ross, Fourth Earl of Greville. Edmund was to send Ariel to a ladies school for an education. Upon graduating, she would become his mistress. Ariel never knew that Edmund died two years after the bargain was made. She graduated after four years of school. Being older and wiser, Ariel fully understood now the bargain she had made and hoped the Earl would allow her to pay her debt in a different way. She had recently met Phillip Marlin and dreamed of marrying him to become a real Lady.

Justin Bedford Ross, Fifth Earl of Greville, never told Ariel of his father's death. Justin had been called to Edmund's sick bed and told about Ariel. There was no love between father and son. Justin's mother had been one of Edmund's mistresses. Sick and with no heir, Edmund had adopted his bastard son. Even though he loathed his father, Justin paid for Ariel's schooling until she graduated. He planned to meet her and help her decide her future. But when he found her kissing Phillip, his worst enemy, Justin's plans changed!

***** With Ariel between these two formidable men and Justin's evil half-sister also involved, things got hot quickly! I found the story so engrossing that I was startled whenever reality broke into my reading, such as the phone ringing. An excellent story with enjoyable characters that combine to make this book a winner! *****

Kat Martin is an uneven author, but this is one of her gems. The class-based characterization and plot is suspenseful and unpredictable as it unfolds. The heroine is spirited but sensitive and self-effacing in the right degrees, while the hero, though having that requisite brutal edge is tempered by our understanding of his background and his potential qualities, lurking just beneath the surface of his more obvious desire for the heroine.

I did NOT find the plot twist exaggerated for a romance, and found its development enticing and fun. It was gratifying to wait for the hero to realize his grave mistake and to imagine how he would handle it. What I also found engaging was the maintenance of the romantic tension throughout, something that is hard to do. The pacing was just right, with various discoveries and misunderstandings to keep the romantic plot alive and moving.

The ending was not as satisfactory (thus my rating) as I would hope. Like many romance authors, she makes the mistake of overshadowing the romantic conclusion with a melodramatic plot resolution. Too many things happen at once and not enough focus is placed on the resolution of the love plot itself. Some loose threads also remain because of the overly complicated ending.

One of the most gratifying things about this story was the introduction of their friends for upcoming novel RESTLESS. I am looking forward to reading it already and can only wonder how she will adequately introduce that pair for readers who have not read HEARTLESS, since their initial coming together here is priceless! It should be a very different dynamic as the personalities of the lovers are diametrically opposed to Justin and Ariel--a good strategy for a sequel.

A strong recommendation for Heartless itself. It is heartfelt without being corny, erotic without being kinky, suspenseful without being unbelievable, and fantastic good fun overall!

In 1880 England, Ariel Summers, the farmer's daughter, dreams of being a lady. However, she realizes that all she has to look forward to is endless days toiling and giving birth to little farmers and little Ariels. Desperate, she offers herself as a mistress to the Earl of Greville. In return, he teaches her how to comport herself as a lady.

However, in 1802 before they can complete the bargain, the Earl dies with his legitimized son from the wrong side of the sheets, Justin Ross inheriting the title and estate. As a matter of honor, Justin plans to finish his father's deal without making Ariel his mistress. She also hopes to complete the transformation without becoming Justin's mistress. However, neither one expects the attraction and allure that quickly turns to love because neither one trusts the other.

HEARTLESS is an enjoyable Regency romance filled with heart because of the strong lead characters that break out of the sub-genre's stereotyping. The story line is crisp with some suspense, but the villain is flat and never strikes fear in the heart of the audience. Still Kat Martin's latest historical shows why she is an award-winning author as the key protagonists turn this into an enticingly powerful reading experience.

Harriet Klausner

Justin and Ariel are well-developed characters and thoroughly enjoyable to read about. Justin is the cold, distanced hero who knew nothing of love growing up (except that of his grandmother when young). He was born illegitimate, and although educated and not left to suffer, he was rejected by both mother and father. He learned that it was just easier and safer to not care.

Ariel is the young, innocent peasant who wants nothing more than to break out of the life she has known. She strikes a sordid deal with the Earl, Justin's father to become his mistress if he provides schooling and clothing for her. The Earl legitimizes his son and on his death passes Ariel's bargain on to him. So sets the story. Both Justin and Ariel's growth and maturing throughout this story are worth reading about.

My biggest criticism was the "big misunderstanding" plot, which was WAY out of proportion to the rest of the story and its significance to the characters. Justin's reaction seems to be severe in the extreme and Ariel's situation not realistic enough. Not wanting to give away the plot, that is all I will say, though it is the reason I have only given this story a 3 star. The characters are great, the growth of their relationship was interesting to read, except the misunderstanding is too grave (though some form of this literary device is needed and does determine Ariel's prospective for the last 1/3 of the story).

Was it so wrong to dream of a better life, than the one she had? Ariel Summer, the fourteen year old daughter of a tenant farmer on the estate of the Earl of Greville didn't think so. She had heard stories that the Earl liked to have young mistresses - not really realizing what being a mistress entailed - and thought herself pretty clever in making a bargain with him. If he would send her to school, so that she could become a `proper lady' she would become his mistress in order to pay him back. Being exceptionally pretty, a deal was struck and she was sent to a finishing school.

Justin Ross, the Earl of Greville, hadn't known love in his life, only rejection. The fact that he was formally adopted and inherited the title from his father was that he was the only male issue! Cold and hard as he was, his word was his bond, and a promise was made to his dying father to take care of this `ward' of his father's. For the next two years, he continued to pay her expenses without Ariel knowing that the old Earl had died.

It was several years later that she was finished with the school and expected to pay her part of the bargain. Unfortunately for Ariel, she now had a better understanding of what being a mistress entailed and was prepared to ask that she be able pay back the Earl in some way other than expected. Unfortunately, the present Earl, was the bastard son of the old Earl she originally made her bargain with. Justin had read the letters she had sent, addressed to the Earl of Greville, over the past 4 years and he was enchanted with her innocence. Justin, never thought that he would feel emotion or passion again, but from the moment he saw Ariel, he was lost.

This was really great story. Ariel, while waiting for the Earl, met a man she thought would be Prince Charming, Philip Marlin - unknown to her he was really a notorious rake and a sworn enemy of Justin Ross. Ariel's most redeeming quality was her honesty, and she believed the lies that Philip told her about Justin. The fact that Justin would not release her from her debt made her think that Justin was the worst cad and very dangerous.

I have to mention that the secondary character of Justin's best friend Clay plays a very great part in helping Ariel to realize that Justin's wall of coldness is but a sham and that he really does have a heart. Clay also convinces Ariel that she could be the key in helping Justin realize that his heart could be made to experience love!

It was both a delight to see Justin and Ariel's interaction and watch the trust and love build and heartbreaking to see them almost lose everything due to the treachery of outside forces. The story is quite rich in sensuality and moves so swiftly that you cannot put it down. Wonderful story! Both Justin and Ariel are very well fleshed out and the author sneaks in a couple of secondary characters that give you a real taste of a sequel to come. For myself, I can't wait to hear the rest of the story!

I first stumble upon Kat Martin's books in Times Warehouse sale. I grabbed Creole Fires since it was selling pretty cheap. I am totally not into history romance but rather into modern romantic suspense. But lo and behold! I found myself gripping onto the book and can't wait to know the story. Since then, I have read most of Kat Martin's books.

I have just finished Heartless in 2 days. I love the hero and heroine. As I read, I could almot picture the scene itself, how Ariel would have look when she is in doubt of Justin's honesty. The writer has painted a portrait of our hero who is hard on the outside, but soft in the inside; a person capable of caring but yet is restrained by the events during his childhood years.
The plot is rather simple, I must admit as the unscrupulous Philip and Barbara's wicked plot came to a sudden abrupt end.

Anyway, when I bought this book, I wasn't really into the suspense plot. I was looking for a sweet romantic encounter and I found it through this book.

It is great to see that Kat Martin has returned to her Regency Romance roots in her latest novel, Heartless. This genre is one that she excels in, and this new story is no exception. Readers who enjoy the time period of Regency England will love this story. Fans of Kat Martin's previous works will appreciate her writing and storytelling skills that are evident in this work. All in all, a win-win situation!

Sharon Galligar Chance Times Record News