Customer Reviews

Rabbit Heart

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

 

 

Rescued from death by kindly, intelligent rabbits, Nicollette Caron grows up to have an ultra-rapid heartbeat and the ability to induce death in her suitors by over-stimulation. If this were a tale told with an ounce of humor or irony, it might have been worth reading. Alas, this Victorian bodice-ripper is told with grim earnestness and no respect for the intelligence of the audience. Unless you believe it likely that Queen Victoria would import a guillotine (!) from the French president in order to execute innocent prisoners, you may have trouble with the anachronisms that abound on every page. Most readers will be hard-pressed to believe a second of this embarrassing effort.

In 1891 London, Nicollette Caron warns her latest lover to forget about her instead of making love with her because she fears for his life. However, handsome Denton insists and she soon pleads with him to give her all he has; he does and dies. This is her thirteenth lover to pass away while making love with her. With the help of her servants Nicollette cleans away the mess, but flees London for Glastonbury where number fourteen awaits her.

Renowned Crime Inspector Jackson Lang finds the corpse of Denton and begins to follow clues that lead him towards Glastonbury and there to Nicollette. She, in the meantime, meets Lord Baston, Blake Williams who has a healthy sexual appetite that he satiates twice a week at the rundown Mare's Head. When Jackson meets the black widow, he is attracted to her, but will he break the law for her even as he competes with Blake for her affections. Nicollette who travels accompanied by the ghosts of her late lovers warns both men, but neither can resist her lure; however the question for Nicollette to answer to herself which one does she want to be with and can the Chosen One live past his first climax?

RABBIT HEART is a strange, but fascinating Victorian paranormal police procedural romance that is not for the faint of heart. Readers will wonder about Nicollette's mental health as her seemingly innocent but tough love encounters lead to her mates dropping dead while climaxing with her; could she be a serial killer, a cursed haunted soul, or is what is happening just bad luck? Colleen Hitchcock provides a bizarre beguiling tale of literally the French Death.

Harriet Klausner

How can you not be intrigued when the first line of the book reads, "There was a dead man in my boudoir?" It also puts a whole new slant on the phrase la petite mort, doesn't it? Unfortunately, that death was permanent.


It's August 1891, and Nicollette Caron's thirteenth lover has just died in her arms trying to please her. She did her best to convince Denton not make love to her. He didn't listen and now he's paid with his life.

Nicollette is re-dressing Denton's lifeless body when Marie stumbles upon the garish scene. They devise a plan to dispose of the body and make it appear Denton died from an accident. Once they've completed the task, Nicollette runs off to Glastonbury. Numbers fourteen and fifteen await her arrival.

Following her trail is Scotland Yard's best detective; Jackson Lang. He's determined to find the person who murdered Denton. They meet when he journeys to Glastonbury on business and pleasure. He is quite intrigued with the young lady.

Two more bodies are found. A telegram reaches Jackson with news that twelve bodies were discovered in Italy and France in much the same condition. He's convinced that Nicollette is guilty; however, he must have evidence to prove it.

Queen Victoria wants the murderer found and hanged. When she receives word the suspect is most likely a French woman, she asks that the guillotine be borrowed from France. What better way to execute a French citizen?

In the meantime, Nicollette has caught the eye of Lord Baston. He's determined to have her and nothing she can say will prevent it. Will he be able to save her from kneeling at the feet of Madame Guillotine?

Colleen Hitchcock's RABBIT HEART is a compelling and somewhat dark Victorian story. She introduces a young woman whose heart is as innocent as a babe's but who is cursed with a physical flaw in her heart that kills people who get too close. Nicollette's story is told in the first person and offers a glimpse into her tortured soul. She wants nothing more than to be loved as a woman should be without the complications.

The story reaches its climax, no pun intended, when Jackson is forced to arrest her. The trial that follows is filled with twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat, chewing on your nails and turning the pages.

Jackson's interest in the forensic sciences was incorporated into the storyline and became an essential piece of the plot. I was intrigued with his analytical mind and the questions he posed to the doctors. He had no qualms asking for detailed information about the conditions of the corpses.

RABBIT HEART is not for everyone. But if you're interested in reading something a little out of the ordinary, this one's great. This was one of the most intriguing books I've read in years! It's a keeper and a recommended read. I anxiously wait for the next one in the series.

The quote was used with the permission of the author.

Reprinted with the permission of Romance Junkies

Colleen has a beautiful writing style, which she has poetically weaved into an intriguing story. If you're looking for stale, formulaic writing, you won't find it here. But if you've ever found yourself longing for a truly unique read, something that will expand that right brain just bit -- if you're looking for page-turning, lovely prose, this is your book.

Nicolette Caron has a secret; actually, thirteen secrets that she must keep hidden. To do this, Nicolette must travel from town to town in order to stay one step ahead of the authorities. It seems that Nicolette's secret is a string of dead lovers; lovers that she inadvertently killed with her passion. Full of remorse but unable to face the scandal, Nicolette chooses to run away. However, everything catches up to her in the form of a private investigator named Jackson Lang.

Jackson Lang is an investigator with Scotland Yard. Given the case of finding the killer of several men, he will not back down until he finds the murderer, even if the murderer turns out to be the one woman he desires above all others. Jackson finds his morals challenged and his priorities shift as he falls in love with Nicolette. Alas, his love is not meant to be when authorities sentence her to hang for the deaths of her lovers.

Lord Blake Baston knows that Nicolette is the woman that he wants for all time. Now all he has to do is convince her that he is healthy enough to be the lover she needs, as well as strong enough to keep her safe. Blake is willing to do anything to save her life because a fortune-teller told him that only one man will be strong enough for Nicolette. Blake knows that he is that man. Time is running out for him convince Nicolette because her life is getting ready to end.
Rabbit Heart by Colleen Hitchcock just didn't deliver for me. I had a hard time understanding the first person dialogue and many times put the book down after becoming frustrated trying to keep up with the many plot lines going back and forth. While the storyline was catchy, it seemed far-fetched to me. My practical side just couldn't believe that thirteen men would have perished from bad hearts in Nicolette's bed. Upon reflection, Rabbit Heart just wasn't the book for me.

Talia
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

"There was a dead man in my boudoir. He lay spread-eagle as I dressed his still figure in the midmorning's dark. It was a difficult task, as he was a tall man to manage and death seemed to have doubled his weight. I had to rock him back and forth to redress him. And with each cumbersome movement, I stopped to mourn the loss of my lover with a prayer or a tear."

England and France, 1890s. Nicolette Caron is a great lover. So great, in fact, that men drop dead after spending the night with her. This is no exaggeration, for they literally die after a tumultuous night of passion with her. Nicollete's rabbit heart and insatiable sexual urges are truly the death of her suitors. She often has to dispose of her former lovers' bodies, hoping that she will be able to escape from the law once again. But that won't be easy now, not with the dashing detective Jackson Lang after her trail. He is determined to prove her crimes and expose her for the murderess she is. She doesn't want to continue killing men -- however accidental -- and has refused the attentions of her latest suitor, a nobleman who refuses to take no for an answer. But it is Lang she has to protect herself from, for, in addition to being the one after her head, he may also well be the one man who can keep up with Nicolette's prowess...

I quoted the opening paragraph of this novel because I thought I would be in for quite a dark, interesting and seductive read. However, as I read on, I found I didn't like the rather far-fetched, ridiculous, not to mention anachronistic Victorian erotic novel, and wished I hadn't wasted time and money in this drivel. The language is silly (more fanciful than Victorian), the twists absurd and the overall resolution downright laughable. I'm glad someone else pointed out the thing about Queen Victoria and the guillotine. Inaccurate doesn't even begin to describe it. All in all, Rabbit Heart would probably be a good read for those who don't know much about Victorian mores, laws and habits, but for those of us who seek accuracy in their historical reads, this is a major pass. Do you want a dark, erotic and literary Victorian novel? Pick up Vertigo by Lauren Baratz-Logsted instead.

I loved Rabbit Heart so much. I would highly recommend it to anyone that wants to read a very different suspenseful thriller.



Rabbit Heart is the story of Nicollette Caron, who is so beautiful that she excites men to death. Alas, she is left to hide the dead bodies. The opening scene is so well written as Nicollette is dressing the dead man and her maid, Marie, walks in on the scene.



I could not put Rabbit Heart down and can't wait for the next book in the series. I hear it is still coming out! Buy Rabbit Heart if you want an exciting adventure in literature!

I found this novel to be grossly disappointing. The main character Nicollette was on an emotional rollercoaster the entire story, mourning the loss of the men she slept with but not hastening to sleep with others. Her character was unbelievably selfish and only began to feel guilty when being apprehended for her crimes. The outcome of the story can basically be assumed by the stories beginning. I only forced myself to read this novel after paying full price for the text and it would have been nice to know this story was amateur soft porn with a French twist. I would not recommend this book to anyone who is looking to read a book with substance, dimensional characters and has a love scene that doesn't make you want to role your eyes in annoyance. I hope this was helpful.

RABBIT HEART is the most unusual romance novel I've ever read. I'd follow Nicollette Caron anywhere, and the two men who're obsessed with her are fascinating. The suspense doesn't let up--I hope Colleen Hitchcock is working on another novel.

RABBIT HEART reminds me of the epic poem, THE RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER.

Reportedly, that poem was written by its author, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, when he was in an opium induced stupor.

Like THE ANCIENT MARINER, the novel RABBIT HEART also is richly detailed and it tells a compelling story.

As an author, Colleen Hitchcock spins a good tale; both her language and her minutiae are engrossing. She must have done a great deal of research about Victorian England.

Still, just like THE ANCIENT MARINER, the peculiar plot of RABBIT HEART has overtones of being a rather disturbed--albeit extraordinarily complicated--fantasy, containing a fair amount of erotica as well.

The fact that RABBIT HEART can be taken, even remotely, as plausible is a tribute to its author's skill.