The Truest Heart [Mass Market Paperback]

Samantha James (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 29, 2001

Did fate send her a villain with the blackest soul...or a lover with The Truest Heart

Her name is her only crime, yet Lady Gillian must take refuge in a humble cottage on the on the stormy Cornish coast, hiding from a king who seeks her death for her father's treason.Now destiny has sent Gillian a cure for her loneliness: a handsome shipwrecked stranger washed ashore on a perilous tide who requires a kind lady's gentle touch to heal his broken body and tormented spirit.

His own name -- Gareth -- is all that he remembers. Yet he knows he has found paradise in the company of an exquisite beauty whose caress is sweet rapture and whose smile warms his soul. But as his memories slowly return, so does the dark task entrusted to him by King John. If he fails, a young boy will surely perish. Yet how can he betray Gillian, whose passionate love has lit a blaze in Gareth's heart that no vengeful king's decree could ever extinguish?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Lady Gillian is a hunted woman. After her father's failed attempt on King John's life, provoked by the monarch's refusal to abide by the Magna Carta, the vengeful king sends Gareth, lord of Sommerfield, to find and kill her. A shipwreck tosses Gareth, wounded and missing his memory, at Gillian's hiding place in Cornwall. She devotes herself to his care but can't help her suspicions of, and her tender feelings for, this mysterious man. Gareth recovers enough of his memory to recall that Gillian is in deadly danger and flees with her to Sommerfield, only to realize with horror that he is the danger she must avoid. To save her from the king's revenge, Gareth quickly marries her, claiming she carries his child a claim they must substantiate or suffer the fatal consequences of deceit. With Gillian's nearly constant bitterness and mistrust toward her new husband despite all the risks he takes on her behalf, it's a surprise that Gareth falls in love with her at all; their compatibility seems restricted to the bedroom. But James (His Wicked Promise, etc.) adds nice touches, such as Gillian's anxiety about not measuring up to Gareth's first wife, and she gracefully depicts Gareth and Gillian's struggles against the backdrop of King John's tumultuous reign to shape a romance with unusual historical depth.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A remarkable writer." -- -- Lisa Kleypas

"No one can write a book quite like Samantha James." -- -- Catherine Anderson

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Avon (May 29, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 038080588X
• ISBN-13: 978-0380805884
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #718,246 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not very satisfying, July 31, 2001

By 

Eleventhour "eleventhour" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Truest Heart (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the first Samantha James novel I've ever read and I was led to it by the favorable reviews of her other works. Unfortunately, this does not appear to be one of her better books. There's nothing horribly wrong with it but it was just an average read.

Prose style: The language is overly flowery and James writes this book as if she's being paid by the adjective.

The Heroine: The heroine is a bit of a ninny. She knows that not only her own life but the life of her young brother depend upon her keeping her identity a secret and yet she can't even lie about her name to a man made delerious by fever.

The Hero: He posesses all the stock romance hero characteristics---good looking, tall, arrogant but tender, passionate to the point of near-madness etc. ----but he never really comes to life.

The Plot: A very good premise but the action of this novel is too dependant on the main characters doing totally inexplicable things just to move the story along.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable Medieval Romance, June 5, 2001

By 

Sheri Melnick (Enola, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Truest Heart (Mass Market Paperback)

Lady Gillian of Westerbrook has taken refuge along the coast of Cornwall in this novel set in early thirteenth century England. Her father conspired to murder King John and was afraid that the King would choose to harm his children. Before he took his own life, Gillian's father, Ellis of Westerbrook, ordered his children, Gillian and Clifton, into separate places of hiding.

While walking along the beach one day with her trusted friend Brother Baldric, Gillian discovers the bodies of men washed along the shore after a shipwreck. One man is miraculously alive, and she takes him back to her cottage to nurse him back to health.

Though he is finally able to recall his name, Gareth is unable to remember anything of his past life when at first rescued by Gillian. She cares for him with utmost tenderness and kindness, as bits and pieces of his memory return. Sensing that Gillian is in danger from King John, Gareth, Lord Sommerfield, takes her back to Sommerfield to protect her. Can Gillian really trust this man to save her from the wrath of the King, and will she lose her heart in the process?

Samantha James has written a poignant love story that leaves the reader questing for more. The tension between hero and heroine is apparent as it is clear that neither truly trusts the other. Murder and mystery add substance to this plot as Gareth and Gillian discover the meaning of unconditional love.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable medieval romance, June 5, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Truest Heart (Mass Market Paperback)

In 1215 England, King John needed to break his prisoner Gilbert of Lincoln, who refused to divulge the identity of his ally in an attempt to assassinate His Highness. However, before John can force the identify of Gilbert's associate, the noble kills himself, much to the monarch's consternation. John decides treason must not go unpunished. He orders Westerbrook burned to the ground and Gilbert's son and daughter killed. He orders Gareth of Sommerfield to perform the deed, using the man's son as hostage.

Gilbert's daughter Lady Gillian hides in a poor cottage on the Cornwall coast where she rescues a shipwrecked stranger claiming amnesia. Gillian helps the stranger recover and as his memory begins to return, Gareth knows that his hostess is in danger, but soon realizes the danger comes from him. The Widower Gareth marries Gillian and claims she carries his child to keep her from John's wrath. However, besides the intrigue of the King, their relationship lacks trust leaving their love standing on a shaky base.

THE TRUEST HEART is an enjoyable medieval romance that focuses on the intrigue and machinations of the times. King John comes across as a vengeful manipulator who uses anyone as a pawn to achieve his desires. Gareth is an honorable person while Gillian has good reason for her shrewish behavior, which leaves the audience to wonder how love can survive. Samantha James provides readers with a wonderful historical romance that shows why she is a fan favorite.

Harriet Klausner