When Valentine Wharton and his dear ten-year-old daughter go on an adventure, Wharton hires a governess. Of course she has heard of her new master's scandalous past, but in his kind eyes, her fears are calmed-and her heart set aflutter...
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Determined to become a better parent to the illegitimate daughter he has long ignored and once almost killed, Valentine Wharton arrives at Felicity's boarding school to take her on a holiday. Impressed by the relationship he observes between her and Elaine, one of the school's governesses, Valentine offers Elaine a position accompanying them as Felicity's new teacher. Because rumors of his wild reputation have preceded him, Elaine hesitates to accept, but his offer couldn't have come at a more fortuitous moment, since Elaine's former employer has been casting false aspersions on her moral character. Elaine reluctantly agrees to travel with Valentine and Felicity, then, on the journey to Wales, discovers the handsome lord is not the terrible dragon she imagined him to be. After playing the role of the drunken, bitter best friend in Captain Cupid Calls the Shots (2000), Valentine now struggles with the demons of his past, including the temptation to drink, as he searches for redemption in this beautifully written classic regency. Readers will want to savor every word of Fairchild's gorgeously poetic, elegantly distinctive writing, which neatly complements this richly emotional, superbly satisfying romance. John Charles
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
quite Jane Eyre-ish, and as memorable...,
By tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Valentine's Change of Heart (Signet Regency Romance) (Mass Market Paperback)
I rather enjoyed "Valentine's Change of Heart." True, it is a little more brooding in tone and has a little more than the usual quota of angst-filled moments, but if you're looking for something really quite different from the usual Signet fare, and you enjoy novels that celebrate the beauty of nature, than you might want to give "Valentine's Change of Heart" a go. Though I have to admit that if you haven't yet read "Captain Cupid Calls the Shots," you may want to do so first -- it's not really essential, but it does help explain the dark and slightly despondent tone of this novel, and why certain characters are important to each other -- not everything is explained fully in "Valentine's Change of Heart."Having conquered his addiction to alcohol, Valentine Wharton now sets off to reclaim his daughter, Felicity, from Gatehouse, the boarding school to which he had sent her. Valentine is hoping to be able to build a relationship with this daughter he barely knows (Valentine discovered that he had fathered a child just before he set off for war in "Captain Cupid Calls the Shots") by taking her to St. David's in Wales -- a place that he has very fond childhood memories of, and where he's rather hoping to be able to create new and happier ones with Felicity. Of course he also needs a governess for Felicity while they are in Wales, and it looks as if fortune may finally be smiling on Valentine when he is able to hire Felicity's favourite teacher to be her governess. Miss Elaine Deering never thought that she would be grateful to secure a post with such a notorious employer as Valentine Wharton. But beggars, she discovers, cannot be choosers; and when an unscrupulous ex-employer causes her to loose her current teaching position at the Gatehouse, she finds an unlikely knight errant in Valentine Wharton. But while she is a little cautious and leery about deciding to throw in her lot with such a notorious rake (and alcoholic) as Valentine, she finds herself being totally disarmed by Valentine's attempts to win Felicity's trust and affections. But, she also finds to her dismay, that she's not all that immune to Valentine's charming ways either. Can she afford to trust a reformed alcoholic and rake not to take advantage of her heart and affections? (Add to that Elaine's belief that Valentine has never gotten over his first love, Penny Shelbourne). And then there is the whole issue of the disparity of their positions -- can a governess of no particular distinction hope for any kind of honourable relationship with a gentleman of wealth and connections? Be forewarned: "Valentine's Change of Heart" is quite contemplative in nature. Both Valentine and Elaine spend a lot of time thinking about and going over past actions. So that if you prefer books with a lot less rumination and a lot more action, this may not be the ideal romance novel for you. I rather liked this book though. I had mixed feeling about "Captain Cupid Calls the Shots" -- Valentine's character (to me) seemed a little over the top in that book -- but really had very few reservations here. I enjoyed the slightly melancholy tone that the book seemed to be imbued with, the description of the towns (the castles, the towers, the moats, the streets) and the nature scenes, I liked that Valentine's attempts to connect with Felicity took time and patience and a lot of effort on his part, and I particularly enjoyed the pairing of Valentine with Elaine. (I liked that Elisabeth Fairchild allowed for the romance between these two to build slowly and believably.) If I had one disappointment with the book it was the rushed ending, and that it took the interference of another to bring these two together. But that is a minor quibble, and on the whole, I'm recommending this as a must read.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
a very good read,
By
This review is from: Valentine's Change of Heart (Signet Regency Romance) (Mass Market Paperback)
Ms Fairchild is always enjoyable and this latest offering is no disappointment... I won't give away the plot, suffice to say it's worth reading and on par with her novels such as "Marriage a La Mode", "Miss Dortons hero" and "the Counterfeit Coachman".FOr readers who are a little off put by too much salicious writing, she never offends.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Immediately one of my all-time favorites,
By
This review is from: Valentine's Change of Heart (Signet Regency Romance) (Mass Market Paperback)
I am agog after just finishing this book. For me, it rates up there with Mary Balogh's A Summer to Remember. Val & Elaine are marvelous characters who slowly fall in love...captivating, heart-rending, mesmerizing, and oh-so-romantic.
I enjoyed Captain Cupid calls the shots, but this one is infinitely better, to my mind. Fairchild's writing is superb. Her detailed descriptions of the settings make the reader feel she's actually there, hearing the roar of the sea, gazing at the mountains reflected in the lake, watching the birds, climbing the castle ruins, feeling the breeze in one's hair or the grass under one's feet. Some might be put off by the slower pace and the extensive use of character's thoughts, but they are perfectly in keeping with the deep introspection of the lead characters. This is without a doubt one of the most beautiful and moving romances I've ever read. As other have noted, the only fault is the brevity of their reunion and reconciliation at the end; I wish Fairchild had done more with it. Note that the blurb on the back cover is somewhat misleading. This is a book that will haunt me for some time, and one I will read on a regular basis. It was so wonderful, I'm tempted to start it again immediately.
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