An Honest Heart

GIVEAWAY

DACUS, KAYE
AN HONEST HEART

Set during the Industrial Revolution and the Great Exhibition of 1851, An Honest Heart is a “sitting-room romance” with the feel of a Regency-era novel but the fashions and technological advances of the mid-Victorian age.

Featuring dual romance stories, the main plot involves seamstress Caddy Bainbridge and the choice she must make between two men: one from the aristocracy, the other from the working class. Award-nominated author Kaye Dacus pinpoints the theme of honesty—both men in this love triangle have deep secrets to hide, and Caddy’s choice will be based on which of them can be honest with her.

Courtship . . . cunning . . . candor. Who possesses an honest heart?

 

My Review:
 

 The second in Dacus's Great Exhibition series, An Honest Heart reads well as a standalone story but fans of the first book, Follow the Heart will quickly become reacquainted with some familiar characters...but take note -- this isn't a chronological series.

The author tries an entirely different angle by having the second book's timeline overlap the first so that some events and even scenes are related from a different character's point of view. It's a very unusual technique but I wish I had known about it from the get go. I got a bit confused because I felt like I wasn't remembering the first book at all. A quick consultation with Follow the Heart helped me get my bearings and realize that I was reading a parallel timeline so that things I remembered being resolved, weren't yet. Don't know if I'm explaining this right. It's totally not an issue if you haven't read the first book, and just something to keep in mind if you have so you don't drive yourself crazy like I did. :-)

The book culminates in a powerful scene that plays out at the end of the first book too, only this time we see it from an entirely different point of view. A really intriguing approach that I thoroughly enjoyed (once I figured it out.)

The author writes period pieces with incredible authenticity. I loved the details in everything from fashion to medical treatments to the whole divide between the classes. So beautifully written that it makes a great read aloud.

You'll meet some infuriating cads in this story -- the kind that will tempt you to hurl your book across the room. Thankfully they are balanced by a truly swoonworthy hero with a secret. I had this huge 'aha' moment when I finally figured out what that secret was and then couldn't wait for Caddy to figure it out too. Loved the thrill of that reveal.

A fascinating and captivating read that will make a great addition to your TBR pile.

 

Giveaway Opportunity:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of An Honest Heart, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca.  If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers. If you email me, please be sure to put the title in the subject line so it is easier for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday January 26 2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck.