The Loyal Heart

GIVEAWAY

GRAY, SHELLEY SHEPARD
THE LOYAL HEART

Robert came to Gaveston to fulfill his promise to a dying man and look after his widow. He didn't expect to find love in the unlikeliest of places.

Robert Truax, former Second Lieutenant and Confederate officer in the Civil War, made a promise to his comrade Phillip Markham. If anything happened to Phillip, Robert would look after his beloved wife, Miranda. She was his life, his world, his everything.

After the war, Robert is left to pick up the pieces and fulfill his pact. When he arrives at Miranda's home in Galveston, Texas, things are worse than he imagined. Phillip's name has been dragged through the mud, everyone in town believes him to be a traitor, and his widow is treated as an outcast. Even more disturbing is her emotional well-being. Miranda seems hopeless, lost, and so very alone.

Robert had thought his duty would be simple. He would help Miranda as quickly as possible in order to honor a promise. But the moment Robert laid eyes on her, his plans changed. He's mesmerized by her beauty and yearns to help her in any way he can.

He makes it his duty to protect Miranda, turn her reputation around, and to find some way to help her smile again. But it doesn't prove to be an easy task -- Robert knows something about Phillip that could shake Miranda to the core and alter her view of the man she though she knew so well.

My Review:

An exciting new series (A Lone Star Hero's Love Story) by an author I adore! I love the premise of the series -- desperate men in a desperate situation making a pact to watch out for one another even after the war ends. It speaks of their honour and valour and put this reader into a bit of a tailspin 'cause there's nothing so swoony as a take charge hero who's got your back.

Gray tackles the difficult subject of depression in The Loyal Heart. Miranda has been victimized and subjected to relentless cruelty for so long that it's taken its toll. She's in a vulnerable place when Robert arrives on her doorstep. I love the way she  is able to draw from his strength and kindness. It's like a rebirth slowly takes place over the course of the novel and Miranda comes out better, stronger and more sure of herself than ever before. Wonderful growth -- both in character and in the relationship that sparks between the Lieutenant and the widow.

Robert is a self-made man who dons the veneer of gentlemanly manners with ease. He's a delicious contradiction of cold steel and passionate heat. And gallantly devoted to easing Miranda's pain. He's half in love with her before he even steps over the threshold of her boarding house -- at least with the impression her enamoured husband has left with him. I think it's fair to call Robert noble. He wouldn't agree since he's of lowly birth and had to scrape for a living until he joined the army. Such a deliciously complicated man and the perfect complement for Miranda.

The suspense is intriguing and it take outsiders to cut through the tangled web of deceit which has trapped more than just Miranda in its sticky mess. Compelling secondary characters -- both purely evil and divinely good -- flesh out this captivating read. Eagerly awaiting book two.

My thanks to Zondervan Publishing and Litfuse Publicity for providing me with a copy of this book.

http://litfusegroup.com/author/sgray

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of  The Loyal 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 . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday August 21 2016. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!