"A pleasing historical romance"

If looking for a good romance novel, with characters having hearts of gold, sometimes slightly tarnished, this is one to read.

Clara Carrington has watched her older sisters get married off quite happily, but she has no intention of joining them in marital bliss. All she cares about is her charity work and putting her family's money to use in a more fulfilling way. She intends to never marry, devoting all her time and energy to making a difference instead. Well, until he arrives on her family's doorstep.

Captain Stone Hawke, formerly of the British Army, has just arrived in New York City, from India. He arrives at the Carrington house, directed there by one of Clara's older sisters. He is suffering in body... and mind, as a result of his tour of duty in India, and a tragedy he believes was his fault. All he wants is a peaceful place to recover from his illness and remember the reason he is in New York, and not still in India.

Clara immediately adopts Stone as one of her "causes," hoping to help him recover his health and spirits. She goes out of her way to make him feel better and to try to convince him life is a wonderful thing, deserving of happiness, not misery. She does not understand the ghosts he lives with, that have turned him into the unhappy man he is. Neither one expects the immediate attraction they feel, or the desire to know one another inside and out. However, Stone is convinced he is undeserving of the angel Clara is, believing she would turn her back on him if she knew the truth of his discharge from the Army. Can Clara get through to his stone-cold heart? Will Stone ever accept what happened and feel joy in life again?

This was the reviewer's first book by Ms. Cozzens, but not the last. She writes with flare about the high society life of New York City in the 1800s, where the rules of Regency England still apply, even though the social classes are based on wealth rather then title. One gets a colorful view of that world, including the glamorous world, and the darker side of big city life during the times. Clara is a pleasant young lady, always happy and never letting anything get her down. Her cheerful disposition pleases Stone at the same time it grates on his nerves. As much as he likes the fact there are people out there who care about others, he is concerned that her naiveté, as he sees it, will only get her into trouble. Stone is a damaged man, not able to get past the events that destroyed his unit, or his role in it, as unintentional as it was. He needs Clara's brightness to counter the darkness he feels inside over his losses. When their relationship blossoms into a great love, the reader will cheer along, crying through the tears brought on by the agony Stone feels.

This story is one of character growth, more so then action. Granted, there are plenty of things going on to keep the reader interested and reading through to the end, but it is Clara and Stone's bond that really holds one absorbed all the way to the requisite happy ending. This story will also make the reader want to go out and find the rest of the books in this series about the Carrington sisters, eager to spend more time with this wonderful family.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, October 2003. All rights reserved.

Reviewed by Kelley Hartsell
Posted October 24, 2003