Litfuse Blog Tour: A Most Noble Heir by Susan Anne Mason
The Story:
From the Bethany House website
When stable hand Nolan Price learns from his dying mother that he is actually the son of the Earl of Stainsby, his plans for a future with kitchen maid Hannah Burnham are shattered. Once he is officially acknowledged as the earl's heir, Nolan will be forbidden to marry beneath his station.
Unwilling to give up the girl he loves, he devises a plan to elope--believing once their marriage is sanctioned by God that Lord Stainsby will be forced to accept their union. However, as Nolan struggles to learn the ways of the aristocracy, he finds himself caught between his dreams for tomorrow and his father's demanding expectations.
Forces work to keep the couple apart at every turn, and a solution to remain together seems farther and farther away. With Nolan's new life pulling him irrevocably away from Hannah, it seems only a miracle will bring them back together.
My Thoughts:
A Most Noble Heir is my first book by this author and I have to say, I'm not too sure how I feel about it. I'll have to let this one stew in my mind for a bit, but my review is due and I must continue to write it. Maybe the cover model is too cute and is responsible for skewering my brain before I even opened the book. Ha! On one hand, I loved that this wasn't a trope I've read in Christian romance, but on the other hand, the secondary characters turned out to be more interesting than Nolan and Hannah.
When reading this book, I didn't connect with either of them. They both seemed so good and...well...noble. It was a little boring to read one dimensional hero and heroine. I much preferred the scandalous, flawed Lord Stainsby and the brash, loyal Lady Iris Hartford. To be honest, I wish that their story could have been the main focus of this book and Nolan's and Hannah's the secondary. I suppose I get a bit more attached to characters like Edward who I can love and hate in the space of a chapter than predictable, staid characters. I wanted so much to love this book and I think I could have if there were more conflict, sparkle, or just oomph in at least Nolan. I love a good hero, but there's gotta be fire under the surface (yes, even in Christian fiction ;-)) and sadly I didn't really get that from him.
The ending of this book was frustrating for me too. The sedate pacing of the story (which I thought was fine) was suddenly knocked off kilter by a kidnapping thrown in near the very end. It seemed so random! That said, each of Ms. Mason's characters got a turn on the page. I think she did an awesome job at making this story complete so to speak. It wasn't just about the h/H as so many romances can be, but even the "lowly" cook and blacksmith played an important role in the story. I'll definitely be looking up her past and future books to see how she handles different heroines and heroes!
~ My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars ~
*I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.*
Giveaway!
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Happy Reading!
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