Review: A Hero for Miss Hatherleigh by Carolyn Miller

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About the book:

Can a proper noble lady find a future with a fossil-hunting man of faith?

As the daughter of Viscount Aynsley, Caroline Hatherleigh knows every rule of society and she's always followed them precisely. But when she visits south Devonshire and encounters a fossil-hunting scientist and his sister, her assumptions about what is right are shaken. Questions she has never considered about the importance of friendship and faith suddenly confront her—and her comfortable understanding about how the world works is thrown off balance. What if God wants to be the center of her life, rather than merely a social obligation?

Gideon Kirby loves science, and hunting down proof of past lives is a joy he won't willingly give up. But his scientific leanings are being challenged both by his personal beliefs and by local smugglers in the Devonshire countryside. And every day his sister's illness becomes more desperate, her care growing more demanding. Adding a viscount's daughter to the mix is a complication Gideon never expected—especially since he must stay far away from this young woman he's falling for in order to protect his beloved sister's secret.

When a mysterious stranger visits the village, that secret will be exposed, no matter how Gideon fights. Then tragedy strikes in a smugglers' cave. And the threat of scandal may lead to broken hearts and passionless propriety. Will the shaky bond these two have nurtured be strong enough to overcome their differences, or will the trust they've withheld from each other tear three lives apart?

My Thoughts:

You can never go wrong with a Regency story by author Carolyn Miller. This brand new series is about three sisters and how they become brides finding true love. This first book is about the oldest sister Caroline Hatherleigh. Through no fault of her own, just due to a friendship, Caroline is sent away to her grandmother’s home in south Devonshire to hopefully avoid any scandal that would harm her chances in finding a husband. Caroline understandingly is hurt and angry at her mother’s decision, but being an obedient daughter and knowing what her place is she does as she is told.

Here in Devonshire is where she meets some of her truest friends, the brother and sister duo Emma and Gideon Kirby. Much mystery surrounds the Kirby’s and we find out bits and pieces of who they truly are throughout the story.

Emma is very ill and delicate and Gideon is very protective of her even to the point of risking his own happiness. Gideon is also a scientist and enjoys digging up old fossil bones waiting to find that next big discovery. I liked that he was a scientist who believed in God and as he tried to uncover the past’s secrets, he was desperately trying to hide himself and Emma.

Catherine grows and changes a lot in this book. She goes from a cultured young lady of society to a true friend even willing to risk her own life. There is a bit of danger in this story and the unraveling of the Kirby’s lends an air of mystery. I really liked how everything came together in the end and I look forward to the next sister’s story.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.