Review: A Stolen Heart by Amanda Cabot

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When Lydia arrives in the Texas Hill Country in 1880 to find that her fiancé has married another, what kind of future awaits her?

My Thoughts:

A Stolen Heart was a historical tale that took me by surprise by the plot and the intricacies of the suspense.  Lydia sets out toward Texas to reunite with her fiancé, Edgar, only to discover that he had not waited for her.  Not only that but discovers his very pregnant wife is having the sheriff, Travis, look into Edgar’s disappearance.  That is only the first of a slew of strange and foreboding crimes that is happening in this idyllic little town. 

Ms. Cabot really brought me into the setting of her story by describing the town and the residents of Cimarron Creek and giving us the history behind its founding.  She has even included a family tree at the beginning of the book to help us see who is related to whom and who is from the original founding families. 

This is a story of new beginnings but also touches on the prejudice that still existed several years after the Civil War ended and the affect the Reconstruction had on the South and its people.  Lydia being a northerner had many obstacles to face in addition to her broken heart.   The romance was a nice slow buildup of two people getting to know each other on a daily basis and working towards a common goal of finding the evil person/persons involved in making the town less safe for its residents. 

The thread of mystery and suspense was very well done.  I had not guessed the culprit/culprits at all.  As the story went along, it almost seemed everyone had a shady past and could be the villain(s).  That being said, my only quibble was that the story wrapped up to neatly at the end.  I felt something was missing, the crimes solved too easily especially in the wake of some very shocking plot twists.   There are still a few loose threads that I hope the author will address next in the series. 

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher.  I was not required to post a positive review and the views and opinions expressed are my own.