Sunday, January 31, 2010

REVIEW: Wild Heart by Lori Brighton


Wild Heart is an historical romance novel by debut author Lori Brighton. There is a subtle vein of supernatural to the story in that the heroine, Ella Fitch, has the gift of being able to "communicate" with animals by picking up on their emotions and soothing them with calming thoughts. The characterizations are loosely based on the tale of Tarzan as the male protagonist in Wild Heart, Leo Roberts, was the sole survivor of a deadly attack on a camp in the jungles of India when we has a child accompanying his parents on an exploration. Not only was the experience traumatic because of the act itself, but the understanding that the attack was an act of betrayal by someone his father trusted and the fact that Leo was not searched for or rescued for a very long time, has made Leo the wild, uncouth, outsider he is now.

Leo is now next in line for Earldom of his Grandfather's estate and Ella Fitch is hired as Leo's governess in order to educate and refine him in the manners and habits of a cultured member of society. It turns out, however, that Leo is not the only one with a mysterious and dark past as both of their pasts catch up to them and they are one or the other the object of a series of attacks. As they try to figure out exactly what is going on without revealing their secrets to each other, they end up learning about love, trust, and understanding like neither have ever known or dared hope for.

Wild Heart is a wonderfully suspenseful and mysterious adventure and a romantic tale of two lost and lonely souls who are brought together under some unusual, albeit possibly fateful circumstances. The mystery surrounding the attacks on them and the estate is intricate and multilayered, and kept me guessing at the possibilities until the very end. The love between Leo and Ella is built not only with passion, but also with compassion, trust and the kind of emotional connection you share with someone who simply believes in you.

I enjoyed witnessing the mystery of these characters and their love for each other unfold on the pages of Wild Heart, and I celebrated in their much deserved happily ever after.

9 comments:

  1. I just started this one last night..so I read your review with one eye open. I'll be back when I finish :)

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  2. Christine, this book looks quite interesting. Question: You say the book is suspenseful. Does it qualify as a historical romance/mystery? Or is it more of a HR with a bit of mystery thrown in there? Sorry... just curious. :)

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  3. Hi Mandi!
    I hope you enjoy Wild Heart as much as I did. Definitely come back when you finish and let me know what you think.

    Hi Hilcia!
    The story definitely has elements of both romance and mystery and I'm inclined to say that it is equal amounts of both. I was actually quite pleasantly surprised by the depth of the mystery and the suspense. Towards the end, I did have a good idea of who the villain was... but there were plenty of complicated twists that I didn't foresee.

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  4. I've got this one on the tbr pile. :) Loved the review Christine!

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  5. Is it overwhelmingly historical? I'm finally thinking of dipping my toe back into the historical genre and am looking for something light in that regard.

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  6. Thank you Christine. I'm...dithering. I've had a bad run with historical paranormals. I don't know why. Only one series has worked, and in that I had an issue with the ending :( Shoot me now!

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  7. I think the cover is very pretty, but I'm not sure about the story. Although the idea of the heroine being the governess of an all-grown man... :P

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  8. Thanks for bringing this to my attentions. I am curious about a book that loosely resembles the Jungle Book. Sounds Good!

    Did I mention that my TBR pile is creaking and groaning? :)

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  9. Leslie, thanks! I hope you like it. It was a very sweet and adventurous story.

    Brandy, Wild Heart is an historical romance at heart, but it is more heavy into mystery than your "typical" romance. And it has a bit of a supernatural flavor... but definitely NOT paranormal. Does that help?

    orannia, now you just have to spill. What is the historical paranormal that you're referring to? I wouldn't classify Wild Heart as historical paranormal, by the way. Like I said in my reply to Brandy, it is historical with a bit of supernatural.

    nath, the cover to Wild Heart is VERY pretty. And ... that scene is in the book!!! Right down to the details of Ella's attire. I mention it in my historical reading challenge post HERE and the author even stopped by and shared a really neat insiders tidbit about it in the comments with me! Also, the heroine wasn't too keen on the idea of being a governess to a grown man, either! :P

    Jill, you didn't have to mention your TBR creaking and groaning. I can hear it from here. :O

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