“A HEART REVEALED,” by Josi S. Kilpack, Shadow Mountain Publishing, April 7, 2015, Paperback, $15.99 (young adult)
Step back in time to the Regency era, when a woman’s looks and grace were often valued more than her brain.
At the center of “A Heart Revealed” is Amber Sterlington, a young woman taking London’s social scene by storm. Amber is a striking beauty who lures men in with her enticing voice. By the end of the season, she’ll have her pick of the most-eligible husbands — titled and rich.
Amber’s social standing is jeopardized when she suddenly begins loosing her hair. No matter what she tries, handfuls are falling out at a time. Things go from bad to worse, and when she is publicly humiliated, Amber’s parents choose society over their daughter, banishing her to a run-down home in Yorkshire.
Though they’ve told Amber she can return once her hair does, too, Amber knows her parents don’t want her back. She finds herself in meek surroundings, facing a future she never imagined, let alone prepared for.
Humbled, Amber begins to rethink her future, including a life alone. It’s only when this happens, that Amber becomes the kind of person who could truly love and be loved.
Shadow Mountain’s Proper Romance series is proof that romance novels need not be full of sex. In fact, they’re as clean as can be. Romance is defined in part “as a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love.” The Proper Romance series focuses on emotional and intellectual attraction. It doesn’t shy away from physical attractions, but rather incorporates it as a number of elements that help form lasting love.
Josi S. Kilpack’s “A Heart Revealed” is a perfect example of this. Too often casual sex is celebrated as love. This is not true — at least not for me. That’s why I find this, and other Proper Romance novels worth reading.
“A Heart Revealed” is fast-moving and compelling. Neither of the main characters is particularly likeable in the beginning, but as they evolve dislike turns to empathy and eventually to agreeable. If not for this transformation, “A Heart Revealed” would not work. It’s more of a character study with the plot serving as a framework rather than driving action forward. If you’re looking for a little romance with a lot of class, “A Heart Revealed” is a good option.
