Vying for the Viscount by KristinAnn Hunter is an excellent historical fiction romance novel that was truly one of the best books I have read in a very long time.

Everything about this book just radiated beauty.

Things that I loved about this book:

The Location: A small village within Suffolk, England 1817. I love the small, rural community that was depicted within this story. It had the beauty, landscapes, and charm of a little village with the added bonus of everyone knowing everyone else’s business! So adorable. I love the time period, 19th century England is perfect. That also leads into the next reason:

Horses: I love that this is a center for stables, raising, and breeding horses. This is the definition of a destination for equestrians. Being able to hear all the descriptions, the interactions, and experiences with these beautiful creatures was amazing. Definitely a new twist and addition to this genre.

The characters: I loved the entire cast of characters that made up the village and the social circles depicted. The cliques, groupings, rivalries, the differences between the women’s groups, mens, and social hierarchies was wonderfully interesting and intricate.

Most of all, I loved Hudson and Bianca. They are perfect together. I enjoyed seeing them figure out their lives, hearts, faith, friends, and their feelings for one another. I enjoyed their respective growths throughout the story. I loved that they drew on their faith in God to help them find what was needed and where the right path was located. Both characters were good people, like able, realistic, flawed, and humbled. They both brought out the best in one another. I loved the ending!!!!

The dialogue and pacing was excellent, engaging, intriguing, and intricate, yet felt like it flew by. I loved the twists and turns, and the banter was amazing. The one-liners were perfect. I laughed literally out loud numerous times. It was a perfect addition.

I am so excited to see that this is the first in a new series: Hearts on the Heath. There are so many characters that I want to be featured in future books! I am so excited!

This is truly a remarkable book and has made me a huge fan of this author. I can’t wait to read more.

5/5 stars enthusiastically

Thank you NetGalley and Bethany House Publishing for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

This is a Regency variation of a slow burn romance.

Bianca loves horses and loves riding, and she's not looking to get married yet. But then she learns that her stepmother wants her daughter (Bianca's half sister) to make a good match, and intends to settle Bianca with a man she doesn't particularly like.

Hudson was born and spent all his life in India, but with the death of his grandfather, he returns to England to assume his role as heir. Everything is strange to him (weather, food, customs), and the only thing he's sure of is horses. He soon makes a plan to marry a certain lady whose father has a prize winning stallion.

Bianca and Hudson form an easy friendship as she comes to his stable to ride his horses and decide to help each other find a spouse for the other.

I really liked how their friendship slowly developed into something more, as they realized it was each other they wanted.

I also liked the cast of secondary characters and the way Bianca and Hudson interacted with them.

I'm looking forward to the next book, hopefully about Aaron or Lord Rigsby.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

3.5 STARS

Vying for the Viscount is a strikingly descriptive story that fans of historical fiction, especially Regency, will want to read.

I’m a huge fan of Kristi Ann Hunter and always look forward to her stories but while I liked Vying for the Viscount, I didn’t love it. The beginning seemed slow and tedious to me. Hudson didn’t come across as a very strong character. He was raised in India and although he kept saying he had been prepared his whole life to take over the role as Viscount, it didn’t seem like it when he got to England. I found him sort of ‘soft’ for lack of a better word. Bianca is a smart, horse-loving woman in a kind of sad situation at home. Each morning, she goes next door to help exercise the Viscount’s horses. Their first meeting is sort of funny but I was hoping for a bit more spunk and spark between her and Hudson.

Aaron, on the other hand, is the character whose story I wanted to hear most. He’s an emotionally wounded man, not in an overt manner but you can tell he’s experienced deep hurt at the hands of others. He has a familial connection to someone in the story but it’s a bit before we find out who it is. I’m really hoping his story is next.

I was provided an electronic copy from the publisher through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I truly enjoy Kristi Ann Hunter’s regency romances, and this first book in her new series is no exception!

Hudson has spent his entire life growing up in India, even though he’s always known he is the future Viscount Stildon and that his place is in England. As much as his father tried to prepare him, he feels like a complete fish out of water after his grandfather’s death and his arrival at his inheritance at Hawksworth stables. Nothing about Newmarket is easy for Hudson to understand, especially Bianca, his lovely neighbor who has a standing agreement to exercise his horses.

Bianca uses her time with the horses in the mornings as an escape from her conniving stepmother, who has determined to marry her off as soon as possible to make way for her half-sister to marry. After an interesting first encounter with each other, Hudson and Bianca come to realize maybe they can help each other. Hudson needs help with surviving society and an introduction to the most eligible girl in society- whose dowry includes a foal from her father’s prize stallion. Bianca needs more options than the man her stepmother keeps pushing her toward- a man she can’t stand. But what they don’t realize is what they really need is each other’s friendship. But what happens when both Bianca and Hudson start to want something a little more special than what they were planning to settle for?

I LOVED Hudson and Bianca’s friendship. Funny and real, they’re two sides of the same coin. Everyone else around them sees what they don’t! I loved many of the secondary characters- especially Aaron! There were also characters you love to hate! I enjoyed the visit from Trent and Adelaide (two of my favorites from Kristi’s Hawthorne Series!) and how critical it is to the story. The horse-obsessed teenager I used to be enjoyed all the horses in this novel and how important they are to the story. Not just straightforward, the twists and turns as the story progresses drives you to keep reading with snowball-like momentum. It did start a little bit slowly, but built faster and faster to a wonderful climax.

If you love regency romances, you’ll love this novel... or any Kristi Ann Hunter book for that matter!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book!

I thoroughly enjoyed this clean romance!It It begins with Hudson, who just inherited a title of viscount, and he has never been to England in his life. He was raised in India, so everything about customs in England are new to him. He goes into his own stables, to be assaulted by Bianca, his neighbor he has yet to meet. Later, at a societal gathering, he does meet her and she gives her best apologies, since she had no idea he was the new viscount. They become good friends, while he tries to court another girl, Lady Rebecca. Lady Rebecca's brother courts Bianca, and it begins to get confusing, but after Bianca is abducted by Hudson's crazy uncle it turns out alright in the end. Great story I will read again!

Vying for the Viscount was written by Kristi Ann Hunter, and is book one in the Hearts on the Heath series.

Summary: Hudson was born and raised in India, and that is the only life he’s known. But his father has raised him with the knowledge that someday he will go to England and claim his rightful title of Viscount Stildon.

When the day finally comes, Hudson finds himself woefully unprepared for the enormous cultural differences between his life in India, and his new life in England.

If he wants to make a name for himself in English circles without embarrassing himself, he needs help-and quickly.

Miss Bianca Snowley has lead a pretty calm life-that is, until her stepmother becomes determined to marry her off to the nearest bachelor. Can Bianca stave off her stepmother’s disastrous plans in time to find someone she can love-or at least tolerate?

When Hudson and Bianca meet-it’s a disaster. But, as they become friends, they realize they may be able to help each other. Can Bianca help Hudson navigate English society? And will Hudson be able to send appropriate suitors her way? Or will they discover that what they really want has been in front of them the whole time?

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. I haven’t been disappointed yet in reading a Kristi Ann Hunter book, and this is no exception. This was one of my very favorite reads in the month of June.

The book is well-written, has fascinating and quirky characters, and an appealing love story.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and/or romance as it is a wonderful read.

I would like to thank Bethany House Publishers for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. Thank you!

Vying for the Viscount
by Kristi Ann Hunter
Bethany House
You Like Them You Are Auto-Approved
Bethany House Publishers
Christian
Pub Date 04 Aug 2020 | Archive Date 03 Sep 2020

Excellent and entertaining book, especially if you enjoy Bethany House books. This book is the first in a new series and I look forward to reading the next one. I will recommend it to our patrons and it will be on our shelf in August. Thanks to Net Galley and Bethany House publishers for this ARC.

A new series to lose my heart in! Hearts on the Heath begins with Vying for the Viscount, a warm, humorous and delightful tale set in Newmarket in 1817. Hudson arrives from India, where he has lived and trained his entire life for the role of Viscount Stildon. He quickly learns he knows all the right things but without context or experience, thereby making him awkward enough to warrant tutoring in social expectations and execution. Enter Bianca, who literally enters with a bang Hudson cannot ignore, and you have a delightful couple who find themselves through friendship and shared experiences. Supporting characters are well written and leave room for new stories to be explored. I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of this clean, inspirational book with a lingering message of trust and contentment and highly recommend to readers of historical fiction.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own and freely given.

I absolutely could not get enough of this book! Kristi Ann Hunter has really outdone herself with this first book in a new series. The characters and plot development were excellent! I was completely invested in this story! I loved Hudson and getting glimpses of his thoughts and struggles really made me connect with his character. Bianca was a great heroine! Smart, witty and determined, but not overbearing!! I enjoyed her so much! I loved the surprise appearance of some much beloved characters from the Hawthorne House series as well! This books makes me so excited for what is to come in this series! I can’t wait!

Kristi Hunter's Vying for The Viscount Gets her new series Hearts On the Heath off with a bang! I love her characters and the fact that she involves them in fantastic plots that make you want more. She has the amazing habit of involving characters from past series as part of her new story. This book will definitely be joining Kristi's other books on my all-time favorites shelf! So grab a pot of English breakfast tea and enjoy Bianca and Hudson's story!

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley.com with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.

As much as I love this author (one of my favs), this one just wasn't my cup of tea. I didn't connect with the two main characters or their romance. While a lot of the "friendship" between them crossed the lines of propriety, the whole setting-each-other-up-while-really-pining-for-each-other thing has been done and overdone before, and I have trouble buying it in general. To be fair, Hudson seemed completely unaware of his feelings, but I also had trouble believing this.

And as much as I love cameos by former main characters, I am growing tired of these ones. It's not a quick mention or cheeky reference, but full assist to the main plot. We're 11 books in now. They don't all need to be interconnected and friends.

Ms. Hunter is still one of my favorite authors, however, and nothing can deter me from anxiously awaiting her next novel.

***MOST ENJOYABLE, CLEAN, REGENCY ERA STORY***

I started reading mid-day and read until bedtime. Finished in one sitting! The idea of the 2 main characters helping each other find a good match is always interesting. I really like the brothers Aaron and Lord Rigsby. Both are supporting characters. They need to work out their issues & have stories of their own. When old characters show up, particularly form Kristi's books, it's especially amusing. The verbal sparring in conversations is witty and adds to the reading. I appreciate that eventually Hudson asks to court Bianca properly and get to know each other better vs simply rushing into marriage.

"finally - he was going to step into the life he'd been waiting twenty-eight years to live. As the firstborn son of the firstborn son of the sixth Viscount Stildon, Hudson had always known his destiny. Assuming, of course, that he managed to stay alive and fulfill it. Hiding away in India had been enough to protect Hudson from the schemes of a crazed uncle who wanted the title for himself, but it had meant exposure to other dangers."

""Whatever have you done with your hair?" Mrs. Snowley sneered as she poured Bianca a cup of tea. "I thought perhaps if I secured it as a windblown look, it would remain the way I left it," Bianca said as she accepted the cup of darkly steeped, bitter tea without sugar or milk. Just the way she hated. Mrs. Snowley pressed her lips together in a tight frown. Bianca merely smiled."

"If he truly believed God was loving and powerful, wouldn't that mean he could trust that God knew what he was doing?"

Connect with the author at KristiAnnHunter dot com

I received a complimentary eBook from the author, publisher & NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own without compensation or further expectation.

Bethany House Publishing, 352 Pages

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Vying for the Viscount by Kristi Ann Hunter is the first book in her new series Hearts on the Heath, published by Bethany House Publishers. The story is set in Newmarket, Suffolk 1817 and is about Hudson, Viscount Stildon, who has just arrived from India where he was born and raised. Having listened to local gossip he finds himself in an extensive group of bachelors hoping to court one of the country’s most eligible single women who has a prize winning stallion as her unofficial dowry.

He meets volunteer horse trainer and neighbor Bianca Snowley who shows up every morning to exercise one of his horses. Hudson hires Miss Snowley to help him learn how to move about in society without making a fool of himself.

Main character Hudson, Viscount Stildon, is knowledgeable about horses but confused about the ins and outs of English society and customs. He seems a likeable character who is able to look past social prejudices to view each person’s individual merits. Much like we would today.

Secondary character Bianca Snowley has a difficult relationship to her stepmother reminiscent of Cinderella. I felt sorry for her, but I was pleased to see she stood up to her stepmother more as the story progressed. Bianca was my favorite character of this story.

I found the plot rather unique, as I have not read a story which centers on horses like this one. Main ideas of the plot is what people are willing to do to gain better positions by wealth or inheritance and deals with class distinction and social prejudices relating to children born out of wedlock.

I love the light hearted and funny writing style with a friendly bantering dialogue and great atmosphere. I felt each character was very well thought out, beautifully described and perfectly placed into the plot. I loved that the story included characters from Kristi Ann Hunter's Uncommon Courtship, book 3 in Hawthorne House Series.

My favorite part of this story was Holden’s adjustment to English society and the romance development between him and Bianca. It started with easygoing, bantering friendship. Romance was developing slowly between them when they were looking the other way.

My least favorite part of the story was how Bianca was treated by her stepmother. A terrible, conniving character that would make Cinderella’s stepmother seem almost kind hearted.

Back in India, Hudson felt God was distant from his life and he didn’t attend church. He starts attending church sermons and reading the Bible and reflects on his faith more and he gradually comes to trust God’s plan.
Vying for the Viscount (Hearts on the Heath #1) is the unique story set in horse racing environment with great character building and light hearted and bantery writing style. I would recommend it to anyone, and I eagerly await next installment. Readers of historical romance fiction would enjoy it too. Similar authors to explore might be Sarah M. Eden or Julie Klassen.

Thank you to Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley for this eARC which gave me the opportunity to share my honest review. All opinions are completely my own.

I actually found myself tearing up not once, not twice but there's times while reading this book! One part spoke to me so much as a single woman waiting on God to being me a husband. Thank you Kristi Ann hunter for writing books that arent just hilarious an heartwarming but also speak spiritual truths!

Hudson and Bianca are self-described idiots. They decide to help each other in their marital challenges. Hudson because he has lived his life in India and knows nothing, Bianca because she is feeling pressure from her evil stepmother. Though she is not characterized that way, it is clear early on that she only has her own interests at heart.

What follows is a beautiful tale of friendship as well as a path of self-discovery and trust in God for each of our main characters. What I love is that they are far from being the only option for each other and they do spend time with others who are worthy of love and companionship themselves, so while you are cheering for Hudson and Bianca you are also meeting others that you would gladly cheer for. I am glad that this is the first in a series so I can come back to this world at a later time. It is one of those worlds I could visit again and again. I would recommend this book to those who love Regency or Christian Fiction

I received an eARC of this book through NetGalley and this is my review.

In VYING FOR THE VISCOUNT, KRISTI ANN HUNTER has given us a delightful romance novel set in Newmarket in 1817. With memorable characters, quite a bit of intrigue and a good Christian message, the book has everything you need for a truly enjoyable read.
When Hudson, the new Lord Stildon, arrives in England to take up his inheritance at Hawksworth, after spending his entire life in India, he feels completely out of place and realizes that the schooling he was given to make him ready for life as a viscount in England, was most inadequate. One thing he does know, however, is horse racing. He has a passion for horses, and wants to build up the stable he has inherited to be one of the best in England. Someone who shares his passion for horses is Miss Bianca Snowley, and they form what they see as a mutually helpful friendship, together with Aaron Whitfield, the illegitimate stable manager.
I really love the horse theme and the Newmarket setting, which is so beautifully described.
Of course, being a Regency novel, the party scene, acceptable behaviour and the search for a spouse are very important parts of the story. Add a nasty stepmother, a crazy uncle and a good bit of humour, and things get really interesting!
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

Vying for the Viscount is the first book in Kristi Ann Hunter's new Hearts on the Heath series. In the acknowledgments she admits to having had to rework the plot, and let me tell you, the story she has ended up with is absolutely delightful! I practically read it in one sitting. If you haven't read any of her previous books, she has a talent for creating characters whom you would want to be friends with if you happened to meet them in real life. An "old friend" from a previous novel even has a small role in Vying for the Viscount.

The premise of this story was entertaining as two acquaintances make a pact to help the other attain their goal, but the closer they get to said goal the more dissatisfied they feel. One learns to value God's direction for their life and the other learns their life has value. I enjoyed the easy camaraderie between Aaron, Hudson and Bianca and the world of racehorse breeding they were immersed in. It was a fresh thematic element for a Regency romance. A dash of unresolved danger made for an interesting plot twist that I suspect will pop up again in subsequent Hearts on the Heath novels. I don't know who the next story will be centered around but I hope this isn't the last we will read of Lord Stildon and his friends at Hawksworth.

Vying for the Viscount will be available for purchase from your local or online book retailer August 4, 2020.

Thank you Bethany House and Net Galley for the free advanced reader copy of this book. The opinions expressed here are my own.