A Revolution of Hearts by Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen, 272 pages. Covenant Communications, 2020. $17.
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
In the midst of a revolution of ideas in France, Dacia’s brother sides with the plebeians. While she may humor him, Dacia doesn’t see anything wrong with continuing their ways of monarchy and social hierarchy -- after all, there is a reason some are above others, is there not? Dacia is in for a shock when she finds herself among the plebeians, running for her life.
My favorite thing about this book, by far, is that it takes place concurrently with The Scarlet Pimpernel, an old classic; though there is only a little overlap of characters, Hinrichsen is able to use the context as a quick set up to her spin-off story. Dacia’s story is well-written and engaging as she learns to see people differently, to see those around her as equals regardless of social class. This aspect of the book was apparent to me as the true focus, making the romance seem underdeveloped, though still a cute part of the overall story.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

What a story! It begins with Dacia, who, enjoying her aristocratic life finds her self in a tragedy and having to leave everything she knows and going under cover. While she hides away as a housemaid, she grows closer to Mr Richard, the owner of the estate. Soon everything she has feared comes to pass and she has to flee, but while doing so, she is kidnapped and fears for her life. Can Richard find her in time? This is a great, clean romance that is well written and enjoyable to read! I highly recommend it!

#ARevolutionOfHearts #NetGalley

If I could give this more than five stars I would. I have loved the Scarlet Pimpernel, since I saw the movie, in the mid eighties, with Jane Seymour and Anthony Andrews. This book had all the characters, that I loved plus, a few more. I fell in love with Darcia de Prideaux and her brother Marcel, their close relationship and the way Marcel teased his sister. When Darcia runs into trouble, and is on the run for her life, she relies on her good friend, Marguerite St Just to help her. Between Marguerite and her brother Armand they find a way to keep Darcia safe. I loved everything about this book, and am planning on watching, the Scarlet Pimpernel this weekend. I hope, that this will be a new series,

Dacia is left alone after the murder of her brother, Marcel. She is accused of the crime and she begins a journey to save herself. Not only is it a physical journey but also one one of growth and romance. Along the way, Dacia meets and ultimately works for Richard Harris and what follows is the development of trust and friendship and some sweet and comedic moments throughout. I was able to get to know the characters and enjoyed the change in Dacia’s personality from beginning to end. There was an air of suspense that felt realistic and left me not wanting to put the book down until I knew how the story would conclude. The story was well-crafted and the perfect mix of suspense, comedy and romance for a fiction lover like me. This is the first book I have read written by Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen and I look forward to reading her other projects.

3.5 stars
This book began with a lot of action, but it still took me a while to get into it. I couldn't quite pinpoint why. It has a sweet, slow romance and plenty of danger and suspense. It was good but didn't captivate me quite as much as I had hoped. It was fun to watch Dacia change and grow and Harris was always awesome.

This captivating, hard-to-put-down read grabbed my attention from the beginning and kept a firm hold on it to the end. It is the first book I have read by this author, and I was impressed by her expressive, flowing style; vivid descriptions; and gifted storytelling skills. The fast-paced plot with its twists and turns combines history, adventure, intrigue, pretense, heroism with a dash of humor and romance, keeping the reader guessing with each turn of the page. Set in 1789 , this book offers a snapshot of life in England and France during the uncertain times just prior to the French Revolution reflecting the attitudes, customs, and conventions of the era. Real historical characters are seamlessly assimilated into the fictional story. The characters are well-crafted, strong, and memorable. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it especially for lovers of historical fiction.

I received a copy of this book in e-book form from the publisher via netgalley but am under no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

I think this time period is fascinating. Dacia is an aristocrat at the beginning of the French Revolution. Her brother is murdered and she is being framed. She manages to escape, with some help and finds herself becoming a servant in England. Those whom she once looked down on became her friends. I loved watching her attitude towards the lower class change throughout the book. Richard is one of her rescuers and also becomes her master. He does this to try to help her. As her story comes out a little at a time he understands that he must protect her as well. I don't want to give it all away so I will just say that is a very enjoyable book and I would recommend it to those who love the Scarlet Pimpernel.

This drew me in from the beginning and I could not stop reading it, except to sleep. Dacia is on the run, as a French aristocrat, who has been accused of her brother's murder, wrongly, by the police, she comes to England, and in the process, learns how a servant is treated, feeling guilty that she ever treated her servants that way. I was excited all the way through it, and I will not spoil the ending. Highly recommended.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a great historical fiction set at the time of the French Revolution and gamers Scarlet pimoernel. I enjoyed the cat and mouse of Dacia and Jaret. I wish there would have been more romantic interaction between Richard and Dacia. A great clean read !

“Help people. ‘Do unto others’ and all that. I suppose you could say it was on account of our mother. She was a devout Bible reader.” He chuckled lightly. “She taught my brother, Walter, and I it was our best chance to get to heaven.”


When Mademoiselle Dacia de Prideaux is the only witness of the murder of her brother- an outspoken political activitst and caught by the murderer himself she runs. Finding out she has been framed for the crime she turns to the help of her friend Marguerie St. Just and wealthy fop, Sir Percy Blakeney. Dacia’s life is tossed into immediate chaos as she receives help from the Scarlet Pimpernel and his band of heroes trying to keep her alive from a murderer who will stop at nothing to see her silenced.

I really enjoyed this side story to the classic ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’. The characters were true to character of the original book inspiration and I loved remembering the classic as I read this.

If you enjoy any aspects of The Scarlet Pimpernel you will love this novel. The historical aspects were true to France before the revolution and I loved watching the story develop and the different characters Dacia meets along the way. The romance development is slow and minimal and focuses more on the plight of Dacia’s escape and the suspense as a result.

This cover is everything. It reminds me of a period drama display and is what made me have to read the book. I loved that they author chose to write in an era that doesn’t get much attention. There are plenty of Regency romances set in England, but I’ve only read one or two set during the French Revolution. Bravo. The pacing, however, was a bit slow for my personally reading tastes. I found my mind drifting and my eyes skipping ahead to fine a “good part.”

SCARLET. PIMPERNEL. Count me in. No, this is not a Scarlet Pimpernel retelling. But ... the association alone was enough to catch my attention. I stayed, however, based on the merits of a wonderfully unique story. French Aristocrat on the run at the edge of a revolution == not too ground breaking, right? Ah - but there is a twist! A heartwrenching twist that draws the reader in and sets the plot in motion.

The first few chapters were slow going, but part of that likely stemmed from needing to get acclimated to the time period. I tend to read books that take place in the Regency era, so this felt somewhat familiar ... but not. By 35-40% in I was absolutely hooked. The characters were gaining complexity, the plot was picking up, and I was fully invested.

Richard is an enigma. I wish we could read this entire story again, but from his perspective. He has so many different sides and such a strong moral code ... I wanted inside his head the entire time!

Dacia ... well. She matures, thank goodness. I wasn't a huge fan of her character at the beginning, but she gained my respect through her tenacity. Dacia's realizations of "we are the same" through the second part of the story speak to her personal growth. She has been coddled all her life without fully realizing to what extent, and she grows so much during her time away from that lifestyle.

I didn't witness a great deal of chemistry between Richard and Dacia. Yes, there was gratitude and respect, and yes there was fascination, but it felt very ... young. There is promise there, however, and it was sweet to watch their mutual interest grow. HOW I WANTED AN EPILOGUE! I would love to hear more of their story.

Blush factor: nada. A kiss or two, nothing more.
Language: nada. Squeaky clean!
Violence: present here and there, but neither glorified nor excessively detailed.

I received an advance copy of this title in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I have always loved the story of the Scarlet Pimpernel. This story takes place at the beginning of the French Revolution, when Percy is just starting to save aristocrats.
The book started a little slow for me, but when It picked up I didn't want to put it down.
I enjoyed watching Dacia's character change and grow. I appreciated her strength and willingness to do anything to keep herself and others safe. I enjoyed her realization that people are all the same, regardless of class.
This is the first book from this author that I have read. I will look for others of her work.

3.5*  This intriguing story was full of tension and action.  The story line was a little rough, but the idea behind it was fresh and exciting for me.  Once I sorted the characters, they had interesting perspectives.  I appreciated the way Dacia so quickly learned her role as a servant and was so insightful about the humanness of that group of people, although in her life before her fall from rank she hadn't taken any time to concern herself with her servants' thoughts or feelings.  Her gems of wisdom throughout were wonderful to see.  Richard was honorable and heroic in the best ways and I was happy to see him get his happy ending with Dacia. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The first work of Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen's I've read, "A Revolution of Hearts" features some characters from "The Scarlet Pimpernel". The latter I've never read.

During the French Revolution, aristocrats were literally fleeing for their lives. Dacia De Prideaux escapes to England with the help of Sir Percy Blakeney, where she hides from her brother's murderer, who has pinned the deed on her.

She transforms into Louise Bertrand, a maid on Richard Harris's estate, a man of disguises and secrets of his own. While "Louise" initially chafes at her reduced circumstances and station, she realizes how difficult the lives of those she considered beneath her could be, and she is ashamed. Her use of the term "plebeian", and her initial support of Louis XVI is astonishing to me.

On the other hand, Richard Harris lives in Georgian England, yet does not feel entitled and he strives to help those in need. He and Dacia have a wonderful rapport, even as employer and servant. There is a twist near the end concerning two of the secondary characters that took me completely by surprise.

While most action takes place in England and therefore, the French Revolution takes a back seat, I did learn a new term. "Cagot" is something I intend to research further. Ms. Hinrichsen's prose is lovely, and there are few grammatical errors. Characters are well-drawn and nuanced, the villain included. This short novel is clean. 4.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Covenant Communications for a an ARC of this enjoyable novel.

#netgalley #arevolutionofhearts

This is an adventurous book. The plot is engaging and had me anxious to the very end, I wanted everything to be ok with the characters and their lives. I highly recommend this book, be prepared for the thrills to twist and turn.

This is a captivating book. The plot is engaging and had me interested to the very end. I highly recommend this fun and quick read.

This was a story of a woman who is an aristocrat at the very beginning of the french revolution. I picked it up hoping for adventure and spying and a nice sweeping romance. It started out promising and then it just turned into a predictable kinda boring regency story that didn't even have much of a romance. The writing was good but it didn't pull me in like I hoped. She was a good character but everyone else just fell short even the love interest. The way they finally came together was a little disappointing. I think I should mention that I really dislike having the bad guys POV. It just bugs me and that effected my enjoyment of this story too. So it just wasn't my kind of book but if you like a Very slow moving romance or not much of one and all and like to focus on history and a woman's journey to understanding the lower class this is a book for you.

Les Misérables meets Downton Abbey in this captivating historical suspense romance.

This story takes place in 1789 France and England, in a society divided into aristocracy and working class. It’s a society where stealing a cow can get you hanged. Class distinctions between the gentry and the working class are strictly observed. When a young French aristocrat, Dacia, is falsely accused of murdering her brother by a corrupt police commissioner, Antoine Jeret, she has no choice but to escape.

With Jeret hot on her heels, Dacia flees to England with the help of a shadowy network of mysterious benefactors. Even though Dacia has never worked a day in her life, the young mademoiselle finds refuge as a house maid in the estate of the wealthy Richard Harris. She not only learns how to work, but also how and why every life has value and dignity.

Mystery and suspense abound as Dacia and Richard fall in love. But he, like Dacia, is also not what he seems.

Meanwhile, France teeters on the cusp of a revolution. Parisian streets are in chaos as the Inspector Javert-like Jeret tracks Dacia to England and closes in, determined to see her hanged.

Tightly written and briskly paced, this Austen-esque novel is peppered with sturdy characters and a taut storyline that grabs you on the first page and won’t let go until the final paragraph. Shakespeare fans and dog lovers will also find something to enjoy in this rich and robust novel.

Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys sturdy historical fiction and a clean romance.



#ARevolutionofHearts
#NetGalley

I never know what to expect when I begin reading a book by a new to me author. And a delightful surprise it is when you realize the book is excellent and you start adding more of their novels to your TBR list. This was one of those books for me. Think Downton Abbey with a little extra danger, intrigue and heroism. It maintained my interest and had a good balance of romance, history and the like. I also thought it had some thoughtfully creative elements (e.g. the bent flowers - read it and you'll get what I'm talking about!) that gave it a lovely finishing touch. I recommend this book to historical fiction and romance fans.