Enchanting the Heiress
by Kristi Ann Hunter
Pub Date01 Mar 2022 |
Bethany House |Bethany House Publishers
Christian| Historical Fiction| Romance


Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley provided me with a copy of Enchanting the Heiress for review:

Look no further for an inspiring story of love against all odds:


Using her wealth and influence, Miss Harriet Hancock cleverly and anonymously improves the lives of those in Newmarket. Harriet keeps people at a distance to protect a long-standing secret, but when a friend asks for her help, she can't refuse.


Jonas Fitzroy, a stabile hand, would do anything for his twin sister, even if it meant tracking down the woman who has made him wary. A request for help writing a book from Miss Hancock is the last thing he expects. Intent on revealing her underlying plan, Jonas agrees.


As they work together, an unexpected friendship develops. However, when things don't go as planned, Harriet wonders if good intentions are enough. What can she do to mend the broken pieces of her life? Will Jonas give her another chance?



I give Enchanting the Heiress five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Hunter simply enchants readers with this latest release. She brings her spunky personality, wit, charm and so much more.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved the relationship Jonas shared with his sister Sophia in the previous book with the way he grounded her and his sense of humor. I was looking forward to more from him in that vein, but this story focused more on his angst and self-doubts. I felt like his personality changed in this book and his thoughts and actions were very much like Aaron, the curmudgeonly stable master Sophia falls in love with. Harriet became a good friend to Sophia, but Jonas is suspicious of her motives since he can sense something a bit off. She has her secrets, but also a good heart and well-meaning intentions. They both learn quite a bit about themselves when they share the judgements they have of each other. There's some great character growth, and of course I loved the interactions with all the couples from the rest of the series.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

3.5 stars
A fun story with the heroine trying to “fix” everything around her. She’s so keen on fixing everyone that she even forgets to make sure she’s providing something they actually even want or need. But that’s not the worst of it. She has been living a huge lie for years and doesn’t have the courage to stop.

While I enjoyed most of the story, I only got a few chapters to enjoy the repentant Harriet trying to stop lying, manipulating, and controlling everything. I sympathized with her desire to help but I really wanted more of the payoff of seeing who she could be when she was leaving behind what she had done to control things for so long.

Jonas was a great character and I really liked getting to know him and watching him evaluate what he really wanted out of life.

Overall, a fun read, but not my favorite of the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free reading copy. A favorable review was not required.

I forgot to download this book on Netgalley and so listened to the Audibook of my own volition. I must have forgotten a few of the characters in this series, my own fault its been a while since I read the last book. Its just that I found the abrupt beginning a little disconcerting since I did not remember the context or who the characters were.

Aside from a few of the usual issues (i.e. Americanisms), I did enjoy this book though. It was a good way of wrapping up the series. I liked the hero and heroine, and the interactions between them and the dynamnics of their relationship.

Enchanting the Heiress by Kristi Ann Hunter is the third book in her Hearts on the Heath series.

I’m not usually a Regency Romance fan, but I read the previous two books in the series and particularly enjoyed the second one, so I wanted to read the third. I love that horses were still a part of the story and I could appreciate Jonas wanting to be left alone in the job he held. Perhaps that’s why the arc changes felt more uneven since Harriet’s changes required so much more inner work, especially toward the end.

Overall, I liked the story and the middle kept me reading, but the beginning and ending were … drawn out. I struggled to remember why I liked Jonas’ sister, but I liked Jonas’ brother-in-law even more in this book. Jonas was a great hero, I thought, so I’m glad I read his story.

—
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC guidelines.

3rd book in this series and one that will be in my mind for quite a while!
Jonas and Harriet? Well they'll just tickle you pink at times!
It was so delightful that I couldn't put it down!
From the descriptions in this book the author has made me feel like a part of her story and that what I really enjoyed about this story.
My favorite thing was the scripture verses that scattered lightly throughout the book.
I always look forward to this author's books and this one sure didn't disappoint.
This book definitely deserves 5 stars!
Well done Ms. Hunter! I highly recommend!
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Good book, but the beginning was too slow and failed to keep my interest after setting it aside to eat or go to work or sleep.

Another Wonderful Book!

I loved this third book in the Hearts on the Heath series. I really enjoyed Jonas and Harriet’s story! The things they go through were at times funny and other times so serious. Not sure if this was the last book in the series but I will definitely seek out more books by Kristi Ann Hunter.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review.

I didn't realize this was part of a series, but it was such a cute story! It definitely made me curious about the previous books. The character development for Harriet and Jonas was so well done and they were both so relatable that I couldn't help rooting for them.

This is only my second Kristi Ann Hunter read and I’m still thoroughly impressed with her writing!

I really enjoyed Jonas and Harriet’s story. The unlikely nature of their relationship brought some fun banter and tension into the story and was very well-written in a way that pulled me more into the story.

Now I want to go back and read the other two books in the series so that I can continue to enjoy Hunter’s wonderful writing.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bethany House for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a sweet Christian romance.
There is a fair amount of scripture quoting and personal growth with the MC.
The story is sweet, it’s a mixed class romance, with a female heiress and a male stable hand.
I liked the interactions between and development of the friendship/romance.
I am religious but I prefer a light hand if there are Christian themes to my romance novels.

Wonderfully Different 💕

I found this story to be different, and wonderfully so.
This story throws Harriet and Jonas together in a ruse of a writing collaboration. They work closely, with much of the story centered around the two of them, but with enough outside activity to keep things interesting. Jonas has no idea he can write, and Harriet intends to lead him to that conclusion. My absolute favorite scene was when he described wading in a stream, leading Harriet to want to experience it too. Her subsequent enjoyment of the experience was lovely.
"He kept looking at her. She looked back at him. Around them the breeze blew and the trees swayed. The water trickled on, but time seemed at a standstill. “‘He hath made everything beautiful in His time.’” The words seemed to breathe out of him, becoming part of the encompassing swirl of water and wind and sun."
I liked how they both had views of life that needed to make room for other possible ideas. This period romance was most enjoyable.

I was gifted this book for my honest opinion without expectation or compensation.

Series:
Hearts on the Heath
1. Vying for the Viscount
2. Winning the Gentleman
3. Enchanting the Heiress

Reviews posted to: My blog: BlueJeansAndTeacups.blogspot.com / goodreads / b&n/ amazon / google play books / kobo / BAM / My Pinterest/ my FB

For some reason, I wasn't excited about reading Harriet's story. And then, when I found out that she was paired up with Jonas, I was honestly even less excited about this story. Yet I wanted to complete the series, and I have found Kristi Ann Hunter to be a favorite author. I shouldn't have worried. Kristi Ann Hunter proved my worries unfounded. Thankfully, Enchanting the Heiress didn't take too long to hook my interest, and I quickly read the entire book.

I don't know that I've read a story quite like this one before even though parts here and there would be similar to other stories. Harriet has a desire deep within her to make the lives of others around her better. She sees a need and she steps in to fill it. She hears of a desire and she manipulates people like a chessboard to get others in the right place for those desires to be fulfilled. In some ways, this is a selfless and wonderful quality to possess. A desire to make better the lives of others is applaudable. Yet, Jonas takes issue with what he sees as Harriet meddling where she doesn't belong.

Jonas is content. He's happy and thankful to be stable and stationary after traveling with the circus. He isn't ambitious. He doesn't feel like he needs much of anything. He doesn't feel a draw to many people to form relationships, and he doesn't seek to improve his circumstances like many would. Yet Sophia can't stand to see her brother's talents go to waste. Sophia is the one who recruits Harriet to help Jonas, but Harriet decides to go about things in her own way.

I loved their journey. And in some ways Enchanting the Heiress was about how to craft a story. I always appreciate books where insight is given into the writing and publishing process. Of course, Harriet never truly desired to write a book.

Favorite quotes:
-"I had other dreams only because I didn't know about this one."

-"...love doesn't demand what it wants. Instead, it will sacrifice itself to give the other person what they need."

-Life always held room for improvement, didn't it?

-Why was it so difficult for people to understand that helping others was its own reward? It was a purpose in and of itself.

-"I hardly think my independence is affecting the construction of your sentences."

-He'd never been a coward, and he wasn't going to start now.

-"Respect can be restored. A lost opportunity cannot."

Enchanting the Heiress was so much more enjoyable than I feared. I don't really know why I was initially put off by Harriet. I'd probably need to go back and re-read the prior books in the series, but I liked just about every aspect of this story. I also reviewed another book recently where I commented on the number of Scripture used. I'm pretty sure Enchanting the Heiress had more than that book, but for someone who might take issue with this, none of the Scripture felt preachy. All of it felt relevant to the characters. Enchanting the Heiress gets 4 Stars. Have you read Enchanting the Heiress? What did you think? Let me know!

This is the third book in the series and I think you need to at least have read the previous book (Winning the Gentleman), about Jonas’ twin sister, to fully understand the context of this story.

Kristi Ann Hunter writes books that both entertain and challenge. I found this book both delightful and difficult. In today’s culture, as in the book, it is easy to justify a slight shifting of facts to allow someone to save face or to avoid conflict. This book explores where subtlety, manipulation and lying meet and the dangers of crossing those lines. Another aspect of the story that I found compelling was the challenge to live life rather than to just observe it. The author explored the difference between contentment and detachment as she explored Jonas’ relationship with the world. Enchanting the Heiress was a compelling and enjoyable story, but it also gave me much to consider. I’d recommend it to you.

I received a free digital galley of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Enchanting the Heiress by Kristi Ann Hunter

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
_________________________________________________________________________________
Story Notes

I really enjoyed this story of finding forgiveness and love. Harriet was a wonderful friend to others but didn't seem to accept that she had more than assisting others to bring to the world. She wanted to make her own way and influence good happenings in others lives rather than take the social world by storm as her father wanted her to. I definitely don't agree with the deceitful way she went about doing it but can understand her desire to keep her life quieter and closer to home. Jonah was a good foil for her, with his no-nonsense way of thinking. I did feel like his dislike of her was more because he didn't understand her motives but also liked that he made her think before guiding others to certain actions or decisions. The age-gap was a bit hard for me when it came to the romance given that it was opposite of the usual older man/ younger woman. But it didn't interfere with the story overmuch so I don't feel like it negatively affected the story. The love story was really sweet and yet challenging. Kristi made her characters work for their love rather than just letting it passively happen to them, which is very smart. I'm not a big fan of safe, saccharine stories as that's not how real life works. Kristi gave us people to care about, cheer for and get frustrated with just as we might the real people in our lives. This is certainly a story you'll want to add to your TBR, along with the rest of the series, because it's one not to be missed. Especially if you like stories with heart and plenty of depth. I do and I'm definitely recommending you read this one too.

I received this temporary, complimentary E-book from Bethany House Publishers via NetGalley. I am not required by anyone to write a positive review but am pleased to do so. I will receive no fiscal compensation for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

Everyone needs a fairy godmother in their lives. And while she isn't quite the fairy godmother you expect, Harriet Hancock has the uncanny ability to see a need and make the solution materialize. Her knack for solving problems is her gift but to Jonas Fitzroy it's nothing but meddling- and not in a good way. Kristi Ann Hunter brings readers an engaging tale of Harriet and Jonas and their attempts to navigate the hand that life has given them in her latest novel Enchanting the Heiress. Both have a different take on how to approach life and as Harriet goes about fixing things for others she finds herself needing to fix herself as well. Readers will be delighted with Harriet and the situations she causes as the story unfolds.
The opinions above are my own and freely given. I received an advanced copy from NetGalley

If you like Jane Austen's Emma, Enchanting the Heiress by Kristi Ann Hunter may seem similar.

Like Emma, Harriet Hancock thinks she knows what is best for everyone. She is manipulative, so people don't really notice how she has moved things around until the outcome is what she wants.

Jonas Fitzroy sees through Harriet and is wary of her conniving ways, primarily when she seeks him out on the pretense of helping her write a travel book. He knows she is up to something, but he can't figure it out.

Honestly, it took me way too long to warm up to these characters. And I believe that is because it is the third book in the series (something I missed when I selected this book for review). So it cannot be read as a standalone. In addition to that little blip, I felt the book's premise fell a little flat. I loved the nod to Jane Austen's Emma, but, like Jonas, I didn't believe what was going on for a second. It felt too contrived.

However, after sticking with the book, I was glad to see how both Jonas and Harriet grew emotionally and spiritually.While I didn't quite buy their love story, the fact that they both learned from each other and grew better as human beings was nice to see. I particularly loved the Scripture verses scattered throughout this book and how Jonas (and eventually Harriet) brought them to mind when needing wisdom from the Lord.

If you have read the first two books, you will likely enjoy revisiting Jonas, Sophie and Harriet again. I recommend you read them first before diving into this one.

This is the third book in the series and it is my fault that I did not check into that before requesting it from Netgalley. I began reading this book, but started to feel a little lost. There were definite references to previous storylines from other books. I generally like reading a series from the start to get a good sense of the characters/setting. Sometimes you can get away with reading books out of order. In this case, I feel that it is necessary to read this series from the beginning. From what I read, I liked the characters, premise, and setting. However, for me this was a "did not finish" just based on the fact that I couldn't read it as a stand alone. I look forward to starting this series from the beginning in the near future.

Thank you Net Galley for the advanced readers copy of Enchanting the Heiress in exchange for my honest review.

Gorgeous, as usual! I loved Jonas and Hannah’s story. They were fascinating people and I enjoyed being along for the ride. Loved i5 so much that I bought a hard copy!