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hldavids's review against another edition
4.0
review now available at: http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2013/03/books/genre-fiction/romance/xpress-reviews-e-originals-first-look-at-new-books-march-22-2013/
tweedlebug's review against another edition
3.0
I've been on a historical romance binge lately and it's been hit or miss with some of them but I actually enjoyed this book. I like that it talks about addiction even if some area are questionable.. like how he shouldn't tempt himself with alcohol but sex is okay? I really like the banter between the two main characters and enjoyed their adventure before they arrived in London. The villains in this story was great at first but then everything was resolved so easily that it wasn't believable to me at all. I wish the author spent more time wrapping everything up better and gave the evil cousin a more believable role. The end where she meets her mom was also very anti-climatic. Overall, I really adore the characters but the story could be better, especially the ending.
emslovestoread's review against another edition
1.0
Let's take every single romance novel cliché and toss them into one book, shall we? Dreadful. Just dreadful.
wilovebooks's review against another edition
4.0
When Alasdair and Mary meet, both are at rock bottom. She is being sold in an auction, and he is addicted to opium. They want to save one another, though both feel unworthy of the other for the long term. They both have a lot of internal conflict. A touching story with lots of steam. Overall an enjoyable read.
jaclynder's review
4.0
Hero of My Heart was a GREAT historical romance with two flawed, but sweet, characters. When the novel opens Mary Smith has been drugged and put up for auction by her disreputable half-brother. Alasdair Thornham, war-hero and Marquess, happens to be drowning his sorrows at the tavern where the auction is taking place. He manages to drag himself out of his opium-induced stupor and decides that he is going to rescue Mary to atone for his sins.
After his less than heroic rescue, Alasdair and Mary head for Gretna to marry, but are chased by the dastardly half-brother, and Alasdair’s jealous cousin who wants to have Alasdair declared insane to inherit. This on-the-road romance is complicated by the fact that Alasdair has to fight his drug addiction when he runs out of opium. Mary has to be the strong one and ends up rescuing him a time or two.
What I liked about the novel was that both Mary and Alasdair needed each other. It was so obvious that Alasdair was a flawed character, but he was redeemed because he had to at least try and help Mary. He may have been an addict, but he still retained his charm and honor by his attempts to take care of Mary. Because of the addiction, Mary ended up taking care of Alasdair more often than not and she realized how much Alasdair relied on her to keep him grounded when he was coming down from his drug high. What I liked about Mary was that she wanted more than to be needed by Alasdair; she recognized that she deserved to be more than a replacement to a drug and she fought to get it.
Alasdair and Mary are a great couple, and while I’m not really convinced that someone could overcome their addiction quite that quickly, I loved how their relationship progressed to the pair of them becoming equal partners. I started this book with a lot of trepidation, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the hero being an addict, but by the end I was sold and I will definitely be looking out for more by this author.
*A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
After his less than heroic rescue, Alasdair and Mary head for Gretna to marry, but are chased by the dastardly half-brother, and Alasdair’s jealous cousin who wants to have Alasdair declared insane to inherit. This on-the-road romance is complicated by the fact that Alasdair has to fight his drug addiction when he runs out of opium. Mary has to be the strong one and ends up rescuing him a time or two.
What I liked about the novel was that both Mary and Alasdair needed each other. It was so obvious that Alasdair was a flawed character, but he was redeemed because he had to at least try and help Mary. He may have been an addict, but he still retained his charm and honor by his attempts to take care of Mary. Because of the addiction, Mary ended up taking care of Alasdair more often than not and she realized how much Alasdair relied on her to keep him grounded when he was coming down from his drug high. What I liked about Mary was that she wanted more than to be needed by Alasdair; she recognized that she deserved to be more than a replacement to a drug and she fought to get it.
Alasdair and Mary are a great couple, and while I’m not really convinced that someone could overcome their addiction quite that quickly, I loved how their relationship progressed to the pair of them becoming equal partners. I started this book with a lot of trepidation, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the hero being an addict, but by the end I was sold and I will definitely be looking out for more by this author.
*A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
nday's review
1.0
This had the stamps of an early novel all over it, and it wasn’t bad at all. I definitely liked the first half a lot more than the second. The first half the book was a breathless rollercoaster of action from one disaster to the next, and that had a nice fun element to it.
The second half of the book where it slowed down didn’t work as well for me. I liked the concept of the hero overcoming addiction, but didn’t think the actual representation of breaking that addiction was that well dived into it.
Not one I’d read again, but it was not terrible.
The second half of the book where it slowed down didn’t work as well for me. I liked the concept of the hero overcoming addiction, but didn’t think the actual representation of breaking that addiction was that well dived into it.
Not one I’d read again, but it was not terrible.
viri's review against another edition
1.0
dnfed @ 35%
i just didn’t understand, didn’t care for the characters. i was just very much confused.
i just didn’t understand, didn’t care for the characters. i was just very much confused.
booksuperpower's review
3.0
Hero of My Heart by Megan Frampton is a Kensington Love Swept publication, released in April 2013.
Mary, a vicar's daughter, finds herself at her half brother's mercy after her father passes away. She finds her virginity being auctioned off. When Alasdair Thornham, the Marquess of Datchworth stumbles into the establishment and sees the dullness in Mary's eyes, he immediately recognizes that look. The poor girl had been drugged to keep her under control. Warring with his conscience and his wallet, he steps up and rescues the damsel in distress.
Not really one for making plans, Alasdair does plan to marry Mary and see that her reputation remains in tact, then he intends to give himself over to his drug addiction, not caring what happens to him.
However, he and Mary embark on quite an adventure. She must continue to avoid her brother, then Alasdair's cousin, with his dastardly plans. Mary also wants to meet the mother she never knew. Mary never expected to find herself dealing with a man with an opium addiction. Alasdair has lost his entire family and went through the horrors of war where he sustained an injury.
Mary discovers dark family secrets about her brother and her parents. Together they work to get to London and establish Mary in her role as Aladair's wife and hopefully to let Mary meet her mother. In the process they fall in love. Each one of them loves and needs the other , but is terrified of trusting too much in the other one. What if something happens to Mary like all the other people Alasdair has loved? What if Alasdair can't keep his opium addiction at bay?
I would really like to give this one a 3.5 rating. I went back and forth between the three and four stars. The deciding factor was that ever present pet peeve of mine about using language that no "lady " of this time frame would use. In this instance we were talking about the vicar's daughter. The F-bomb- really? I didn't have a problem with Mary's sexual awakening and not being shy about expressing her physical needs to Alasdair. The other factor was that the ending seemed a bit rushed.
Other than that, I like the flawed hero, and the strong woman that brings him back from the brink. I'm a sucker for that stuff. As the title suggest, Alasdair was a hero for Mary too. A nice, and saucy, historical romance. I will give this one a C+/B-. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the DRC of this book.
Mary, a vicar's daughter, finds herself at her half brother's mercy after her father passes away. She finds her virginity being auctioned off. When Alasdair Thornham, the Marquess of Datchworth stumbles into the establishment and sees the dullness in Mary's eyes, he immediately recognizes that look. The poor girl had been drugged to keep her under control. Warring with his conscience and his wallet, he steps up and rescues the damsel in distress.
Not really one for making plans, Alasdair does plan to marry Mary and see that her reputation remains in tact, then he intends to give himself over to his drug addiction, not caring what happens to him.
However, he and Mary embark on quite an adventure. She must continue to avoid her brother, then Alasdair's cousin, with his dastardly plans. Mary also wants to meet the mother she never knew. Mary never expected to find herself dealing with a man with an opium addiction. Alasdair has lost his entire family and went through the horrors of war where he sustained an injury.
Mary discovers dark family secrets about her brother and her parents. Together they work to get to London and establish Mary in her role as Aladair's wife and hopefully to let Mary meet her mother. In the process they fall in love. Each one of them loves and needs the other , but is terrified of trusting too much in the other one. What if something happens to Mary like all the other people Alasdair has loved? What if Alasdair can't keep his opium addiction at bay?
I would really like to give this one a 3.5 rating. I went back and forth between the three and four stars. The deciding factor was that ever present pet peeve of mine about using language that no "lady " of this time frame would use. In this instance we were talking about the vicar's daughter. The F-bomb- really? I didn't have a problem with Mary's sexual awakening and not being shy about expressing her physical needs to Alasdair. The other factor was that the ending seemed a bit rushed.
Other than that, I like the flawed hero, and the strong woman that brings him back from the brink. I'm a sucker for that stuff. As the title suggest, Alasdair was a hero for Mary too. A nice, and saucy, historical romance. I will give this one a C+/B-. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the DRC of this book.
beckymmoe's review
4.0
(3.5 stars…but I'm willing to round up, because for much of the book I was so thoroughly involved in the characters and their drama that I could overlook much.)
What kept me reading was the relationship between Mary and Alasdair, especially their back-and-forth banter. I loved that he was an arrogant aristocratic jerk, but that he knew it and came to know how she'd react to his actions and as a result changed the way he treated people. I liked how they both ended up rescuing each other, even though for so much of the book they were working toward their own (secret, or maybe not-so-secret) agendas.
Loved Alasdair. Though I'm still not entirely sure how to pronounce his name.
However, a lot of belief needed to be suspended for this one. A character is shot, and after having the wound cleaned and it bothering them for a millisecond or so more, everything is soon fine. Another character has an addiction, briefly suffers withdrawal and a relapse, and is also fine. An evil villain magically turns up dead. The HEA ending is really, really quickly (and kind of bafflingly) managed...so much so that the book lost a star right there.
Still, I really enjoyed the main characters' personalities and will definitely be looking for more books from this author in the future. It was an enjoyable read.
What kept me reading was the relationship between Mary and Alasdair, especially their back-and-forth banter. I loved that he was an arrogant aristocratic jerk, but that he knew it and came to know how she'd react to his actions and as a result changed the way he treated people. I liked how they both ended up rescuing each other, even though for so much of the book they were working toward their own (secret, or maybe not-so-secret) agendas.
Loved Alasdair. Though I'm still not entirely sure how to pronounce his name.
However, a lot of belief needed to be suspended for this one. A character is shot, and after having the wound cleaned and it bothering them for a millisecond or so more, everything is soon fine. Another character has an addiction, briefly suffers withdrawal and a relapse, and is also fine. An evil villain magically turns up dead. The HEA ending is really, really quickly (and kind of bafflingly) managed...so much so that the book lost a star right there.
Still, I really enjoyed the main characters' personalities and will definitely be looking for more books from this author in the future. It was an enjoyable read.
silvercal's review
3.0
Mary Smith is tossed up on the auction block by her debt-ridden step brother and sold to the highest bidder, Alasdair Thornham who really has no idea why he bought her, only he felt the need to rescue her. Somehow through his opium induced haze, he recognizes that Mary needs to be taken care of and he seems to be the perfect man for the job. He will simple marry her and then she will have access to his home and funds and he can go off and let the opium to its job, rid him of all his painful family and war memories. What he doesn't expect is a fierceness in Mary to save Alasdair from his drug haze. Mary is determined to set Alasdair free and help his realize the past can not be changed and everything was not his fault, not his burden to bear now. Mary's step brother and Alasdair cousin, who wants Alasdair's title, force this couple to hide and take a trip across the countryside. Close quarters allow for Mary and Alasdair's feelings to develop but what will happen once they reach London? Will Mary be able to tell Alasdair her real desire to get to London, a secret she is sure will shame him?
While I did enjoy this romance, I also felt a bit let down. I felt like some things were just glossed over, most specifically with Alasdair's opium addiction. He struggles and fails early on but once they are forced into the countryside with no money or transportation, his struggles fall to the wayside and he has no side affects and I felt like there needed to be more of a struggle with that aspect. I also would have liked to have seen more of Mary's secret explored and expanded upon as it was something a bit fresh in this genre. Even with Alasdair's struggles, both inner and outer he is a very swoon worthy hero; smart, handsome, generous and witty and I really enjoyed him. Mary is strong, brave and not afraid to voice her opinions yet hesitant to trust a man who easily breaks his promises and is dependent on something that alters him. Another thing that was a bit off for me was the trek through the countryside...they had a few bumps and then they were easily to London. I feel like the ending could have been much stronger and really been a better fit for this story as it had good potential, but it just fell a bit short for me this time. However, I do plan on checking out the future releases of Megan Frampton as I feel like she has a good voice that will hopefully connect together a bit better for me over time. Recommended for fans of unique story lines with personal struggles and a happily ever after that will make you smile. 3 1/2 stars
eARC provided by Loveswept via netgalley.com...thanks!
While I did enjoy this romance, I also felt a bit let down. I felt like some things were just glossed over, most specifically with Alasdair's opium addiction. He struggles and fails early on but once they are forced into the countryside with no money or transportation, his struggles fall to the wayside and he has no side affects and I felt like there needed to be more of a struggle with that aspect. I also would have liked to have seen more of Mary's secret explored and expanded upon as it was something a bit fresh in this genre. Even with Alasdair's struggles, both inner and outer he is a very swoon worthy hero; smart, handsome, generous and witty and I really enjoyed him. Mary is strong, brave and not afraid to voice her opinions yet hesitant to trust a man who easily breaks his promises and is dependent on something that alters him. Another thing that was a bit off for me was the trek through the countryside...they had a few bumps and then they were easily to London. I feel like the ending could have been much stronger and really been a better fit for this story as it had good potential, but it just fell a bit short for me this time. However, I do plan on checking out the future releases of Megan Frampton as I feel like she has a good voice that will hopefully connect together a bit better for me over time. Recommended for fans of unique story lines with personal struggles and a happily ever after that will make you smile. 3 1/2 stars
eARC provided by Loveswept via netgalley.com...thanks!