In the Stars

In the Stars by Ava Stone

As the younger son of a vicar, Lieutenant-Colonel Nathaniel Carrick never had the need to find and marry and heiress, until he is made Viscount Healyfield by the Crown and given a dilapidated Abbey into his care.  Now a promise made to his commanding officer to marry his daughter seems like the best avenue, but can he convince her that he is her true love?

Miss Wilhelmina Throssell has always been close with her mother.  Even all of these years after her death, her mother still guides her.  After following her mother's scent to a fortuneteller in Whitecastle, Wilhelmina is told that she will find her true love soon and she will recognize him as a steady commander...with only one eye.  Too bad Lord Healyfield has both of his eyes because she could easily fall for him.

While there has always been a belief of the mystical world in every society throughout time, I had yet to come across a hero or heroine in a regency-set novel to so strongly believe it and actually be a born member of the ton.  This was definitely an "outside the box" sort of novel, but it grabs you and makes you think about possibilities.  I felt bad for Mina quite often because she knew what other people thought of her and actually did care.

Nathaniel was a true hero.  He saw Mina as everyone else did, but realized that her quirks were what made her extraordinary.  He hated that, in essence, he was a fortune hunter, but knew that that was the only way he would be able to mind his responsibilities.  But the most wonderful thing about him was that he kept an open mind, even while trying to prove that Mina was wrong.  He didn't just walk away.  He sought to help her because he saw her as something special.

The supporting characters were fairly interesting and really makes you hope and pray that Ms. Stone continues on with a series that will include all of them.

Overall, this story was an odd delight and well worth a read...or two.

 Ratings:

(1=unacceptable, 2=poor, 3=acceptable, 4=good, 5=excellent)

Continuity/Flow – 3

Sex – 3  

Language – 4

Storyline – 5

Overall – 4