Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Book Review: To Capture Her Heart

To Capture Her Heart. Rebecca DeMarino. 2015. Revell. 368 pages. [Source: Review copy]

To Capture Her Heart is the sequel to A Place In His Heart. Did I like it more than A Place In His Heart? Yes, mostly. If you remember, I had some big issues with the first book.

To Capture Her Heart is set on Long Island in the early 1650s. (1653 and 1654 to be precise). There are two or three main stories within the book.

Heather Flower, one of the main characters, is rescued by Dirk Van Buren. A rival native tribe kidnaps Heather Flower--on her wedding day--along with a dozen other young women from her tribe. She is ransomed or rescued, the other young women--not being Indian princesses perhaps--may not be as fortunate. Dirk Van Buren is "her hero" the one who brings her back to her family. He makes an impression, for sure, but not as he hoped perhaps. For he falls madly in love with her at first sight. And the last thing on her mind is love and romance.

He's not the only man in love with Heather Flower. (Of course, he isn't.) Benjamin Horton is also in love with her. (But is he really?) She is on very friendly terms with the whole Horton family. Her aunt was one of Mary Horton's first friends in the new country. She is staying with her aunt for personal reasons. (Her aunt is grieving the loss of her husband. And she is grieving the loss of her groom.) Benjamin wants to be the one. But does she want to move on and find love again?

Is To Capture Her Heart a romance novel? Yes and no. It is more than that certainly. The book also focuses on the friendships of the women characters: Mary, Lizzie, Patience, Winnie, Abigail, etc. And the threat of war between the English settlers and the Dutch settlers. (Not to mention the "threat" of Quakers in the community.) Will the settlement go to war against the Dutch settlement on the island? Will Joseph and Benjamin be caught up in a war? Will this potential war keep Dirk from courting Heather Flower?

I would still recommend this one for those that enjoy historical fiction more than historical romance. But this one does have more romance than the first book.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

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