Miss Bianca Snowley is twenty-four years old and single in Regency England, a society that likes to marry off their females as soon as they leave the schoolroom. She’s mad about riding, and disinterested in fashion or whatever else is supposed to appeal to genteel young ladies. But her step-mother’s hints have finally sunk in, and Bianca realises she’s going to have to find a husband herself or settle for the unappealing Mr Mead.
Twenty-eight year old Hudson, the new Viscount Stildon, is newly arrived in England from India, where he was born and raised. He’s inherited his grandfather’s title and stables, and is keen to build his reputation as a horseman. But he has no idea how to progress in English society—he can’t even waltz. Fortunately, Miss Snowley is available to help coach him, in return for a promised ride on his prize stallion.
The thing that caught my attention straight away were the character voices.
They’re quirky and unusual, and very readable. Both characters are true characters, in the English sense of the word. They are both intelligent, witty, horse-mad, and completely unable to see what’s obvious to the reader and everyone else around them.
Vying for the Viscount is a fast, fun read, a Regency England version of Jen Turano. But it also has some spiritual depth, as both Hudson and Bianca realise they will need to modify the way they live their lives if they are to achieve true happiness.
Vying for the Viscount is the first novel in Kristi Ann Hunter’s new Hearts on the Heath series, set among the Newmarket horseracing set. Fans of her Hawthorne House series will enjoy cameos from some of the earlier characters, but it’s not necessary to read them first.
I recommend Vying for the Viscount for fans of Christian Regency Romance from authors such as Carolyn Miller.
Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review..
About Kristi Ann Hunter
Kristi is the RITA® award winning author of Regency romance novels from a Christian worldview. Her titles include A Noble Masquerade, An Elegant Façade, and An Uncommon Courtship. Beyond writing, she is also speaker, teaching classes in writing as well as Biblical and spiritual topics. She has spoken to writers’ groups, schools, and young women’s groups at churches.
When she is not writing or interacting with her readers, Kristi spends time with her family and her church. A graduate of Georgia Tech with a computer science degree, she can also be found fiddling with her computer in her free time. A born lover of stories she is also an avid reader. From very young she dreamed of sharing her own stories with others and praises God daily that she gets to live that dream today.
You can find Kristi Ann Hunter online at:
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About Vying for the Viscount
For Hudson, the newly titled Viscount Stildon, moving to England from India where he was born and raised was already an arduous enough endeavor. When he learns the fate of the racing empire he inherited along with his title depends upon him getting in the good graces of another stable owner, he’s even more at a loss.
The stable at the neighboring estate has been Miss Bianca Snowley’s refuge for years, and when a strange man appears to be stealing the horses, she jumps to their protection without a second thought. Upon learning Hudson is actually the new owner, she can’t help but be intrigued by the area’s newest eligible bachelor.
Any thought of romance is quickly set aside, however, when Hudson proposes they work together to secure suitable spouses for each other. As their friendship grows, Hudson and Bianca begin to reconsider what they truly want in life. But will societal expectations and the weight of their responsibilities keep them from pursuing their true desires?
Find Vying for the Viscount online at:
Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong
Born in France to a Canadian father and an American mother, Michèle is a consultant, writer and speaker with an international perspective. She taught for 20 years at Black Forest Academy (Germany) before launching her own venture advocating for Third Culture Kids. Michèle travels globally to consult and teach on topics related to this unique people group. She loves good conversations, mischievous students, French pastry, and paths to healing.
Robin Caroll grew up in Louisiana with her nose in a book. She still has the complete Trixie Belden series, and her love for mysteries and suspense has only increased with her age. Robin’s passion has always been to tell stories to entertain others and come alongside them on their faith journey—aspects Robin weaves into each of her published novels.
After spending three years as a diehard New Yorker, Katharine Swartz now lives in the Lake District with her husband, an Anglican minister, their five children, and a Golden Retriever. She enjoys such novel things as long country walks and chatting with people in the street, and her children love the freedom of village life—although she often has to ring four or five people to figure out where they’ve gone off to!
Kelly Irvin is the bestselling author of the Every Amish Season and Amish of Bee County series. The Beekeeper’s Son received a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly, who called it a “beautifully woven masterpiece.” The two-time Carol Award finalist is a former newspaper reporter and retired public relations professional. Kelly lives in Texas with her husband, photographer Tim Irvin. They have two children, two grandchildren, and two cats. In her spare time, she likes to read books by her favorite authors.
