The Hidden Heart

Victorian Hearts, Book 1

By: Laura Kinsale

Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton

When her naturalist father dies on the upper reaches of the Amazon, Lady Tess Collier sets out to fulfill his last wish: return to England and marry. Desperate and broke, privateer Gryphon Meridon takes on an assignment he'd much rather refuse - shepherding a beautiful, eccentric young lady through London's ballrooms.

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Great Memories

Back in the 1980s, I was focused on historicals or science fiction/fantasy and never had an interest in romance at all. But one day at a used book store I couldn't find anything interesting in either of those categories. On a whim, I picked up The Hidden Heart, hoping that the focus was more on historical and not a 'cheezy romance'. Of course, I was completely enraptured and thus started a love for historical romance books. Now, 30 years later, I have revisited this book in Audible form and, although not as perfect as I remembered, I still very much love this first book by Laura Kinsale. The story is a hard one (or melodramatic, depending on your leaning) and the characters will go through a lot. But Kinsale's writing is solid and wonderfully emotional.

Story: Gryff's family was lost to pirates and his noble title and estates stolen by a greedy uncle. To survive, he runs blockades on the American coast while also providing transportation services. Tessa has spent her life with her father traveling and categorizing plants around the world. When he dies, she has no relatives but a very large dowry and title waiting in England. A desperate Gryff is hired to bring her into society and make sure the naive girl isn't the victim of fortune hunters. The problem is, Gryff is finding he very much wants to be one of her suitors - even if he has nothing to offer her. And his Uncle's depraved son has his sights set on Tessa.

There are a lot of contrivances, of course, and the plot does meander quite a bit into unbelievability. Kinsale would definitely tighten up her writing in the next few books and certainly her work is a cut above in a very trope filled genre. What appealed to me most about Hidden Hearts is Gryff's vulnerability; in a field where all the men have to be very alpha, mature, and assured of themselves, Gryff's voice is very young and unsure. And while I'm as tired as the next reader of the 'big misunderstanding' as a plot device, I also can't deny that Kinsale definitely knows how to write a romantic scene. Ah, the feelz.

For My Lady's Heart will likely always be my favorite book of hers - and I have read every single one she has written. But this book will always have a special place for me since it showed me that romances can be more than bodice ripping and couples sniping at each other. It provided such reader joy and pleasure that I had never found in historicals or fantasy.

Of note, I listened to the Audible version. And while I appreciated narrator Bolton's work with Kinsale's more mature heroes, I honestly felt he was miscast here. His voice was far too deep and mature for Gryff and I wish a younger, less seasoned voice had done the narration.

Laura Kinsale can make me cry. And laugh.

Sometimes I just have to stop listening so I can calm myself. Kinsale puts so many obstacles between her heroine and hero that the tension becomes excruciating yet so pleasurable I am compelled to keep listening well past my bedtime. Nicholas Boulton is a brilliant reader in a voice that makes the story full of life.
Of course, I highly recommend The Hidden Heart. What are you waiting for?

Flawed Characters Making a Glorious Mess!

Like many writers – perhaps most -- Laura Kinsale says her characters take on a life of their own, behaving in ways that surprise even her. This must surely have been the case with the two leads in “The Hidden Heart.” Born with silver spoons in their mouths, at predictable stages in the story they spit them out and stomp on them. She’s a liar, and he’s a coward. In later books, Ms. Kinsale does a better job of corralling her protagonists and quelling their more self-destructive tendencies; but, for me, following the adventures and misadventures of the H/h in “The Hidden Heart” is an exercise in frustration. (If another reviewer hadn’t already used the word, I’d use it here: infuriating!) They screw up at every possible turn.

But a Laura Kinsale book is always more than a romance. Her understanding of spoken English and its dialects would put Henry Higgins to shame. The captain of the steamer speaks a different English from the seaman on the deck -- which is different from the botanist/professor which is subtly different from the aristocrat. And Mr. Boulton captures it all with pitch-perfect clarity. There are wonderful ancillary characters – the wretched Louisa, the adorable Mr. Sydney, the evil Stephen Eliot, and the “Clarence Darrow” Sergeant Wood -- all who come alive through Mr. Boulton’s voices and narration. And as someone who skimmed through the very-suspenseful “black dungeon” chapter in the paper-and-ink book, Mr. Boulton forced me to listen to the whole, excruciating scene – making me realize, yet, again, that nobody does it better than Laura Kinsale.

This is not the best of this author’s books. Buy it anyway. You’ll still end up sitting in your car in your driveway with your ear-bud in while your ice cream melts in the back.

What is wrong with that guy?

The heroine is excellent but the hero is a real nincompoop. He makes terrible choices throughout and it’s horribly frustrating.

Read by the master - GREAT BOOK

Just love all of Laura Kinsales books. But truly I could listen to Nicholas Boulton read a grocery list. He is just fantastic. The combination of the story, the characters, the voices, the plot, the places. Oh my gosh. And the sequel (which the author said is her favorite book) has these same characters in it and OMG what a double combination. Truly I can't recommend them highly enough. “AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY”