Vying for the Viscount (Hearts on the Heath, # 1)
By: Kristi Ann Hunter
Expected Publication: August 4th 2020 by Bethany House Publishers
352 pages
Genre: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction
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Goodreads description--When a strange man appears to be stealing horses at the neighboring estate, Bianca Snowley jumps to their rescue. And when she discovers he's the new owner, she can't help but be intrigued--but romance is unfeasible when he proposes they help secure spouses for each other. Will they see everything they've wanted has been there all along before it's too late?
The description for Vying for the Viscount was a little vague. Here's what you need to know. Hudson's grandfather is a Viscount. His father fled to India because his brother (Hudson's uncle) threatened to kill any heirs to the title. Hudson was born and lived his entire life in India. Yet he was trained and educated to take over the title one day. His grandfather eventually passes away and Hudson heads back to England to take his rightful place. Yet he thought the transition would be much simpler. Social customs are different, the weather is different...almost everything is different. Except for the horses.
Bianca has always been allowed to kind of do her own things. Her stepmother was always more concerned with her own daughter. But Bianca's father has informed the stepmother that Bianca's younger half-sister should not get married before Bianca. Now her stepmother is set on marrying her off to the one man she can't fathom being married to. Yet she has no other prospects. She's been so uninterested in social things and the idea of a husband that she's let her prospects slip by. Now she's motivated to find a match on her own. She would love to marry for love, but she hopes she can at least marry a man she will respect.
Bianca and Hudson repeatedly encounter one another because Bianca has an agreement with the stable manager to exercise one of the horses at Hudson's estate every day. Bianca loves riding and being able to continue to do so is of huge importance in her choosing a husband. Hudson is so determined to establish and prove himself as a worthy heir to his title, estate, and his grandfather's stable that he sets his sights on a woman who comes with a racehorse stud as part of her dowry. The problem comes in that Hudson does not know how to navigate English society. Bianca chooses to help him even when recognizing early on that she wishes he would set his sights on her.
Bianca's admiration continues to grow with the exposure she has to Hudson. The more opportunities they have to converse the more she realizes her regard for him. He, however, is oblivious. And this made for one of the more difficult parts of the story for me. I connected easily enough to Bianca and her heart. I appreciated her struggles and her heart pining for a man that didn't seem to return her affections. But it was disappointing that Hudson's attention was so thoroughly directed away from Bianca for so long in the book. I was disappointed at how late he realized his feelings. I did appreciate that there wasn't a complete bow put on the entire relationship but rather the expectation of a complete happily ever after.
I will say that my favorite part is the fan-service in tying in characters from Kristi Ann Hunter's prior series. Trent and Adelaide from the Hawthorne House series were present and others from the Haven Manor series were mentioned. I can't say that Bianca and Hudson have my favorite love story from Kristi Ann Hunter, but I did enjoy this book. And more than anything, I can't wait to read Aaron's story next. Vying for the Viscount gets 3.5 Stars. Have you read Vying for the Viscount? What did you think? Let me know!
