Veena’s review of The Heart of a Hero (Spellbound Falls, Book 4) by Janet Chapman
Fantasy Romance published by Jove 05 Mar 13
Those of you who visit this blog and have chanced to read one of my earlier reviews on the Spellbound series know that I have Sandy M to thank for my discovery of this author and series. I can only echo my earlier sentiments as I read this delightful book.
Nicholas is the security director for the new resort at Spellbound Falls. We met him in Courting Carolina, the bodyguard for Carolina Oceanus. We had fun with him when Alec Mackeage tweaked his nose by getting through his security day and night during his courtship of Carolina. Nicholas took over his position working for the Nova Mare resort after Carolina and Alec got together. Determined not to fall in love with a little girl and spend another life time guarding an Oceanus princess, he keeps himself out of the reach of “princess hugs a lot,” Mac and Olivia’s daughter. Then he begins to think about companionship and the love of a good woman to settle down with. All his theories and ideas fly out the door the first time he kisses Julia Campbell and they commence the most delightful courtship of all the Spellbound books to date.
It all starts when one of his security team asks him to come out to the employee parking lot to advise them on handling some family problems that one of the resort housekeepers is having. Uncharacteristically attracted to Julia, he comes to her rescue at this first meeting by driving her home on a cold and snowy evening after she’s abandoned by her brother and forced to walk home. He rapidly progresses to a kiss when he meets her drunk father at the house and is asked to kiss Julia as a price for protecting her and her sister.
A few nights later he sees Julia and her sister bedding down in the church and overhears their conversation, and he’s in love. Between her alcoholic and abusive father, an ex-husband who ruined her reputation so he wouldn’t look like he took advantage of her, a brother who is running around with the wrong crowd, clearly here’s a girl who needs help and who better than Nicholas, with his old world charm, to be her knight and win her favor. Nuh-uh! No siree! There is no more proud and private person who is determined to make it on her own than Julia, as Nicholas rapidly finds out.
Advised by Rana and Olivia Oceanus and aided and abetted by his cats, Nicholas commences his courtship. This courtship is a true delight in the twists and turns that poor Nicholas has to go through to make the slightest headway. Julia has been hurt before and has no confidence in her own appeal, so she resists this charming, handsome man and stonewalls all his attempts.
Between Olivia and Peggy, who have both had their own share of poverty and self-esteem issues that were swept away by determined, loving men, Julia slowly but surely moves in the right direction. While the Oceanuses and Peggy and her brood are active participants in this story, Carolina also makes her cameo appearance. Interestingly, the one element that Nicholas fears exposing to Julia goes over the easiest, his magic.
I truly enjoyed my visit back to Spellbound Falls, but clearly there appear to be storm clouds gathering and I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.
Grade: B
Summary:
New York Times bestselling author Janet Chapman welcomes her fans back to Spellbound Falls, where no one is immune to the magical powers of love…
Originally from the ancient mythical island of Atlantis, Nicholas has spent the last year deep in the mountains of Maine, serving as Director of Security for the Nova Mare and Inglenook resorts. Fully embracing his life in the twenty-first century, he finds himself irresistibly drawn to a trouble-prone employee, and is determined to keep her safe.
The last thing Julia Campbell needs is a man with a hero complex, especially one as handsome and imposing as Nicholas. All she has to do is keep it together until her younger sister turns eighteen, and then she can focus on her own life. But strange things have been happening at the resort—and it’s Nicholas who keeps coming to her rescue. When Nicholas is suddenly the one in trouble, Julia realizes he’s not quite what he seems—and that she’ll do anything to help the man who’s stolen her heart…
No Excerpt Available.
Other books in this series:
