Exclusive interview with author Jennifer Delamere and a review of her faith-based romance novel sent in Victorian London
Rating: 3 stars
By Gabrielle Pantera
For years I’ve been fascinated with stories about a person who steps into another person’s shoes and tries to live their life,” says An Heiress at Heart author Jennifer Delamere. “This probably began when I saw the French film The Return of Martin Guerre, starring Gerard Depardieu. (It was later made into the American film Sommersby.) Movies like Anastasia and While You Were Sleeping are in that mold, too. Maybe I’m so intrigued by these stories because of the lovely irony that in the end, each character actually discovers their true self.”
This romance novel is sweet and set in 1850s London. This simple storyline is more plot-driven then character driven. The dialog feels right for Victorian times but the character development is slow. The story is told from the point of view of both hero and heroine. The ending was well wrapped up with a happy ending. All in all, a feel good book.
When Lizzy Poole and her brother Tom arrive in Australia they’re lucky to be helped by Edward Sommerville. Ria, Edward’s wife, looks just like Lizzy. In fact they could almost be twins. They realize that they must be related and bond in this wild untamed country. For five years Lizzie’s life in Australia had been hard but rewarding and she feels her past can’t harm her anymore. With the death of both Edward and Ria and the rumors of the death of her brother Tom, Lizzy knows it’s time to return to London.
Geoffrey Somerville, a clergyman and Edward’s brother, has been reluctant to take the baronet title that rightfully belongs to his older brother Edward. He has no clue if Edward is alive or dead and Geoffrey’s life is in limbo until he knows the truth.
When Lizzy arrives in London she claims to be Ria. Geoffrey knows it’s wrong to be attracted to his brother’s wife. He can’t act on his feelings. Lizzie thinks she’s managed to trick everyone, but how is she to explain her ruse without losing everything?
This story began as a contemporary romance set in New York,” says Delamere. “But soon I discovered that I enjoy writing in a historical time period much better.”
“I love doing research,” says Delamere. “I read histories of all kinds just for entertainment. In doing research for An Heiress at Heart, I’ve read many excellent books on the Victorian era, including social histories and books on everyday life. I’m also a big fan of Victorian novels from authors such as Charles Dickens and Elizabeth Gaskell, and these have given me a good feel for the era.”
“The Internet has been endlessly helpful,’ says Delamere. “One great source has been the people I follow on Twitter who have studied the Victorian era and often post great research links. Also, reading scanned copies of out-of-copyright 19th century books has helped me glean practical information about the times from those who were living it. It’s also a great way to verify that words and phrases my characters use are not anachronistic.”
“Readers really seem to connect with the hero, Geoffrey Somerville, the third son of a baron who grapples with the challenges of going from being a clergyman to a peer when he unexpectedly inherits the title.”
Delamere’s second novel in the Love’s Grace trilogy is titled A Lady Most Lovely.
Delamere was born in San Diego, California and currently lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. She’ll be reading an excerpt from An Heiress at Heart at Lady Jane’s Salon in New York City on November 5, signings novels in Durham, North Carolina on November 11 and giving another reading in Cary, NC on November 30.
An Heiress at Heart (Love’s Grace) by Jennifer Delamere. Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages, Publisher: Forever; Original edition (October 30, 2012), Language: English, ISBN: 9781455518937 $5.99
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