A Guarded Heart by Heidi Kimball

A Guarded Heart by Heidi Kimball ISBN-13: 9781524406868 Paperback: 232 pages Publisher: Covenant Communications Released: March 1, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
Three years after a shocking scandal destroyed her family and forced her into isolation, Eleanor Hayward finally has an opportunity to put her painful history and dashed hopes behind her. But reentering society is no simple task. In her cousin's glittering ballroom, Eleanor is stunned when she comes face-to-face with the man who broke her heart those years before.

Edmund Fletcher thought he had laid the past to rest until he unexpectedly encounters the woman who so nearly became his wife. Soon to be engaged to another, Edmund knows he must let go of the complicated feelings he harbors for Eleanor. However, when the Hayward scandal resurfaces and the truth behind their parting is revealed, Eleanor and Edmund are left reeling. Tormented by thoughts of what could have been, they realize it is impossible to rewrite history. But is there a future in which they might both find happiness—and true love?


My Review:
A Guarded Heart is a romance set in 1813 and 1816 in England. The story switched between the two time periods to slowly reveal how the past and present intertwined. Eleanor and Edmund met and fell in love in 1813, but a misunderstanding and a family scandal tore them apart. In 1816, Eleanor is finally moving past the scandal when she bumps into Edmund again. He's about to be engaged to another woman, but his feelings of betrayal war with his innate kindness and attraction to Eleanor.

The characters were well developed, complex people. Once the misunderstanding was cleared up, Edmund realized that he had treated Eleanor the same way his parents had treated him. He felt rotten about that and was determined to show her kindness, even when she rejected his help. Both matured and were better people for knowing each other. I liked that they really dealt with the issues that caused the misunderstanding and came to forgive each other rather than the looms-big-but-is-quickly-dismissed problem that is typical in romances. There were enough historical details woven into the story to create a sense of time and place.

There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable historical romance.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.