Gloved Heart by Charlotte Brentwood

Charlotte Brentwood reached out to me in 2014 to ask if I wanted to review her first book The Vagabond Vicar. I accepted with pleasure, being a fan of historical fiction (review under link). She has recently finished her second book, Gloved Heart, and I am happy to have the opportunity to review also her second novel.

From the back cover we learn:

"Amy Miller is struggling to come to terms with her new life as a mother, while being a reluctant guest in a rigid gentry household. A victim of abuse, she is determined to never trust a man again. 

Henry Russell has loved Amy for as long as he can remember, but his family want nothing to do with her. A chance encounter with Amy rekindles a friendship which might save both of them.

The discovery of a secret which holds the key to Amy’s past will change them forever, and jeopardise any chance they have for happiness. Can Henry show Amy that true love will give her everything she could ever need?"

The genre of historical fiction (Regency in this case) often has an element of romance in it. How much of romance differ from author to author. Personally, I like when the story has a streak of 'realistic' life rather than too much romance. Charlotte Brentwood manages this balance perfectly in her novels. Although we usually know which two characters will end up in the end, Charlotte keeps us guessing to the very end.

There are no straight lines in this novel, and the story takes off in unexpected directions. Charlotte has recently become a mother, and that is maybe why a baby has a big part in her latest novel. As historical fiction goes, the beginning is quite unusual and surprising.

"Screams echoed in every corner of the room, and in her mind. 

There was agony, humiliation and confusion... Her dress torn, her skin ripped, and a man intent on possessing her, no matter the cost. She had never felt more helpless, worthless, or alone.  

Amy woke with tears pouring down her cheeks, but the incessant cries she could hear were not her own.  

It was the consequence of that hideous night: a baby born of sin. Motherhood had been thrust upon her, her life irrevocably altered."

The beginning takes you directly, and without further ado, to the heart of the story of Amy and her baby. How will they survive in England in the beginning of the 19th century? A baby born out of wedlock after a rape. It is a different approach to historical fiction and makes for interesting reading. Maybe because Charlotte is herself a mother now, the relationship between Amy and her son is very well characterised in the book. Is it possible for Amy to love her baby? Looking at him, will she forever remember that traumatic night? Can she put her past behind her and find love again?

Charlotte's prose is beautiful and so easy to read, like a river slowly flowing through the landscape. Gloved Heart with its secrets and mysteries, keeps you wondering until the very end.

In Charlotte's thank you note at the end of the novel, she reveals that she is busy on her next book, Barrington Meets His Match. Barrington is the man who imposed himself on Amy. I can't wait to see what Charlotte Brentwood will do with his story. I have learned that one can never be too sure where Charlotte will take her stories, and how they will end. Looking forward to her next story.