IN MY HEART

Author: Melody Thomas ISBN: 0060564474 4/2004 HISTORICAL Publisher: Avon
Time Period: 1866 - London

After a whirlwind courtship and elopement, Lady Alexandra Marshall watched helplessly as her husband was shipped off by her irate father. An annulment followed, and though Alexandra waited with packed bags, Christopher never returned for her. She has tried desperately to forget the only love she's ever known and now devotes herself to the British Museum…until she discovers that someone has pilfered a fortune in jewels. His scandalous marriage to Alex had hardened Sir Christopher Donally against the aristocracy that labeled a man's worth by the titles he carried rather than by his deeds. Now with a new bride in his future and a sister who is about to enter Society, Christopher is determined to put the past behind him. But when Alex asks for his help in finding a thief, he agrees, in exchange for her support in launching his sister. Though running into Alex was not planned, nor his emotional reaction welcomed, he can't help but be undone by one single, soul-stirring kiss.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

I have three kids, ages five and under, who still get up at 6:00 a.m. everyday. My youngest child still gets up once a night, usually around 3:00 a.m., just to see if I am around. The point I am trying to make? A book has to be utterly fantastic in order for me to forsake the few hours of precious shut-eye I normally get, to read it. IN MY HEART, by Melody Thomas, is so very good that sleep never entered my mind after I picked it up.

I absolutely cannot say enough about this book. It is beautifully written, original, emotional, and vivid in its details. The characters are so well done that I spent the entire next day reliving scenes of their fictional lives. Though there is a main love story, the sub-plots and supporting cast are woven so well around our hero and heroine you feel like you live within their stories as well. Melody Thomas spins such a complex and romantic tale, that I would challenge any other author to put so much background and depth into their work.

Usually in my reviews I give snippets of the plot and characters. This book has so much to offer and applaud that I couldn't begin to start such a paragraph without giving away everything. It's impossible for me to pinpoint exactly why I love it so much, though the details surrounding the history of the hero, Sir Christopher, and the heroine, Lady Alexandra Marshall, are amazing and at the top of my list. I only know that I decided a headache all day from lack of sleep was well worth reading it.

Shannon Johnson