To Forge Her Fate

Hearts of Harewood #1

by Kasey Stockton

Two worlds. Two hearts. Can they ever meld together as one?

Eliza Rose: accomplished in pianoforte, riding, drawing, three languages, and the art of flirtation using only a fan.

Jacob Ridley: skilled blacksmith, honest tradesman, appreciates a hot meal, and not susceptible to any lady’s charm.

Until Eliza needs help, and Jacob cannot turn her away. Now she has him wrapped around her dainty finger. But a union between them is forbidden on both sides of Society, and Jacob cannot afford to make enemies, or his business will suffer.

But can he afford to sacrifice his heart?

Book one in the Hearts of Harewood series, To Forge Her Fate is a sweet and clean Regency romance of unequal social status and forbidden love.

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Regency, Historical Fiction, Historical, Audiobook, Fiction

358 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2024

Reviews

[Gloria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, but bland.

Eliza’s sister had been discovered kissing a viscount in a maze two seasons prior, the viscount didn’t man up, and Eliza and her family had been living in disgrace ever since. Eliza’s attempt to secure an invitation to THE garden party of the season, which would be a stepping stone back to Society’s acceptance, goes awry in an accident that results in her maid being injured and their rescue by the town’s handsome new blacksmith.

Jacob has had a bad experience with a lady before, and has no desire to repeat it. His rules: never seek out the attention of a lady. Never make eye contact with a lady. Never conduct business with a lady. Eliza is beautiful, but off limits. Jacob is handsome, but off limits. With Eliza’s family trying to right its social position and Jacob trying to establish a successful business, an attraction between them would be disastrous for both. The heart, however, wants what the heart wants.

Eliza’s repeated “Yes, I must see him, no, I must forget him” became a little annoying as the book progressed. Both Eliza and Jacob were too good to be true. And while the reader is privy to their thoughts, and knows how “wholesome” and earnest and kind and caring both are—they’re practically saints, for goodness sake—their perceptions of each other as kind and good and wholesome people are based on very few words and actions between them, so I really didn’t know when and how their love grew to the point of defying societal expectations. It took courage for them to fight for their future, but not in a million years would Eliza’s parents have caved as quickly as they did.

It was spice-free but for a few kisses, sweet, and civilized, and the characters and story kept me reading, but I felt emotionally uninvolved.

[Tasha (the_clean_read_book_club) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You make it difficult, Eliza."
"Difficult to do what, exactly?"
"To keep my distance from you..."

Swoon.

Eliza and Jacob are magical together. Forbidden/Off-Limits Romance due to social class differences mixed with a little mystery and several stolen moments together make for one amazing story and what happy ever afters are truly made of!

I love, love, love this book and could not put it down...by the time I finished it and discovered who book 2 would be about...well, now I can't wait until book 2 is in my hands! I am so excited for another amazing historical romance series from this author. She is an auto-buy and auto-read the minute it gets into my hands!

The little touch of mystery really kept the pages turning for me...as did how a HEA would happen for this couple. I should never question that in a Kasey Stockton book. She never lets me down. And I would know. I've read every single book she has published-and it has been heavenly each and every time!

Historical romance fans-do not miss out on this one! It's spectacular!!

Two thumbs up, all of the stars and all of the feels!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Content: social class ideals/differences, scandals, romance-kisses only

[Cait | GoodeyReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LIKED THIS.

BLOG || INSTAGRAM || TIKTOK

I love a good different stations/forbidden romance in regency books. I love seeing how the characters come together and work through the barriers before them to find the love and hopes of a future together. I love Kasey Stockton’s books and am excited to continue this series.

I loved both of the main characters Eliza and Jacob. There were POV’s from both of them which made it wonderfully easy to understand thoughts and desires and where each person was coming from. I loved that Jacob was a blacksmith too!! And I really loved seeing Eliza find her home and to reconnect with her sister. There were many good moments throughout that I appreciated the sentiment and thought behind.

Overall audience notes:
- Regency Romance
- Language: none
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: low

[The_Power Of_The Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the dynamics of this story. Eliza was so determined to befriend Jacob Ridley. He was handsome, strong, patient and so kind. She was so daring and surprising in what she was willing to do to get what she thought she wanted.

This story really kept my attention as I was wondering how it could ever come to a happy ending. Kasey certainly pulled it off with her usual finesse.

I liked the added mystery of what it was besides class disparity that made Eliza’s family so opposed to Jacob. There were so many things that drew me into the story and had me turning pages.

This was a great story and I am so excited to read the rest of this series.

[Melissa (christianbooksandcoffee) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story!

[Holly (IG Hollys_Book_Musings) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You make it difficult, Eliza.”
“Difficult to do what, exactly?”
“To keep my distance from you,” he said, his voice low. “I want to . . . but I can’t."

To Forge her Fate by Kasey Stockton

Oh my goodness, this story was so cute! I loved Mr. Ridley's character and what his profession is. You don't get that profession in books at all, so thank you, Kasey! It was such a fun change of pace in a Regency Romance. We need more books with blacksmiths as the main character. And I love how the title fits into that as well!

I have so many favorite parts, from their disastrous meet cute, the handkerchiefs, the bonnet, the necklace, Mr. Ridley as a character, all of the side characters, Eliza's persistence, Mr. Ridley's interactions with Peter, and the plot twist reveals at the end! I loved it so much.

I love that Eliza doesn't care for the rules of society! She is loving, accepting, kind, and just cares about the people around her.

The lesson I learned from this story is that it is better to be cautious than to speed and be reckless. Bad things can happen when you are reckless! But good things can happen too, otherwise Eliza would not have met a certain someone!

I definitely recommend this sweet story and plan to start book 2 next. Go grab your copy and enjoy today! Available on Amazon, KU, Hoopla, Libby, and YT.

Favorite Parts:
Meet cute
Handkerchiefs
Church
The bonnet
The Necklace
Jealous Mr. Ridley
Peter
Kind Mr. Ridley
Lord Ryland and his kindness
Forbidden romance
The ending
Plot reveals

Content Guide:
Language: none-some English words like “blast”, “cad"
Romance Content: Mild-Passionate kisses, scandal (past)
Violence/gore: Mild-accident involving injury
Substance Use: Mild-mentions of past character that was drunk, some drinking
Prejudices: none
Religious Content: characters attend church
Other: overbearing mother

Book Info:
Series: Hearts of Harewood bk 1
Genre: Historical Romance; Regency
Romance Level: kisses only
Release Date: Available now
Publisher: Indie
POV: Triple POV third person

[Rebecca Lange · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it….

Oh my heart, that was beautiful and a little breathtaking. The romance part was incredible, intrigue and some truth about the ridiculous of the time. A judging society who will only be your friend if they deem you worthy? Casting people out for mistakes and blaming their entire family for it? It isn’t fair and the story brings that message across. So worth the read.

[Julie Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my heart! This story has it all! Kasey Stockton is an incredibly talented author. She knows how to tell stories full of heart and life and hope and love! *Sigh* I was drawn into Eliza and Jacob's story from the beginning and didn't want it to end. I wondered how a lady of station and a blacksmith tradesman would find a way to be together. And it worked. Hard work, determination and love that knows no bounds.

This book title is perfect! It represents Eliza and her heart and her determination. Her family has been on the outskirts of society since her sister did something (no spoilers from me) scandalous. Eliza has been patiently caring for her mother and father and waiting for the time to help them. As the time has finally come and her scheming will come to fruition if she hurries, an incident with the Blacksmith changes all of that. Poor Eliza...well kind of...kind of not! *Smirks*

Sometimes a single spark is all that's needed to fan a fire. Jacob will do all in his power to avoid the spark and fire when it comes to Eliza. But watch out man, you have not met her equal in determination or anything else. I loved these two together so much. Their chance meetings, the one-sided planned ones, everything that pushed them together and pulled them apart. I LOVED IT ALL!!!

Eliza and her dear friend were so sweet to watch. Their friendship was so pure and true. They are another aspect of this book that made it hard to put it down. I loved their scheming and conversations and helping each other. It was truly delightful! Now I'm hoping that maybe her friend will get her own book...maybe book 3 because I know who's book is the second one and let me just say woohoo!!!! Ryland will have your heart stopping in this book. Wowsers! His story will pull and tug at your heart and leave you wishing and hoping that all the best will be his because he deserves it!

You'll love the humor within these pages as well. I laughed out loud, giggled, and had my family looking at me wondering what was making me laugh. And just beware, you might find yourself swooning and sighing as well! Just sayin'! *Grins*

If you haven't read any books by this author, I highly recommend that you do. Start with this one, or any of the first books in her other series. Historical or Contemporary, doesn't matter, because they're all wonderful!!!

Content: Clean. Some kisses but nothing further. Some talk of scandals but nothing graphic or bad.

I received a copy from the author. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

[Emma | meadowroselibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

"𝙒𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙮. 𝙄𝙛 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙤𝙖𝙡 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣, 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧. 𝙄 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧."

This is an absolutely beautiful story. 🩷 It was a bit of a slow start for me, but it didn't take long to grab all of my attention and impossible to put down.

This book follows a high society lady and blacksmith gentleman, with Eliza battling the demands and expectations of society. She's of course, forbidden to love a man as plain as a blacksmith, but when does that stop them? 😅

My favorite thing about this book, was the reminder of who will always stay by your side; the family and friends that have you seen you at your worst, and still love you. To not fight for the ones that would turn their back at you in a second. I was very impressed with Eliza, only caring about her close family and friends and fighting for her love for Jacob, even if that meant losing everything she knew. 🩷

This is a very clean, closed-door & sweet regency romance that I highly recommend!

[Jacquelyn 💐 {This Rapunzel Reads} [Jesus Christ, my Living Hope] · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first time reading Kasey Stockton and I enjoyed it. I didn’t like it as well as I wanted to mainly because of the FMC. Eliza was so annoying at times and she wouldn’t leave Jacob alone even after he kept telling her too. She was so irritating to me and I wanted to roll my eyes or tell her to go away on multiple occasions. It almost felt like she was stalking him. Jacob was fine! I didn’t really have any issues with him. I didn’t love him and I didn’t hate him. I didn’t really care for their love story and wasn’t really voting for them. I really liked Mary and Emma and would’ve liked more of them. I honestly wanted a book with them in it. Lord Ryland was my favorite character and I’m excited to read the next book with him!

[Rochelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this well-written story. It feels like a combination of Pride and Prejudice and Little Women.
It has a slower pacing which allows the reader time to get to know the characters, their inner thoughts and desires. Eliza has been raised a lady and is kind and determined in her actions. Jacob is an apparently attractive blacksmith, somewhat new in town. He is wary of a friendship with Eliza with good reason. They are not of the same social class which is only one hurdle in their relationship.

Eliza wants to be Jacob‘s friend as he had shown himself to be a kind man. Additionally, she’s attracted to him because he is strong and good looking. I would like to have read more conversations between Eliza and Jacob to show that they are getting to know each other beyond attraction.

I like Jacob and appreciate his restraint for both their sakes. I love that Eliza comes to recognize the hypocrisy and cruelty of societal snubbing and makes a conscious choice for her future. The mysterious past link between the Ridley and Rose families is well constructed and the pain believable. I was afraid to hope for a happy ending but Kasey Stockton pulls it off beautifully! I look forward to reading more in this series.

I received a digital copy of this story. This is my opinion.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good but for me, not as good as other books by this author. I listened to the audiobook, so I often find it hard to remember the characters names when I don't see their names over and over again ( and sometimes even if I do). In my opinion the main female character, Eliza was too independent and often wandered away from home, alone, which I think was unusual for the time frame. Not of course that it didn't happen, women lost their innocence and were compromised, so this definitely happened. I don't mean to imply this happened in this book as Kasey writes very clean stories. If I suspend this reality though, I liked this pair together and hoped they would end up together.

Jacob was such a wonderful character, I loved him from the beginning.

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, the writing is good so that’s a green flag, but it just felt ant-climactic. It was more entertaining at the end because of all of the new things discovered concerning the different characters in this series.
3/5 ⭐️

[Tricia Anson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forbidden love, family secrets, and all the feels! I loved Eliza and Jacob individually and their slow, sweet pull together despite all expectations and plans. I loved the deep, true friendships shown in juxtaposition with the unfair judgement of society, the personal growth, and the change of heart in her own parents. It is just a beautiful story of finding the right priorities and valuing the right people.

TW: Unplanned Pregnancy (side character)

[MK · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do you feel about forbidden love or love across social classes? How do you deal with fickle friends? What I loved about this book, was the story and romance of course, however I also loved the message. Sometimes it’s hard to go against the expectations of others. Or even more our society. How much should we care about what others think of us? How much should we let it influence our choices?

Eliza and Jacob come from two worlds. They also know their families have a previous connection, however no one will talk about it. As Eliza tries to figure out the mystery of how her Family knows Jacob’s family, she comes to learn a lot of family secrets that change how she sees the world.

To be honest, sometimes I struggle with forbidden love. It’s just so uncomfortable! However I loved how this one played out. I kept wanting to know more and I felt like the main characters were thoughtful and levelheaded about their decisions. A unique regency I thoroughly enjoyed.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great beginning to a new series. I really hope the main secondary characters get stories of their own. Eliza is an interesting character. From the blurb, I was expecting someone different, but was happily surprised by this strong woman. I loved her determination. Jacob is a character that you can't help but like. Yes, he's been wronged, but he learns from that and moves on instead of becoming bitter. Their story is sweet. I loved how it came together. I enjoyed the mystery and some unexpected twists in this story. I can't wait for the next book. I really liked him and can't wait for his HEA.

[Kristalyne, love.lovely.books · Rating 5 out of 5]

“He was excessively handsome, and seeing him set her heart to an unsteady rhythm.”

What a beautiful book! I loved this story. It was original, entertaining, sweet and swoony!

I love Eliza! She is spirited wonderful lady! Jacob is a blacksmith, who is such a sweetheart. I really enjoyed their meet cute and every interaction between them.

This story was so fun with a forbidden love, different social classes twist. This book had me questioning how things could ever work out for Eliza and Jacob, plus there were secrets and twists that kept me hooked!

One thing I loved about Eliza and Jacob was the open communication between them! It was so refreshing and enjoyable to read!!!! I loved all of the cute scenes and swoony moments too!

There are also side characters that I fell in love with. The characters felt so real and I really loved Ryland, Ruth, and the cousins! Plus the setting, it is so stunning!

This is an incredible regency romance that took me on a wonderful adventure and I truly loved the message of this book! As I read the last line and closed the book, I had a smile on my face and a happy heart! Another beautiful story by Kasey! I just adore her books! So excited for this series and I can’t wait to read Ryland’s story next!!!
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Thank you to the author for the arc copy. All opinions are my own.

[Esther · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rated PG

Normally, I enjoy books by this author, but this one just didn't do it for me. It just didn't flow well, and some plot choices just didn't make sense.
I understand the need for Ryland, but not for the sections in his POV. We could have seen his slow change through the other POV's or even conversations. Also, he never created a triangle because she was never interested ever. She didn't even consider it.
The couple only met a half dozen times before they were madly in love and willing to throw everything away. I was baffled when she gave him a speech about knowing who he truly is at heart, on their third meeting.
Also, there is no way that she knows what she is getting herself into. She wants her maid and a cook? It's hard to believe the "happily ever after" when she is so naive.
There are a lot of other little things that are slightly off and affect the story. I will continue to read books by this author, but not this series.
*This book is rated PG. There is no swearing, violence, or spice. There are a few mild conversations about mature topics and a couple of mild kisses.

[Kami S · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, I was going to give it 4 stars just so my friend would read it(you know who you are;), but I'm just feeling inclined to stick with the 3. I'm being a little more stingy with my 4 stars lately... Pretty much everything needs to add up to get 4. This book was quite good, it did keep my interest...but some things just didn't add up. Like their falling in love, I guess I just didn't buy it... It was based a bit too much on physical attraction. Then the fact that she was so concerned about her reputation, yet every time you turned around, she's sneaking off alone to see the guy🤷🏼‍♀️ I also thought there was quite an emphasis on feeling bad for the poor single moms on the world... Don't get me wrong, things happen and they shouldn't have been so ostracized like that, but it was a repeated theme, kind of annoying. Those and a few nuances with the writing style, kept it at a 3 star for me. I do plan on reading the sequel, which isn't it yet.

[Emily Cronk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have y'all read a Kasey Stockton book yet? Because you need to. I have thoroughly enjoyed every book of hers I've read, including this one. To Forge Her Fate is so good!!

This book has everything you could ever want in a book - a unique plot, an honorable, kind hearted blacksmith, a determined leading lady, forbidden love, loyal friends, family secrets.....what more could you want here?? This was a great start to the series and I cannot wait for the rest of the books to come out!

If this books isn't on your radar already, it needs to be. So add it to your TBR and read it and love it. You're welcome.

[Katie Brubaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite sure how to rate this one. I loved so much about it, but in the end I felt like the proclamations of love came without enough actual interaction between the love interests. I think it was mostly due to the nature of the forbidden romance, but I really could have used a few more substantial scenes where they got to know each other. All that aside, It was a solid story with so many great characters. I’m definitely excited for future installments in this series!

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This felt kind of slow at the beginning, and there are a lot of facets to the story that got a little muddled for me throughout. Also, I know it’s regency and there’s the whole societal standing thing to deal with, but I didn’t feel like the MCs spent enough time together, at least to achieve the amount of swooniness I desire. 😅 Even so, Kasey did a good job of showing us their love for one another.

[Pria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nope, I don't see it. Not even a wee bit. I mean, how did they go from, sorry can't be friends, to deep in love. Where is the connection? Ryland and Eliza connected much much deeper than her and Ridley. They would have made a perfect match, not for their social standing but by how famously they got along. Here I was thinking, it was because it's supposed to be a clean romance but Ryland and Eliza had no problems connecting, so it's just who they are.

Overall, disappointing.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eliza Rose knows a good man when she meets one, even if he is in a lower social class than hers. She is not afraid to pursue Jacob Ridley's friendship and hope for more. I enjoyed the sweet moments between them and Jacob's steadfastness and fortitude. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the Hearts of Harewood series.

Read it for:
a fateful carriage accident
secret friendship
party dress "armor"
embroidered handkerchiefs
untold family past
good friends

[Karen Darling · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had too much emphasis on status.

[Gentry Mickelsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite of her books but her development of other characters made me excited for the next books

[Book of the Universe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Za dużo wątków i za mało głównej pary.
Ale Ryland... ❤️

[Rochelle Saldaña · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another Kasey Stockton win! The main character was a bit too forward for me. I still enjoyed the story along with some family secrets.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. It was a pleasant read, but very cliche and I feel like I can predict exactly what is going to happen in both this book and its sequel. I do enjoy other books by this author though and would still recommend checking the author out.

[Meegy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a sweet book. I loved it. 💕