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Listen With Your Heart
What if the man of your wildest dreams stepped into your arms? Can real life ever be as sweet as the fantasy? Morgan Gable first falls for Daniel Connolly, a popular Irish tenor, when she hears him sing. Starstruck, she is consumed by thoughts of love with the handsome troubadour. Unfortunately, real life intrudes and Morgan must put aside her own dreams for awhile. When, five years later, she and her troubadour meet again, Morgan’s dreams seem to be coming true when he entices her into a marriage of convenience. Can she save him from the treacherous political legacy of his late wife? Set in 1871, the story sweeps from the tragedy of the Chicago Fire to the streets of New York and finally to the wild, dangerous coast of Ireland. Is Daniel merely using Morgan for his own deceptions? Or is she right to listen with her heart?
256 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 18, 2013
Morgan Gable develops a crush on a man out of her reach, an Irishman with an incredible tenor voice. She obsesses over this man long after her first encounter with him. As fate would have it, they meet again years later, but not under the most promising of circumstances. Daniel Connolly is a man with blinders on. He loves his first wife, Helene, to distraction. (Truthfully, I wondered if this was love or just plain old-fashioned, testosterone-laced lust. He concentrates more on her skin than who she is.) The woman wasn't worth it. Almost as devoid of any kind of conscience as DuMaurier's Rebecca. Many times, I wanted to hit Daniel upside his head for his stupidity. Why continue to love a woman who obviously despises him? When Helene dies in the Chicago fire, Daniel falls apart.
Enter Daniel's well-meaning buddies. These guys think it's a great idea to hire a con woman to conjure up the ghost of Helene. Why, one would ask? For his comfort? Yeah, right. Who needs friends like that? The con woman in question is Morgan's almost step mother. Camilla latched onto Morgan's father, sank her claws into him, and wouldn't let go. Poor Morgan! Camilla was worse than any wicked step mother in any fairy tale. She made poor Morgan's life a living hell. So Daniel's good buddies drag him to Camilla's house where Camilla offers up Morgan as a substitute for Daniel's dead wife. And Camilla intended her to be a substitute in every sense of the concept. Pretty skeevy goings on here. How could Daniel be deceived? Surely he wouldn't believe Morgan was Helene. They looked nothing alike. Between Camilla and Daniel's good buddies, they made sure both Daniel and Morgan were drunk off their butts. This scenario did not end well.
Out of this horrible fiasco, things degenerate for luck-deprived Morgan until Daniel shifts his desire from his dead wife to Morgan. He begins pursuing her with what appears to be single minded determination. She agrees to meet with him. Once he has her inside his house, Daniel gives in to his new obsession and ravages her. The poor girl has no inclination to object to his rough treatment of her. She's obsessed over him for years and because of Camilla's underhanded machinations she believes there is no longer any need to protect her virginity. She is mistaken.
So when Daniel needs an American wife to keep from being deported back to Ireland, he turns to Morgan. Well, I won't tell you the rest of the plot. In the end, Morgan and Daniel move past uncontrollable desire to affection to love and finally get their happily ever after, but not without a lot of intrigue, turmoil, and misunderstandings along the way.
Ms. Scott relentlessly explores the depths of Morgan and Daniel's emotions. At times, I thought I knew these characters better than they knew themselves or each other. The scenes in the book are rich with details, making it easy to visualize the setting. One of the things I love about historical fiction is how it transports the reader to another unfamiliar era. This book took me to another place and time with seeming ease.
I have a couple of observations. I have always been curious about the Chicago fire. I think Ms. Scott missed a golden opportunity here. The fire was mentioned but not described. The reader is told that Daniel searched in the burning city for Helene. How much more intense would the plot have been if the reader had been shown his search for her? The searing pain in his lungs as the smoke congested him. The sensations in his hands as he pushed aside burning timbers to find his wife. The anguish of not locating her. Then, there is the initial sex scene between Morgan and Daniel. Morgan is a nineteen year old girl with no previous experience being intimate with a man, yet she responds like she's had sex for years. I know this is a romance novel, but I didn't quite buy it. That first encounter should have been a lot more awkward than that. Despite Ms. Scott's attempts to portray him sympathetically, his rough treatment of her was disturbing. Daniel was a user. Thankfully, by the end of the book, this man grows up a little bit. Enough for him to learn to truly love Morgan.
Overall, this was a great read. I would recommend it to lovers of historical romance.
Enter Daniel's well-meaning buddies. These guys think it's a great idea to hire a con woman to conjure up the ghost of Helene. Why, one would ask? For his comfort? Yeah, right. Who needs friends like that? The con woman in question is Morgan's almost step mother. Camilla latched onto Morgan's father, sank her claws into him, and wouldn't let go. Poor Morgan! Camilla was worse than any wicked step mother in any fairy tale. She made poor Morgan's life a living hell. So Daniel's good buddies drag him to Camilla's house where Camilla offers up Morgan as a substitute for Daniel's dead wife. And Camilla intended her to be a substitute in every sense of the concept. Pretty skeevy goings on here. How could Daniel be deceived? Surely he wouldn't believe Morgan was Helene. They looked nothing alike. Between Camilla and Daniel's good buddies, they made sure both Daniel and Morgan were drunk off their butts. This scenario did not end well.
Out of this horrible fiasco, things degenerate for luck-deprived Morgan until Daniel shifts his desire from his dead wife to Morgan. He begins pursuing her with what appears to be single minded determination. She agrees to meet with him. Once he has her inside his house, Daniel gives in to his new obsession and ravages her. The poor girl has no inclination to object to his rough treatment of her. She's obsessed over him for years and because of Camilla's underhanded machinations she believes there is no longer any need to protect her virginity. She is mistaken.
So when Daniel needs an American wife to keep from being deported back to Ireland, he turns to Morgan. Well, I won't tell you the rest of the plot. In the end, Morgan and Daniel move past uncontrollable desire to affection to love and finally get their happily ever after, but not without a lot of intrigue, turmoil, and misunderstandings along the way.
Ms. Scott relentlessly explores the depths of Morgan and Daniel's emotions. At times, I thought I knew these characters better than they knew themselves or each other. The scenes in the book are rich with details, making it easy to visualize the setting. One of the things I love about historical fiction is how it transports the reader to another unfamiliar era. This book took me to another place and time with seeming ease.
I have a couple of observations. I have always been curious about the Chicago fire. I think Ms. Scott missed a golden opportunity here. The fire was mentioned but not described. The reader is told that Daniel searched in the burning city for Helene. How much more intense would the plot have been if the reader had been shown his search for her? The searing pain in his lungs as the smoke congested him. The sensations in his hands as he pushed aside burning timbers to find his wife. The anguish of not locating her. Then, there is the initial sex scene between Morgan and Daniel. Morgan is a nineteen year old girl with no previous experience being intimate with a man, yet she responds like she's had sex for years. I know this is a romance novel, but I didn't quite buy it. That first encounter should have been a lot more awkward than that. Despite Ms. Scott's attempts to portray him sympathetically, his rough treatment of her was disturbing. Daniel was a user. Thankfully, by the end of the book, this man grows up a little bit. Enough for him to learn to truly love Morgan.
Overall, this was a great read. I would recommend it to lovers of historical romance.
April 28, 2009
Review of Listen With Your Heart
The year is 1866, in Dayton, Ohio, and young Morgan Gable is dramatically defending her father from a obscene theatrical performance, when dashing singer, Daniel Connolly comes to her rescue. Morgan Gable is star-struck over Daniel.
Five years later, nothing has changed. Her father is still drinking too much, and unable to perform. Morgan has protected her father all these years, and she's still hopelessly in love with Daniel Connolly, even though he is married.
When the great Chicago fire takes Daniel's wife, and Daniel tries to rescue her, he is burned himself, his hands mangled from the fire, and his singing voice is lost. But more than that, Daniel is lost, for he had loved his wife dearly.
Well meaning friends plot a séance for him, and Morgan enters Daniel's life once more.
Entranced by Morgan, Daniel saves her ill fate by marrying her.
Yet can the reality of it all be as good as the dream itself? Now Morgan is faced with living with Daniels wife's ghost. Can she set aside her girlish dreams of her and Daniel and make a real life with him?
Barbara Scott pens a lively tale of intrigue, and a emotional roller coaster that takes the reader into a fanciful read. Not only is there mystery and intrigue in this lovely romance, but she lets the reader dive deep into their characters and begin to understand the emotional ride of the characters themselves.
For anyone wanting a truly in depth emotional experience, and heartwarming romance that touches many points of reality, you must read Listen With Your Heart. Intriguing, heart-rendering, and irresistibly passionate. Come sit by the fire, curl up with Listen With Your Heart and prepare yourself for an astonishing romance. A must read now….kind of book!
The year is 1866, in Dayton, Ohio, and young Morgan Gable is dramatically defending her father from a obscene theatrical performance, when dashing singer, Daniel Connolly comes to her rescue. Morgan Gable is star-struck over Daniel.
Five years later, nothing has changed. Her father is still drinking too much, and unable to perform. Morgan has protected her father all these years, and she's still hopelessly in love with Daniel Connolly, even though he is married.
When the great Chicago fire takes Daniel's wife, and Daniel tries to rescue her, he is burned himself, his hands mangled from the fire, and his singing voice is lost. But more than that, Daniel is lost, for he had loved his wife dearly.
Well meaning friends plot a séance for him, and Morgan enters Daniel's life once more.
Entranced by Morgan, Daniel saves her ill fate by marrying her.
Yet can the reality of it all be as good as the dream itself? Now Morgan is faced with living with Daniels wife's ghost. Can she set aside her girlish dreams of her and Daniel and make a real life with him?
Barbara Scott pens a lively tale of intrigue, and a emotional roller coaster that takes the reader into a fanciful read. Not only is there mystery and intrigue in this lovely romance, but she lets the reader dive deep into their characters and begin to understand the emotional ride of the characters themselves.
For anyone wanting a truly in depth emotional experience, and heartwarming romance that touches many points of reality, you must read Listen With Your Heart. Intriguing, heart-rendering, and irresistibly passionate. Come sit by the fire, curl up with Listen With Your Heart and prepare yourself for an astonishing romance. A must read now….kind of book!
May 13, 2014
Orjinal Adı : Listen With Your Heart
Edisyon Adı : Kalbinin Sesini Dinle & Aşk Yemini
Goodreads Puanı :5/4
Puanım :5/4
Çok güzel bir hikaye idi,historical olduğunu söylemeseler historical bir hikaye olduğunu anlamam mümkün değildi.Çümkü oaylrda Lord,Dük,Lady,Düşes yok idi..Olayların geçtiği dönemi oldukça iyi yansıtmış bir romandı.
Okuduğum çoğu kitaptan daha güzel bir kurgusu vardı. Cok akıcıydı çeviriside iyi idi en azından bir yerde takılmadan , sıkılmadan okudum.
Romandaki karakterler oldukca iyi canlandırılmıştı..
Yıllar önce umutsuzca aşik oldugu adam ile yollari tekrar kesişen Morgan ünlü bir tiyatrocunun kızıdır,Ünlü bir şarkıcı olan Danieli sevmekten vazgecemedigi gibi baskasinada aşik da olamamistir.
Daniel ile yolları beş yıl sonra tekrar kesiştiğinde onun karisi Heleni trajik bir şekilde kaybettigini ve sesini de kaybettiğini öğrenir.Daniel ise karısını kaybettikten sonra hiç bir kadına dönüp bakmamıştır . Hala daha onun etkisinde yaşamını sürdürmektedir.
Morgan ise babasının alkolik olması iş bulamaması yüzünden oldukça kötü durumdadır.Babasının yakasına yapışan dolandırıcı,sahtekar aynı zamanda babasının metresi olan Camilla isimli kadın yüzünden neredeyse hapise girmekten son anda kurtulur..
İşine yaramayan metresinin kızına da her türlü kötülüğü yapacak karakterdedir bu karakter.
İşte olayların akışı ve gerekli olan şartlar yüzünden Daniel ve Morgan evlenirler.
Fakat Daniel'in başka kadını sevmeye bağlanmaya niyeti yoktur. Morgan ise yıllarca sevdiği adamı kocası olmasını sağlayan şartlara şükreder.Fakat evliliğinin ilk zamanlarında umut ettiği huzuru ve mutluluğu bulamaz.Birde Helen'in annesi ile de uğraşmak zorunda kalır.
Emek vermeden mutlu olunmadığını anlatan çok etkileyici bir hikaye idi..Morgan'ın aşkı çok temiz ve karşılıksızdı. Daniel'i mutlu etmek onun hayatı idi.
Bu roman ülkemizde iki ayrı isimle yayınlanmış.Kalbinin Sesini Dinle ve Aşk Yemini olarak farklı yayın evlerinden çıkmış.
Umarım yazarın diğer kitaplarını da okumak nasip olur..Çok severek okuduğum bir hikaye oldu..Yazarın takipçisi olacağım...
http://hulyami.blogspot.com.tr/2014/0...
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