If My Heart Could See You

The MacLarens #1

by Sherry Ewing

A lady hiding her identity. A knight who conquered her land. When you’re enemies, does love have a fighting chance?

For Amiria of Berwyck, defeat does not come easily as she watches her home and clan being ripped asunder. When the very enemy who has laid siege to her home demands her fealty, she will do whatever it takes to protect her people including a hastily concocted ruse that quickly begins to unravel. All too soon, she starts to question whether she can forgive herself for betraying those she has sworn to protect.

Dristan of Blackmore, champion knight of King Henry II, has a reputation to uphold as the Devil’s Dragon. After his invading army conquers Berwyck castle, he sets out to manage the newly claimed estate by training its knight in the art of proper defense. At first, everything appears as it should be, or is it? Betrayed by those he believed he could trust, he must first set aside his anger before he can make room in his heart for love.

Together they are tied by an unspoken bond. As they begin to rebuild the land and unite their people, forces beyond their control attempt to tear apart their fragile truce and only time will tell if love will forever bring them together.

Genres: Historical Romance, Historical, Romance, Medieval, Enemies To Lovers

298 pages, ebook

First published July 9, 2014

About the author

Sherry Ewing picked up her first historical romance when she was a teenager and has been hooked ever since. An award-winning and bestselling author, she writes historical & time travel romances to awaken the soul one heart at a time. Always wanting to write a novel but busy raising her children, she finally took the plunge in 2008 and wrote her first Regency. Sherry is currently working on her next novel and when not writing, she can be found in the San Francisco area at her day job as an Information Technology Specialist. You can learn more about Sherry and her books on her website where a new adventure awaits you on every page at www.SherryEwing.com.

Reviews

[Tracy T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

WONDERFUL STORY! EXCELLENT NARRATION! (Audible Review)
This was a very good book. I thoroughly enjoyed it! The heroine, Amiria was strong, witty, beautiful, stubborn and I just loved her. The hero Dristan was tall, dark, handsome and sexy! They made a very good match. The chemistry between them felt real and honest, not forced or fake. There are a few very nicely written sex scenes, although they were mildly written, they were well done and you were quite sated. The attraction and sexual tension between the H and H was also very prevalent and not at all rushed.

I really enjoyed the story line and plot.. There was romance, sexual attraction, action, sword fighting, betrayal and hidden identity. It was all good.

I would have liked it more if there had been more dialogue, but that is just my preference. The dialogue there was was great.

As for the narration? Well it was fantastic! I love Marian Hussey's narrations. She makes a story even more enjoyable. Her reading voice is wonderful, she gives all her characters their own distinct voice, the men sound like men, the accents sound great and she reads with emotion. She is by far a favorite narrator! 10 stars to Marian Hussey for the narration!

Thank you Marian Hussey for a wonderful listen!

I would love to see more Sherry Ewing books on audible, especially if they are narrated by Marian Hussey.

In particular I would like to see, For All of Ever: The Knights of Berwyck, A Quest Through Time

[Crystal Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do you do when the Devil's Dragon comes and takes over your home ? Amiria decides to try a ruse but doesn't know how long it can last. Will Dristan's notorious temper explode if he finds out ?

I loved this introduction to Berwyck Castle. The characters and setting were well developed and I fell in love with the story. The villains are great with plenty of conflict to keep the story moving along at a great pace. My favorite was the main couple , Amiria is a great strong, determined,and loving. Dristan is strong,protective, and full of heart. As other reviewers have said I really want to read Ian's story but I would also think Sabina should have a story too. I can't wait to read more books of Sherry Ewing .

Will be kept on my Kindle to read again !

[Bobbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not your typical historical romance. It's the first book by this writer but so entertaining. The heroine is a warrior woman but with a soft and feminine side too. It is full of action, intrigue, and romance. And what a great title for this book. Check it out for a great read.

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two and a half stars, if I'm being fair. Though, full disclosure, I couldn't even finish it.
God, so many things about this book irritated me. I will enumerate:
1. So many clichés, good lord. The feisty, defiant heroine who is beautiful and has long red hair and violet eyes (violet eyes? just stop) and the dark, commanding hero who is also beautiful and broods and is tough and enjoys ordering people around. The mystical, all-knowing, prophetic healer woman. It's not really so much that I hate all clichés, as in reading any romance novel you have to leave a certain amount of leeway for familiar plot devices and similar characteristics. The problem arises, I think, when the characters become reduced to those single-word descriptors. They have no real personality, or real purpose beyond fulfilling a trope. The villains are super villainous. The heroes are super heroic. There's no nuance.
2. This book's grammar reads like the author just used a speech-to-text program and forgot to edit. "It was plane to see," really? I can overlook a few grammatical mistakes, but this happened way too many times to be an accident. "She couldn't bare it," "you're warriors"--add that to at least 2 misuses of commas on every page and I was questioning whether anyone had revised the first manuscript of this. Maybe this isn't as big a deal to other people, but it just seems lazy to me to publish a book without at least looking through it first.
3. The writing sounded wooden to me. Granted, the author does try replicate the speech of the period, which may contribute to the problem, but I've read other medieval fiction that doesn't jerk along quite as abruptly.
All that said, this isn't the worst thing I've ever read, which is why I gave it two stars. The half is extra for the fact that the author does pay attention to detail, which is nice. It would just be nicer if there was substance to lavish the detail on.

[Tiffany Landers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sherry Ewing captured my attention with nothing more than the alluring cover of If My Heart Could See You. This captivating historical romance novel had me at hello. I have always loved historical romance and Sherry Ewing did not disappoint. I don’t like spoilers, so I won’t add any here, but I will tell you that I love the unique characters Sherry created in this book. Amiria’s character is so incredible and I simply love the names Sherry chose for her story.

I read a lot of stories and not all of them have passed through the hands of a great editor. Sherry has a meticulous writing style and I love, love, love a story that is without spelling and grammar errors, such as this one. It is evident that the author took her time and thoroughly researched the historical data she wrote this story around.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a great historical romance novel and I cannot WAIT to start reading her next novel, For All of Ever: The Knights of Berwyck, A Quest Through Time Novel.

Have You Heard Book Blog
Tiffany Reid

[Lisa C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first part of the story kept my interest and things moved along, predictably, but the story was good. Somewhere along the way, things went downhill fast. Unlikely scenarios made things unbelievable. The language throughout the story seemed forced, as though the author was trying to make it sound like the time period but it didn't work. I noticed quite a few minor grammar errors started popping up the more I read.

Character development was lacking. I like to get to know the main characters but we didn't really get to. The whole story with the twin brother was not developed well. At the risk of giving anything away, I'll just say, the events that happened seemed highly improbable. For readers who like more realistic stories, this may not be for them.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second book by Sherry Ewing (the first, which is actually the second book in this series, was "For All of Ever," which I loved).

I really liked this medieval romance. Every time I had an interruption and had to put the book down, I frowned. I loved all the characters, which were well-developed. Our villain is especially heinous. Yep, it's a keeper and I know I will re-read it again, as well the second book, "For All of Ever."

Now, I REALLY can't wait for Lynet and Ian's story! ;)

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bravo

This book made my day it was spectacular you my lady have a gift. I read this book in day and a half and wish it did not have to end. But I must now read Ian tale and so happy to see it's available. You have a fan. God bless you and may your Guardian Angel continue to guide your work. Please readers don't miss this tale. I promise you won't be able to put it down. If this is your first book in this era then you have hit gold. Ms. D. From New York City

[Theresa Echols · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sherry Ewing's If My Heart Could See You is a look back in time to the border wars between England and Scotland in the 1100's. She tells of a knight who is not a knight defending the castle and a knight who is known as the Devil's Dragon who as arrived to claim his new lair. Quick read. Great detail. Filled out characters. Satisfying story.

[Ann Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was Beautiful

I love it can't wait to read more thanks for letting me reading this book. I am also glad that we are friends on Facebook

[Deborah R Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

This book keeps you reading page by page, your interest growing. Very hard to put down. Also gives you laughs and reminded me of my family.

[Kat Tolle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not everything is how it appears. You will understand what I am saying when you read this book and you must read it! If My Heart Could See You by Sherry Ewing is book 1 in The MacLaren's series. To be honest this is the first book I have read of Sherry’s but I can tell you it won’t be the last and I am so looking forward to reading book 2. Sherry has such an amazing way of writing the littlest details so that you get the full picture and story. Her characters are just wonderful and you can’t help falling in love with them as you travel back to 1174 Scotland’s border. This story has betrayal, evil, greed, death, battles, capture, jealousy, kindness, duty, understanding, rape, forgiveness and yes love. What a great read! I highly recommend this book you won’t be disappointed.

***This book was gifted to me and I am voluntarily reviewing.

[Lilmissmolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

If My Heart Could See You by Sherry Ewing is a good medieval story set during the time of King Henry II. Dristan of Blackmore is one of the King's most trusted knights who is sent to the north to conquer Berwyck castle and its holdings. As his prize in doing so, the King instructs Dristan to wed the eldest daughter of the keep to unite the two lands. After the dust settles, the daughter in question, Amiria, is no where to be found. Instead Amiria decides to pretend to be her twin brother who she believes to be dead. Little did she anticipate that Dristan would take the lad/lady to be his squire and it's inevitable that they will soon end up together.

Although it seemed to take me a couple of tries to get into the rhythm of the story (I would have preferred less 'twis, 'kin and mayhap language), once I did, I really enjoyed the story of Berwyck Castle and it's inhabitants. There are several good side stories going along, and when more than one couple gets married, I can't help but feel like I've won bonus prizes. I especially liked how the sex was done all behind "closed doors" - you knew it was happening without all salacious details.

Marian Hussey narrated and did a great job! She had different voices for each character, both young and old and male and female. I especially enjoyed the younger brothers and sisters voices as they were very authentic - one of them plays a pivotal role at the end, so perhaps that is why it's so memorable. Because of Marian's narration, I enjoyed listening to this book much more than I would have if I had only read it - at 10 1/2 hours in audio format, that's saying something! I received a copy of this audio in exchange for an honest review.

[Monika · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit I have mixed feelings about this book. I really like the story and the medieval setting. The characters are strong and you can't help but love them. Even the secondary characters. I am glad some of them will get their own story. There are, however, I few things I did not like. First of all, the story started out very slow. There were pages upon pages were nothing happened and I started skipping over a few to find the place were the story continued. Not until chapter 34 did the pace pick up. Secondly, a few things seem impossible to believe. One example would be that three people dumped in the pit take off their armor to warm each other, start freezing and turning numb anyway, and are then able to easily climb a rope, put their armor back on and take up their swords. How did they climb so easily with frozen hands, how did the armor get up from the pit, and how did they get a hold of swords? They were after all in the dungeons with only three guards. The third thing that truly annoyed me were the numerous typos and grammatical mistakes. That was very distracting. I am giving this book 3 1/2 stars. But, since I like the story I will check out the other books the author wrote.

[Lori D · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by this author. I cannot believe it was her first book also!! It felt like a seasoned author had written this story. This is a tale about the balance between conquering lands and the emotional consequences. Drisden of Blackmore is a Knight who has been instructed to take Berwyck Castle, with having killed the father in battle of the MacLaren family. The MacLaurens have ruled this keep forever. He meets Almiria, the daughter and the sparks begin. This story is about love, betrayal and redemption that is told in a remarkable story. You feel like you are there with great insight and descriptions of the times. Looking forward to reading more in this series and everything by this author.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story of love in a volatile time of life. Sherry Ewing pulls you in and makes you a part of Amiria and Dristan's life. Get ready for your emotions to go on a roller-coaster ride in this most enjoyable book.

[Annie B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first read by Sherry!! WHAT a great read!! I enjoyed the Historical of the story , the Plot, Just an Awesome book!!! I strongly recommencer This book for ALL historical lovers!!

[Gerrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 out of 5 stars (B-)

[Cassia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, plot predictable and characters predictable. Disappointment!

[Sabrina]

Once our Heroine became sick and the book turned I could no longer continue.

[Kristi Hudecek-Ashwill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was drawn to this book simply by the title and was not disappointed with the story. It sort of had a The Wolf and the Dove (Kathleen Woodiwiss) vibe to it, although it was new and different at the same time. I pictured Wulfgar in Dristan's place more than a few times, which wasn't fair to Dristan because he was a strong character and could definitely hold his own. It was just something I did.

The story starts with Dristan of Blackmore, a favored knight of King Henry, invading and conquering Berwyck Castle. He takes ownership of it and all of its people, including the family that was left behind when their father was killed in battle. This isn't something he takes lightly and is angered by one of his soldiers who killed a bunch of the people for no reason.

Amiria is posing as her twin brother, Aiden. She wears armor, goes out and fights with the men, wields a sword as good as any man, and cannot find her brother. She assumes he was killed with their father and buried in an unmarked grave with everybody else. She wasn't convinced he was dead. She figured she would know if he were gone. She would feel it. But she didn't get that feeling and that left us readers wondering where Aiden was. I wondered throughout the book. Regardless, she knows her time is limited before her ruse is discovered and there will be hell to pay when it is.

I didn't really like Amiria, to be honest. I thought she was way too pushy (some might call it determined). I thought she was manipulative and too outspoken. She just wasn't my kind of heroine. It's not that I wanted her to sit back and let things crash down around her, but...I don't know. I guess she just rubbed me wrong.

There were some great antagonists that kept the story rolling. Sabina, Amiria's sister, was a great one and her relationship with Hugh was sad, almost pathetic. He was the worst of the worst and why she pursued him was beyond my comprehension, but considering both of their objectives, it had to be this way.

I wish there had been some feels between Amiria and Dristan. I really didn't feel them falling in love. The steam level is zero, which was fine with me, although there are some provocative scenes between them. They were closed door.

It got to me when she said to him, "If my heart could see you, what would it see?" Not sure if that's the exact quote, but it's close. It made me wish we could all see each other with our hearts rather than our eyes. The world would be a far different place.

I gave this book four stars because of one thing that is a huge pet peeve for me. I don't remember who was speaking, but they said, "I'm afraid of loosing you." What should have been a heart wrenching moment was destroyed because of using the wrong word. It's such a minor thing and we're all guilty of using the wrong word from time to time, but it yanked my chain. I don't blame the authors when this happens. I blame the editors.

Regardless, it was still a good read and I may continue with the series.

For my own records:
I was 42% of the way through this book when I got a message on my Kindle that said it was protected by DRM and that if I wanted to continue reading, I was going to have to buy a copy of the book. Okay. I've had the book since April of 2020 and it was a free download from some promotion. It was in my Kindle library. Where did they think I got it? I spent over an hour on the phone with Amazon support and they weren't able to get rid of the message and I ended up buying the book for .99. It's not the money at all. A buck for a book is still a great deal. It's the fact that it was DRM'd in the middle and I was forced to buy a book that was already on my Kindle.

I wonder how many other books I have that are going to be in the same boat.

[Nicole Normand · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book for free on Amazon via eBookDiscovery; this is my honest review
TRIGGER ALERT: a paragraph or two on rape, then the allusion to an attempted rape
-This is a published book so I was expecting the editing to be better than what it was. Apart from all the mistakes, typos and grammar, she puts hyphens and apostrophes EVERYWHERE it doesn't belong, but won't put them when they do belong: out-right leer, plane/plain, en-sure, in-deed, per-son, how-ever, for-get, an-other, horses arse vs. horse's arse, is their vs. is there, tree's had, the villager's will know, check vs. cheek, even the minstrel's cease their music, etc.
-At one point Amiria had her own room with the others sharing another one but later on she's sharing one with Sabina. Another time Amiria dances in the rain; she almost died from the rain... I didn't understand why Dristan turned his back on the enemy to kiss Amiria; that was super dumb. What happened to the guard at the door to keep the children safe?
-The languages are mixed within the same paragraph: good ole English, then with slang, then brogue. Like someone else said, it would have been much better with the narration done in plain English or start the first chapter in which language you want then put a note that for everyone's sake you will continue in English; it's so much easier to read.
-I have to say I saw this in the other books of the series: people need to contain their anger or go to anger management courses. They are angry at everything, absolutely everything: sheer rage, yelled, blazing eyes, etc.
-Dristan and Amiria's story is not bad but it's not really romantic either; I actually didn't see the love there as they always fought and screamed at each other, with no respect for the other's wants and needs. There is more details on battle than on the romance and it's clearly categorized as a romance. Gory details, death, rape, carnage. Not really a fun read. I would only recommend if you already started the series and wanted to continue the story.

[Lisa Montgomery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, let me say, I simply loved these characters. Dristan of Blackmore was the perfect Alpha hero. Amira was a bit too "spoiled" for me, at times, but I liked her transformation, in more than one way. What I did not like was the following:
Split infinitives: to ever see, to carefully hold, to finally claim, to not overthink, to actually make, to now be, to humbly make, to now devour, etc.
Switches points of view often from Dristan and Amira, for example, to Hugh in Chapter 5; to Kenna in Chapter 8; to Kenna again in Chapter 13; to Hugh at the end of Chapter 13 and again in Chapter 15; to Hugh in Chapter 17 and again in Chapter 22 and 23, and then again in Chapter 27; Chapter 27 also has Sabina's POV; Chapter 29 uses Hugh and Gilbert; POVs change in Chapter 34, 35, 37, and 40.
Contains errors that require closer editing: "my lords fast" (should be "lord's"); "any one of the castle whore's" (should be "whores"); "you coming to" (should be "your coming to," because "coming" is a gerund, and a possessive pronoun is used before a gerund because it acts as a noun); "felt the heat of their body's" (should be "bodies"); "become accustomed to from" (should be "to"); words are hyphenated in the middle of a sentence (something to do with switching from the extended line in a print form to the eBook format); "tree's had been cut" (should be "trees"); "guest's voices rose" (should be "guests' voices rose"), etc.
It would take a week, at a minimum, to reach London from northern Northumberland in the year 1174. It would likely have taken at least a week up until the mid 1700s or later.

[Diana Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
I enjoyed this story despite quite a few little issues that nagged at me through the book. Those items were more of a person preference such as inaccuracies with armor/weapons and the persistent use of many archaic words like ...'twill, 'twas, 'twould, 'tis, doona ken, mayhap, ye'll, tae, shouldna, yer, afore, dinnae.........for example.

The reader must suspend disbelief regarding the 'magic' (visions) and the heroine's cross-dressing. It's unrealistic to think she wouldn't be discovered when it states she's a busty young lady (she filled out her dress when her skinny sister did not...?), and the hero has met her whens she's in women's clothes AND works with her closely when she's in drag and he still doesn't notice. I would have swallowed it easier if she was boyish like her sister. (Not sure why it was so important to point out how unattractive the sister was because she was too skinny, when it was clear she was pretty darn ugly on the inside.)

Despite those issues, I liked the heroine and hero and the story was well put together. Even with all that the sister went through, I never did come around to liking her, but that didn't take away from the heart of the story and I was hooked by the plot all the way through.

[Carole Burant · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, I have to say how much I love the title of this book!! Second of all, I am very impressed that this was Sherry Ewing's first book she's written, the story flowed along so smoothly and the characters were very believable. Third of all, I just loved Dristan and Amiria!! He's the Devil's Dragon, a most feared knight and she's the beautiful lady of Castle Berwyck who will do everything to protect her family. Dristan's life will never be the same again once he meets the spitfire!!!

This story has everything you would want in a historical romance that includes passion, defiance, treachery, betrayal, vengeance, as well as a love so true, it will leave you sighing as you read. Very well written, lots of action, and this first book has definitely whetted my appetite for the next books that follow!!

I was given an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating, suspenseful and dramatic story. Dristan is tasked by the King to take over Berwyck Castle and marry the eldest daughter. He easily takes the castle, but is told that the daughter is away. He sends for her, then gets down to the business training his men, including those that were from the previous lord. Amongst the men of the castle was the son of the previous lord, Aiden, whom Dristan trained harder than the others because he seemed weaker than the rest. Unbeknownst to him, Aiden is actually Amiria, Aiden's twin sister. The story is filled of intrigue, betrayal, drama, friendship and romance. Dristan and Amiria are both strong and loyal, but Amiria is much more stubborn than Dristan, and Dristan is much more conceited than Amiria. The storyline captures your attention from the beginning, and holds it until the last word. It's a must read to add to your TBR list.

[Mia Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

First I’d like to say that I really love the cover of this book. Sherry Ewing is a new author to me. And while there were some things in this story that were not plausible the overall story and storyline was very good. I would certainly read other books by this author.

Both Amiria of Berwyck and Dristan of Blackmore were interesting characters I found myself liking. Amiria is is strong and brave and her goal is to take care of her people. Dristan is an honorable, strong yet capable of gentleness knight in service to his king, King Henry II. Their journey to happily ever after was frought with anger, fear, passion and emotions.

I enjoyed the story but it did have some editing issues that were a bit distracting but was still an enjoyable read.

Thank you Sherry for this wonderful story.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amiria's Berwyck Castle has been attacked. Her father killed, her twin brother missing and presumed dead, and Dristan of Blackmore - the Devil's Dragon - is now her liege lord. Since Amiria was dressed in armor, carrying a sword, Dristan assumes she is Aiden, her twin, and they do not correct him. One of his hired mercenaries, Hugh, disobeyed orders and killed all he could including the peasants who were needed to tend fields. He is whipped for his disobedience and decides he wants revenge. Eventually Dristan finds out that Aiden is really Amiria and instead of forcing her to tend the castle, he continues to let her train with a sword. This sets the stage for a story full of action, battles, treachery, and a growing love between two strong willed people.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what will happen next.

[Cindy C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a Awesome story! Sherry Ewing weaves a story from beginning to end with threads of the dark and turbelent times between medieval England and Scotland. If My Heart Could See You comes to life with all the suspense, vengeance, danger and strife in this rollercoaster ride full of tension-building twists and turns that will keep you sitting on the edge of your seat. It's a story with remarkable emotions, filled with characters that come off the pages and pulls you into their tale, that is smoothly written, with a excellent plott, great dialogue and with scenes are so strikingly detailed that it paints an incredible backdrop that makes you feel like you are one with the story which brings this read together perfectly.

[Leanne Bryson · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the medieval Scottish/English border lies Berwyck Castle, under the rule of the MacLaren clan for some time. Because of it's prime location, King Henry ll sends Dristan of Blackmore, his champion knight and he's known as the Devil’s Dragon. Amiria of Berwyck is pretending to be her twin brother in hopes of protecting her family. Dristan decides to help train the young knight and soon realizes he is a she. The book moves quickly, the characters were well written, there was drama, and some twists and turns. I was really interested in many of the secondary characters and look forward to reading their books Well done.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.