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The Heir of Whitestone
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Expected 24 Feb 26A brilliant young innovator with a mysterious past and a boldly sharp-witted Lady uncover deadly secrets in #1 New York Times bestselling author Catherine Coulter’s thrilling, new Victorian-era romantic mystery filled with daring escapes, exciting twists, witty humor, and characters you won’t soon forget.
When Alex Ivanov was 12, someone tried to kill him. Now, 11 years later, they still want him dead.
England, 1842. Queen Victoria reigns, Buckingham Palace is overrun with rats, and the streets of London are filled with intrigue.
Alex Ivanov is a brilliant young innovator, designing cutting-edge train engines. But Alex has a secret—he isn’t really Alex Ivanov. As a boy, he was pulled from the Thames, presumed drowned, with no memory of who he was. Rescued and raised by the formidable Ryder Sherbrooke, Alex has built a new life, but his past is catching up with him.
Lady Camilla Rohman has problems of her own. Trapped by a scheming stepmother and a family determined to see her married off, she is as clever as she is desperate. When fate throws her into Alex’s path, their connection is undeniable.
But as their whirlwind romance turns into marriage, danger follows. On their honeymoon, a series of deadly attacks make one thing clear—someone wants Alex dead. As they race to uncover the truth, old enemies and long-buried secrets come to light, leading them to a shocking revelation that will change everything…
When Alex Ivanov was 12, someone tried to kill him. Now, 11 years later, they still want him dead.
England, 1842. Queen Victoria reigns, Buckingham Palace is overrun with rats, and the streets of London are filled with intrigue.
Alex Ivanov is a brilliant young innovator, designing cutting-edge train engines. But Alex has a secret—he isn’t really Alex Ivanov. As a boy, he was pulled from the Thames, presumed drowned, with no memory of who he was. Rescued and raised by the formidable Ryder Sherbrooke, Alex has built a new life, but his past is catching up with him.
Lady Camilla Rohman has problems of her own. Trapped by a scheming stepmother and a family determined to see her married off, she is as clever as she is desperate. When fate throws her into Alex’s path, their connection is undeniable.
But as their whirlwind romance turns into marriage, danger follows. On their honeymoon, a series of deadly attacks make one thing clear—someone wants Alex dead. As they race to uncover the truth, old enemies and long-buried secrets come to light, leading them to a shocking revelation that will change everything…
368 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication February 24, 2026
9215 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I'm a fan of this author, but I'll will have to admit I'm not as fond of the books that are set well in the past. Her FBI series is amazing and I find myself devouring those books, this was a slower read for me. That being said, it was a very entertaining story, and I loved Cam's personality. The characters are well developed as well, and have such fun personalities. And, there's a pretty good twist at the end too.
Thank you to Net Galley and Kensington Publishing for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to Net Galley and Kensington Publishing for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Want to read
December 12, 2025Oh. My. Goodness. Catherine Coulter returns to her roots as a Historical-Romance author, but she brings her vast experience as a Romantic-Suspense author with her. I. Can't. Wait!!!
My thanks to the Publisher, and Author, for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.
My thanks to the Publisher, and Author, for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Oof, this was a hard one. Catherine Coulter is a big name in historical and suspense romance, and once upon a time I was addicted to her books. He Sherbrook.series is one of my favorites, though I haven't read it in ages. When I was offered the opportunity to read an ARC of her latest book, I eagerly grabbed it. Bonus for being it a Sherbrooke spinoff.
I completely adored our main characters, Alex and Cam. The way their story unfolded, however, was problematic for me. The first several chapters of the book are very disjointed. It's almost as if the author wasn't sure which storyline to go with. And yet, as much as I adored them, I also didn't really know them. I don't feel like their characters were fully developed. I think the reader gets a little cheated at the beginning by not getting more about young Alex's early years or when Ryder Sherbrooke saved him and takes it as his ward.
Alex and Cam's meet-cute isn't as impactful as I think it was meant to be. We're supposed to be charmed by her chatter, but i was more perplexed by it.
Side characters associated with our heroine are all over the place. Her father seems wonderful and plays that part well. The stepmother and sister are given to us as mini villains, but then their roles kind of morph into weirdness. As for Alex, he comes with the Sherbrookes, so that's a point in his favor; i wish we'd seen more of them.
Anyway, it takes a long time, but we finally get to the main story arc, which is that of Alex learning about his past and what happened all those years ago. I can't really say in specifics, because I don't want to introduce spoilers, but so many plot holes! For example, several crimes occur with no one even suggesting they try to track down the villains. Other things:
- The POV changes repeatedly, even swapping mid-paragraph
- Way too many characters.
- Whit, Win, Whitestone...whyyyy?
- There are attempts at red herrings, but that means that sometimes a character does something because the intent is to make us suspect that person. But then, there's never an explanation for why they were acting in a way that made our heroes to suspect them.
- Alex supposedly being Ukranian but with no accent.
- Alex being the ward of a pretty well-known dude but no one recognizing him before now.
- AUNT D ONLY SPEAKING IN CAPITAL LETTERS FOR PAGES ON END.
- Long passages about trains
- Cam suddenly deciding to be scientific.
- Everyone being impossibly beautiful.
- The baddie was easy to figure out.
- The baddie is a bad choice. Unbelievable without more of Alex's backstory.
Now I'm just getting whiny. I didn't hate the book, especially once all the weird stuff up through Bath was out of the way. However, it just felt all over the place I'm sure other people will love it though!
I received an ARC of this book for free from the publisher and Netgalley. I'm writing this review voluntarily, and it reflects my honest opinion. Thanks!
I completely adored our main characters, Alex and Cam. The way their story unfolded, however, was problematic for me. The first several chapters of the book are very disjointed. It's almost as if the author wasn't sure which storyline to go with. And yet, as much as I adored them, I also didn't really know them. I don't feel like their characters were fully developed. I think the reader gets a little cheated at the beginning by not getting more about young Alex's early years or when Ryder Sherbrooke saved him and takes it as his ward.
Alex and Cam's meet-cute isn't as impactful as I think it was meant to be. We're supposed to be charmed by her chatter, but i was more perplexed by it.
Side characters associated with our heroine are all over the place. Her father seems wonderful and plays that part well. The stepmother and sister are given to us as mini villains, but then their roles kind of morph into weirdness. As for Alex, he comes with the Sherbrookes, so that's a point in his favor; i wish we'd seen more of them.
Anyway, it takes a long time, but we finally get to the main story arc, which is that of Alex learning about his past and what happened all those years ago. I can't really say in specifics, because I don't want to introduce spoilers, but so many plot holes! For example, several crimes occur with no one even suggesting they try to track down the villains. Other things:
- The POV changes repeatedly, even swapping mid-paragraph
- Way too many characters.
- Whit, Win, Whitestone...whyyyy?
- There are attempts at red herrings, but that means that sometimes a character does something because the intent is to make us suspect that person. But then, there's never an explanation for why they were acting in a way that made our heroes to suspect them.
- Alex supposedly being Ukranian but with no accent.
- Alex being the ward of a pretty well-known dude but no one recognizing him before now.
- AUNT D ONLY SPEAKING IN CAPITAL LETTERS FOR PAGES ON END.
- Long passages about trains
- Cam suddenly deciding to be scientific.
- Everyone being impossibly beautiful.
- The baddie was easy to figure out.
- The baddie is a bad choice. Unbelievable without more of Alex's backstory.
Now I'm just getting whiny. I didn't hate the book, especially once all the weird stuff up through Bath was out of the way. However, it just felt all over the place I'm sure other people will love it though!
I received an ARC of this book for free from the publisher and Netgalley. I'm writing this review voluntarily, and it reflects my honest opinion. Thanks!
December 18, 2025
The Heir of Whitestone by Catherine Coulter is a great historical fiction and romance novel that I found interesting.
I have never read anything by Ms Coulter before (and why haven’t I…I’ll never know), so I am a bit behind on her legendary status on being an excellent HF writer. This book is a standalone, however it has threads involving the infamous Sherbrooke universe by incorporating Ryder Sherbrooke from her past HF/romance novels. I was easily able to follow along with the plot.
There is Victorian-era historical fiction, there is romance, there is mystery and suspense with high-stakes action, and there is chemistry abound between the main characters: Alex Ivanov and Lady Camilla Rohman (Cam).
I liked that there was far more substance than just a typical romance novel. There was a bit too much dialogue at some points however, which made this drag in places.
3/5 stars
Thank you NG and Kensington Publishing | A John Scognamiglio Book for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 2/24/26.
I have never read anything by Ms Coulter before (and why haven’t I…I’ll never know), so I am a bit behind on her legendary status on being an excellent HF writer. This book is a standalone, however it has threads involving the infamous Sherbrooke universe by incorporating Ryder Sherbrooke from her past HF/romance novels. I was easily able to follow along with the plot.
There is Victorian-era historical fiction, there is romance, there is mystery and suspense with high-stakes action, and there is chemistry abound between the main characters: Alex Ivanov and Lady Camilla Rohman (Cam).
I liked that there was far more substance than just a typical romance novel. There was a bit too much dialogue at some points however, which made this drag in places.
3/5 stars
Thank you NG and Kensington Publishing | A John Scognamiglio Book for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 2/24/26.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was my first Catherine Coulter read, and unfortunately, I don't think she's for me. The blurb sounds great - brilliant innovator with a mysterious past and deadly secrets to uncover; bold young lady desperately trying to escape the machinations of her evil stepmother; daring escapes, whirlwind romance, etc. The execution of all these promises, however, fell flat for me.
The narrative style and dialogue felt awkward and unnecessarily complicated. The characters ask themselves a lot of internal questions. I didn't feel the connection between Alex and Cam - it was like the romance was inside their heads and we weren't given an appropriate window to watch it unfold. The pacing was very slow, and I had to fight to make myself finish the book.
There was a cool plot twist at the end, but it was too little, too late. Also, if you're an avid romance reader, be forewarned that this book is only mildly steamy - very tame. My first and last Catherine Coulter.
Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for the eARC - all opinions are my own.
The narrative style and dialogue felt awkward and unnecessarily complicated. The characters ask themselves a lot of internal questions. I didn't feel the connection between Alex and Cam - it was like the romance was inside their heads and we weren't given an appropriate window to watch it unfold. The pacing was very slow, and I had to fight to make myself finish the book.
There was a cool plot twist at the end, but it was too little, too late. Also, if you're an avid romance reader, be forewarned that this book is only mildly steamy - very tame. My first and last Catherine Coulter.
Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for the eARC - all opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Thanks to Kensington Press for the free copy of this book! I was familiar with Catherine Coulter's FBI and had no idea that she wrote historical fiction. I will certainly need to check out the Sherbrooke books in the future. The Heir of Whitestone is an enjoyable romp. The main characters, Alex and Cam, are delightful. There are some of the usual tropes--the lost heir, the young woman at odds with Victorian society, and love at first sight. I like how the fathers (honorary and otherwise) are portrayed as well as the personal servants. Cam's Aunt Deveraux is a hoot with her outspokenness and outrageous stories. Some of the sister/stepmother characters are more stereotypical and less well drawn. I found the book entertaining although I suspected the villain early on in the story. This was a fun read!
December 19, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing.
I couldn't resist reading a novel by Catherine Coulter.
The plot is a historical mystery romance where the protagonist cannot remember his childhood or his family, finds his perfect partner and accidentally discovers his origins. Of course, all this will prove dangerous for the young couple.
Although it is still interesting, I felt that there was a lack of chemistry between Alex and Cam, and the villain is not that difficult to guess. I also found it a bit slow at times and had trouble keeping up with the reading.
Needless to say, I loved the inclusion of Ryder Sherwood and the references to the rest of the family.
This is a novel that I am sure fans of the author and the Sherwoods will enjoy.
I couldn't resist reading a novel by Catherine Coulter.
The plot is a historical mystery romance where the protagonist cannot remember his childhood or his family, finds his perfect partner and accidentally discovers his origins. Of course, all this will prove dangerous for the young couple.
Although it is still interesting, I felt that there was a lack of chemistry between Alex and Cam, and the villain is not that difficult to guess. I also found it a bit slow at times and had trouble keeping up with the reading.
Needless to say, I loved the inclusion of Ryder Sherwood and the references to the rest of the family.
This is a novel that I am sure fans of the author and the Sherwoods will enjoy.
Read
December 30, 2025Classic Catherine Coulter - an orphan rescued and lovingly raised by his adopted family meets an outspoken young woman unlikely to marry willingly but her dowry is tempting. The two are attracted to each other but a match seems unlikely until the tables are turned. Marrying for love - a rarity in Victorian England and it seems that fate is not finished with them as someone wants them eliminated from the inheritance. A read that is guaranteed to take you away from your troubles and leave you with a smile. Not overly sweet but not spicy either making this a choice for a large audience. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Just loved this new historical by Catherine Coulter. Her FMC is a smart, witty, spunky lady and the MMC adores her on sight. Alex was kidnapped and left for dead, was found by Ryder sherbrooke (from The Hellion Bride) and became a Beloved One of Ryder and Sophie. By happenchance, it is discovered that Alex is actually Graham, the heir of whitestone presumed to be dead. However, who wanted to kill Graham and his brother in the first place? This romance was a delightful story with multiple twists that I did not see coming. Thoroughly enjoyed and I hope the author writes more of her stories in the delightful Sherbrooke family. 4.5 out of 5 stars
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I love the Catherine Coulter FBI series and have read probably all of them. When this was offered in a giveaway, I decided to enter. I won the Book! I then went on to read it in two days and was surprised by my reading it so quickly. I am not usually fond of books that are from another era, but this one held my attention. The story was good and the characters, especially Cam, were well developed. I think it warrants trying it. I will look for more books from Catherine Coulter in the future including books from this time and place.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I have enjoyed all of Ms. Coulter's books set in the Sherbrooke universe. I was excited to read this book. I did enjoy the book but would have wanted more of the MMC backstory with the Sherbrooke family. Both Alex and Camilla are mature, independent and likable characters. The story was a bit slow in places.
The story opens with a mystery and continues to deepen with hidden identities, several twists, suspense, and romance. The historical setting was done well, and I enjoyed the balance of romance, mystery, and drama. This was an interesting read with a satisfying ending. The stepmother side plot didn't make much sense to me. I figured out part of who was behind it and part of the motive.
There were a few grammar/editing mistakes. Over all a good story and nice entry in the Sherbrooke Universe. i will continue to read books in this Universe from Ms. Coulter.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The story opens with a mystery and continues to deepen with hidden identities, several twists, suspense, and romance. The historical setting was done well, and I enjoyed the balance of romance, mystery, and drama. This was an interesting read with a satisfying ending. The stepmother side plot didn't make much sense to me. I figured out part of who was behind it and part of the motive.
There were a few grammar/editing mistakes. Over all a good story and nice entry in the Sherbrooke Universe. i will continue to read books in this Universe from Ms. Coulter.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC.
I’ve been a long-time fan of the author and was excited to receive this book. While I enjoyed the tale, I found it slow going and, to a point, predictable. The writing style seemed a bit stilted and stiff. The story included romance, mystery and a twist. Overall, I would recommend the book and the author.
I’ve been a long-time fan of the author and was excited to receive this book. While I enjoyed the tale, I found it slow going and, to a point, predictable. The writing style seemed a bit stilted and stiff. The story included romance, mystery and a twist. Overall, I would recommend the book and the author.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book had a little bit of everything; suspense, drama, romance with some steamy action, people I really loved and really hated. Something was happening at every turn. Although I figured out who the bad guy was pretty early, I was not prepared for the twist at the end. I was continuously enthralled and couldn’t put down the book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I really like reading books by Catherine Coulter. The heir of Whitestone was a nice change from her FBI series. There were moments of laughter Aunt Deveraux was funny, aggravating people, her Sister and stepmom. You know the writing is good when you dislike characters you should. I received this as an ARC from Netgalley
wishlist-want-it
December 3, 2025Say what now!? A new Cat Coulter historical!?! Ahh! And it's from the Sherbrooke universe! Bigger ahh! I will always hold Coulter in a soft spot in my heart, as she was my very first intro to HR, and with the Sherbrookes specifically (Douglas! My first love xD) so I am here! Bring it to me!
December 21, 2025
Catherine Coulter didn’t disappoint as usual. The historical setting was well done, and I enjoyed the balance of romance, mystery, and drama. A solid four-star book for fans of Catherine Coulter and historical romance.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
As expected from Catherine Coulter, this is a enjoyable book. The main characters are interesting, and the supporting characters are also entertaining (especially the deaf aunt). Apparently this book is related to the Sherbrooke Brides series, so now I'll have to go read that series too.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
This was the first book I've read by Catherine Coulter and really enjoyed it. I felt I was there in the adventure. She did a great job growing her characters. The story had romance, mystery and adventure. I look forward to reading more by this author.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
This will definitely be one of my favorite books of 2026!
It has laughter, romance, secrets, scary moments, and a twist that I definitely didn’t see coming! It’s deserved all five stars and more!!!
It has laughter, romance, secrets, scary moments, and a twist that I definitely didn’t see coming! It’s deserved all five stars and more!!!
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
The book was quite predictable, with the mystery aspect not being very strong. However, it was an easy read that was just entertaining enough to keep going.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This wasn't like anything I've read before. This is a historical romantic thriller. The story opens with a mystery and it continues to deepen with hidden identities and agendas, suspense, and sweet romance. I'm not sure if it was on purpose based on the plot setup and foreshadowing, but the main twist wasn't surprising, though there were other secrets and twists that did surprise me. Both Alex and Cam are mature, independent and likable characters. This was an interesting and heartwarming read with a satisfying ending.
Thank you Catherine Coulter, Kensington, and NetGalley for this ARC!
Thank you Catherine Coulter, Kensington, and NetGalley for this ARC!
Want to read
August 31, 2025When you have a hot guy with amnesia, you know he's a duke. Can't wait to read!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews