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A Glimpse of Heaven
He can see into her past...
He can see into her secrets...
He can see into the deepest desires of her heart...
Only in his dreams has Burke Grisham, the once dissolute Earl of Thornwald, seen a lady as exquisite as Catherine Snow. Now, standing before him at last is the mysterious beauty whose life he has glimpsed in strange visions-whose voice called him back from death and the shimmering radiance beyond, on the bloody field of Waterloo. But she is also the widow of the friend he destroyed: the one woman who scorns him; the one woman he must possess.
Catherine detests Lord Thornwald as the handsome daredevil who led her estranged husband into a decadent life and a reckless death in battle. Yet now, even as she resists his strange connection to her mind, she years for him to conquer her heart. But does this infamous rake think her his next plaything? Or is Burke truly sent, as he vows, to save Catherine from a danger only he can see-and sweep her up in a love born of eternal light?
He can see into her secrets...
He can see into the deepest desires of her heart...
Only in his dreams has Burke Grisham, the once dissolute Earl of Thornwald, seen a lady as exquisite as Catherine Snow. Now, standing before him at last is the mysterious beauty whose life he has glimpsed in strange visions-whose voice called him back from death and the shimmering radiance beyond, on the bloody field of Waterloo. But she is also the widow of the friend he destroyed: the one woman who scorns him; the one woman he must possess.
Catherine detests Lord Thornwald as the handsome daredevil who led her estranged husband into a decadent life and a reckless death in battle. Yet now, even as she resists his strange connection to her mind, she years for him to conquer her heart. But does this infamous rake think her his next plaything? Or is Burke truly sent, as he vows, to save Catherine from a danger only he can see-and sweep her up in a love born of eternal light?
346 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
73 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Dawson Smith
27 books98 followersFrom http://www.barbaradawsonsmith.com/bio...
A member of Romance Writers of America since 1981, Barbara Dawson Smith sold her first historical romance two weeks after sending it to a publisher. Her books have won the Golden Heart Award from RWA, and Best Historical Romantic Suspense and Best Regency Historical from Romantic Times. She has been a finalist for the National Readers’ Choice Award, Romance of the Year by Affaire de Coeur magazine, the Golden Quill, and the Booksellers' Best Award. She has also been a five-time finalist for the prestigious RITA Award, and realized a lifetime dream in 2002 when she won the award for TEMPT ME TWICE. Barbara also writes romance as Olivia Drake.
Barbara lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband, two daughters, two cats, and who knows how many neighbor children running up and down the stairs. When she's not finishing a chapter or teaching a seminar on writing, she enjoys browsing in her collection of over a thousand research books.
A member of Romance Writers of America since 1981, Barbara Dawson Smith sold her first historical romance two weeks after sending it to a publisher. Her books have won the Golden Heart Award from RWA, and Best Historical Romantic Suspense and Best Regency Historical from Romantic Times. She has been a finalist for the National Readers’ Choice Award, Romance of the Year by Affaire de Coeur magazine, the Golden Quill, and the Booksellers' Best Award. She has also been a five-time finalist for the prestigious RITA Award, and realized a lifetime dream in 2002 when she won the award for TEMPT ME TWICE. Barbara also writes romance as Olivia Drake.
Barbara lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband, two daughters, two cats, and who knows how many neighbor children running up and down the stairs. When she's not finishing a chapter or teaching a seminar on writing, she enjoys browsing in her collection of over a thousand research books.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 30, 2025
Cute read with a mystical/paranormal element.
June 18, 2025
I've been binging on Barbare Dawson Smith's lately as I really couldn't get enough of her writings! This book is quite unique, a refreshing departure from the usual Regency romance formula, with a subtle and intriguing sprinkle of the paranormal that gives it a dreamlike charm. A very unique Regency Romance indeed!
This might be a huge spoiler so be warned ahead!
The story begins with a solemn promise made by Burke, a war veteran who carries a burden of guilt and duty. On the battlefield, as his closest friend lay dying, Burke made a vow: to seek out and care for the man’s widow. A beautiful woman of common birth, Catherine Snow. True to his word, Burke travels to fulfill that promise, but what he finds is far more than he expected. What truly sets this story apart is the mysterious, almost metaphysical connection that seems to bind Burke to Catherine across time and memory. Though they never have a prior meeting (Catherine has seen him from far but he hasn't), he begins to have visions — flashes of the past, moments that seem to belong to another life, yet are unmistakably tied to Catherine. These visions are not random; they’re triggered whenever he touches objects that once belonged to her or played a role in their shared history. A piece of jewelry, a letter, even a piece of furniture, each becomes a portal into a memory he didn’t realise he still carried. it’s almost like Burke is psychically linked to his past with Catherine through these objects. Except that if it is really from his past or is it intertwined with another person's memories of Catherine? This series of events adds to the story's intrigue and supports the mystical or spiritual undertones beautifully without stepping too much into a fantasy realm.
A Glimpse of Heaven is a beautifully written exploration of lost love, redemption, and the invisible threads that bind two people, even when they’ve all but let go. It’s a standout in Barbara Dawson Smith’s collection, a haunting, heartfelt, and wholly unique genre-defying love story!
This might be a huge spoiler so be warned ahead!
The story begins with a solemn promise made by Burke, a war veteran who carries a burden of guilt and duty. On the battlefield, as his closest friend lay dying, Burke made a vow: to seek out and care for the man’s widow. A beautiful woman of common birth, Catherine Snow. True to his word, Burke travels to fulfill that promise, but what he finds is far more than he expected. What truly sets this story apart is the mysterious, almost metaphysical connection that seems to bind Burke to Catherine across time and memory. Though they never have a prior meeting (Catherine has seen him from far but he hasn't), he begins to have visions — flashes of the past, moments that seem to belong to another life, yet are unmistakably tied to Catherine. These visions are not random; they’re triggered whenever he touches objects that once belonged to her or played a role in their shared history. A piece of jewelry, a letter, even a piece of furniture, each becomes a portal into a memory he didn’t realise he still carried. it’s almost like Burke is psychically linked to his past with Catherine through these objects. Except that if it is really from his past or is it intertwined with another person's memories of Catherine? This series of events adds to the story's intrigue and supports the mystical or spiritual undertones beautifully without stepping too much into a fantasy realm.
A Glimpse of Heaven is a beautifully written exploration of lost love, redemption, and the invisible threads that bind two people, even when they’ve all but let go. It’s a standout in Barbara Dawson Smith’s collection, a haunting, heartfelt, and wholly unique genre-defying love story!
August 26, 2018
So good, so romantic. She hates him because she believes he tried to corrupt her husband during their marriage. She knows she is right because she accidentally catches them in the act. Now 4 years later after her husbands death he is on her door step. This is a wonderful redemption story for him and for her. Loved it.
September 23, 2011
The dialogue was getting to be sickeningly sweet toward the end, there.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews