The Heart's Desire

by Anna Furtado

Book Overview

Travel back in time to the early Renaissance town of Willowglen Township. Catherine Hawkins, a spice merchant and healer, prepares for the autumn fair when she is captivated by a stranger with... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1932300325
• ISBN13: 9781932300321
• Release Date: August 2004
• Publisher: Yellow Rose by Rce
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.69 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Great Historical Romance

First in the Briarcrest Chronicles, `The Heart's Desire' is a wonderful offering from author Anna Furtado. She brings two very different women - one with means, one without - together in this intriguing historical romance. Catherine Hawkins has inherited her father's spice shop and operates it to make a living. During the town fair, she meets Lydia, a noblewoman with an interesting family. An immediate, but confusing, attraction leads the two down a perilous path of discovery. Lydia takes some time to become an apprentice in Catherine's shop and the two become close, but don't become lovers. Eventually, Catherine is invited to spend some time at Briarcrest, the home of Lydia's aunt and her companion. Both Catherine and Lydia's eyes are opened here, but Lydia's father has decided it is time for her to marry. Now that both women have found their heart's desire, how are they going to survive? I'm looking forward to reading `The Heart's Strength,' the next in the series. It has recently become an addition to my `to be read' bookshelf, but won't stay there for long.

Love and history

I enjoy reading a little history into a romance. The meeting of Catherine & Lydia is love at first sight except they don't know what to do with it. When Catherine is invited to Briarcrest, all resistance is lost. This is a keeper to be read over and over again.

Delightful book rich in historical detail

I can't really add anything to the three wonderful reviews by AGermain, CRosenberg or Joyce McNeil except to say that I agree with them. It has been a long time since I read a romance from this historical period and it was a very nice change. This was a lovely story rich in drama and surprisingly violent in part that fit in perfectly with the story and the period of time the novel takes place. It's lovely to think that the Duchess of Briarcrest and her companion Hilary could have existed and that Lydia, a daughter of a duke, and Catherine the daughter of a merchant had a chance at happiness together. This story seems more feasible in 1458 than it would in 1858. and I am glad I had the chance to read it. The novel has depth and you will want to take your time reading it so save it for a lazy weekend.

"A Wonderdrous Tale in the Days of Ole!"

What if it was feasible to have your heart's desire? Would you take the chance? Going about her daily life, one woman never places much thought on the questions. That is until she meets a woman who invokes feelings of wonder in her. What do these feelings mean? Should she allow herself to act on them? Each woman finds themselves puzzling over the same questions. As they interact with each other daily, feelings start to grow stronger and stronger. Will they allow themselves the chance at love? Are they each other's heart's desire? And just who is the person that wants one of the women for themself? Will this person pose a threat to the women's happiness? Can their chance at love be strong enough to overcome such a threat? Told in the days of ole, the story takes the reader on a wonderful journey of life, love, heartbreak, danger and the overwhelming question of: "Will love conquer all?" Noted as the first in a trilogy, The Heart's Desire can only be a great beginning to what should be a fantastic series.

Review of The Heart's Desire by Cheri Rosenberg

This captivating novel by new author Anna Furtado, "The Heart's Desire," is a delightful tale about two women who fall in love during the early Renaissance. The year is 1458 and Mistress Catherine Hawkins, who owns and runs "The Shoppe of Hawkins & Hawkins" in Willowglen Township, England, is getting ready for the Feast of St. Remi. Catherine, a truly extraordinary woman and purveyor of herbs, spices, and fine linens, is a well-known and respected member of the Spice Vendor's Guild. She is well educated and has extensive knowledge of herbal medicine. On the eve of the Feast of St. Remi, Catherine lays eyes on the most beautiful woman she has ever seen...she is at once smitten. Unbeknownst to her, this woman-Lady Lydia-is captivated by Catherine as well. Lydia, devises a scheme whereby she can get to know Mistress Catherine better. Catherine and Lydia are aware of their love for each other, but both are too afraid to reveal their hearts' desire. Not understanding her intense feelings makes it harder for Catherine to profess her love for Lydia. Lydia yearns to express her love for Catherine, but she too is afraid of offending her, and of losing her friendship. Will the women realize their dream? Furtado has done her homework. "The Heart's Desire" reads as if it were written with a quill dipped into ink, made visible by candlelight, at a small shop, on a quaint cobblestone street in England. Everything from the tone of the book to its language is impeccable as this historical novel takes you back to the fifteenth century. From the very first page, to the last, you feel enamored to these brave women, as they fight circumstances beyond their control. I cannot emphasize how well written Furtado's novel is and how much I enjoyed it. I was sorry to finish reading it. The characters are so real that I felt I had actually made their acquaintance. The Heart's Desire is the first installment in the Briarcrest Chronicles with book two hopefully on the horizon. I highly recommend the book to all you romantics out there.