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Untie My Heart
Untie My Heart
Author: Judith Ivory
Stuart Aysgarth, the new Viscount Mount Villiars, doesn't know he's playing with fire when he inadvertently runs afoul of Emma Hotchkiss. True, the exquisite Yorkshire lady is a mere sheep farmer, but she also guards a most colorful past that makes her only more appealing to the handsome, haunted lord. Emma has come to him seeking justic...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780739427422
ISBN-10: 0739427423
Publication Date: 2002
Pages: 355
Rating:
  • Currently 3.2/5 Stars.
 3

3.2 stars, based on 3 ratings
Publisher: Avon
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback
Members Wishing: 1
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

BrokenWing avatar reviewed Untie My Heart on
Helpful Score: 5
What a delightful romance. Offbeat, interesting characters and strong character development. The heroine, Emma, is a 30ish "plump" reformed con-artist widow who is trying to run her own Yorkshire sheep farm after the death of her alcoholic husband, also a reformed con artist, who was the local vicar.

The old viscount has died and the new viscount (Stuart) is the stuttering, son of an abusive father estranged from his father and living in Russia. He receives the notice from his solicitor three weeks after his father's death. In the meantime, his uncle has had him declared dead and looted his estates in an attempt to usurp the title. On his way to claim his estate and title, his speeding coach tramples to death Emma's only male lamb.

Emma is outraged that the lamb she had planned to use for breeding has been killed and writes the new viscount a letter demanding compensation for her loss. When he doesn't respond, she pays a personal visit to his estate and is told he is unavailable to meet with her.

Finally, she receives a visit from his under-secretary who offers her a bank draft of 10 pounds as recompense for her losses. She is outraged because she feels the lamb was worth much more as breeding stock and Yorkshire courts normally take into consideration the offspring that a lamb would have produced when calculating damages for killing a lamb.

She files suit in a local court and when she is awarded 50 pounds, the viscount appeals to a higher court in London. She is outraged because she doesn't have the money to travel to London and continue fighting him. She decides to obtain the money through devious means and swindles him out of the 50 pounds by posing as a temporary bookkeeper at his bank.

Wonderful character development, interesting plot about two less than perfect characters who overcome their tragic pasts to heal each other and find love in the process.
reviewed Untie My Heart on + 119 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This book should be 5 stars, its been a while since I laughed so much. Great, great read.
reviewed Untie My Heart on + 4 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
filled with desire, scandalous intrigue, and sensuality
greatdanelover avatar reviewed Untie My Heart on + 131 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
A great read! This is my first Judith Ivory story. Great characters. A mixture of intensity and humor. The humor comes unexpectedly and makes you laugh out loud. The love scenes are intense and well-executed. I'll read more of hers.
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reviewed Untie My Heart on + 503 more book reviews
Good book. I think it could have been improved with a bit more directness in the writing.

Unite My Heart is the tale of a burgeoning couple who have a bit of a predilection for something a bit rougher in the bedroom than you see in your usual romance. However Judith Ivory doesn't really come outright with the notion. The story and the characters were under-served in this aspect, as I think the vagueness of Ivory's writing could lead you to think badly of either character. And just when they finally have a direct conversation about the subject, Ivory rushes the scene forward in a manner that suggests perhaps they didn't "go there". Was she afraid of putting readers off? Or just afraid of the subject in general? Given the title of the book, and a curious love scene early in the book, I think the culmination, sexually, of all of that was a disappointment and left you at best, confused.

The story was Ivory's typical combination of a person in the ranks of British society who becomes fascinated with a person far below their station. The situation was kind of interesting - the couple has a very rocky (litigious) start and then agree to work on a grift together. The grift itself was a bit weak although I thought Ivory's research into grifters was interesting.

Some steamy scenes, but Ivory is a "penetration = orgasm" style writer.

Overall a good book but left me wanting more.

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