Title: Catherine's Heart

Author: Lawana Blackwell

Publisher: Bethany House

ISBN: 1-589-19966-9

Genre: Inspirational/Historical/Romancee

For the first time in her life, Catherine Rayborn is on her own, but her structured, sheltered childhood has ill-prepared her to face the world, especially handsome, beguiling men.

Leaving her parents and younger sister in Bombay, the eighteen-year-old travels to Cambridge, England to attend college. On the train from London, she meets Peggy Somerset, who quickly becomes her best friend. Hugh Segdwick, a fourth year Cambridge student, gains Catherine’s attention and ire with a foolish prank he pulls on the train. Though angry with him, Catherine can’t erase his handsome face and lop-sided smile from her mind. Will a decision made in a moment of jealousy cause Catherine to lose her friendship with Peggy and a possible relationship with Hugh?

While staying with relatives during the summer break, Catherine meets Lord Sidney Holt and thoughts of Hugh are soon relegated to the back of her mind. She is quickly enamored with the older man even though her family warns her about his darker side and forbids her to see him again. Catherine is certain they are mistaken, and even though she has caught tiny glimpses of his temper, Lord Holt has been only kind and generous to her. In order to spend time with her handsome suitor, Catherine ignores her conscience and finds herself caught in a web of lies and deceit. Soon Catherine faces the ultimate betrayal by someone very dear to her.

Can an innocent, sheltered young woman learn she is a person of value even if she is not entangled in a romance? Will Catherine turn to God and find the fulfillment she is so desperate for or seek contentment in the arms of another man?

Catherine's Heart is the endearing story of a young woman leaving home for the first time. In Catherine’s character, Lawana Blackwell expertly shows the hopes and dreams of a naïve teenager whose heart is turned each time a man shows interest. Readers will easily relate to Catherine’s need for love and acceptance while feeling the pain of her friend’s betrayal. The depth of characterization will keep you enthralled in this story. I especially liked Catherine’s badly behaved cousins – every parent’s nightmare!

Though this a quite a long book, the plot moves steadily along, and I never lost interest. I found myself stopping to read each time I had a free moment. Lawana Blackwell does a marvelous job showing the time period of 1880s England in her descriptions of clothing and scenery. Catherine's Heart is the second book in Ms. Blackwell’s Tales of London series and is the fascinating sequel to The Maiden of Mayfair. You won’t be disappointed.