Jack of Hearts
Grade : B+

Jack of Hearts is romance with a social conscience, and an entertaining read to boot. The heroine is the daughter of a mill-owner while the hero is an impoverished viscount who needs to marry for money. At first glance, they don't sound like a very romantic couple, but Farrell makes their love story a sweet one. Along the way she manages to tackle important issues such as factory conditions and the treatment of veterans. As an added bonus, Elspeth and Val, the hero and heroine from Red, Red Rose are an integral part of this novel.

Anne Heriot is the daughter of a self-made man who made his fortune in textile mills. A practical woman, Anne knows she can better her social standing by marrying a titled but poor man. She has her solicitor draw up a list of three likely candidates and heads to London for the little season. She plans to meet her prospective grooms, return to her Yorkshire home for Christmas, than make the final decision in the spring.

Jack Belden, Viscount Aldborough, is on her list - but as far as Anne is concerned, he is in last place. His dark good looks and melancholy air have earned him the epithet "Jack of Hearts," and Anne has no intention of adding her heart to his collection. Although Jack had never intended to marry for money, his inheritance of a near-bankrupt estate (and guardianship of his two younger cousins) makes a wealthy wife a necessity. Jack quickly comes to like Anne, but he can sense that he is in last place in the race for her hand.

The two of them are thrown together at Christmas, when they are both guests of Elspeth and Val Aston. Elspeth and Anne were schoolmates, and Elspeth and Val both knew Jack during the war. As Anne spends time with Jack, she begins to see him in a more favorable light, but she is still leery of trusting him with her heart, and finds herself inclined to favor one of the other candidates. Jack, on the other hand, is quite sure that he wants Anne for more than just her money, especially when problems with her mills arise and it seems that her life might be in danger. Can the practical Anne learn to trust her true feelings?

Jack of Hearts is not a fast-paced romance loaded with sexual tension. The reader must be patient as the relationship between Jack and Anne slowly develops. The strength in this book lies in the well-crafted characters, and author Farrell takes her time as she portrays their individual growth. This is most obvious with Anne, who at the start of the book is practical but a little spoiled. She's a smart woman who has enjoyed keeping the accounts for her father's mills, but she's never thought about the people whose labor helps pay for her fine lifestyle. That changes during the course of the book as Anne thinks for herself about the working conditions in her factories and what she can do to improve them. Her feelings about the factories are also tied to her feelings about her late father, who was a supportive but somewhat cold man. Anne must learn to think for herself and embrace the love that Jack offers.

Initially, Jack's character is not explored as fully as Anne's, but as the story progresses and he falls in love with her, his character really shines. Farrell does a superb job of showing how his feelings develop. If you're tired of reading about relationships based only on attraction, you will particularly enjoy Jack. Since he worked with many Spanish peasants during the war, he has quite an egalitarian bent himself, and he admires Anne for her growing social conscience. He also spends a lot of time thinking about the type of partnership he and Anne could form in their marriage. I found that I liked him more and more as the book went on.

The one problem here is that the plot involving the danger to Anne and an incident in one of her mills is not entirely resolved. It wasn't really pivotal to the romance plot, so the lack of resolution in this area didn't bother me overmuch.

If you enjoy history and thoughtful characterization, Jack of Hearts is quite a treat. Farrell's audience seems to be growing, and her writing just keeps getting better. I'll be looking forward to her next book.

Reviewed by Blythe Smith
Grade : B+

Sensuality: Subtle

Review Date : February 10, 2000

Publication Date: 2000

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Blythe Smith

I've been at AAR since dinosaurs roamed the Internet. I've been a Reviewer, Reviews Editor, Managing Editor, Publisher, and Blogger. Oh, and Advertising Corodinator. Right now I'm taking a step back to concentrate on kids, new husband, and new job in law...but I'll still keep my toe in the romance waters.
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