My Heart Will Find You: A Novel
by Jude Deveraux
Publisher: MIRA
Release Date: April 11, 2023
Reviewed by PJ
Their love refused to stay quiet, echoing across time…
When the world is brought to a standstill in the early days of a global pandemic, Etta Wilmont finds herself suddenly stranded in Kansas City. Desperate to secure a roof over her head, Etta crosses paths with Henry Logan, a lonely older man in need of a caretaker. His invitation for Etta to stay with him seems to be the solution to both their problems—and maybe the spontaneous adventure Etta’s life has been missing.
As Etta and Henry settle into a companionable living arrangement, Etta indulges in Henry’s library. The compelling historical accounts of life in the Midwest soon inspire vivid dreams of Kansas City in the 1870s, dreams in which she’s a mail-order bride, married to a handsome but guarded rancher named Maxwell Lawton.
Haunted by the story unfolding in her mind, Etta realizes her dreams of the past and the familiar faces featured within are starting to have an impact on the present, altering her current reality. Perhaps these dreams are Etta’s chance to finally claim something for herself after so much time spent caring for others. More than anything, Etta wonders if the captivating man she’s falling for while she sleeps might be real, might be out there—true love waiting to be found and which would change both their lives forever.
PJ's Thoughts:
I'm one of those people who sobbed at the end of Jude Deveraux's A Knight in Shining Armor but not for the reason you might think. I loved the book but was desperately unhappy with that ending. So why was I eager to read the author's newest time-travel romance? Because I had faith that she wouldn't let me down twice. I am happy to say she did not. My tears at the end of this book were definitely of the happy reader variety. Did I have to suspend disbelief to accept what happened? We're talking about traveling through time here. Of course, I did. But did I care? Nope, not in the least.
It felt weird and, I'll be honest, a little triggering to read the first couple chapters of this book. It's set in the beginning stages of the pandemic when the world was shutting down and fear was setting in. Once I got beyond those first chapters though the focus shifted to Etta's time in Henry's home in present day and frontier life in the 1870's. I quickly became immersed in the characters' stories and while I didn't forget about the pandemic, it moved to the background and wasn't a key factor in my thoughts anymore.
Deveraux really brought these characters to life and made me care about them. Along with the well-developed characters (both primary and secondary), she also provided a stunningly realistic picture of 1870's Kansas. I could visualize the surroundings and events of that time as clearly as a movie across my mind. I was with Etta every step of the way and, boy howdy, did I fall hard for Max. So many layers this man has.
I was fascinated by the dreaming "time slips" used to transport Etta between time periods and the small changes each time that led Etta and Henry (and me) to wonder if they were really dreams or actual time travel. It was such a clever method to use. Each time Etta awoke, I prayed even harder for Max to be real and for a solution to let them be together for a lifetime. It didn't even matter to me in which time period they lived.
Etta and Max, a rich cast of secondary characters, in both time periods, and more than a few twists kept me glued to the pages and wondering how it would all play out. Even in the final chapter I still didn't know! This was the Jude Deveraux writing I fell in love with many years ago along with an ending I could happily wrap my heart around even if I had to suspend disbelief to do so. Again, not a problem.
Do you enjoy time-travel romance? Do you have any favorites?
Have you read Jude Deveraux?
Do unknown people or periods of time ever weave their way into your dreams?
One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, April 12 will receive a hardback copy of My Heart Will Find You.
*U.S. only
*Must be 18
