Who knew....well, a lot of you did....that C.S. Harris has old books under Candice Proctor. Somehow, I discovered this really late and was really excited to try.

I'm not at all sorry. This was a rich, detailed, fully fleshed romance. Candice Proctor got some pages to do the work in (maybe too many pages, an editing pen would've helped some places although the writing is stunning, some of it was repetitive.) Character-driven and I've got dog-eared pages (I couldn't find any Proctor for Kobo so used paperbacks it is!)

What I really loved about this? All the grand gestures--everything really--came from a heroine refusing to accept her fate (eventually) and doing something about it. Major self-sacrifice, plotting, first kisses...all to spare the hero but still keep him safe. She's a very romantic heroine. The hero was slightly harder to know, and slightly more one-dimensional. I just didn't see enough of his POV. I did love Jessie's brother, Warrick and his storyline, as well as other characters rounding out the story. The ending was slightly contrived, but eh, it was a fun one.

I'm looking forward to working my way through the stack of paperbacks I've amassed from this author--so glad to see I had some straight romance options from her. And as usual, her historical settings were amazing.

I'll maybe add some quotes later... ( )

WOH is set in Australia on the island of Tasmania in 1840. Jesmond Corbett has just returned home to Tasmania after two years abroad studying geology. While she was away her beloved father died and now her disapproving, controlling mother is pressuring her to set a date to wed her long time fiancé, Harrison Tate, a neighboring wealthy landowner. Their engagement was arranged by her father before she left and Jessie is resigned to the marriage. They have been friends since childhood but Harrison does not stir her emotions and Jessie can't help feeling restless and reluctant to marry. Harrison loves her but his prim and proper demeanor and demands of obedience makes her question the arrangment.

Australia was established as a penal colony and English families, such as Jessie's, came and settled there to take advantage of the cheap convict labor and amass vast fortunes. Lucas Gallagher is a convict laborer on the Corbett homestead and has been transported for life with no hope of parole. Lucas works in the quarries but when Jessie's brother Warwick discovers his talent with horses, he assigns him to the stables where Lucas meets Jessie and immediately becomes her groom. Lucas spends his time taming the magnificent horse Jessie brought back from England and accompanying Jessie on her ramblings over the estate.

Jessie is fascinated with Lucas and their growing attraction quickly becomes dangerous. In Australian society it is strictly taboo for anyone to wed an emancipated convict, let alone one who has no hope of a pardon. Add to this conflict the fact that Lucas is desperate to escape and you have an overwhelming sense of doom and hopelessness in their relationship.

This is one of the most unique historicals I have read in a long time and I found it a powerful, emotional, and truly unforgettable story. The setting was beautifully described and the characters were authentic and well-developed. The historical detail seemed accurate with an intriguing plot filled with conflict and sexual tension. Throughout the book I could not see how these two would ever get a happy ending, but they did and it was perfect. The secondary characters were also realistic without descending into stereotyping. Proctor is such a talented author it's a real shame she no longer writes romance. (Grade: A) ( )

Whispers of Heaven is a refreshing departure from the norm in its choice of setting - Tasmania. Candice Proctor evokes the sights, smells, and sounds of this colonial island so beautifully, I wish I could visit it. I can't say, however, that the romance between the main characters, Jesmond Corbett and Irish convict Lucas Gallagher who works on her estate, was the strongest or most compelling aspect of the book. Given their identities, their love is star crossed and seemingly doomed. They are divided by family, society, past, and prejudices. Proctor paints Tasmanian society so well that the obstacles dividing the two - the stigma of being a convict, the demands of Jesmond's position (she's also betrothed to her childhood friend Harrison Tate) - are rendered stark and believable, so that their relationship really does feel like a tragedy - a bit dramatic, but still so sad. Even though I knew they were supposed to end up together in the end, while I was caught up in the story, I wondered how things could possibly work out and felt their pain and despair. No fluff and fun here. But there's just something lacking between the two of them, chemistry perhaps, that left me feeling a bit dissatisfied in this respect. Individually their characters are superbly done - Jesmond's path to self discovery and freedom is great to follow and Lucas is very steamy - not that there's not more to him than that : )

Despite the less than breathtaking nature of the romance, I still enjoyed the book immensely, proof that it is strong enough in other areas. Proctor's way of representing all the other sundry characters in the book completely won me over - no one is evil, no one is perfect (except for maybe Lucas - his railings against British tyranny can seem a bit preachy.) Even Harrison is human. They all have their own problems, their own pains and joys and hopes. The relationship between Jesmond's brother Warrick and her friend, the sister of her betrothed, Phillipa Tate, was where I found powerful romance in this book, and I wish they had been the stars. Still, the ending was one of the better ones I have came across - it really gripped me as I cheered Jesmond and Lucas on to their happily ever after, so overall, a very well done book. ( )

Historical romance novel set along the coast of Tasmania. Jesmond Corbett has been to school in England and returns home. Engaged since childhood to a wealthy neighbor, Jessie doesn't expect the mysterious stranger who works in the stables, a man with searing eyes who haunts her dreams and awakens passions she never knew existed.

This is one of my top 5 all time favourite books and if you've checked my library here, you'll know just how much I think of this book. This is primarily the story of Jessica Corbett a young woman who has just returned to her home in Tasmania after spending a few years in school in England. She slowly begins questioning her life with Lucas Gallagher a young Irish convict acting as a catalyst. As she learns more about him her world begins to expand until finally she is willing to take a life-changing step because of her love for Lucas. A truly wonderful book, I can't recommend this one enought ( )