Caroline Linden, $0.99
Historical Romance, 2013
For this month, the theme of the TBR Challenge is “More than One” – basically, a book by an author who appears more than once in my mountain range-like pile of unread books. That is not exactly an exciting theme, and I am also spoiled for choices. Never mind, I thought at first, why not improvise. “More than one”, huh… how about one of those threesome romances? I decided to dig through my electronic pile of unread books, but for some reason, I couldn’t locate any story that features more than two people going at it. There were several with tentacles, one with carnivorous plants… no, no threesome. Oh well, in the end I decided to settle on something more down to earth – a short story! And to make it more in line with the theme, there will be “more than one” TBR Challenge review this month, haw, haw.
Oh don’t groan, we can’t all lead exciting lives.
Written in My Heart is a pretty cute tale of Jane Barton, a young lady who leads a simple life as a seamstress in the village of Caxby-on-Avon. However, like the rest of England, the men of this village enlisted to fight in the war against Napoleon, and among them are Ethan Campbell, the glorious hunk who has Jane’s heart in his hand, only he never knew it as he saw her in a more sisterly/friendly light all the while when they were growing up together. Jane knows that she is in love with him, however, and she has faithfully written to him in the last three years while he was abroad doing his thing.
Now, the war is over, and Jane sits by the window while she works, hoping to see Ethan come walking down the lane one day. She even takes care of his dog. Of course, her letters have kept Ethan going all this while, so when a fellow buddy from the army wonders aloud whether Ethan is in love with her, Ethan is like, “Hahaha… hey, wait, could it be?”
So, will Jane’s dogged “I have no life but Ethan, and I have sat here all my life in this corner waiting for him to notice me” kind of devotion finally be rewarded? Will this be one more romance made happening thanks to Napoleon deciding to wave his big stick around Europe?
Well, duh, of course.
This is a short story, and it’s exactly how you think it would go. The characters are more interesting apart, as when they get together it becomes painfully obvious that a big part of their attraction to one another is due to the larger-than-life Mr or Miss Amazing fantasies they have of the other person in their heads. Fortunately, the story doesn’t dwell much on what happens when they finally get together, so it’s best to think that they’d be alright. No getting all annoyed that he leaves the toilet seat up, no arguments over who gets to sleep on the left side of the bed, just everything coming up roses.
Written in My Heart is sweet, easy to read, and easier to digest. And then it’s over and it’s time to read something else. Life goes on, and that’s about it.
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