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To Tame a Wild Heart

To Tame a Wild Heart

List Price: $6.50
Your Price: $6.50
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Poignant and emotional
Review: 1796

A devastating carriage accident involving a duke's wife, daughter, maid and her daughter opens this tale, hooking readers from page one.

1813

Sarah knows only that the Murphys found her wandering the Highlands at about age four. With rags as clothes, a panflute we later find out she uses to communicate with animals, and an expensive emerald ring in her possession, Sarah has no memory of how she came to be in the area. The Murphys took her in and sold the ring for the money. Twenty-one years later Sarah has moved into her own croft and is content with her lot in life -- until the day her
"father" comes for her, having traced her by following the trail of the sold ring.

Colin Murray, Earl of Cawdor and the heir before Sarah's return, is recruited to see to it that she is educated and polished to take her place in society as befits a duke's daughter. Colin is told in no uncertain terms that Sarah is not for him to dally with. The duke hopes the couple will benefit each other -- Colin teaching Sarah the rules of the ton, Sarah teaching Colin how to return to the man he was before leaving the country estate for
London.

Tracy Fobes is a master storyteller with an imagination that knows no bounds. TO TAME A WILD HEART is filled with endearing, charming characters, both human and animal. An unexpected and poignant secondary romance is integral to Sarah and Colin finding their own happiness. Sarah's unusual and magical rapport with animals is a delight to witness, as is Colin's transformation from London rake to hero. Several unexpected twists, turns and surprises
make this a fast-paced, engaging read.

I highly recommend TO TAME A WILD HEART as an enthralling and emotional love story not to be missed.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Exciting, amusing, and fast paced
Review: In 1796 Scotland, the highwaymen chase after the carriage bearing the Duchess of Argyle, her little daughter Sarah, and their servants including another child. Trying to outrun their pursuers, the carriage goes off the side of a cliff. Everyone seems dead, but a local farming family finds a little girl wandering the moors.

In 1813, through the sale of a family ring, the Duke of Argyle hears about a feral female with an uncanny ability to talk with the animals. She is the right age and name to be his little girl Sarah. She possesses a panflute, which makes the Duke believe he found his daughter. He persuades her to accompany him to their home while asking his current heir Colin Murray to help him polish Sarah. If Sarah is the daughter of the Duke, Colin has much to lose, but that cannot stop him from losing his heart to her. She draws him into her world searching for the unicorn that she insists saved her life when she was injured during the nasty carriage incident years ago.

TO TAME A WILD HEART changes Mowgie's gender and adoptive species (from wolves to humans) while placing him in a Regency Pygmalion. The story line is exciting, amusing, and fast paced as readers observe a tale on manners sort of like The School for Scandal. Though some fans will feel the subplot involving a unicorn search is unnecessary, it is well written and adds a charming twist to the novel. Still, this is Sarah's story and she engages the audience whether she wanders the moors or the ballrooms.

Harriet Klausner

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fantasy-filled Scottish historical
Review: In a tale combining myth with nineteenth century Scottish history, Ms. Fobes has created a unique read.

The Duke of Argyll lost his wife and daughter, Sarah, to a tragic carriage accident in 1796. In 1813, Edinburgh, Scotland, Colin Murray, Earl of Cawdor and heir to the Duke of Argyll, discovered an emerald just like the one worn by the deceased Duchess of Argyll. Mr. Murphy, a Highland farmer, pawned the ring after he took it from Sarah, the orphaned girl he found wandering the moors seventeen years before.

When the Duke locates Sarah, he deems her his daughter and asks that she return with him to Inveraray, his ducal estate. Reluctantly, Sarah agrees to return, though she has no memory of the Duke as her father. And Sarah doesn't want to leave behind the animals that she has learned to communicate with using her pan flute.

At the Duke's request, Colin returns to Inveraray, to aid in the transformation of Sarah. With the help of Phineas Graham, the Duke's man of business, Sarah becomes a real lady. The attraction between Colin and Sarah is very real, but the Duke has forbidden a match between them. Poor Sarah begins to lose a part of herself, stops communicating with the animals, and almost forgets her quest to find the white unicorn.

Ms. Fobes has successfully achieved the task of integrating elements of fantasy into a historical novel. Without being overly fanciful, Sarah's quest of the white unicorn is used in almost an allegorical manner allowing it to mesh perfectly with the main story line. The reformation of the rake, Colin, is more believable than some as it takes place in a gradual and somewhat self-awakening manner. For a story to warm your heart and stay with you for a long time, TO TAME A WILD HEART can't be beat.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I could not put this book down!
Review: Magic of the characters in this book plus a unicorn and a girl who speaks to animlas. This book is great for every romance book reader! It is not just steam from the pages, it is a real story! With mystery, love, lust, greed, and magic!
Read this book!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Romance with a mystical flare!
Review: Sarah Murphy was found on the Scottish moors as a child of for and taken in by Mr. and Mrs. Murphy. They sheltered her more because they wanted an extra hand on the farm then out of charity, but she grew up to be a beautiful and talented asset to the her adopted village. Her playing a pan flute allows her to communicate with animals, wild and domestic. This helps her to heal the sheep and cows when they are sick.

17 years earlier the Duke of Arglye's wife and daughter were on there way to visit a Scottish noblewoman and were attacked by bandits. The duke's right hand mand Phineas was with them and watched in horror as their carriage plunged over a cliff, thinking there could not possibly be any survivors.

The Earl of Cawdor was named the Dukes heir as his only living relative. His parents left him to be raised by the Duke at the age of 11 as they fled from scandal to the continent. The Duke sent Collin off to the city to gain polish years ago and sorrowed when he didn't come back, but instead took to the ways of his parents.

Collin has found a ring that belonged to the Duke's wife in a pawnshop and done some research. He found the Murphy's and the Duke travelled to their farm to hear the story of the little girl they had raised as their own. He is convinced Sarah is his daughter.

Sarah is brought to the Duke's castle and given lessons in being a noblewoman from both Phineas and Collin, but she is more interested in the wildlife around the castle then the stuffy life that goes on inside.

This book has a magical note that is a lot of fun. The people of Sarah's village called her a fairy changling, and she seems to have strange powers. If you like a little magic mixed in with the romance, this is the book for you.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: OK
Review: Sigh, I don't know what else to write about this book in my one liner space except "OK". The main characters, Colin and Sarah were likable enough, but I cannot garner any feelings of excitement for this story. They never quite piqued my interest. Maybe it is because the characters could be any character from any story.

Sarah has some special abilities, allowing her to communicate with animals. Unfortunately, the reason for this is never explored, and the one animal she needs to communicate with, she is unable to. Why bother with this plot devise then? Her relationship with Colin is also very predictable. I hate you - I love you - I hate you - I love you. I think my main problem with this story lies in the fact that I can't tell if it is supposed to be a Regency (is that the time period it was set in?), a fairy tale, or a My Fair Lady/Cinderella story. Instead of being a little of each, I didn't get a feeling of any.

Colin is your typical reform-the-rake lead. He has two personalities, and of course the conscientious landowner wins out over the licentious socialite. Our vindictive scorned female adds nothing to the story and only adds to the predictability. I started reading Ms. Fobes' books with her first one, Touch Not the Cat and I loved that story. In every subsequent book, she is losing my interest more and more.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: OK
Review: Sigh, I don't know what else to write about this book in my one liner space except "OK". The main characters, Colin and Sarah were likable enough, but I cannot garner any feelings of excitement for this story. They never quite piqued my interest. Maybe it is because the characters could be any character from any story.

Sarah has some special abilities, allowing her to communicate with animals. Unfortunately, the reason for this is never explored, and the one animal she needs to communicate with, she is unable to. Why bother with this plot devise then? Her relationship with Colin is also very predictable. I hate you - I love you - I hate you - I love you. I think my main problem with this story lies in the fact that I can't tell if it is supposed to be a Regency (is that the time period it was set in?), a fairy tale, or a My Fair Lady/Cinderella story. Instead of being a little of each, I didn't get a feeling of any.

Colin is your typical reform-the-rake lead. He has two personalities, and of course the conscientious landowner wins out over the licentious socialite. Our vindictive scorned female adds nothing to the story and only adds to the predictability. I started reading Ms. Fobes' books with her first one, Touch Not the Cat and I loved that story. In every subsequent book, she is losing my interest more and more.


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