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    Vying for the Viscount
    Vying for the Viscount
    Vying for the Viscount
    Audiobook9 hours

    Vying for the Viscount

    Written by Kristi Ann Hunter

    Narrated by Ann Marie Gideon

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    For Hudson, the newly titled Viscount Stildon, moving to England from India where he was born and raised was already an arduous enough endeavor. When he learns the fate of the racing empire he inherited along with his title depends upon him getting in the good graces of another stable owner, he's even more at a loss.

    The stable at the neighboring estate has been Miss Bianca Snowley's refuge for years, and when a strange man appears to be stealing the horses, she jumps to their protection without a second thought. Upon learning Hudson is actually the new owner, she can't help but be intrigued by the area's newest eligible bachelor.

    Any thought of romance is quickly set aside, however, when Hudson proposes they work together to secure suitable spouses for each other. As their friendship grows, Hudson and Bianca begin to reconsider what they truly want in life. But will societal expectations and the weight of their responsibilities keep them from pursuing their true desires?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateAug 4, 2020
    ISBN9781980088202
    Vying for the Viscount
    Author

    Kristi Ann Hunter

    Kristi Ann Hunter is the author of the Hawthorne House series and a 2016 RITA Award winner, an ACFW Genesis contest winner, and a Georgia Romance Writers Maggie Award for Excellence winner. She lives with her husband and three children in Georgia. For more information, visit www.kristiannhunter.com.

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    Reviews for Vying for the Viscount

    4.5/5

    58 ratings8 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Not a beginner author, she artfully weaves a story using varied sentence structure, multifaceted characters that grow as the story unfolds, and unique phrases-not trite overused wording. Highly recommend!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Clean historical romance. Enjoyed so much. My favorite of this series.
    • 5/5
      Vying for the Viscount by Kristi Ann Hunter lived up to the hype. The story held my attention from the beginning, and I delighted in returning to the novel nightly. Filled with flowing prose and good storytelling, it’s the kind of book that makes reading a joy. I cheered for Hudson and Bianca (who I found especially charming and relatable). The setting felt fresh although historical romances set in England are common in Christian Fiction. Having horses as integral to the plot made me love the book even more.Vying for the Viscount stands as the first installment in Kristi Ann Hunter’s Hearts on the Heath series. It reads fine as a standalone, but I enjoyed it so much, I’m eager to start into book two! Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.
    • 4/5
      I love books by Kristi Ann Hunter. I love her author's voice, her stories, her witty dialogue, the vein of spirituality throughout her stories, and the feel-good endings. I have an entire shelf of one of my bookcases dedicated to Kristi's books, and I'm not opposed to accommodating more. To be honest, Regency isn't my preferred genre or time period. It's not even my second fav. Even so, Kristi Ann Hunter is one of my favorite authors and its impossible for me to pass up one of her books.Okay. Enough gushing about the author. Now it's time to gush about the cover of Vying for the Viscount. The cover art is eye-catching, unique, and so nicely layered. The woman on the cover is exactly how I picture Bianca, and the horses emphasize their part in this story.Now, for the characters... I adore Bianca Snowley. I love her untraditional ways, her sense of self, and her realization of how mundane her life felt prior to meeting Hudson. She is often ignored but doesn't drown in self-pity. She's a mere afterthought from her selfish stepmother, yet that doesn't level Bianca’s strength either. She's her own woman, confident in her own skin and in her abilities, yet still soft along the edges.I also enjoy Hudson Stildon. It is exciting to discover he isn’t a dashing, well-put-together hero. He's rather out of place, awkward, and lost. I find that rather charming and am invested in him in every aspect of his life. Particularly in him finding inner strength and having faith in his decisions. His friendship with Bianca feels authentic and I appreciate how they communicate with each other.Mr. Whitworth and the other secondary characters add so much depth and meaning to the story. They now feel familiar, as if I’ve visited Regency England. I have very little knowledge of horses, but this story made me want to saddle up and stay a little longer at Hawksworth stables. I look forward to book 2 in this series!I received a complimentary copy of this book.
    • 4/5
      Beautiful gowns, festive balls, and life at an English estate...what more could a young maiden want? How about a horse? Bianca Snowley loves horses more than she loves the perks of English society but her visits to a neighboring stable may soon end because there's a new owner. Fortunately, for Bianca, this new owner is in need of help and a deal is struck. She will help Hudson as he assumes his role as Viscount Stildon and he will allow Bianca continued access to his stable. They will also help each other find a suitable mate and all will be well. And then, as in real life, the complications begin. Hudson and Bianca develop a common respect and, as their friendship deepens, the possibility that they will find anyone good enough for the other seems less and less likely!Vying for the Viscount is a delightful tale of a spunky heroine willing to fight for what she wants, a well-meaning hero who is in over his head, and several other colorful characters that you either love or hate, including a step-mother determined to find Bianca a suitable husband, and Aaron Whitworth, the stable manager who deserves his own story! Best of all, there is a romance that makes your heart flutter and your imagination soar as you supply your own interpretation. Author Kristi Ann Hunter has written another enjoyable story and fans of sweet Regency romance will love this first book in the Hearts on the Heath series. It has everything that you look for in a Regency novel!I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was in no way obligated to write a positive review and these are my own opinions.
    • 5/5
      This has to be one of my favorite books this year. This made me laugh in so many places. I love that the author used characters from other series to help the main characters in this story. I loved Hudson and Bianca. These two were very similar and didn’t see it at first. I do hope that we get to know more about Aaron. I can’t wait for the next book in this series. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
    • 5/5
      "It isn't the comfort that makes the love good. It's the life that makes their love good."Kristi Ann Hunter will never disappoint in bringing her readers a beautifully created Regency world full of high society and romance, laced with humor, wit, and delightful characters and wrapped with melodic, lyrical prose. Vying for the Viscount is a fantastic start to her newest series Hearts on the Heath and it brings us to Newmarket where horse-racing is king and horse-breeding the talk of town. I must admit it took me longer than usual to finish this book because I wanted to savor every word written on every page and hold on to the sumptuous experience of lingering on in the conversations and thoughts. The author's novels are known to draw you in to the characters' lives and have you live within them but this book grabbed a certain part of my heart and soul from the very beginning. If you are a fan of Regency romance, this is a must-read book for you. Our hero Hudson is absolutely adorable and lovable in his naivete and innocence about the traitorous and convoluted English high society which is so different from India where he grew up. His loyalty, sense of humor, humility, and thoughtfulness garner him friends as he learns to navigate the horse-breeding and racing culture that he's inherited from his grandfather. Bianca is an unconventional, outspoken, funny horse-loving gentlewoman who is being forced into a "profitable match" by her stepmother. Bianca's tender and compassionate heart encourages friendship with her lost and confused neighbor Hudson and even has her guiding him in society and functions to acquire the proper wife but they're not prepared for what their friendship will lead to.I also enjoyed seeing the characters from the previous series again - so much fun!I received a copy of the book from Bethany House Publishers and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.
    • 5/5
      Vying for the Viscount by Kristi Ann Hunter is the first book in her new series Hearts on the Heath, published by Bethany House Publishers. The story is set in Newmarket, Suffolk 1817 and is about Hudson, Viscount Stildon, who has just arrived from India where he was born and raised. Having listened to local gossip he finds himself in an extensive group of bachelors hoping to court one of the country’s most eligible single women who has a prize winning stallion as her unofficial dowry. He meets volunteer horse trainer and neighbor Bianca Snowley who shows up every morning to exercise one of his horses. Hudson hires Miss Snowley to help him learn how to move about in society without making a fool of himself.Main character Hudson, Viscount Stildon, is knowledgeable about horses but confused about the ins and outs of English society and customs. He seems a likeable character who is able to look past social prejudices to view each person’s individual merits. Much like we would today.Secondary character Bianca Snowley has a difficult relationship to her stepmother reminiscent of Cinderella. I felt sorry for her, but I was pleased to see she stood up to her stepmother more as the story progressed. Bianca was my favorite character of this story.I found the plot rather unique, as I have not read a story which centers on horses like this one. Main ideas of the plot is what people are willing to do to gain better positions by wealth or inheritance and deals with class distinction and social prejudices relating to children born out of wedlock.I love the light hearted and funny writing style with a friendly bantering dialogue and great atmosphere. I felt each character was very well thought out, beautifully described and perfectly placed into the plot. I loved that the story included characters from Kristi Ann Hunter's Uncommon Courtship, book 3 in Hawthorne House Series.My favorite part of this story was Holden’s adjustment to English society and the romance development between him and Bianca. It started with easygoing, bantering friendship. Romance was developing slowly between them when they were looking the other way.My least favorite part of the story was how Bianca was treated by her stepmother. A terrible, conniving character that would make Cinderella’s stepmother seem almost kind hearted.Back in India, Hudson felt God was distant from his life and he didn’t attend church. He starts attending church sermons and reading the Bible and reflects on his faith more and he gradually comes to trust God’s plan. Vying for the Viscount (Hearts on the Heath #1) is the unique story set in horse racing environment with great character building and light hearted and bantery writing style. I would recommend it to anyone, and I eagerly await next installment. Readers of historical romance fiction would enjoy it too. Similar authors to explore might be Sarah M. Eden or Julie Klassen.Thank you to Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley for this eARC which gave me the opportunity to share my honest review. All opinions are completely my own.My rating: 5 stars / 5Main reasons: innovative plot, great character building, fabulous writing and dialogue