To Capture Love (Outside the Circle Mystery, #0)

Pauline Blackburn, or as her father call’s her Paul is not your everyday young woman balls and marriage doesn’t call for her but a piece of stone can sing to her. The third child Paul has finally convinced her parents all she wants is to sculpt, they agree she may follow her dream in exchange for five social events a season to which she readily agreed. Naturally, as a woman she can not sign her true name to her work, so she uses the name Paul Black hiding her secret from all. When a commission is offered for a commemorative statue of Geffory Livingston, a fallen member of his Majesty’s Dragoons who had proven himself in war and won the respect of England, hopefully, this would keep the people behind the war effort. His brother the Earl of Ashford had loved his brother dearly and missed him so much he had withdrawn to the country until the offer of a piece of art to revere his brother came. His problem now was meeting the chosen artist P. Black. A friend tells the Earl his brother’s friends are to be at a ball he decides to go, it there he meets a young lady for the second time her name is Pauline a beautiful lady who has all the men that knew his brother surrounding her. He feels a pull when he sees her and aims to know her better. When she is suddenly gone from society he searches for her never knowing she was in a cottage next to his estate working on her sculptor. Paul has met the Earl when she first came out and had never met another man that attracted her since then could she finally have a chance of winning his affection.
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I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

This was a nice short story. A woman sees a man she wants has the opportunity to go after him and does it. He is indifferent at first but she grows on him and he goes off to Scotland looking for her not realizing his information is incorrect. But in the end they both get together and vow their love and you have a happily ever after. The narrator did a good job on the story, keeping you interested through the whole story.

I received a free copy of this audio book from Story Origin for an honest review.

Stone was back from war with an injury that has left with a limp. His elder brother was not so lucky, leaving him the Earldom. His grief is overwhelming. He commissions a stature to honour the dead but the artest is a recluse. He got irritated waiting for a representative to meet with him and bumps into a young lady on his way out. Pauline has a secret, she is the reclusive sculptress. Stone finds her attractive but can her court her while she secretly finished the sculpture?

This wonderful historical romance pulls at your heart strings. The characters are well developed and likeable, making you want them to find happiness. They keep you entranced throughout the story. The narrative is well crafted and you can picture the time and setting of the story. The storyline is full of emotional drama and witty dialogue. The characters grow as individuals as the story progresses. I found this a delightful romances that left me feeling uplifted and wishing I had more books to read from this author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Pauline Blackburn left her father’s London townhouse to meet the curator of the British Museum who would introduce her to a new client, Major Livingston. Major Livingston had also recently become the new Earl of Ashford. Two weeks after being ordered home to London after a knee wound, he was told his brother, the Honorable Geoffrey Livingston, had died in that battle. He commissions a statue of Geoffrey to an artist simply known as P. Black.

As Pauline stepped outside, a bird blew overhead and messed on her bonnet! She ran back inside to make herself presentable again. She knew this client – she had fallen in love with him years ago, even though she had only met and danced with him once. When the carriage suddenly stopped, she discovered it was caused by an apple cart that had overturned and there was chaos in the street as horses, children, and birds scrambled to grab the apples. She jumped out of the carriage to run the two blocks to the Museum!

Matthew Robert (“Stone”) Livingston, the sixth Earl of Ashford, had a pounding headache and was frustrated that the sculptor was late. His knee injury which had not healed pained him, and he missed his deceased brother and parents. He could not bear waiting any longer and left the Museum, assisting a young woman who ran into him while racing up the steps. He did not remember her and hurried away.

The curator was upset to see P. Black was a woman and knew the Earl would not want that. Pauline suggested that, since the earl already believed the artist is a recluse, they just had to convince him he would not want to meet at all until the work was done. All she needed was a likeness of his brother. Her parents told her there was a ball coming up that might have men who knew Geoffrey. They contacted the family hosting the ball and suggested, as a way to honor fallen heroes, they invite to the ball the two troops of dragoons who arrived in town. And if Patterson went to Stone to tell him his brother’s friends would be there, perhaps he would attend as well. Pauline’s plan was coming together.

At the ball, Stone saw the troops gathered around someone. When they turned to greet him, he saw the young lady who ran into him at the Museum. Patterson told him they were telling her stories about Geoffrey, Stone added some of his own. He tried to find out from Pauline’s parents how to contact P. Black, but he was referred back to the Museum. The curator told him P. Black had gone on a retreat to prepare for the project. Pauline attended 4 more balls as she promised her mother she would, but Stone never showed up. She assumed he once again made a bad impression on him.

When the statues were completed, covered over to hide them, and transported to the Museum, soldiers had lined the street and saluted as the statues passed. Lines formed at the Museum to see this tribute to war’s true heroes, the soldiers who fought for them. Finally Stone managed to get through and demanded to meet the sculptor – and the curator pointed to Pauline! In shock, he turned and left the Museum. Had he hated her work? Had he felt betrayed by her? Or was it something else that overwhelmed him at that moment?

This is such a powerful story that brought tears to my eyes, reading how Pauline captured what Stone’s pain and reflected back to him what his brother would have wanted for him instead. A celebration of life, and a love for others. The story line was lovely, and the characters made a lasting impression. Grab your copy and see what happened at the unveiling and beyond. This book will hold the reader’s full attention from start to finish. Don’t let it pass you by!

Robert Stone Livingston returns from battle, a pained man. His brother Geoffrey has been killed in battle. Geoffrey’s death brings a extreme amount of grief and anger for Robert. He commissions a statue of Geoffrey to an artist simply known as P. Black. However, P. Black is a mysterious person that Robert has trouble coming in contact with and things are not as they seem. P. Black is a girl instead of a man. Robert’ unknowingly has formed an attachment to P. Black and things get interesting from there as Robert and the artist attempt to meet up. Robert keeps following P. Black also known as Pauline Blackbourne around and there back and forth adventures are well described.

Every place, action or thought in the story gets a basicwell written description. The main characters are well written. However at times it feels like too many characters are being presented and as a result the book is hard to follow and understand. The reader feels like they have missed part of the story at times with the addition of these characters.
The division of the book is well done making it easier to gauge your progress in the book.
To Capture Live shows t he horrors of war, and the pain that comes with death, friendships and love in basic well written descriptions. However it lacks substance at times and this loss of substance makes it a difficult read. Great plot but needs improving.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.