The Indentured Heart
By Barbara Raffin 

Madness is in the eye of the beholder . . .

     Controversy surrounds the Mistress of Hillhouse, Megan McCall, concerning the death of her husband and her unborn child. The carriage accident not only claimed the lives of her family, but also left her crippled and unable to walk. It is rumored that she was responsible for the horrific crash that sent the carriage plunging over the embankment that left death and destruction in its fiery path. The new widow’s sole survival rests heavily upon the shipbuilding business she inherited from her father’s untimely death—believed to be from the hands of ruthless pirates. She is determined to make a success of the failing business and refuses to allow her inability to walk to slow down her progress. She purchases the indentureship of Royce Devlin. Royce’s primary duty will be to use his apparent strength to carry her wherever she needs to venture. He will provide her the means of portability to live her life as normally as possible. How will she feel when she learns of the crime that earned him his indentureship?

Looks can be deceiving . . .

     Royce Devlin had been condemned to serve in Newgate for the crime of pirating. In exchange for his prison sentence, he agreed to serve fourteen years as an indentured servant. He finds himself placed upon a ship bound for America. Upon reaching his destination, he is surprised to learn his papers were bought by a frail looking woman. Closer inspection reveals Megan McCall is not the timid woman he first envisioned her to be, in her eyes he sees a hard look of determination and a spark of madness. Could he convince her to trust him enough to allow him the opportunity to rescue her damaged heart? Or would he be putting his own life in danger?

     Barbara Raffin has written a superb historical romance. Her plot is loaded with intriguing elements of mystery, suspense, and a double portion of love and romance. I found her characters to be very well developed and very easy to adapt to their many challenging conflicts. Ms. Raffin is a writer with a fresh voice that sparkles like crystal water. Her eye opening approach to writing is sure to set the romance industry on fire!