A Most Noble Heir

March 15, 2018

On her deathbed, Nolan Price's mother reveals that his father is the Earl of Stainsby, whom she had secretly married. Now a stablehand, Nolan realizes that once he is officially recognized and accepted into the nobility, he will be unable to marry beneath his station, threatening his future with Hannah Burnham, a kitchen maid. As Nolan grapples with the ways of the aristocratic world, he sees his future moving further away from its original trajectory, and marriage to Hannah seems but a faded dream at best. VERDICT An immersive narrative and sympathetic characters are highlights of this heartwarming novel from Mason (Love's Faithful Promise) about the importance of family, the power of love, and the faith to pursue your heart's desire. For readers seeking a well-written Victorian romance in the vein of Laura Frantz or Jocelyn Green.

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from March 1, 2018
Nolan Price is a stable hand whose dreams are about to come true: a farm to call his own, kitchen maid Hannah, the love of his life, by his side, and the identity of his real father revealed. But when it's disclosed that Nolan is the son of the unfeeling Earl of Stainsby and heir to the Fairchild estate, he is suddenly swept into a whirlwind as he tries to secure his new family's holdings before they fall into unseemly hands, those of the individuals now threatening his life. Prohibited from marrying beneath his station but unwilling to give up his true love for Hannah, Nolan must find a way to follow his heart and fulfill his destiny. Beautifully balancing sweet, forbidden love with a father-son battle of wills, Mason proves to be a highest caliber author in historical-inspirational romance. Set in England in 1884, this is a marvelously entertaining story of a search for identity and a struggle for acceptance for both Nolan and Hannah. The purity and tenacity of their love will leave readers tingling, and fans of Roseanna M. White will enjoy Mason's web of nobility and drama, and breathlessly exciting conclusion.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)