I’m such a sucker for historical romances. I can’t get enough of them. This was another I really enjoyed. It was a nice break from all the adult fantasy I’ve been reading lately.

This was a brilliant read and is being featured on my blog for my quick star reviews feature, which I have created on my blog so I can catch up with all the books I have read and therefore review.
See www.chellsandbooks.wordpress.com.

Isobel Moore comes from one of Boston’s finest families, yet she finds herself almost thirty and unmarried. The man she loved, married another and she's left heartbroken. Isobel keeps busy by teaching at Boston’s Poor First School, for immigrant children, and her sister-in-law Margaret Moore started the school. She desperately wants to find love, have children, a home of her own and she’s stuck living with her parents.

Isobel’s willing to take a risk, she discovers single missionaries are looking for wives, in India and Burma, and she puts her name down on the list. Her parents are horrified, when a godly man in Burma sends a letter looking for a wife, Isobel seizes her chance and packs her trunks. Her brother Henry has sailed to China aboard his ship the Charlotte Rose, his wife Margaret will be on her own for a year and her niece Maggie MacDougall is visiting from Canada and she’s willing to help teach at the school in Boston.

After a four month long journey, Isobel arrives in Burma, she’s nervous and it’s so humid. Her path to find true love doesn’t go as planned, and she decides to stay in Moulmein Burma for a few months. Isobel’s introduced to recent widower, Mr. Jack Braeburn, and young Maggie meets Seamus Flanagan a young Irish immigrant in Boston.

This Fragile Heart by Kate Hewitt, is a story about Isobel and Maggie both finding love, it's not easy, they have to leave home and fight for their independence. I really liked the characters of Isobel and Maggie, despite the age difference, they both stood up for what they wanted and at a time when women didn’t have the freedom they now have. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, it's the last book in the Far Horizons series, my favorite out of the three, and four stars from me.

This is the final book in the Far Horizon Series and I really enjoyed it. This is a heartwarming series and I recommend it all the time to my friends.

The 3rd and final book in the Far Horizons trilogy finds members (old and young) of the MacDougalls, Campbells and Moores families  face new and unexpected challenges, hopes and dreams not only in Boston and Prince Edward Island but in the far reaches of China, India and Burma. With two marriages, the death of a much loved character and another one returning to Mull, Scotland, we get a bittersweet ending to this family saga which sees three generations try to make their own mark and future in an ever changing world. The book was previously published under the title of Distant Shores.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and the author Kate Hewitt for the e-Arc of the book.

The book was published on 1st September 2020.

This Fragile Heart is the final book in the Far Horizons trilogy. Reading this series has been such an enjoyable experience. Re-connecting with the characters in each book felt like slipping into a nice, warm bath.

In this book, we reconnect with Isobel, one of my favourite characters from the previous installment. There was something sad about her story. At the same time, I wanted to get to know her better. Her story is lovely, filled with heartache but also a lot of hope. I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that marriage was so huge back then. Of course, it is still a big deal but back then society was way too harsh on unmarried women. Isobel being in her late twenties was something of an outcast. I can’t imagine how I would have fared back then. I would have been a proper outcast lol.

I also enjoyed reading about Maggie and her work at the school for the underprivileged. Other characters that left a mark on my heart include Ian with his dream of introducing the use of ether as an anesthesia. Can you imagine how painful surgeries used to be before introduction of anesthesia? I loved his wife, Caroline and her growth from the spoilt, shallow woman she used to be to a wise, supportive wife. Margaret and Henry’s adventures added some thrill to this narrative. I also liked how the story wrapped up where it began, with Harriet and Allan.

This was a wonderful ending to an emotional, well –written, engrossing family saga about dreams, hopes and love. It will transport you to Boston and Prince Edward where you will get to feel what it was like to be an immigrant, eager for a new beginning. It will then take you to India where you will get a glimpse into the life of total sacrifice as a missionary. Finally, it will enchant you with parties, musicales, fancy dresses and hats among the people of Boston’s high society. At the same time, it will remind you of how fleeting social standing and wealth can be. For all these journeys and experiences, I highly recommend the Far Horizon by Kate Hewitt.

It was 1838 and Isobel Moore loved teaching at the small immigrant school in Boston although her dreams of marriage seemed distant after her recently failed relationship. But at not far off thirty, and still living with her parents, she knew she needed more. When an opportunity arose for Isobel to travel to Burma to marry a missionary, she was both nervous and excited about her future – although her parents thought she had taken leave of her senses.

Meanwhile, fifteen-year-old Maggie, daughter of Allan and Harriet on Prince Edward Island, was spreading her wings, at first denied the chance but then travelling to Boston to stay with her Aunt Margaret while Uncle Henry was away at sea. Her excitement at seeing Boston waned until Maggie started helping her aunt at the school now that Isobel had left. Had Maggie found her calling? She knew she loved the children and teaching them their letters was satisfying…

This Fragile Heart is the 3rd and final episode of the Far Horizons Trilogy by Kate Hewitt and I thoroughly enjoyed the tying up of the families and their lives. Meeting and catching up with ‘old’ friends throughout the books has been great – I’d read “Into the Darkest Day” by Ms Hewitt before this trilogy and am happy I picked these up. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

The best family drama I've read in a long time. This was my favorite out of the books. I recommend this series for a great read.

This is my favorite of the Far Horizons books! I loved Isobel's story and seeing the others continuing with their lives. All three of the books from the Far Horizons series are heartwarming good reads!

This is the third and final novel in the Far Horizons Series and I’m pleased to give you the good news that the trilogy goes out with a really beautiful romance to end this family saga, with all participants drawing the family romance stories to a conclusion.
Set in the late 1830’s, this story sees Isabel Moore in Boston USA feeling as though she is at a crossroads in her life. She loves her work as a teacher but needs to add other elements to see her happiness complete. She is pondering what her future will be in reality if she makes no changes. However, to achieve her heart’s desire, the path she would have to take is in fact a leap into the deep blue sea. This poses the decision; the idiom, ‘the devil you know or the devil you don’t’. What will Isobel decide? Well that is the question this story explores.
Other story threads are included and resolved in this novel, again meeting the MacDougall and the Campbell families, who, the author tells us in her Acknowledgments, are, like the Moore family, partly inspired by events that actually happened, but with fictional characters introduced into the narrative to further her story and drive it forward. She even hints that she could, in the future merge these families into one or more of her historical romance stories. This we will have to wait to see if it actually happens!
The stories, as always by Kate Hewitt are beautifully told with characters that will soon feel like friends. The settings are wide and varied and each has their own individual interest and beauty. Although this current novel completes a trilogy, it could be read as a standalone novel with ease. I enjoyed all of the story threads which saw Allan and Harriet MacDougall’s teenage daughter journeying to Boston to live temporarily with her Aunt to help her with her young child and through the loneliness of her husband’s long sea voyages to China and back on a matter of business, not forgetting also meeting her other relatives the Campbells. Each main character took turns to tell their interesting and informative story.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from publisher Bookouture through my membership of NetGalley. Thank you for my copy sent in return for an honest and unbiased review. It is a good, enjoyable read and my review reflects this fact. I always admire the thorough and meticulous research undertaken by Kate Hewitt. She seamlessly merges these gems of knowledge from authorities in their field and this endows her story with interesting factual information, adding kudos and authenticity to the story.

I read this book as a stand alone but as the author kept going back to the other books l knew what had happened. I enjoyed finding out what happened to the people in the story. There was sadness and happiness as well as hope for the future. I recommend that if you want an enjoyable, interesting book to read then read this one.

Far Horizons Book three is This Fragile Heart. In this Scottish family saga Kate Hewitt has covered a span of time putting a few years between each story. Just as daring as those who leave Scotland for the New World in America, Isobel Moore sets off for her future destiny too. She is the bravest of them all in my opinion. Besides her there are several story lines of the two Scottish families to follow in this conclusion to the series.

It is a captivating story with characters working out their issues, struggles and finding happiness for most. While there are several locations and people it is easy to follow the progress of each. Research is well done so that I could imagine that this could really happen to them all. Not wanting to give anything away I will say start at the beginning of the series. This third book will be gripping conclusion that you will want to read.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a quick and enjoyable read. There is love and tragedy in this final part. I would have liked this book better if it had been longer.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Third in this series of books and probably my least favourite. Happiness and contentment follow many tragedies and upsets.

Last book in the trilogy covering different family members emigrating from Scotland, I love these historical romance/dramas, they are really well written, pull at your heart strings and keep you enthralled every step of the way. Sad to see them end as there is so much more I’d love to know, but a great ending to the series


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

*** I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***

This is the final book in the Far Horizons trilogy. I read all three and really enjoyed each one as they follow different the family members and their lives immigrating from Scotland. Ms. Hewitt is very talented in her descriptions of the setting and character development. This book tells the stories of Isobel, Caroline, and Maggie. Each woman embarks on a courageous journey and finds her way in the world. This is a story of family, friendship, love, faith, and finding one's path in life. Like I said, I really liked all these books and I wish there was more in this series! I would definitely recommend this book!

4.25 Stars
1838, Boston: Isobel Moore is approaching thirty & feels she’s at a crossroads in her life her work at a small school for impoverished immigrants brings her great joy, she can’t help but wish for more in life. When her dream of finding love fails to come true, she knows—if she’s to have the family she dreams of—it will take desperate measures. When she announces she’s travelling to Burma to meet and marry a missionary she’s never met, her family think she must have taken leave of her senses. Isobel believes fate will guide her to a man she could one day love. But the paths we take do not always lead us where we expect.
This is the third & final part of the trilogy, it could be read on its own as the author does recap on events from the previous books. I found it to be a well written book that as well as charting Isobel’s quest to find love we also find out what's happened to the Allan & Harriet, Ian & Caroline & Henry & Margaret. Maggie, Allan & Harriet’s eldest visits Margaret in Boston where she discovers the grass isn’t always greener but she does find love. The pace was good & I read it in two long sittings as I felt I was visiting old friends. However whilst I was in tears at the end I did find it rushed & a couple of things whilst hinted at weren't resolved, an epilogue set a couple of years in the future would have concluded this lovely trilogy for me.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

What a tremendous story!

This standalone romance is also the finishing touch on a beautiful, historically epic look at two intertwined Scottish families and their lives as immigrants in Boston and Prince Edward Island in the first half of the nineteenth century. This, the third book, picks up five years after the second ended, and nearly twenty years after the first began. For that reason, readers will benefit greatly from having read the earlier books, as this volume covers not only two new romances in their entirety but also updates us on the four couples and their families from the earlier volumes.

This sweeping saga gives us a hope-filled, faith-filled look at early American immigrants, some of whom are proudly working class while others are in a more wealthy station in life. I loved following the romances, seeing Isobel's journey of self-discovery as she travels the world to find the kind of love she was born for, and the secondary romance brought the MacDougall family story to a very satisfyingly-full circle.

Beyond the romances, though, are the continuing stories of the couples already paired off. Ian and Caroline are still dealing with Ian's feelings for her uncle, who had brought Ian's family so much trouble, so long ago. Margaret and Henry are facing a life-altering trial that forces them to examine their security vs. their honor. And Harriet and Allan are enjoying the fruits of their very happily-ever-after, even as time marches on.

Each of these personal stories are interwoven with exquisitely-detailed historical events, movements, and cultures. The reader truly gets a feel for what it must have been like to be a poor Irish immigrant in affluent Boston, or a faithful yet not entirely fearless young missionary in southeast Asia. The international relations between the fledgling USA and her trade partners is surprisingly relevant even nearly two hundred years later.

This is an absorbing, gripping story, every bit as wonderful as its predecessors, and taken together, this trilogy is an absolutely riveting tale of these real-life members of the author's ancestral family tree. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Isobel Moore is tired of her empty life as a well-to-do member of mid-1800s Boston society. Old enough to be called a spinster, she no longer finds fulfillment in her volunteer work at a charity school. Will a missionary's inspiring speech motivate her to take the biggest risk of her life?

Teenager Maggie MacDougall is unhappy on her family's farm on Prince Edward Island and longs to experience life in the big city. When her parents give her permission to travel to Boston to visit her wealthy aunt, will she find the life she seeks?

Both women find themselves having to fight against social norms as they navigate the rules for proper behavior. Will they be able to overcome opposition and follow their respective dreams? Find out in this intriguing fictional depiction of life in mid-1800s Boston society. The third book in Kate Hewitt's The Far Horizons trilogy will fascinate and inspire readers. Of special interest are the author's historical notes after the story's conclusion.

This Fragile Heart (Far Horizons Book 3) by Kate Hewitt
I recommend that anyone wanting a good family drama this is for you! It’s a fantastic novel! I would read another series on this family! A Christmas get together!!!

For the past five years Isobel has been teaching the immigrant children in the poorest part of the city. She desires a home of her own and a family, but because she said no or there was a misunderstanding all of a sudden she is taboo! Social society back then I guess is not unlike the de friending on Facebook if you disagree with someone’s opinion! 🤪
A discontent has been stirring even stronger after Isobel attended a seminar about Missionairies in India!
Life is a roadmap it has unpaved roads, unmarked roads, curves, mountains to climb and rivers to cross and you never know if and you will have roadblocks.
Yearning for something and activitively seeking it and withstanding all the hardships, get this book to see and you will not be disappointed!!!
The author has extensively researched several key points that are points of interest for this novel! If I mention them that is giving away bits and bites of the meat of the story that as a reader you should discover! I know it would have spoiled a little bit for me!! But know that the Missionaries she utilized are real people and some other aspects along the India line are really true!! The secondary characters that are family to Isobel play important key roles in the authors writing and her role of them is phenomenal!!! I loved how she melded them separate but then together it was special!!

I would like to Thank the authors and publishers for diligently working hard producing great books for us the readers!

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and I am willingly giving my thoughts and opinions!