Rating: 4.5 Stars

Emotional, dramatic and poignant, Jane Cable’s The Lost Heir is a mesmerizing tale that is a struggle to put down.

Cornwall, 2020 and Carla Burgess finds herself at a crossroads in her life. No longer enamoured with teaching and with her relationship with her boyfriend Kit reaching its natural end, Carla is using the solitude of lockdown to figure out what she will do next with her life. She adores living on the Cornish coast, but she wonders whether her future might lie further afield. With the world having come to a standstill, Carla decides to use this time to help her father out researching their family history. When she finds a locked Georgian tea caddy in the barn, little does Carla realise that the past and the present are going to merge in the most startling and unexpected of ways.

Cornwall, 1810 and polite society would be shocked to their core if they discovered that Harriet Lemon was not just Lady Francs Bassett’s companion, but also her lover. This arrangement allows the two women to live in blissful harmony, but their idyll is shattered by a horrifying assault that leaves Frances pregnant. The two women are desperate to remain together, but in order to do so they must find a way to conceal Frances’s baby. The only person who can help them out of this predicament is notorious smuggler William Burgess, who has dangerous secrets of his own. Is William willing to put his neck on the line for the sake of Harriet and Frances?

Jane Cable’s The Lost Heir is a vivid, atmospheric and absorbing dual timeline mystery that held me in its grip from beginning to end. A powerfully written and beautifully told tale about human resilience, the courage to fight for what you believe in and the power of love, The Lost Heir is a stellar page-turner that nearly severed my heartstrings.

A book that gets under your skin and will stay with you weeks after you’ve finished it, The Lost Heir continues to cement Jane Cable’s position as one of the genre’s most gifted and talented writers.

I love the stories. That develop on two time lines, this book in particular tells the life of two extraordinary women, who often have to fight against their times.

Not at all what I was expecting but in a good way. With a dual timeline it weaves history and romance together perfectly and makes a great yarn.

With a dual-timeline, romance and a seaside setting, I liked how this read was blended together, finishing off with a sprinkling of the supernatural. It was an unexpected combination and I liked how Cable created this story without it seeming far-fetched.

At first I thought this book would not be for me, considering that the modern timescale is set during the pandemic. A sensitive subject at best, Cable focuses on the lesser painful aspects of what happened in the UK and I could not help but smile at some of my own recollections… the unusually warm spring, the chance to re-connect and escape the daily grind. Yet, the loneliness of isolation and family bubbles are also acknowledged with some of the minor characters and I appreciated this balance, showing it was not just a forced holiday for the country.

Carla’s run-in with an American stranger sets off a chain of events that sees her exploring her family past, especially when an unusual tea chest is discovered in storage. The connection with Cornish mining and land ownership drives this narrative and this then ties in with the nineteenth century plot. It was the historical element that I struggled to get into the most, finding the number of characters a bit confusing and the development a bit slow. Once it was clear how this aspect of the novel was progressing, I became more curious about how it linked to Carla’s family heritage.

The theme of the supernatural adds another element to the story and I think the writer could have expanded on this further. For the most part, it is Carla’s ability to see some people’s aura’s around them. It spooks Carla but she doesn’t really explore this further, remembering that her Gran also claimed to have this power. It is only until the closing of the story that this becomes more significant and when I reached this point, felt that Cable could have developed this element further, adding a more ghostly presence to the novel.

Overall, I enjoyed this dual-timeline with a mix of modern and Regency romance. The idea of lost heir was really interesting and I felt invested in the discovery of old family connections, just like Carla.

With thanks to Sapere books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a great time shift Romance. One in modern day Cornwall and Recency period. I absolutely loved this. I was so caught up in the story I couldn't stop reading. I loved it!
I just reviewed The Lost Heir by Jane Cable. #TheLostHeir #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

Another cracking read from the talented Jane Cable, who has research down to a fine art. I love a dual timeline, especially one that interconnects history with romance and is weird and wonderful. Her descriptions of Cornwall make me want to immediately head there and follow in the footsteps of these cleverly crafted characters. Setting the scenes two centuries apart and immersing the reader in historically accurate backdrops created a page-turning read that I couldn’t put down. Five big fat stars – more, please!
Many thanks to the publisher and author for this ARC copy.

I really enjoyed this read although wasn’t keen on the reminder around COVID lockdown.
Carla is in Cornwall and looking into her ancestors as a way to kill time. She is also attracted to a newcomer in the village.
There is a link to Harriet in 1810 who is a companion for the lady of the manor.
I liked the dual timeline and the historical history of smuggling. I wanted the book to continue past its conclusion so all get a happy ending.
I will read this author again.
Thanks to Sapere books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The List Heir by Jane Cable

Two women Carla , present day and Harriet , a dual time line. The present is set during the focus pandemic and books covering this are still far and few between so I enjoy that aspect of the book.
Another p!us for me is that it was set in Cornwall and from the writing I could imagine myself there in both times.
It is a little spooky with hints of the supernatural but nothing too much so that it gives you a fright.
I enjoyed the way the author drew the two times together with her plot and a good conclusion to the story.

Jane Cable is a new author to me, and I found this book really drew me in from the beginning. It was very strange reading about Lockdown three years on - so easy to forget just how bizarre it all was - and the two timelines are skillfully interwoven. While the final outcome was not a great surprise, how we got there is interesting and keeps the reader engaged.

The assault on Franny was dealt with sensitively - understated but conveying the horror of it all just the same. Franny's particular ways of thinking and being, and her relationships with Harriet and William, are convincingly portrayed.

My thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC.

Cornwall, 1810

The clandestine relationship between Lady Frances Basset and her companion Harriet Lemon is put to test when Frances falls pregnant. Needing to keep the pregnancy a secret but keep their relationship alive, they are sent away until the baby can be adopted. When Frances’s childhood friend, William Burgess, discovers the truth, will he keep their secret?

Cornwall, 2020

Lockdown has led teacher Carla Burgess to reevaluate her life. After falling out of love with her profession, she has dreams to set up her own business but lacks the confidence to make the next step. With time on her hands, she becomes interested in her family history, in particular stories of a smuggler that have been passed down the generations. With a new friendship promising to be much more, can she take the leap in both her personal and professional life?

The Lost Heir is a great dual timeline novel, the two lead characters showing us the differences between how society views women in different eras. In 1810, we have Franny, a woman who, due to her class, should have been expected to marry a man of equal standing. It soon becomes apparent, however, that her special needs set her apart from other women of the time and her lack of understanding when she falls pregnant is heartbreaking. Carla, on the other hand, is living in a time where women have a lot more freedom but the Covid pandemic is preventing people from living their lives as they would like to.

The historical aspect of the story is fascinating as we are taken back to the days of smuggling and the risks that were taken. The characters were strong and it was interesting to read that many were based on real people. There is also a very accurate depiction of life as a teacher during the recent Covid pandemic and of the several books that I have read that are set in 2020, I feel that this one captures the mood perfectly.

The Lost Heir is a satisfying read for anyone who is a fan of dual timeline novels and those with an interest in genealogy will enjoy the family history references.

Found it an easy read. Enjoyed it but didn’t really feel ready to read about Covid, as ut was a traumatic time fir me during that period. I did enjoy reading about the Cornish coast and it made me want to visit.

Interesting story,very topical as one part is set during covid. Both set in Cornwall the story follows the hunt for ancestors,moving seamlessly between both eras.

'The Lost Heir' is another excellent story from Jane Cable. I was engrossed from the opening of the intriguing prologue to the last page of its 2020 story conclusion. I found myself snatching any odd times I could to sit and read what happened next. The book has all the ingredients I look for in a novel - a dual timeline, well-drawn characters that I believe in and get to know, forbidden love and a sense of time and place that transported me straight to Cornwall in both the early 1800s and 2020. I wasn't sure about being reminded of the awful times of isolation during the pandemic, but three years on, I found I was ready and the author handles it in a sensitive way, concentrating on the positive aspects of a community working together, the glorious weather and the slower pace of life. The prose is beautifully written, especially when describing the Cornish landscape. As someone who is interested in family history, I loved the way the two stories were woven together around secrets and decisions made by one generation and the resulting link with Carla and Mani. I particularly liked the character of Franny. She fascinated me with her gifts and her different take on life. Through her and Harriet, the reader learns a lot about the plight of women in those days. With some touches of the supernatural, the novel is steeped in history and I was fascinated to read in the notes that many of the characters and events were historically accurate. What makes it a great read is the way Jane Cable has created her story around the facts.
Thank you to Sapere Books and NetGalley for an ARC.

A truly wonderful story. I was captivated from the beginning. The dual timeline worked so well. It was beautifully written and I loved the characters and the description of the beautiful Cornish surroundings. Cara and Harriet were great characters very strong women facing different challenges. It was good to be back at The Tinners and to see Anna and Gun again. I would have loved to read more about Carla and Mani's romance - did he return to the US and how did Carla's new glass making business turn out and did Carla sell the rattle?

Two centuries separate Carla and Harriet … but will something shift to bring their stories together?

I have been eagerly awaiting this book and anything with Cornwall has me immediately drawn in. I wasn't totally disappointed but with the present day timeline set during the lockdown, the constant mention of COVID, panic buying and all that went with it kind of dampened my excitement a little. I was over COVID and all its drawbacks at the time...I didn't need reminding of it again. lol

However, that aside, the story is a sweeping dual timeline tale incorporating the present day 2020 with the past regency era of 1810. The two timelines are expertly woven together through present day Carla and Harriet in the past. Carla researches family trees while the past characters lived the history that the present day could now only read about.

I didn't like the supernatural aspect, as I am not a fan of these in novels.

Not a bad read but given I've read two by this author and I wasn't overly grabbed by either tale, I don't think I will read her again.

I would like to thank #JaneCable, #Netgalley, #SapereBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #TheLostHeir in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.