A Pursuit of Home (Haven Manor Book #3)

A Pursuit of Home Haven Manor #3 By Kristi Ann Hunter Jess has spent most of her life hiding her true identity, trying to forget her past. But the past has come back with a vengeance and what she remembers is what is needed to save the future of the country she was forced to flee and the family she's long believed dead. Derek Thornbury is employed to catalog the art collection at Haven Manor and has drawn the immediate ire of the estate's cook. For some reason, Jess has determined to make his life as uncomfortable as she possibly can. But when she needs his help he's not about to say no - not with the history involved in her search. And he's not about to be just a minor piece in this quest - she needs him and his expertise to solve a family puzzle - a puzzle that Jess had no idea was in her possession. A Pursuit of Home is fun in that we see Jess's two worlds merge as Kit and Daphne are back and Miranda, Ryland, and Jefferies of the Hawthorne House series take an active role. To stay ahead of her family's enemies Jess will put her skills to use. There is just one problem someone has managed to see past her disguises and that is something she never thought would ever happen. With limited time to secure the treasure that more than one person is seeking Jess and Derek find themselves having to use their contrasting viewpoints to decipher the clues hidden within an old family diary and pieces of art scattered throughout England. This book was, in my opinion, the best in the series. Jess has always been one of those characters you want to learn more about and this is your chance to do just so. Who knew she had such a varied and intriguing past. I like Derek and how he manages to confound Jess and all her preconceived notions about him and his work of art assessing. Some books just need to be experienced and this is so one of those books. This is the third and final book in the Haven Manor series an can be read as a standalone title but it reads so much better when read in series order. I received a complimentary copy of this with no expectations but that I provide my own honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.

From "Somewhere in the French countryside 1806" to "I just helped you see it." I was lost in this story, in the best kind of way. I have wanted to know more about Jess from the moment I met her in "The Noble Masquerade." I LOVED Jess's story immensely! Jess and Derek have quite an adventure as they travel around searching for clues to a hidden artifact. Something Derek was more than uncomfortable with. Seeing Derek try to figure Jess out was incredibly entertaining. Seeing Jess figure out who she was and who she was wanted to be was heart-touching. I have great respect for her. (I know this is a fiction book, but these people are real to me.) I loved seeing Ryland and Miranda again as well as Kit and Daphne. *I highly recommend this book. I'm sure I will be reading and/or listening to this story many times. I own the audio version too. The narration is fantastic!

A Pursuit of Home – Haven Manor Book 3 - by Kristi Ann Hunter (one should read the previous Regency Era books in order) ***Fantastic Characters*** French Countryside, 1806 Jessamine Beauchene - wealthy, royal niece to the King of Verbonne, petite at age 15. Her family attacked in the middle of the night. Shoved into a hole in the floorboards with their family’s secrets. [Absolutely one of my favorite scenes is when a beloved character from Kristi’s very first novel appears.] The board lifted and the light from a single lantern revealed a pair of grey eyes… “What’s your name?” he asked. “Jess-“ hiccup – “Jess-” sniffle… “Well, Jess,” the man said, “I’m here to rescue you. How do you feel about going to England?” [He is somewhat of a hero and definitely has amazing wit. Without revealing too much I was thrilled to have him back!] Marlborough, England, 1816 *** Ch. 1 Sometimes despite time, distance, and a significant amount of ignoring it, the past never quite went away. Over the past two days, everything Jess had run from had spilled over the wall of the past and covered her present like gravy. Lumpy, bitter, burnt gravy. Every emotion she’d worked hard to bury had risen to the surface, making her mind a muddled swarm of incomplete thoughts and sharp colors. … her current situation irritated her … she was going to have to ask a very bothersome man for his assistance. She needed Derek Thornbury’s help. To get, she was going to have to ask him, which required talking to him, which required, which required being in the same room with him without taking her knife from its hidden sheath and stabbing him in the leg. A tall order, as the man was simply too vexing for words. “I brought you tea.” “I see that.” He crossed the room and lifted the top of the pot to gaze into the depths of the brown liquid. “Is it poisoned?” …Derek was a scholar of antiquities. He worked with things created by dead people. When he was working he might go days without a significant interaction with anyone who drew breath. Living people, quite inconveniently, required him to recall his manners and finish his sentences. Jess wasn’t merely an inconvenience, though. She was a massive complication, a mystery that was constantly changing, frustrating him to no end even as it kept enticing him closer. *** Tea Quote: Anyone who insisted on foisting their romantic notions on her could find themselves with ipecac in their tea. Faith Quote: …how important it was to seek God in the quiet times in order to know what to cling to in the chaos. Enjoyable story as always! *** Thank you to Bethany House and the author for a copy. My opinion is my own and given freely. Keep updated on the author’s website, Kristi Ann Hunter dot com *** Haven Manor Series: “The Haven Manor series follows a group of women who take what could have been a life-crushing circumstance and turned it into an opportunity to help desperate women and their children from the same fate. Their pasts may have brought these women here, but God has an amazing future in store for them.” -Author’s Website Book 0.5 A Search for Refuge (Margaretta’s Story) 03/2018 FREE eNovella (available in print 2019 in the 3 author collection Love At Last) Book 1 A Defense of Honor (Kit’s Story) 06/05/2018 Book 1.5 Legacy of Love (Sarah’s Story) 10/2018 Novella in The Christmas Heirloom Collection featuring 4 different authors Book 2 A Return of Devotion (Daphne’s Story) 2/5/2019 Book 3 A Pursuit of Home (Jess’s Story) 11/5/2019