After her former employer attempted to put the moves on her, Elaine Deering left life as a private governess behind and went to the Gatehouse Boarding School and became a governess to the many students there. There a student by the name of Felicity managed to capture her heart and brighten her days. For Felicity, whose parents were never married and whose mother had passed away in childbirth, this worked both ways, because Ms. Deering filled a void in her life and came to mean everything to her.

Valentine Wharton loved his little girl but had no clue how to go about showing that love. No matter what he did, he couldn’t seem to bridge the gap that remained after his years of neglect due to alcoholism and his inability to get over losing the love of his life to his best friend. Valentine knew in his heart that keeping her away in boarding school was not the way to go about earning her trust and building a relationship with her and jumped at the opportunity to take her on holiday to visit his family in order to get closer to her. Valentine also knew not to look a gift horse in the mouth when Ms. Deering’s employment at the boarding school was terminated the same day he arrived to take Felicity.

Valentine Wharton’s reputation had preceded him, but Elaine knew that without his offer of help she might never find the kind of employment she loved. Besides, she couldn’t bear the thought of not being with Felicity. So the journeys began: a journey of a father and daughter trying to find a place in each other’s hearts and lives, a journey of a woman searching for self-discovery and finding herself and the love of a man and his child.

Will the past be too much for them to overcome in the end? Or will Valentine be able to put his past mistakes behind him and find love not only with his daughter, but with her governess as well? Will Felicity and Elaine finally find the loving family they have spent their lives hoping for?

Hardworking and loving Elaine Deering is probably one of the best regency romance heroines to date as she attempts to heal the wounds of the lost soul that is Valentine. Valentine’s emotional growth, due to the love and attention of Elaine and Felicity’s realization and acceptance of her father’s love, go a long way towards helping Valentine’s Change of Heart grab on and hold a good-sized piece of readers’ hearts.

Any and all lovers of regency romance will have a hard time prying their fingers from Elisabeth Fairchild’s book. Using authentic dialogue and descriptions with her outstanding characterizations, Valentine’s Change of Heart becomes a truly remarkable example of regency romance at its finest. It’s a book sure to make you feel good inside and out.