Heartwishes by Jude Deveraux

Heartwishes by Jude Deveraux - 368 pages

In this novel, Gemma Radford is a PhD student hired to process the Frazier family's collection of historic documents and books.  Soon she becomes entrenched in Edilean, Virginia's life.  The Frazier family invites her to dinners.  Local doctor Tristan Alderidge frequently shares breakfast with Gemma at a local store.  Shamus Frazier frequently chooses to sketch in the library while Gemma is working--both like the quiet.  And Gemma develops a relationship with the eldest Frazier son, Colin, the town sheriff.  Soon however, Gemma's research discovers a mythical stone that supposedly grants wishes, an event which sets the town to talking and brings a big-time thief to town.  Does the stone really exist?  How does Gemma and Colin's complicated relationship pan out?

I loved how this book portrayed the archival and historical research.  Deveraux hit the excitement and feelings it evokes head on, strongly reminding me of my time at The State Historical Society of Missouri.  However, the love story is worthy of the romance carousel.  But the two sides of my feelings towards the story plus the interaction between Gemma and the other characters more than balance out to make it a worthy read.