Laurel Gurnsey
First Book
Tremors of the Heart: Suspense and romance as an earthquake threatens more than just the land.
Tremors of the Heart
Jared Winters, Aussie geotechnical expert, is working for the California Science Center, to test a section of California’s Big Sur for stability in the vicinity of a major fault line.
An earthquake looms. Quiet so far. No tremors yet. But everyone knows they are coming.
But Jared has been a witness to the very real trauma of earthquakes on his last job in Japan. He carries with him memories of what an earthquake can do. When he meets Megan Connolly, jogging on the wild beach sands of the Big Sur, he takes one look at her beach house, dangling on the cliffs above them on fragile stilts and has new images of this beautiful redhead tumbling down into the rolling combers of the Pacific Ocean with the tremor-shattered debris of her home. He warns her to leave for somewhere more stable, but Megan is a product of a childhood without stability. Her parents are roaming photo journalists who looked at having a child as a problem.
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Praise & Reviews
for
Tremors of the Heart
‘Fantastic start
Just picked up this book by a new author.
I’ve only read the prologue but I’m already hooked! Can’t wait to see how that powerful scene fits into the rest of the story.’
Carole M-C Reader (Canada)
'5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet and satisfying romance novel.
Lovely prose with rich vocabulary.'
Karen Hutchinson: Reader (Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 26, 2022)
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‘This novel passes the test-strong desire to keep reading and find out what’s next-page turner.
A unique mix of earthquakes and romance. Tremors is definitely outside the box.’
Bob-Jones, Reader (Canada)
“I never read romance novels but I really thought your book was very well written. What set it apart was the side story of the earthquake and places that are sensitive to seismic activity and the threats of catastrophe. And, of course, the two dogs were very welcome characters! Congratulations!”
Susan Schlicher: Reader (Port Angeles, Washington State)
'If you like romance novels, you will love 'Tremors of the Heart' by Laurel Gurnsey (description of plot follows)...I really enjoyed reading this book. It hit on all of the goodness of a romance novel while also delivering an intense plot. The supporting characters in the book are delightful additions, and the villain, Mother Nature, is as unpredictable as always.
I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. This is a romance novel that delivers. The characters were perfectly imperfect and the plot was suspenseful. I would recommend the book to anyone looking for a great book to read, whether or not they are lovers of romance novels.'
Emily Meadows, reviewer for Online Book Club.org and posted on the Goodreads.com website December 25, 2022.
I have read short articles by this author as she writes for car clubs and have thoroughly enjoyed her well-researched articles. I don't generally read romantic novels, however I was very pleasantly surprised by this one. The book was well-researched and the descriptive language draws you into the various scenes...I look forward to future works by this author.
Susan Blake: Reader (Canada)
I don't normally read romantic fiction but this was romance with a difference - a well-researched side story about earthquakes and the dangerous seismic activity on the California coast keeps you on the edge of your seat. Likeable characters and very well written.
Reader from the United States
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She has grown up with her grandparents, running away for summers at this beach house, finding a job as an elementary teacher at a small, adobe school nearby and settling into calm for the first time in her life. She is even able to help a small girl in her class find security of her own.
Jared’s tremors come both from the horror of the real one waiting under the earth and the loss of this woman he is fast growing to love. Attraction and chemistry have become a lot more. But will that be enough to get her to safety? Megan’s tremors are the fears that she will have to leave everything calm behind. Ultimately, she has to decide between the false security of a house on shifting ground and the flexibility and strength that love and a life with Jared could bring. But danger is coming closer and the first tremors are starting to shake everything around her.
When the big one finally comes, will the tremors of her heart end in the collapse of everything that is now more important?