I'm pleased to welcome Gabby Heart to Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Gabby on the pages of the Mysteries of a Heart series by Celeste Fenton. CAPTIVE HEART AT BRANTMAR CASTLE is the second book in the series.
Gabby Heart on Curiosity, Courage, and Accidentally Falling for the Dangerous Option
By Celeste Fenton
If you’d asked me a few years ago what I wanted out of life, I would have said something sensible.
A quiet routine. Family. Familiar faces. Predictable days. Work that I love. The occasional buying trip through New England. Certainly not any adventure that involved criminals, hidden tunnels, or people trying to kill me.
I was very committed to being safe.
In Lost Heart in King Manor, I lived a life that was comfortable and contained. I ran Ocean Current, the family gift shop, with my mother. I illustrated children’s books. I taught art. Basically, I stayed in my lane. And I certainly didn’t go looking for trouble—unless you count poking around family secrets that probably should have stayed buried. (In my defense, they started it.)
Somewhere along the way, something shifted. I discovered my inner Miss Marple!
By the time Captive Heart at Brantmar Castle begins, I’ve stopped pretending I’m not drawn to mystery. I like the puzzle. The chase. The way pieces fall into place when you pay attention. I don’t seek danger for the thrill of it—but I won’t lie and say the adrenaline doesn’t wake something up in me.
There’s a moment, when you’re chasing answers, when fear and excitement blur together. That moment? I live for it now. (I also complain loudly while doing it. Growth doesn’t mean silence.)
That same shift happened in my love life.
In Lost Heart, Rick felt like the obvious choice. Safe. Steady. Protective. The kind of man who makes you believe nothing bad will happen as long as he’s nearby. And after years of dealing with emotional baggage, that kind of safety was appealing. Like ordering a decaf at 3 in the afternoon and passing on dessert.
Rick and I made sense. Everyone agreed. I agreed.
But “makes sense” and “sets your pulse racing” are not always the same thing.
Enter Jay.
Jay challenged me from the beginning. Intellectually, verbally, emotionally. He didn’t try hard to impress me—he assumed I’d keep up. Which was irritating. And compelling. Like ordering an espresso spiked with bourbon and a slice of blueberry pie. With whipped cream.
He also has blue eyes that make it very difficult to think clearly. Or breathe. Or remember what I was saying. Add electricity to the mix—literal electricity, metaphorical electricity—and my hair frizzes like I’ve stuck my finger in an outlet. It’s very undignified.
It’s not just attraction with Jay (though, let’s be honest, there’s plenty of that). He pushes me to step forward when I tend to retreat. We meet in the middle—usually with banter, occasionally with sparks, and sometimes with me pretending I’m calm while my pulse is spiking.
By Captive Heart, I’m learning that trust isn’t something you either have or don’t—it’s something you practice. To choose what feels true instead of what feels safe. I’ve learned—sometimes painfully—that challenge doesn’t mean danger for danger’s sake. Sometimes it means growth. Sometimes it means stepping into the unknown because staying still would be the real risk.
That realization didn’t come easily. I made assumptions. I misread situations. I let fear narrate when I should have asked questions. Trauma has a way of convincing you that pulling back is wisdom.
Sometimes it is.
Sometimes it’s just fear in a better outfit.
Jay never demanded anything from me. He waited. He showed up. He stayed present even when I pulled away. That kind of patience is its own kind of courage.
And when I finally stopped running—from danger, from mystery, from love—I realized something important: I don’t want a life that’s merely comfortable. I want one that challenges me to be brave. Curious. Alive.
So now I investigate. I ask questions. I step forward instead of back. Not just in the next mystery. I do it now when it comes to love, I’m learning that the safest choice isn’t always the one that feels calm—it’s the one that asks you to grow.
If that means mystery, intrigue, and a little danger?
Apparently… I’m in.
And Celeste Fenton—if you’re listening—am I done with Rick? Is it Jay? I think it’s Jay… right? I’m okay with that. More than okay. I’m putting my trust in you.
Just don’t ask me to crawl through anything with snakes. Or spiders. Or climb anything too tall. Or anything slimy. And please don’t promise I won’t shiver when Jay looks at me with those damned blue eyes. Some growth takes time.
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Review
The Second in the Mysteries of a Heart Series
Captive Heart at Brantmar Castle: Mysteries of a Heart Series by Celeste Fenton
About Captive Heart at Brantmar Castle
Cozy Mystery - Romantic Suspense 2nd in Series
Setting - Dost Island (off the coast of Massachusetts) and the Scottish Highlands
Publisher: Independently Published
Publication Date: September 22, 2025
Hardcover Print Length: 305 pages Paperback Print Length: 389 pages
Gabby Heart travels to a remote Scottish castle with her best friend, Abe—a bestselling children’s author—expecting misty views, historic charm, and quiet time to plan their next book series. But Brantmar Castle holds more than ghosts of the past. When the women are taken hostage, Gabby must rely on her instincts, her resilience, and the help of men who may not deserve her trust to survive. Meanwhile, on Dost Island, young residents are vanishing without a trace. As those left behind scramble for answers, unsettling clues emerge—leading to a dark motive no one could have predicted. From the storm-swept highlands of Scotland to the rocky shores of New England, Captive Heart at Brantmar Castle blends mystery, emotional grit, simmering romance, and humor, in a story where secrets run deep... and time is running out.
Two mysteries. One fight for survival. And danger closing in from both sides of the sea.
A slow-burn romantic suspense with an edgy cozy mystery twist peppered with humor, Captive Heart at Brantmar Castle is perfect for fans of strong women over 40, amateur sleuths, brooding men with buried secrets, and adventure in small seaside towns and exotic locales hiding deadly truths.
About Celeste Fenton
My writing is fueled by a lifelong love of mystery and a fascination with the complexities of the human heart. As a widow, mother of adult twin sons, proud grandmother, dog lover, and semi-retired educator, I believe I have enough real-world experience to weave imagination with insight to create stories rich with emotion and suspense.
When I'm not writing, reading, or plotting another plot twist, I like to explore small towns across America—setting out solo for month-long adventures much to the awe (and occasional alarm) of family and friends. My latest obsessions include escape rooms, mastering the perfect miter cut for a DIY bathroom remodel, training my cavalier spaniel to do a high five, and making the impossible decision of where to travel next.
Author Links:
Website https://celestefenton.com
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