reviewsbyerin

Death seems to follow Delia Greythorne. Her daughter, her husband, the parents of her young charges. Now she's forced to return to Cornwall, the home of her greatest sorrow, in order to help five orphaned children transition to life in their uncle's house. She hopes to keep her presence in the area a secret and avoid stirring up any remnants of her past.

When Jac Twethewey parted ways with his brother, the last thing he expected was that Randall would die young -- and name him the guardian of his children. Elbow-deep in restoring their family property, this isn't the best time to add so many members to his household, but death and duty take no consideration of dreams. Jac's heart does go out to the youngsters, and he's thankful for the capability of the governess as she helps the children settle into life at Penwythe Hall.

Delia's family ties soon come into play, bringing threats of danger not only to herself but also the Twethewey family. As the mystery unspools, Delia and Jac will both be forced to face what is most important to them, and how far they are willing to go to protect the children under their care.

I enjoyed this novel tremendously. The first half is very character-driven, which I did not mind, but I can see how it might be slow going for some readers. Delia's careful watch of the children's emotions seemed a modern mindset and therefore anachronistic to the time period, though I thought it was a great example for readers today.

If you enjoy Regency novels with inspiring characters and threads of mystery, you would enjoy The Governess of Penwythe Hall. I'm a huge fan of Sarah E. Ladd and found this to be one of her strongest books yet.