"The Headmistress of Rosemere" by Sarah E. Ladd

Sarah Ladd's debut novel, "The Heiress of Winterwood," was an excellent foray into Regency fiction. I've been excitedly awaiting her sophomore release in the same genre, and I am happy to report it did not disappoint. Jane Austen fans take note: Sarah Ladd is an author to watch!

Rosemere is a girls' school which leases its land and buildings from one William Sterling of Eastmore Hall. If that name is familiar, his brother, Captain Graham Sterling, was the hero of "Heiress." William isn't known for his good decision-making skills; in fact, he's now in dire straights because of his dissolute ways. Retreating to Eastmore, William is waylaid and beaten by creditors, and manages to take shelter from the cold night in Rosemere's stables. When he's discovered the next morning, he's another problem that young headmistress Patience Creighton must find grace and strength to handle.

The death of her father and disappearance of her brother have left Rosemere in Patience's hands. Patience loves teaching and giving a home to the 29 girls who live there, but her mother's grief and apathy weigh heavily on her shoulders. Patience doesn't know how to trust a God who would drop so much onto her plate at one time. Now that their landlord is having to consider selling some of his property to pay his debts, will Rosemere be closed and all the family and students evicted?

William is captivated by the strong and capable woman he is beginning to know. When his past threatens her future, William decides to take measures to protect Patience and the school as much as he can. But things become uncertain once again when Patience's brother unexpectedly returns home with new plans for the school, and William discovers a secret that his former fiancee kept from him which may change everything.

This is a tale of yearning hearts and redemption. The setting of a snow-covered English moor makes this perfect for winter reading. I loved cheering for William to turn his life around, and ached for all that Patience was bearing on her shoulders. I'm so glad to have Sarah Ladd's books on my keeper shelf, and am already looking forward to her next novel!

I received my copy of the book from LitFuse in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are my own.


Don't miss Sarah Ladd's latest Regency novel, The Headmistress of Rosemere. She is celebrating the release of book two in her Whispers on the Moors series with a fun "School" Your Desk Kindle Fire Giveaway and an Author Chat Facebook Party!

Between January 17–28, visit Sarah Ladd's Facebook Page to enter to win a new giveaway each day and be entered to win a Kindle Fire grand prize. Winners will be announced at the Facebook Author Chat party on January 28th! (Don't have a Facebook account? Enter here.)

RSVP today for Sarah's The Headmistress of Rosemere Author Chat Party on Facebook. During the party Sarah will be hosting a book chat, testing your Regency trivia skills, announcing the winner of the "School" Your Desk Giveaway, and giving away books, gift certificates, and more. Oh, and she'll also be giving partygoers an exclusive look at the next book in the Whispers on the Moors series!

So grab your copy of The Headmistress of Rosemere and hope to see you on the evening of January 28th! (If you haven’t read the book, don’t let that stop you from coming!)

DON’T MISS A MOMENT OF THE FUN; RSVP TODAY. HOPE TO SEE YOU ON THE 28th!