"Dusk's Darkest Shores" by Carolyn Miller [with a giveaway!]

Mary Bloomfield is the local doctor's helpful daughter, and completely unattached at age twenty-nine. She assists her father and the local midwife with their duties, and is as capable as they are in the sick room. Her deep faith has carried her through watching her younger friends as they entered courtships and marriages and motherhood. But there's a part of her that wishes she was not past such things for herself.

Adam Edgerton was a hero in the war, but he's come home facing a malady that may change the rest of his life. Restless and uncertain, not having many friends to cheer his days, he's thankful when Mary begins coming to help him and his mother. She's different than other girls, being more blunt and plain-spoken. Yet there's something about her steadiness that brings comfort to all who know her.

I enjoyed reading about Mary and all the ways she helped her community. There's a colorful cast of secondary characters whose plights I couldn't help but become invested in. I also appreciated Mary as an older single lady, which is a position I'm quite familiar with. Her hopes and longings yet willingness to give of herself were inspiring. Adam is a sympathetic hero going through quite an ordeal. You have the feeling that as much as you'd like to handle it better yourself, it would be quite a challenge to accept the new life thrust upon you.

I would recommend this book for fans of gentle Regency romance. Please check out the giveaway below if you're interested in winning a copy!

I received my copy of the book from Read With Audra. All thoughts in this review are my own.