
My love for Regency fiction springs all the way back to its source:
Jane Austen! She dedicated her book "Emma" to the Prince Regent, from whose rule this brief period takes its name. I'm excited that Regency fiction is becoming popular in the Christian market, and when Sarah Ladd's debut novel was highly praised by
my favorite current Regency author, I knew this was one I wanted to get my hands on.
Amelia Barrett is a determined young woman about to be married and to inherit her father's estate of Winterwood. She becomes friends with a young pregnant woman whose husband is away at sea. When her friend dies giving birth, Amelia vows to raise the baby, against the wishes of her family and her fiance. They hope that when the child's father returns she will relinquish her devotion to little Lucy.
The idea of a young single woman adopting a child is quite an unusual one for this time period! Can you imagine if Elizabeth Bennet had done such a thing?
When Captain Graham Sterling arrives in their country neighborhood many months later, he is shocked when Amelia proposes marriage to him. In her mind that is the perfect solution: with her marriage, her inheritance is secure and she can raise Lucy, and the captain will be serving in the navy most of the time so their relationship of convenience need not be complicated. For his part, he can rest his mind knowing Lucy is loved and well cared for. Captain Sterling, yet grieving the loss of his wife and feeling like he failed her, is not ready to commit to another marriage, especially not to someone he's hardly seen before who is already engaged to be married to another man.
Concerned about losing Lucy and her fiance's true intentions in their relationship, Amelia feels desperate. She's very headstrong and feels that she must always be in control of whatever situation she finds herself in. But as Edward's actions become volatile towards her, and her family's disapproval continues to grow, she feels more than ever that the Captain could save the whole situation.
This is a very character-driven story. The only major action plot point, detailed in the second paragraph on the back cover, doesn't happen until about two hundred pages in! Not that this is bad, because my favorite stories happen to be character-driven, and Ladd does a great job setting up each major and minor character. But if you happen to like fast-moving tales, this might not be one for you. I would also not recommend this book to anyone who has triggers from emotional or physical abuse. There were a few scenes that, although brief, were concerning to me in this area.
Overall I enjoyed this story and plan to watch for Ladd's further releases. Learning to let go and trust God is a lesson that Amelia and Captain Sterling must both learn, and a challenge that we as readers face as well.
I received my copy from Booksneeze in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are my own.