ReviewsByErin

Annabelle Thorley must make a decision. Her father has passed away amidst rumors of underhanded business dealings, and her brother's gambling debts are sinking the family further into ruin. Now her brother is leaning on her to marry a rich but repulsive - and possibly abusive - man. With her choices diminished to being forced into marriage or running away, Annabelle chooses to be brave and seek out her mother's brother for asylum. As a school superintendent at far away Fellsworth, surely he will keep her safe and help her start a new life.

Fortune seems to smile on Annabelle as she makes the acquaintance of Owen Locke, a gamekeeper from the Fellsworth area who knows her uncle and seems like an honorable man. Annabelle begs his help and his secrecy in making an escape before her choices are made for her.

Owen is a hardworking man who wants to become a landowner with better hopes for the future than his current lowly occupation. A widower with a young daughter, he's faithful and loyal to what he believes is right. Seeing the situation that Annabelle is in, Owen agrees to help her travel to the safety of her uncle's care. 

Warmly received by her Uncle Edmund and trying to settle in as an under teacher at Fellsworth, Annabelle is relieved but also challenged by her new less than privileged status. She's cheered by new acquaintances and also the steady friendship of Mr. Locke. But her past is not ready to release her yet. Her brother is looking for her, determined to use her for his own schemes.

This is quite an adventure story! It has plenty of action and a cast of characters who draw you in with the strength of their courage. I was quite captivated and had a hard time putting the book down. This is another great Regency novel by Sarah Ladd!

I received my copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

2015 held so many good reads that I am allowing myself 10 books spread over the categories below. Such a good reading year! Click on any title to read my full review.

Historical Fiction



A Sparrow in Terezin by Kristy Cambron

Set in Prague, London, and the Terezin concentration camp, this stirring World War II tale brings us the story of a young woman rising to the occasion to bring hope to the darkest of days. Captivating and inspiring.




The Curiosity Keeper by Sarah Ladd

Camille Iverness has known much unkindness in her life, but never more than when her London father disowns her. With a determined spirit that would rival Jane Eyre, Camille wants to stand on her own while yet learning the healing and beauty that comes with safe community.




With Every Letter by Sarah Sundin

Although this book was published a few years ago, it was new to me in 2015. It's a North African World War II version of "You've Got Mail" or "The Shop Around the Corner" - in other words, lots of great things combined into one! Instant favorite.


Young Adult Fiction



The Golden Braid by Melanie Dickerson

Rapunzel has always been one of my favorite fairy tale characters, and this much-anticipated retelling by Melanie Dickerson brought us lovely characters and a storyline that held true to the original tale while adding new twists along the way.


Speculative Fiction



The Methuselah Project by Rick Barry

When Roger Greene's plane is shot down over Germany in 1943, his Nazi captors force him to become part of a scientific project. As a result, Roger ceases to age. When he is finally able to escape the underground bunker more than 70 years later, Roger must adapt to the changes in the world and try to prove his identity.


Contemporary Fiction



The Art of Losing Yourself by Katie Ganshert

Two sisters, raised by the same dysfunctional, drug-addicted mother. One becomes a perfectionist and the other a rebel. When they are thrown together and forced to forge a relationship, both will be changed for the better.


Non-Fiction



Tattered and Mended by Cynthia Ruchti

Cynthia Ruchti invites us to look straight into our tattered souls and ask the Master Craftsman, our Heavenly Father, to restore us in similar ways that human craftsmen restore priceless treasures and antiques. This is a book infused with hope and healing for all of our weary spirits.




The Finishing School by Valerie Woerner

There are a lot of things that we learn in life, but sometimes applying lessons and character traits can be a harder thing to grasp. Valerie Woerner shares her journey of living out what she's learned, and makes this a book that would benefit many young women.


Classic Literature



A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter

I was introduced to this book by my grandmother when I was about 10 years old, and rereading it this year was such a delight. The heroine, Elnora, is everything that is beautiful and virtuous while still being real and relatable.


Novella



Three Little Words by Melissa Tagg

We first get introduced to Melissa Tagg's fictional town of Maple Valley, Iowa, in this short and sweet story. Tomboy Ava keeps running into closed doors as she pursues her dream, but when she connects with an old writing rival she may finally find a place to fit in and be at home.

I really love Sarah E. Ladd's Regency fiction! She is a lovely voice in this growing market, and I believe her covers are the prettiest ones in the business. When I was offered the chance to review "A Lady at Willowgrove Hall," I jumped at the opportunity!

Our heroine for this story is Cecily Faire, a sweet redhead who finds herself accepting the position of lady's companion to the elderly Mrs. Trent. Cecily has a tangled past, as she has been separated from her family since the age of 16, when her temperamental father dropped her off at a school for young ladies and intentionally never came back for her. She finished her education there and then taught for a few years before setting out to make a way on her own. She hopes someday she can be reunited with her family, especially her twin sister, but has few leads about where they have moved to.

Nathaniel Stanton is the young steward at Mrs. Trent's Willowgrove Hall estate. He inherited the position from his father and the secret of his true parentage from his mother. He's been promised to receive a legacy from his biological father upon Mrs. Trent's death, but meanwhile he is doing his best to serve at Willowgrove and take care of his mother and sisters.

Scarcely has Cecily arrived at Willowgrove before she comes face to face with her past, but rather than her family, it's the last person she ever wanted to see. But life has changed for Cecily since the youthful elopement she once planned with Andrew Moreton, and she hopes he has changed, too. Would Mrs. Trent dismiss her if she found out that Cecily was once romantically involved with her nephew? Cecily feels they must keep their secret, for her sake as well as for Andrew's upcoming marriage, and meanwhile feels growing attraction for Willowgrove's kind and serious steward.

This was a gentle story with likable characters for whom it was easy to cheer. I felt the issues that Cecily and Nathaniel faced, with things in the past that haunted each of them, were ones that readers could relate to today. There was enough mystery that the narrative was enhanced by it, rather than driven by it. I greatly enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to all historical fiction fans.

My copy of the book was provided by the author in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are my own.

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.