Review: A Perfect Devon Manor

 

What if becoming the perfect wife meant losing the woman you used to be?

Christina Pemberton – born plain Tina Miller – may be a skilled restorer of antique silver, but to her husband’s old-money family, she is still tarnished goods. They won’t quite let her in to their rarified world, and it's tearing her marriage apart.

Desperate to prove herself worthy, Christina makes a decision that weighs heavily on her conscience. But then a secret from her past threatens to resurface, and Christina faces an impossible choice between the world she aspires to join, and the life that shaped her.

This is a warm, gripping tale of family, legacy, love, and second chances, set in a beautiful house on the rugged North Devon coast, perfect for fans of Phillipa Ashley, Tilly Tennant, and Sue Moorcroft. A Perfect Devon Manor is a warm, emotionally satisfying midlife romance set in an enchanting Devon manor. Expect a marriage in trouble, self-rediscovery, second chances, and falling in love again, with high-stakes family drama, village intrigue, a glimpse into the rarified world of antique silver restoration, and a life-affirming happily ever after.

Review

I can tell from the start that the author is writing what she knows. From the discomfort of being in a life that doesn't quite fit to the pure joy of finding one that does - she brings the facts into this work of fiction. 

This story goes beyond the luxury romance to the reality that hits once the kids come and life gets less passionate. Hamish and Tina are struggling to make their worlds stay collided. Tina is struggling to deal with unethical requests from manipulative bad actors. I love a messy middle book. Romance is fun, but marriage is work. Hamish and Christina have to work through some pain to decide if their romance deserves an "ever after" or if the real work of adulthood is falling in love with the person you really are.

This is part of a series but I didn't find that off-putting. It was an easy read-alone full of beautiful landscapes and a host of characters, some you love and some you hope fall off a cliff. Fans of Debbie Macomber will really love this one. 

Purchase Link - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FG81Y869

About the Author

Hi! I’m Debbie. Once upon a time, I was a perfectly respectable London professional – a chartered accountant with a law degree, a Blackberry (remember those?), and too many sensible shoes. Then common sense prevailed, romance called, and I swapped London’s Zone One for Devon’s Zero Signal.

These days, I know the real price of life’s essentials: a good haircut, a great friend, and the joy of a proper night’s sleep. I write love stories for grown-ups – warm, witty, stuffed with second chances and the kind of relationships where affection and exasperation create irresistible chemistry – for better for worse.

I divide my days between the page, the garden and long walks along the Devon coast – usually accompanied by two determined dogs with strong opinions about pacing and biscuit breaks.

 

Social Media Links –

> Website - www.debbiemorrison.co.uk

> facebook - Debbie-Morrison-Author

> instagram.com @debbiemorrisonauthor

Book promo: The Teacher's Noble Heart

 

In Regency Cornwall, governess Miss Wilkins has always survived by being sensible, capable, and self-reliant. When she dares to take a bold step toward independence, she has no intention of complicating her life—or her heart.

Her encounters with James Pentarrant, the steadfast captain of the Delabole slate quarry, are marked less by romance than by spirited disagreement. Self-contained and disciplined, James challenges her views at every turn, even as he respects her resolve. What begins as wary sparring and mutual resistance gradually deepens into an understanding neither expected nor sought.

Alongside their unfolding story, a young heiress newly returned to Cornwall hides a calling that defies convention. When a moment of danger on the moor—and the inevitable gossip that follows—forces her into an unintended engagement, assumptions harden and emotions become dangerously entangled. Her growing affection for her own sparring partner, a gentle country doctor with the manners of a true gentleman and a secret of his own, only further unsettles what society is determined to set in place.

Set against the rugged beauty of Cornwall’s coast, quarries, and windswept moors, The Teacher’s Noble Heart is a tender Regency romance of intertwined lives, mistaken conclusions, and love discovered in spite of every sensible intention.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Teachers-Noble-Heart-Cornwalls-Double-Dilemma-ebook/dp/B0GHST6WCH/

 

Author Bio –

Susanne Dunlap started out a historian, became an award-winning historical novelist with fourteen published novels for adults and teens, and is now the author of the Regency romance series, Double-Dilemma Romance. She lives and writes in a converted textile mill in Biddeford, Maine.

 

Social Media Links –

https://www.instagram.com/susanne_dunlap/

https://www.facebook.com/SusanneRomance

https://www.tiktok.com/@susieregency

Review: All for Love

 

Book blurb: 

When Covent Garden burns to the ground, her friends think Sarah Siddons has lost everything. But the great theater's destruction is only the latest loss in a life spent fighting for the one thing that mattered most: her family.

At fifteen, Sarah captivated audiences across England with her family's traveling theater company. That life—performing alongside those she loved, the stage and home intertwined—was all she ever wanted. But when her rising fame attracted dangerous attention, her parents sent her away to become "respectable," tearing apart the only dream she'd ever had.

Marrying William Siddons was supposed to bring it all back: the stage, family, belonging. Instead, it brought grinding poverty and impossible choices. With babies to feed and a husband who couldn't provide, Sarah became the sole breadwinner, performing through pregnancy, through grief, through exhaustion. Her every act was not a quest for glory, but for survival.

Based on the true story of Sarah Siddons, the most celebrated actress of the Georgian era, All for Love is a powerful portrait of a woman who sacrificed everything—her dreams, her happiness, her very self—to keep her family alive.

Review: 

Jen Johnson has a strong, recognizable voice in Regency fiction. She is well-known for her attention to historical detail. In this novel, she takes on the Georgian theater scene with a historical fiction based on the life of Sarah Siddons. Sarah defied the odds by becoming a stage legend while raising a family and despite the rigid gender structures of her time.

The writing is well-done. The author's research shines in this novel. Sarah is well-drawn and relatable. The fictional aspects are nuanced enough to be believable. I have mixed feelings about using the first person in biographical fiction, but the writing is immersive. Johnson's love for theater is woven through the novel in well-placed quotes from theater and literature. This is the kind of story that can become heavy-laden with history, but Johnson keeps the tone breezy and comfortable. Real life doesn't come in a comfortable 3-act structure, so there are some bumps in the pacing that make the plot feel uneven. It didn't take from my ability to enjoy the book, however. I loved how he book started with Sarah's first moment on the stage and ended at her last. The theater itself was the love of her life.

Overall, a strong entry in marketable historical fiction. The book explores both the joys of family and the challenges of rigid gender roles.  It does not have a primary romance, which may surprise the author's fans. Instead, it focuses on how one woman becomes a superstar in spite of her struggles.

Purchase link: https://www.cedarfort.com/collections/new-releases-1/products/all-for-love 

Check out more of the author's works at: https://jengeiglejohnson.com/ 

Thanks to Cedar Fort for providing me with an advanced copy of this book for review.

Review: A Dowager is Done In

 

A mysterious summons. A fatal hot chocolate. And a duchess who never expected mourning to be this dreadfully dull.

 

Hampshire, 1891. Six months into widowhood, Alice, Duchess of Stortford, is restless. Black gowns and seclusion in the country have their limits, so when Clarissa, Dowager Countess of Romley, sends a personal summons asking for her discreet assistance with a troubling matter at Lawrence House, Alice seizes the excuse for a change of scene.

But what begins as a family gathering to welcome home the Dowager’s once-disgraced son ends in shock. Clarissa is discovered dead, her passing swiftly dismissed as a heart attack. Alice knows better. The Dowager had been afraid — and had trusted her to uncover the truth. Someone silenced her, but why? Was it to do with the announcement she made over dinner, or something even more dangerous?

Now everyone in the house is a suspect: the resentful heir, the returning prodigal, the mysterious guest with a too-familiar face. With her sharp-witted maid Maud, steadfast footman George, and her reluctant ally Lord Rushton at her side, Alice must act quickly. If the Dowager was murdered to keep her secrets buried, the killer will not hesitate to strike again.

The Dowager is dead. The clock is ticking. And the duchess is about to discover that country house parties can be murder.

Full of clever twists and a heroine who won’t give up until she finds out the truth, A Dowager is Done-in is the perfect escape for fans of historical mysteries wrapped in wit and warmth.

 Review

Another delightful story by Helen Golden! With the good humor of Miss Marple and the twists of Hercule Poirot, cozy mysteries fans will find so much to love in this series. I reviewed a book previously and I'm thrilled to say that I found this one even better than the first! 

Helen Golden has collected a cast of characters that make you wish your butler were found foot-up in the pantry. I was having so much fun that I didn't really try to figure out the mystery. The ride was as delicious as scones with cottle cream and jam at afternoon tea.

I do have one last thing to say in this review. Lady Alice may say that it's the small things that matter in solving a mystery, but I have gained more appreciation for the large things in life -- such as a large print edition that doesn't leave me with a stress headache. Deep appreciation to Helen Golden for being aware of us readers who have entered our bifocal era. So, no matter your age, find a cozy blanket, some shortbread cookies, a pot of your favorite tea and spend the afternoon with Lady Alice and her mystery squad.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dowager-Done-Duchess-Stortford-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0FNR838B8/

https://www.amazon.com/Dowager-Done-Duchess-Stortford-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0FNR838B8/

About Helen Golden

Helen Golden spins mysteries that are charmingly British, delightfully deadly, and served with a twist of humour.

With quirky characters, clever red herrings, and plots that keep the pages turning, she’s the author of the much-loved A Right Royal Cozy Investigation series, following Lady Beatrice and her friends—including one clever little dog—as they uncover secrets hidden in country houses and royal palaces. Her new historical mystery series, The Duchess of Stortford Mysteries, is set in Victorian England and introduces an equally curious sleuth from Lady Beatrice’s own family tree—where murders are solved over cups of tea, whispered gossip, and overheard conversations in drawing rooms and grand estates.

Helen lives in a quintessential English village in Lincolnshire with her husband, stepdaughter, and a menagerie of pets—including a dog, several cats, a tortoise, and far too many fish.

If you love clever puzzles, charming settings, and sleuths with spark, her books are waiting for you.

 

​Follow Helen Golden

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/helengolden_author

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helengoldenauthor 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@helengoldenauthor 

https://twitter.com/HelenGoldenAuth 

 

Review: The Silent Resistance

 

Occupied Norway, 1944. Anni endures the war alone, aiding the resistance while longing for news of her sailor husband. Her daughter, Ingrid, is her joy, and Anni is determined to keep her safe. But when a German official is billeted at their home, danger escalates, and Anni faces an agonizing dilemma.

London, 1952. Ingrid has been trying to understand her mother’s mysterious disappearance at the war’s end. Clinging to Anni’s promise that she would always come back for her, Ingrid sets out to discover what happened all those years ago.

Review

Readers of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society will find a new favorite in Silent Resistance by Anna Norman. This beautiful story of war, deprivation and shared humanity will leave you in tears for all the right reasons. 

I enjoy a story that looks at WWII from a perspective I haven't considered. This story is set in Norway and, while I knew the basics, the reality of being a people abandoned by their government as enemies descended was fascinating. Most people are pawns in a game played by those unaffected by the outcome -- a fact well-described in this work.

The intergenerational relationships of the three women were a real highlight for me. My heart was broken from the start knowing that Anna wasn't going to make it through the war as the mother she hoped to be. Anna Normann has created characters with real depth that speak from the page. The tragedy of war can't be avoided as we look at how the war destroyed the lives of people nowhere near the front lines. 

This is a beautiful story that will remind you that there are no winners in war. It's an easy read but well-written enough to have impact. 

Purchase Link - http://tinyurl.com/2n6sr5b6

Author Bio –

Anna Normann is the pseudonym of authors Anan Singh and Natalie Normann, and it all happened because of a bet. Sometime in the nineteen eighties, while watching a movie with a so-so plot, they started arguing about improving the plot and how they could write a better story than that mess. And then Anan’s wife said ‘I bet you can’t’ …

Since then, they have published seven books together in Norwegian, exploring different genres. Their first novel, set in WW2, won a competition in 1995 for ‘Norway’s best entertainment novel’.

 

Social Media Links –  https://linktr.ee/NatalieNormann

Review: Under Vixens Mere

 

If poor Harry Jones hadn't lowered himself into the water one freezing winter's night, a long-buried secret would never have come to the surface.

If …

Big Ed and Milly had been able to have children,

Karen hadn’t longed for love and romance,

Lorrie hadn't finally ditched Petra,

Dinah hadn’t found out the truth about Barry,

Jed hadn't dealt drugs and got Anna pregnant,

Carl Thomson hadn't come looking for him,

and Moses hadn't heard the commotion …

 

then there would be no story of Vixens Mere to tell.

Review

First...deepest of apologies to the author. We went to Japan and had travel issues. By the time we got back, the date had passed and I am woefully late getting this posted.

Under Vixens Mere is a delightful blend of interwoven stories with memorable characters. Kit Fielding has drawn a complex emotional drama from a tight-knit marina community that runs as much on secrets as sea life. The emotional dramas can be heavy - suicide, PTSD, survivor guilt, grief, and addiction. However, the heavy themes are balanced by emotionally-resonating character arcs and satisfying relationships between characters.

Second-person POV is not for everyone, so reader beware. I did find that it made following the plot a little difficult. There are so many characters - I did have to flip back through pages on occasion to figure out who was who in the plot. 

Overall, this is a very satisfying slow-burn human drama that pulls on the experiences of life in a small town to create a believable and immersive story that is likely to resonate with readers. Fans of The Light Between Oceans and The Shore are likely to fall in love with this one. 

Purchase Link - https://amzn.to/4hMNDDR

Author Bio – Kit Fielding plans and writes his novels in a motorhome at various locations around the country. 

The feeling of impermanence is natural to him due to his mother’s traveller roots and a childhood succession of tied-cottages accommodation in different parts of England. 

Kit Fielding says that there was always a curiosity about what was waiting, or was lurking, just around the corner. This legacy has stayed with him to the present day and it feeds into his work.

Social Media Links – Insta: @inkspotpub FB: Inkspotpublishing

Review: A Siege on her Heart

 

Cover art by Liz Kazandzby

Book blurb (from Amazon):

Ana María Bailon believes her heart is as shattered as the burning city she flees. Once bold and brilliant in her father’s war councils, she now carries a secret child and a soul scorched by the siege of San Sebastián. When an English captain offers a hurried marriage and safe passage to a foreign land, Ana wonders if she is walking toward healing or a new form of heartbreak.

Captain Peter Ashmore lives with memories that stalk him like smoke from a burning town. Honor compels him into a marriage of convenience, yet every glance from his Spanish bride stirs a longing he fears he does not deserve. As they travel to his English estate and step into a world of drawing rooms and whispered judgments, Peter grapples with guilt, desire, and a God he worries has turned away.

In the quiet rooms of Abbeygate, Ana starts to trust the gentle man beneath the scarlet uniform, but nightmares, secrets, and grief threaten every fragile step. Peter feels himself falling for the courageous woman he vowed to shield, even as the truth of her past and his role in the siege loom over them both.

Can Ana and Peter confront the ruin behind them and choose a love that rebuilds what war tried to destroy?

Review:

The best part of this book is the unique setting that provides an unexpected and well-done history lesson. The author places her characters inside their world with wisdom and compassion. The Battle of San Sebastian is interesting enough that I ended up down a rabbit hole to explore this piece of European history. What a mess it was. 

Ana and Peter make for good protagonists. I loved that Peter got in a mess made out of his own chivalry. Their merging of culture and belief in a complex, war-torn world is likely to resonate with readers.

Parts of this book are very toned-down for the intended audience. Most of the terrors of war happen off page. We start the book well into the story in order to avoid what might make readers uncomfortable, which ignores a lot of the history that Ana would've experienced. I have mixed feelings about marketing this book as a romance. To me, it is an historical fiction with a romantic subplot. I understand that romance sells better, but I think categorizing it that way undersells this story where the times they are set in largely drive the drama. Fans of historical romance won't be disappointed - but fans of historical fiction might pass this by when they would otherwise have picked it up.

While I'm being nitpicky, the cover art is lovely but mundane. I have seen something similar on dozens of books. For such a unique story, it was not given quite the cover it deserved.

However, for the intended audience, this is a lovely story. It has more depth than most Regency romance. The characters deserve their happy ending. It is a lovely book for a Sunday afternoon.

Purchase Information:

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Siege-Her-Heart-Jessica-Brousseau-ebook/dp/B0G5292ZJ4 

This book is widely distributed online and in local bookstores.

Thanks to Cedar Fort Publishing for the Advanced Reader copy of this novel.