Series: None
Author: Jane Dunn
Published August 5th 2024 by Boldwood Books
Goodreads Synopsis
In Regency England, twenty-seven-year-old Leonora Appleby is considered by many – herself included – to be beyond her most eligible marrying years. With her childhood home, Hasterleigh Manor, soon to be taken over by the heir to the land, George Lockwood, Leonora has happily resigned herself to a quiet life as a country Miss.
But life has a way of springing surprises and the return of the brooding war hero Earl Rokeby, presumed dead on the French battlefields, to the magnificent neighbouring Rokeby Abbey has the village atwitter with speculation. Earl Rokeby has returned, scarred in mind and body, with news for Leonora’s best friend Charlotte Blythe – news that will change everything.
Now Charlotte and Leonora must travel to Town for the Season and take their futures and fate into their own hands in the whirl of balls, parties and gossip. But will either of them return to Hasterleigh with a husband and a fortune, and what other secrets does the devastatingly dashing Alistair Rokeby have up his silken sleeves…
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.
Miss Leonora Appleby’s life is about to change. Following her father’s death, she will be moving out of the Manor that’s been her home her entire life, and just hopes the new heir cares for her home as much as she had. But there’s more than one new arrival to Hasterleigh, and the new Earl Rokeby, long presumed dead, but newly arrived home from war, is setting the town ablaze. He’s brought more than just war wounds, and some newly revealed secrets are going to change the lives of them all.
When I saw this book on NetGalley, I knew it would be a book for me. I really enjoyed the chemistry and development of the relationship between Leonora and Alistair. It was not an easy love story, and the added side stories surrounding Charlotte, and Alistair’s history, were great. The writing style did take a little getting used to, but one I was a few chapters in, I was hooked. There’s definitely a Pride & Prejudice vibe to the book, especially with the plot line surrounding the ‘baddie’, and the ending nicely tied all the plot lines together. A great Regency romance.
Dates Read:
August 1-2, 2024
Rating
4 Stars
About Margaret Amatt:
Jane Dunn is an historian and biographer and the author of seven acclaimed biographies, including Daphne du Maurier and her Sisters and the Sunday Times and NYT bestseller, Elizabeth & Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens. She lives in Berkshire with her husband, the linguist Nicholas Ostler.
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