The Austen Escape

After years of following her best friend’s lead, Mary Davies finds a whimsical trip back to Austen’s Regency England paves the way towards a new future.

Mary Davies lives and works in Austin, Texas, as an industrial engineer. She has an orderly and productive life, a job and colleagues that she enjoys—particularly a certain adorable, intelligent, and hilarious consultant. But something is missing for Mary. When her estranged and emotionally fragile childhood friend Isabel Dwyer offers Mary a two-week stay in a gorgeous manor house in Bath, Mary reluctantly agrees to come along, in hopes that the holiday will shake up her quiet life in just the right ways. But Mary gets more than she bargained for when Isabel loses her memory and fully believes that she lives in Regency England. Mary becomes dependent on a household of strangers to take care of Isabel until she wakes up.

With Mary in charge and surrounded by new friends, Isabel rests and enjoys the leisure of a Regency lady. But life gets even more complicated when Mary makes the discovery that her life and Isabel’s have intersected in more ways that she knew, and she finds herself caught between who Isabel was, who she seems to be, and the man who stands between them. Outings are undertaken, misunderstandings play out, and dancing ensues as this triangle works out their lives and hearts among a company of clever, well-informed people who have a great deal of conversation.

My thoughts: I always enjoy Katherine Reay's stories, as she puts so many layers into her characters and their stories. The Austen Escape did not disappoint in that regard! I found that I enjoyed getting to know Mary as she goes on the adventure of a lifetime with her childhood friend. I would of liked a bit more to the ending, since it felt like it was a bit abrupt, but that could just be me and my love of details.;) I did love all the Austen details and wish I had a friend who would take me on a Austen vacation.;)Overall, this is a wonderful story to pick up and savor.
I received this title from the author in exchange for my honest review.
Preorder your copy here:

This post contains affiliated links.

An Inconvenient Beauty

The Duke of Riverton has chosen his future wife with the same logic he uses to make every decision. However, his perfect bride eludes his suit, while the beautiful Isabella Breckenridge seems to be everywhere. When the time comes, will Griffith and Isabella be able to set aside their pride and initial notions to embrace their very own happily-ever-after?

My thoughts: I didn't want to like this book, after I started it, since I found Isabella to be too perfect of a heroine. But, then I realized that I was a bit like the Duke of Riverton with being a bit prejudice against a "Diamond" of the season. This wound up being the perfect conclusion to one of my favorite series! This series has had a lot of depth to the characters and managed to be outside the box when it comes to regency fiction. I highly recommend this book and the whole series!
I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.

An Uncommon Courtship

When her mother's ill-conceived marriage trap goes awry, Lady Adelaide Bell unwittingly finds herself bound to a stranger who ignores her. Lord Trent Hawthorne, who had grand plans to marry for love, is even less pleased with the match. Can they set aside their first impressions before any chance of love is lost?

My thoughts: While I enjoyed the previous two books in this series, I had a harder time getting into this story, since it was just so vague at the beginning. And, it felt like there wasn't much to the heroine. But, then more of the story came out and the reader starts to get why Lady Adelaide is the way that she is. I love that this story wound up being a different spin on the tale of a marriage of convenience. I also love that Kristi has captured the Regency way of verbal sparing, how to polietly get your point across, something I love about Jane Austen's stories.
If you enjoy Regency stories, I highly recommend this one! I would caution that it is for a little older audience. I was quite an advanced reader at a young age, and would not of wanted to pick this one up until at last high school.;) (though, things are handled with tact)
I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.

The Innkeeperof Ivy Hill

The lifeblood of the Wiltshire village of Ivy Hill is its coaching inn, The Bell. But when the innkeeper dies suddenly, his genteel wife, Jane Bell, becomes the reluctant owner. Jane has no notion of how to run a business. However, with the town's livelihood at stake and a large loan due, she must find a way to bring new life to the inn.

Despite their strained relationship, Jane turns to her resentful mother-in-law, Thora, for help. Formerly mistress of The Bell, Thora is struggling to find her place in the world. As she and Jane work together, they form a measure of trust, and Thora's wounded heart begins to heal. When she encounters two men from her past, she sees them--and her future--in a different light.

With pressure mounting from the bank, Jane employs innovative methods to turn the inn around, and puzzles over the intentions of several men who seem to have a vested interest in the place. Will her efforts be enough to save The Bell? And will Thora embrace the possibility of a second chance at love?

My thoughts: I have enjoyed many of Julie's books in the past, but all of her other books have been stand alone titles. With this book, she is taking on writing a series. I love how this book is set in a small town and tells the story of several different women, two widows and two single ladies, along with bringing out the stories of several of the secondary characters. I love how quaint this series is, and I mean that in the best way possible! You feel like you have been invited to stay at a lovely small town in Regency England and allowed the chance to get to know a vast array of characters. Since it is a series, there were a few things resolved at the end of the story, but a lot left hanging, so I am eagerly awaiting the next book! The bad news? It doesn't come out until the end of the year...:)
I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.

To Suit a Suitor

Much to her mother’s annoyance, Julia North can’t catch a husband. Nearing the end of her third London season, Julia is jilted. Again! Constantly wondering what it is about her that drives the gentlemen away, Julia leaves London to visit a distant cousin for a couple of months. She is hoping to forget about husband hunting for a time, but she inadvertently finds herself in competition for Henry Chamberlain, the most desirable gentleman in Somersetshire. Marriage wouldn’t seem so detestable if she could marry him. But every young lady has the same dream of capturing his attention, so Julia knows she doesn’t have a chance. What she doesn’t know is that her desire to avoid Henry’s attention is the very thing that has caught it, but it’ll take some effort on Henry’s part to convince Julia of that.

My thoughts: I enjoyed Paula's first book, so I was wondering if thrilled to have the chance to review this book! I loved getting to know Julia, who is such a fun, spunky character. This book is a fun trip to Regency England. It's the perfect story to pick up on a cold day!
I received this book from Cedar Fort in exchange for my honest review.

About the author: Paula Kremser focused on a career in science for a few years after graduating from Brigham Young University. Several years later when she moved with her young family to England, Paula seized the opportunity to focus on her love of the Regency Era. The enchantment of the aristocracy and the fascinating stories from every stately home she visits have been both research and inspiration for her first novel, “Sophia.”

The Second Season

Eleanor Hopkins has lived in disappointment for far too long believing that her husband only married her for fortune, and she determines to protect her own daughters from such misery by scheming to secure offers for both Lucy and Caroline based on mutual rank and reputation. When Caroline finds that the handsome and reputable Lord Searly desires her as his wife, she finds that no amount of planning or pretending can convince her to accept him. Instead, she is confronted with an unexpected and reluctant suitor in the respectable shoemaker Thomas Clark.

My thoughts: This one is a sweet story of two sisters seeking love during the London season in 1817. I like that the story is also, somewhat, about their parents as well. It was interesting to read a book where the heroine has the chance to either marry up or down in station, since it seems like a lot of the books are about the hero marrying "beneath" him in station.
While I would of liked a bit more to this story, it is a sweet one that I enjoyed! If you like regency style books, then I highly recommend this one to you!
I received this book from Cedar Fort in exchange for my honest review.

Dawn at Emberwilde

Isabel Creston never dared to dream that love could be hers. Now, at the edge of a forest filled with dark secrets, she faces a fateful choice between love and duty.

For as long as she can remember, beautiful and free-spirited Isabel has strained against the rules and rigidity of the Fellsworth School in the rolling English countryside. No longer a student, Isabel set her sights on a steady yet unexciting role as a teacher at the school, a safe yet stifling establishment that would provide her a steady environment to care for her younger sister Lizzie, who was left in her care after her father’s death.

The unexpected arrival of a striking stranger with news of unknown relatives turns Isabel’s small, predictable world upside down, sweeping her and her young charge into a labyrinth of intrigue and hidden motives.

At her new family’s invitation, Isabel and Lizzie relocate to Emberwilde, a sprawling estate adjacent to a vast, mysterious wood rife with mysterious rumors and ominous folklore—along with whispers of something far more sinister. And perhaps even more startling, two handsome men begin pursuing Isabel, forcing her to learn the delicate dance between attraction, the intricate rules of courtship, and the hopes of her heart.

At Emberwilde, Isabel will discover that the key to unlocking the mystery of her past may also open the door to her future and security. But first she must find it—in the depths of Emberwilde Forest.

My thoughts: What a fun, Regency style story! I love the element of gothic with this story and the mystery surrounding the forest. I also really enjoyed the main characters and getting to know them! There is a lot going on with the story and I like that there are secondary characters as well that play a good part in the story without taking over. I hope that Isabel's friend, Mary, will have her own story at some point.;)
Sarah has written another winner with this book! It was the perfect book to curl up with on a rainy day.
I received this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review.

The Curiosity Keeper

“It is not just a ruby, as you say. It is large as a quail’s egg, still untouched and unpolished. And it is rumored to either bless or curse whomever possesses it.”

Camille Iverness can take care of herself. She’s done so since the day her mother abandoned the family and left Camille to run their shabby curiosity shop on Blinkett Street. But when a violent betrayal leaves her injured with no place to hide, Camille has no choice but to accept help from the mysterious stranger who came to her aid.

Jonathan Gilchrist never wanted to inherit Kettering Hall. As a second son, he was content working as a village apothecary. But when his brother’s death made him heir just as his father’s foolish decisions put the estate at risk, only the sale of a priceless possession—a ruby called the Bevoy—can save the family from ruin. But the gem has disappeared. And all trails lead to Iverness Curiosity Shop—and the beautiful shop girl who may or may not be the answer to his questions.

Curious circumstance throws them together, and an intricate dance of need and suspicion leads the couple from the seedy backwaters of London to the elite neighborhoods of the wealthy to the lush, green Surrey countryside—all in the pursuit of a blood-red gem that collectors will sacrifice anything to possess.

Caught at the intersection of blessings and curses, greed and deceit, two determined souls must unite to protect what they hold dear. But when a passion that shines far brighter than any gem is ignited, each will have to decide how much they are willing to risk for their future, love, and happiness.

My thoughts: I enjoyed this unique mystery set in the Regency era and centered on a curiosity shop. I haven't come across a lot of regency novels that have main characters working in a shop, so this one is a fun read! I enjoyed getting to know the characters, as they seek out the ruby that the Gilchrist family had stolen from them. I hope that Jonathan and Camille will show up in the other books in the series!
I did find that I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as some of Sarah Ladd's other stories, though it is still a wonderful read full of interesting historical details and characters. This book is a wonderful summer read!
I received this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review.