Month: February 2019

A Hero for Miss Hatherleigh (Regency Brides: Daughters of Aynsley #1) – Review

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herocover by Carolyn Miller

Series: Regency Brides: Daughters of Aynsley (Book 1)
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Kregel Publications (March 19, 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0825445892
ISBN-13: 978-0825445897

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Can a proper noble lady find a future with a fossil-hunting man of faith?

As the daughter of Viscount Aynsley, Caroline Hatherleigh knows every rule of society–and she’s always followed them precisely. But when she visits south Devonshire and encounters a fossil-hunting scientist and his sister, her assumptions about what is right are shaken. Questions she has never considered about the importance of friendship and faith suddenly confront her–and her comfortable understanding about how the world works is thrown off balance. What if God wants to be the center of her life, rather than merely a social obligation?

Gideon Kirby loves science, and hunting down proof of past lives is a joy he won’t willingly give up. But his scientific leanings are being challenged both by his personal beliefs and by local smugglers in the Devonshire countryside. And every day his sister’s illness becomes more desperate, her care growing more demanding. Adding a viscount’s daughter to the mix is a complication Gideon never expected–especially since he must stay far away from this young woman he’s falling for in order to protect his beloved sister’s secret.

When a mysterious stranger visits the village, that secret will be exposed, no matter how Gideon fights. Then tragedy strikes in a smugglers’ cave. And the threat of scandal may lead to broken hearts and passionless propriety. Will the shaky bond these two have nurtured be strong enough to overcome their differences–or will the trust they’ve withheld from each other tear three lives apart?

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A Hero for Miss Hatherleigh is the first book in the Regency Brides: Daughters of Aynsley series. Even though this is a new series, I think it would be helpful to have read The Making of Mrs. Hale.

One of the things I love about Carolyn Miller’s books are that they are so unique. I love the regency era and have read so many books that take place during that time, yet I feel like I learn something new in each of Miller’s books. She clearly does her research. She also writes real characters who are not perfect and who are still growing, and we want to cheer them on in their journey. As much as I have enjoyed reading all of Miller’s books, this one is my favorite.

Caroline Hatherleigh has grown up in a very privileged bubble. She is the daughter of a Viscount and wants everyone to know it. She has been raised to act a certain way and is the standard of a society lady. Caroline has always struggled with having friends because she likes to make things about herself and only takes from the relationship.

Following in her parents’ unfaithful footsteps, she doesn’t believe in God and thinks that you are only a sinner if you murder people. She would only attend church services for appearances.

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When Caroline hears that her friend, Ned, had been shot, she immediately daydreams about future suitors and doesn’t care about what could happen to Ned.

I had a hard time liking Caroline at the beginning and she had a lot of learning to do. After leaving London to avoid scandal, Caroline meets Gideon. Gideon is far beneath her socially, but she can’t help but be drawn to him.

Gideon is in Sidmouth trying to discover fossils while hoping to protect his sister and provide her with the medical help she needs.

While I thought of Caroline negatively from the beginning, I really liked Gideon from the start. He lives a faithful life and proves how showing a good example can bring people to God.

No one is perfect, and I always enjoy when a character can grow in faith during the story. Caroline learns an important lesson that we should all read the Bible ourselves so we can know what is truly in it.

A major theme in A Hero for Miss Hatherleigh is how someone who is a believer of God can also believe in science. There are some beautiful quotes in the book that talk about seeing God’s work and how there is no way it can be accidental. I found the fossil-hunting incredibly interesting. After reading the book, I even bought myself a few fossils.

Caroline’s sisters Cecilia and Verity were side characters in this book and will get their own books in the series. I am looking forward to reading about both of them!

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A Return of Devotion (Haven Manor #2) – Review

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devotioncover by Kristi Ann Hunter

Series: Haven Manor (Book 2)
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (February 5, 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 076423076X
ISBN-13: 978-0764230769

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Daphne Blakemoor was perfectly happy living in her own secluded world for twelve years. She had everything she needed—loved ones, a true home, and time to indulge her imagination. But when ownership of the estate where she works as a housekeeper passes on, and the new marquis has an undeniable connection to her past, everything she’s come to rely upon is threatened.

William, Marquis of Chemsford’s main goal in life is to be the exact opposite of his father. Starting a new life in the peace and quiet of the country sounds perfect until his housekeeper turns his life upside down.

They’ve spent their lives hiding from the past. Can they find the courage to face their deepest wounds and, perhaps, find a new path for the future together?

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A Return of Devotion brings us back to Haven Manor and the characters we have come to love in A Search for Refuge and A Defense of Honor. The book can be read as a standalone but is better appreciated if read after the previous two. A Search for Refuge is available for free on Amazon.

Haven Manor was created 12 years ago after Daphne Blakemoor had her son Benedict as a single woman. The haven was created to help children who were the result of similar situations. After William, Marquis of Chemsford, inherits the estate will Daphne lose the haven she loves so much?

Daphne has always looked on the bright side and after she has turned to God for repentance, she tries to find something good that can come out of it by caring for children like her son, Benedict.

I am glad Benedict has a story now. I have been interested in him from the beginning. I can’t imagine what Daphne has gone through not being able to tell him that she’s his mother. Though I know that in that time the alternative was usually that she would have to give him up and never know him. Benedict is very strong and talented for someone who is still just a boy.

I like Daphne’s thoughts on raising up the next generation like Moses but also not being allowed to enter the Promised Land because of her sin. While our sins can be forgiven, there is often a result from our sins.  Daphne forgives others and teaches the children that God loves everyone, but she doesn’t really feel forgiven or worthy of His love.

William is confused because he wants to act the part of a peer and not associate with servants, but he also wants to not be like his selfish father. He lives his life trying to do the absolute opposite of what his father had done.

Daphne has always been a dreamer. She is constantly imagining scenarios in her head and missing entire conversations. It was funny when William started daydreaming and missing parts of conversations which he hadn’t done before Daphne.

William and Benedict meeting for the first time was even more intense than I thought it was going to be. I felt so bad for what little Benedict was going through while trying to be grown up.

There were a lot of serious moments but there were some lighthearted moments as well. The readers are also given a very real and beautiful romance between William and Daphne.

“How very different they were and how glorious it was.”

It is not just a fairy tale. They have to go through a lot and they come out better for it in the end.

The Bible teaches that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”.

“The past can be the stone that weighs you down or the foundation you build upon.”

Like Daphne, we need to learn that after bringing our sin to God and repenting, we need to learn to forgive ourselves.

“There’s life after forgiveness.”