Tag: Sarah E Ladd

Top 20 Books of 2020

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Losing yourself in a good book was even more important this year than in previous years. I am so thankful for these amazing writers that share their work with us. Here are the Top 20 Books in 2020.

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The Thief of Lanwyn Manor – Review

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by Sarah E. Ladd

Series: The Cornwall Novels (Book 2)
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (January 7, 2020)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0785223185
ISBN-13: 978-0785223184

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In Regency England an advantageous match could set up a lady for life. Julia knows Matthew Blake, copper mine owner and very eligible bachelor, is the gentleman she should set her eyes upon. But why can’t she steal her gaze away from his younger brother, Isaac?

Cornwall, England, 1818

Julia Twethewey needs a diversion to mend her broken heart, so when her cousin invites her to Lanwyn Manor, Julia eagerly accepts. The manor is located at the heart of Cornwall’s mining industry, and as a guest Julia is swept into its intricate world. It’s not long, though, before she realizes something dark lurks within the home’s ancient halls.

As a respected mine owner’s younger son, Isaac Blake is determined to keep his late father’s legacy alive through the family business, despite his brother’s careless attitude. In order to save their livelihood—and that of the people around them—the brothers approach the master of Lanwyn Manor with plans to bolster the floundering local industry. Isaac can’t deny his attraction to the man’s charming niece, but his brother has made clear his intentions to court the lovely visitor. And Isaac knows his place.

When tragedy strikes, mysteries arise, and valuables go missing, Julia and Isaac find they are pulled together in a swirl of strange circumstances, but despite their best efforts to bow to social expectations, their hearts aren’t so keen to surrender.

Sarah E. Ladd puts a lot of research into her books before she ever puts pen to paper and it shows. It brings the reader into that world, and her characters always make you feel so emotionally invested in them.

I like that Isaac Blake is a different kind of hero. While his twin brother Matthew is richer and more charming, Isaac is quiet, loyal, and caring.

Julia Twethewey just wants to find where she belongs. She tries to help people but is turned away numerous times and is even threatened.

This book has a gothic feel, and I love the mystery throughout it. It is the second in The Cornwall Novels series but can be read as a stand-alone.

Top 19 Books of 2019

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There were so many good books this year. This list presents you with the Top 19 in 2019.

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The Governess of Penwythe Hall (Cornwall #1) – Review

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governesscover by Sarah E. Ladd

Series: The Cornwall Novels (Book 1)
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (April 16, 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0785223169
ISBN-13: 978-0785223160

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Cornwall was in her blood, and Delia feared she’d never escape its hold.

Cornwall, England, 1811

Blamed for her husband’s death, Cordelia Greythorne fled Cornwall and accepted a governess position to begin a new life. Years later her employer’s unexpected death and his last request for her to watch over his five children force her to reevaluate. She can’t abandon the children now that they’ve lost both parents, but their new guardian lives at the timeworn Penwythe Hall . . . back on the Cornish coast she’s tried desperately to forget.

Jac Twethewey is determined to revive Penwythe Hall’s once-flourishing apple orchards, and he’ll stop at nothing to see his struggling estate profitable again. He hasn’t heard from his brother in years, so when his nieces, nephews, and their governess arrive unannounced, he battles both grief at his brother’s death and bewilderment over this sudden responsibility. Jac’s priorities shift as the children take up residence in the ancient halls, but their secretive governess—and the mystery shrouding her past—proves to be a disruption to his carefully laid plans.

Rich with family secrets, lingering danger, and the captivating allure of new love, this first book in the Cornwall series introduces us to the Twethewey family and their search for peace, justice, and love on the Cornish coast.

“Brimming with dangerous secrets, rich characters, and the hauntingly beautiful descriptions Sarah Ladd handles so well, 1800s Cornwall is brought vividly to life in this well-crafted tale that kept me glued to the pages. What a brilliant start to a new series!” —Abigail Wilson, author of In the Shadow of Croft Towers

“The Governess of Penwythe Hall is a delightful and emotionally gripping tale that will tick all the boxes for any Regency lover: romance, history, and enough unpredictable intrigue to keep you up past your bedtime.” —Kristi Ann Hunter, author of A Defense of Honor

“Lovers of sweet and Christian romance alike will fall in love with Delia’s strength amid the haunting backdrop of her tragic past and the Cornish coast. Throw in a handsome leading man willing to turn his life upside down for the children in Delia’s charge, and you have a story you can’t put down.” —Josi S. Kilpack, Whiney Award–winning author of the Mayfield Family series

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Sarah E. Ladd is an author I can always depend on to provide me with excellent stories full of interesting plots and beloved characters. She has a strong voice in the Regency book world and Jane Austen fans will be drawn to her.

The Governess of Penwythe Hall brings us the story of Cordelia Greythorne and Jac Trethewey. They both carry secrets of the past that guard their hearts, but will opening up help them to heal?

Delia is governess to five children who have recently lost their father. Attached to these children, Delia follows them to their new guardian’s house in Cornwall. Cornwall holds the secrets of her past, and she has sworn to never return. Jac Trethewey is now in charge of his nieces and nephews. He has spent their lifetimes being estranged from their father.

Delia does not like to let many people in. She thinks that she has to rely on herself in order to hide from her past. Jac lost a lot from his fight with his brother and now he is trying to regain some of the missing years with his nieces and nephews.

I loved all the children. They all had such great personalities and you hurt for all of them while they grieved their loss. Jac was wonderful with the children. I like how he wanted them to not only have their formal education but he taught the boys estate business; even tasks that would normally be for the workers. Jac was often told he was spontaneous yet he wanted to get involved in all the tasks that the estate depended on in order to make it successful for many years to come. While he was spontaneous in some things, there was actually a lot of thoughts behind his plans.

While this book was full of tender relationships, it was also full of intrigue.  There were a lot of unanswered questions throughout the book, and I wanted to keep reading and not put the book down.

Ladd really has a way of describing things. There is the perfect amount of detail to picture things and feel fully immersed, yet you never feel like there is too much information. Her descriptions involve all the senses. Here is an example of her incredible writing skills that will not give away any spoilers:

“She retreated down the cliff, back the way she came. The winds that had come so strongly off the sea weakened as moorland gave way once again to orchards and then to the verdant lawn. The sea air’s salty tang was soon masked by the scent of apple trees and freshly cut grass, but the dormant memories had been revived by the familiar scene, and she doubted they would leave her in peace.”

While Regency fans will especially love The Governess of Penwythe Hall, fans of all eras will be able to appreciate this wonderful story on healing and what it means to be a family.

The Weaver’s Daughter – Review

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weavercoverby Sarah E. Ladd

Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (April 10, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0718011880
ISBN-13: 978-0718011888

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Kate’s loyalties bind her to the past. Henry’s loyalties compel him to strive for a better future. In a landscape torn between tradition and vision, can two souls find the strength to overcome their preconceptions?

Loyalty has been at the heart of the Dearborne family for as long as Kate can remember, but a war is brewing in their small village, one that has the power to rip families asunder –including her own. As misguided actions are brought to light, she learns how deep her father’s pride and bitterness run, and she begins to wonder if her loyalty is well-placed.

Henry Stockton, heir to the Stockton fortune, returns home from three years at war seeking refuge from his haunting memories. Determined to bury the past, he embraces his grandfather’s goals to modernize his family’s wool mill, regardless of the grumblings from the local weavers. When tragedy strikes shortly after his arrival, Henry must sort truth from suspicion if he is to protect his family’s livelihood and legacy.

Henry has been warned about the Dearborne family. Kate, too, has been advised to stay far away from the Stocktons, but chance meetings continue to bring her to Henry’s side, blurring the jagged lines between loyalty, justice, and truth. Kate ultimately finds herself with the powerful decision that will forever affect her village’s future. As unlikely adversaries, Henry and Kate must come together to find a way to create peace for their families, and their village, and their souls – even if it means risking their hearts in the process.

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I grew up in a mill town and the history of its heyday has always interested me.  Sarah E. Ladd brings this time period to life with not only the history, but realistic characters and an interesting plot.

Henry Stockton and Kate Dearborne are caught in a Romeo and Juliet family war while an actual battle between the weavers and the millers is happening all around them.

While respecting their families, they must also decide if they should follow what their parents and grandparents believe, or if they should follow their hearts.

The characters are strong and I felt a connection to them. I could also tell that Ladd put a lot of research into this book which I appreciated.

I really enjoyed this book. However, there was one negative for me.  I liked that Henry’s sister wasn’t shunned. After all, a sin is a sin. However, I fell that Henry glossed off his sister’s sin and treated it as only an “indiscretion”. If his sister had only repented, we would have been left with the positive message of forgiveness of all sins.

I would still recommend this book and look forward to more from Ladd.

A Stranger at Fellsworth (Treasures of Surrey #3) – Review

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fellsworthcoverWritten by Sarah E. Ladd

  • Series: A Treasures of Surrey Novel
  • Paperback: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Thomas Nelson (May 16, 2017)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0718011856
  • ISBN-13: 978-0718011857

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Could losing everything be the best thing to happen to Annabelle Thorley?

In the fallout of her deceased father’s financial ruin, Annabelle’s prospects are looking bleak. Her fiancé has called off their betrothal, and now she remains at the mercy of her controlling and often cruel brother. Annabelle soon faces the fact that her only hope for a better life is to do the unthinkable and run away to Fellsworth, the home of her long-estranged aunt and uncle, where a teaching position awaits her. Working for a wage for the first time in her life forces Annabelle to adapt to often unpleasant situations as friendships and roles she’s taken for granted are called into question.

Owen Locke is unswerving in his commitments. As a widower and father, he is fiercely protective of his only daughter. As an industrious gamekeeper, he is intent on keeping poachers at bay even though his ambition has always been to eventually purchase land that he can call his own. When a chance encounter introduces him to the lovely Annabelle Thorley, his steady life is shaken. For the first time since his wife’s tragic death, Owen begins to dream of a second chance at love.

As Owen and Annabelle grow closer, ominous forces threaten the peace they thought they’d found. Poachers, mysterious strangers, and murderers converge at Fellsworth, forcing Annabelle and Owen to a test of fortitude and bravery to stop the shadow of the past from ruining their hopes for the future.

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A Stranger at Fellsworth just may be my favorite book yet from Sarah E. Ladd! I was able to read it in one day but was forced to put it down at Chapter 31 when “real life” got in the way and it was killing me until I could pick it up again. 🙂

I felt that the story had an excellent balance of dialogue and descriptions. I could really picture the locations but the descriptions weren’t excessive.

I loved both Owen Locke and Annabelle Thorley. I liked the Annabelle had a quiet yet strong personality and Owen’s personality, back story and description were so interesting. He also had some of the best quotes, like this one: “I would take the solace of a forest over the hustle of london’s streets any day. Just listen to the silence. If the mind is too cluttered, you will never hear your soul’s whispers.”

Certain events at the end were predictable but I feel they did not take away from the story at all.

I received a complimentary copy of the book, however, all opinions are 100% my own. I highly recommend A Stranger at Fellsworth!