Tag: Sarah M Eden

Blog Tour and Review: The Holly and the Ivy 

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by Sarah M. Eden, Esther Hatch, Dana LeCheminant, Anneka R. Walker

Publisher ‏: ‎Covenant Communications (October 3, 2022)
Language ‏: ‎English
Paperback ‏:‎ 400 pages
ISBN-10 ‏: ‎1524422223
ISBN-13 ‏: ‎978-1524422226

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Spend the holidays with four of your favorite historical romance authors, whose stories of Yuletide romance will brighten the season with humor, hope, and the promise of true love.

“The Holly and the Ivy” by Sarah M. Eden
As nursemaid to the eight-year-old Duke of Kielder, Robbie will spend her holidays with her young charge as a guest of Lord and Lady Jonquil. While the couple makes the child’s holiday magical, the handsome gardener works his own magic on Nurse Robbie’s heart.


“Hiding Christmas” by Esther Hatch
Celebrating Christmas in Scotland will only invite persecution. But that never stopped Kirstine’s English grandmother. When they are almost caught, Kirstine is forced to beg for the help of the one man she cannot abide.


“A Twist of Christmas” by Dana LeCheminant
A Christmas house party offers two members of the ton an irresistible opportunity: a weekend of anonymity. But their charade comes with unexpected romantic consequences.


“A Season to Love” by Anneka R. Walker
Alice Hunt is searching for a Christmas miracle: a husband of her choosing. With the threat of an arranged marriage looming, she looks to an unlikely matchmaker for help.

“The Holly and the Ivy” by Sarah M. Eden

Adam is my favorite Sarah Eden character, and I loved that this story took place when he was 8 and just a “little Duke” at the time. If you haven’t read Adam’s other stories yet, I highly suggest you do.

Robbie and Howard had a sweet romance. I liked seeing Robbie’s point of view of having been with Adam for 8 years but she knew her time with the family was drawing to a close now that Adam was being sent away for his education.

Adam missed celebrating Christmas because his mother sent him away and he was alone at school during the holiday. The Jonquils, Robbie, and Howard help create Christmas for Adam to celebrate in April. While this takes place in the story, it is not the main focus. The story focuses more on Adam growing up and taking on the serious role of a Duke, and Robbie trying to find out where she fits in.

No spoilers, but there is an Easter egg at the end of chapter 15 for people who have read other connected books, and I was losing it!

“Hiding Christmas” by Esther Hatch

While not illegal any longer, Christmas is still frowned upon in Scotland. Every year Kirstine and her grandmother have to travel a few days by carriage in order to celebrate in England with family.

This year, Kirstine’s grandmother starts one of their Christmas traditions early, and in order to hide it from Kirstine’s cousin, the new kirk elder, estranged neighbor Mr Parker gets roped into the trip to England.

Mr Parker has never felt like he fit into English society. When his friend and fellow soldier talks about his home and family in Scotland, Mr Parker feels drawn there.

This story was so cute, sweet, and funny! I always think it’s harder to have fully developed characters in a novella that you can connect with and a non rushed storyline, but this story nails it.

“A Twist of Christmas” by Dana LeCheminant

Graham is a Viscount who is tired of people only seeing him for his title and overlooking his younger brother for his lack of one. They decide to switch places for a house party so Graham can have a break and blend into the background, and Henry can be seen for the wonderful man his brother knows he is.

Lady Elizabeth is a Duke’s daughter, and she and her companion Jemma decide to switch places as well for the house party.

I love how Graham got awkward around Beth because he liked her. It was adorable. They had some really cute scenes together.

I have never read this author before, and I really enjoyed this story. Her book The Thief and the Noble is on my TBR list and now I want to bump it higher up on the list.

“A Season to Love” by Anneka R. Walker

As the last of her sisters to remain unmarried, Alice prays that God will bring her a husband before she is forced to marry someone not of her choosing. The pastor Mr Perry overhears her plea, and they work together to find her a husband.

I loved that Mr Perry wasn’t your traditional serious clergyman. He wanted people to realize the man behind the clergyman, and he had a fun, playful side.

I liked the dynamic of this couple and how they played off of each other.

The children in this story are so cute. I liked the choir boys and little “Freckles”.

I always enjoy interconnected stories, especially novellas. You can read it as a standalone, but if you have read Julia and Ivy’s stories, you already feel connected to this family.

Enter Here!

The Bachelor and the Bride – Review

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by Sarah M. Eden

Publisher : Shadow Mountain (September 6, 2022)
Language : English
Paperback : 368 pages
ISBN-10 : 1639930485
ISBN-13 : 978-1639930487

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London, 1866

Dr. Barnabus Milligan has always felt called to help people, whether that means setting a broken bone or rescuing the impoverished women of London from their desperate lives on the streets as part of his work with the Dread Penny Society.

Three years ago, he helped rescue Gemma Kincaid by secretly marrying her to protect her from her family of notorious grave robbers.

But six months after Gemma and Barnabus exchanged vows, she realized her love for her new husband was unrequited. To protect her heart, she left, telling Barnabus to contact her if his feelings for her ever grew beyond a sense of duty.

When Barnabus sends a letter to Gemma inviting her to return home, she hopes to find a true connection between them. But unfortunately, he only wants her help to foil the Kincaids, who have been terrorizing the boroughs of London, eager to gain both money and power.

Heartbroken, Gemma agrees to help, but she warns Barnabus that she will not stay for long, and once she goes, he’ll never see her again.

Yet as the couple follows the clues that seem to connect the Kincaids to the Mastiff, the leader of London’s criminal network, Gemma and Barnabus realize they might make a better match than either of them suspected. Perhaps the marriage that had once saved Gemma’s life might now save Barnabus―and his lonely heart.

But before the once-confirmed bachelor can properly court his secret bride, they’ll need to evade the dangerous forces that are drawing ever closer to the hopeful lovers and the entire Dread Penny Society itself.

Dr. Barnabas “Baz” Milligan is a member of the Dread Penny Society and has always felt a calling to help ever since he was a young child and watched what his mother was forced to go through. He has always been called a bachelor among his friends because he hid the fact that he had secretly been married for the last 3 1/2 years after rescuing a woman from her family.

London was no place for the faint of heart. Fortunately for Barnabus Milligan, he’d stopped listening to that organ long ago.

Gemma Kincaid grew up in an awful situation, and she didn’t follow after her family. I love that she is strong, yet she is vulnerable with Baz. She has never had anyone love her, and Baz’s distance and lack of reassuring words breaks her heart. She is not sure how much she can let him back in when she suddenly hears from him three years after she left.

“Life is often a struggle. There’s something beautiful about having someone who is willing to walk with you through it.”

I always loved this series, but this book was one of my favorites. It was so hard to put down! I love all the characters in the Dread Penny Society, and Gemma was a great new character.

I adore Moirin, and she and Parkington would make the best couple. I loved their scenes. There were so many characters from previous books I loved seeing again.

“Never you fear, Gemma,” Móirín said. “We’ve a high and mighty blue-bottle with us.” She hooked her finger in Parkington’s direction. “Never safer than when you’re with a policeman.”

“One of these days, Móirín Donnelly,” Parkington said, “you’ll confess I’m a fine person.”

“Do you mean to make the same confession about me?”

He shook his head. “I’ve a strict policy against lying.”

“And I’ve a strict policy against being too friendly with Peelers, so seems we’re at an impasse.”

As with the other books in this series, this book has the main story, and 2 penny dreadfuls weaved throughout it. I love how unique this is, and Sarah Eden is so incredibly talented in her writing. I highly suggest reading the others in the series before reading this one.

The ending of the book is so good! It is going to be brutal to wait for the next in the series.

Blog Tour and Review: Her Country Gentleman

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by Sian Ann Bessey, Sarah M. Eden, Rebecca Connolly

Publisher : Mirror Press (March 8, 2022)
Language : English
Paperback : 300 pages
ISBN-10 : 1952611210
ISBN-13 : 978-1952611216

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Not all love is found in London . . .

Spring at Tribbley Hall by Sian Ann Bessey
When Charlotte’s grandmother invites her to accompany her to Norfolk, Charlotte jumps at the chance to visit the sea and escape the fuss surrounding her sister’s wedding preparations in London. Lord William Cheston, on the other hand, is most unhappy when his mother informs him that her old friend and a granddaughter are coming to stay. Not only is it lambing season, but he’s also dealing with the mysterious loss of several sheep. The last thing he needs is a child underfoot. When Charlotte and William first meet, he does not realize that the lovely young lady is the granddaughter in question, and she assumes that the man dressed in work clothes in the barn is a servant. A dinner party at the house introduces Charlotte to some of the gentry living nearby but cannot compare to her experience the next evening, when she and William battle to save the life of a newborn lamb. Soon afterward, Charlotte stumbles upon a clue to William’s sheep’s disappearance. And when her life is placed in jeopardy, William is forced to choose between saving Charlotte and catching the thief.

Love of My Heart by Sarah M. Eden
Cordelia Wakefield has never lived anywhere but London and is not overly happy when her family is forced to retrench to a small estate near Teviotbrae, Scotland. An ill-fated game of battledore and shuttlecock brings her face-to-racquet with Sebastian, who runs the home farm at nearby Teviot Castle. What begins as a clash of personalities, expectations, and preferences, soon leads to a friendship neither had expected. As the magic of Teviotbrae weaves its spell, the possibility of something more than friendship begins to blossom. But what future is there for a lowly farmer and a London lady?

Miss Smith Goes to Wiltshire by Rebecca Connolly
Martha Smith wants to marry for love, and will not be persuaded otherwise. She is highly sought after in Society for her beauty and status, but refuses to consider any suitor whose only claim is that his prospects meet with her mother’s approval. Her widowed mother has had enough of Martha’s romantic sensibilities, and is sending her to stay with unfortunate cousins in Wiltshire to show her that marrying for love is a risk that is too great. Benjamin Steele, Lord Hillier, is working on his new and dilapidated estate when he first catches sight of the striking Martha Smith. Becoming Lord Hillier has only brought him a house that needs significant repairs, tenant farms that had been abandoned, and only the money he’d already possessed. He wants meaning in his life, and he’s more than willing to work for it. Though worlds apart in all else, on this point they can agree: a life of meaning would change everything.

I have always loved how Timeless Collections brings together such great authors, but this book may be one of my favorites. Not only do I love the authors and their stories, but this was such a great theme. I also loved how there were different locations included in every story.

Spring at Tribbley Hall by Sian Ann Bessey

William is a Baron who is not afraid to get his hands dirty taking care of his sheep. When an unknown person threatens them, he steps in to protect his sheep and find the culprit.

Charlotte has always loved animals, but has had little chance to express that love. She has always tried to maintain a lady-like appearance, but seems to get herself in one messy situation after another since her arrival.

Spring at Tribbley Hall had scheming relations and a couple perfect for each other. I loved all the animals in this sweet story. I also liked that William allowed Charlotte to make her own decisions even if he didn’t agree with them.

Love of My Heart by Sarah M. Eden

After being raised in England, Sebastian returns to Scotland after the death of his parents to be near his only relative, his grandfather the laird. His grandfather believes that one cannot be respected unless they have worked the land and earned the trust of the locals, so Sebastian becomes a home farmer.

Cordelia loves everything about London and dreams about having a real season. Instead, her family is forced to retrench due to financial issues.

This story makes me totally want to have a pet lamb. Shadow was adorable!

I really liked learning more about the home farmers and the céilidh’s.

Cordelia’s parents were awful. They clearly don’t care about their daughters, and they spend far outside their means. It is no wonder they had to retrench.

I really enjoyed this story.

Miss Smith Goes to Wiltshire by Rebecca Connolly

Martha has always wanted to marry for love. Her mother is appalled, and to punish her for her beliefs, she sends her to a cousin in the country so she can see what marrying for love will get you.

Benjamin has inherited an earldom, and the broken down estate that goes along with it. He cannot afford to hire anyone, so he must work the land himself.

Neither Benj or Martha is what one would expect the upper class to be. They have no problems fitting in with the rest of the locals.

Having lived in London her entire life, I love how wide eyed and excited Martha got about everything in the country.

I also loved the scene with the little piglets and the epilogue. This was a great story.

Choices of the Heart – Review

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by Sarah M. Eden

Publisher : Mirror Press (January 11, 2022)
Language : English
Paperback : 135 pages
ISBN-10 : 1952611237
ISBN-13 : 978-1952611230

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The paths of life that brought them together are destined to tear them apart.

Burke Jones began his life as a nameless orphan, dreaming of one day being a renowned doctor with a home and family to call his own. Sophie Kingston, daughter of an influential East Coast family, was destined to be an important and beloved part of Baltimore Society.

Life has not gone quite as either planned.

Now living in the home of a family friend, Sophie joins the lady on a journey to the tiny town of Hope Springs in Wyoming Territory. It is unlike any place she’s ever known. And the resident doctor is a mystery as well. Burke knows he isn’t the success he’d always imagined he would be, and seeing it through the eyes of this newly arrived Society lady only drives that home.

As Hope Springs begins to weave its magic, Sophie discovers more than she’d ever imagined, in both the town and its doctor. And Burke, who has always guarded his heart, begins to wonder if there might be more to life than he has previously imagined.

Their futures, however, do not lie along the same path or in the same destinations. Fate has once again proven unkind.

Can Hope Springs work yet another miracle?

Sophie Kingston’s family has moved to Boston and she’s left in Baltimore under the care of Mrs Archer. While Mrs Archer is friendly towards her, she is still often left feeling lonely since she doesn’t fit in to the local society and has to rein her personality in. In the Wyoming territory, she can be herself more, and there are less rules about being proper.

Burke Jones grew up in an orphanage and is now living out his dream of becoming a doctor. While he’s confident in his medical abilities, he’s still very insecure in everything else. The scene where he was describing himself as the little boy with no name, so he named himself Burke, was heartbreaking.

I really liked that Burke and Sophie asked each other difficult questions and because of it they ended up bringing out the best in each other.

Sarah Eden always writes the best characters, and I absolutely loved catching up with some of my favorite ones from previous books in the series.

This book can be read as a standalone, but some scenes will mean more to you if you have read previous books. The main storyline was wonderful, but it was some of the side characters that I was completely invested in. There are so many things I want to say, but I don’t want to spoil anything.

I loved revisiting Hope Springs, and I can’t wait to visit it again.

Top 21 Books of 2021

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This year has been filled with so many amazing books! Every single book on this list earns a 5 star rating and comes highly recommended. Some of them are now even some of my favorite reads of all time. Thank you so much to all these authors, and all the other authors out there, for everything that goes into their books; the worlds they create for us to escape into, the characters we come to care for, the research needed for all the rich history. There is so much that I am deeply appreciative of. Thanks for an incredible year of books!

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Charming Artemis – Review

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by Sarah M. Eden

Publisher : Covenant Communications, Inc. (October 4, 2021)
Language : English
ISBN-10 : 1524418064
ISBN-13 : 978-1524418069

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Charlie Jonquil is mild-mannered and kind―except when it comes to his one true adversary, Artemis Lancaster. Though Charlie has a brilliant mind for mathematics, Artemis poses a problem he can’t seem to comprehend: how can one be so lovely and so infuriating? A party in London brings him into the company of the maddening young lady, and it is clear that Charlie’s disdain is mutual. But when an unfortunate incident between the pair involving Charlie’s jacket and a glass of raspberry shrub leads to scandal, the sworn enemies are left with only two options: be ruined or be married.

So it is that Artemis finds herself in a most outrageous predicament: she must wed a gentleman she’s hated for years―and she pledges to avoid him at all costs. But it is only when they enter into this mockery of a marriage that Charlie and Artemis learn things are not as simple as they once appeared. As their tentative ceasefire leads to friendship, it seems their marriage born of desperation might lead them to a love that was destined to be.

I feel like this book had a huge amount of pressure to live up to. People have been waiting for Charlie and Artemis’ story for years.

I hate spoilers, so I would not dream of including them in this review and ruining the book for someone else.

Charlie is like the sweetest guy. He tends to be quiet and can get lost in a large family, but he is also funny. He also is known for always getting into trouble.

Artemis has grown up with a difficult childhood, and it has caused her to build an armor around herself. She is known for her theatrics and cold exterior, which is why Charlie dubs her Miss Shamcaster.

Starting in the first chapter alone, you feel so much for Artemis, even if this is the first Eden book you have ever read, and you don’t know any background.

This book brings together so many beloved characters from the Jonquil and Lancaster series. Sometimes when there are a lot of characters it can get confusing, but this was so well done. There is so much that this book brings together.

Adam and Philip are my favorite characters, and the way they play off of each other is golden. Philip is always fun, but I don’t know how much of his full personality I could take in person. And just when I think I couldn’t love Adam more, he reaches an entirely new level in this book.

Like Artemis, I tend to control my emotions and hide behind a wall around other people. But man alive, reading Sarah Eden books like this are SO emotional! Even Artemis wouldn’t be able to hide her emotions.

Charming Artemis really is a must read and a very satisfying conclusion.

The Merchant and the Rogue – Review

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by Sarah M. Eden

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Shadow Mountain (August 17, 2021)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1629728519
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1629728513

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London, 1865

Vera Sorokina loves reading the Penny Dreadfuls and immersing herself in tales of adventure, mystery, and romance. Her own days are filled with the often mundane work of running the book and print shop she owns with her father. The shop offers her the freedom and income to employ and protect the poverty-stricken Londoners she’s come to care about, and it gives her father something to do other than long for their hometown of St. Petersburg. She is grateful for the stability in their lives, but she often feels lonely.

Brogan Donnelly was born and raised in Ireland, but has lived in London for several years, where he’s built a career as a Penny Dreadful writer. He has dedicated himself to the plight of the poor with the help of his sister. His membership in the secretive Dread Penny Society allows him to feel he isn’t entirely wasting his life, yet he feels dissatisfied. With no one to share his life with but his sister, he fears London will never truly feel like home.

Brogan and Vera’s paths cross, and the attraction is both immediate and ill-advised. Vera knows from past experience that writers are never to be trusted, and Brogan has reason to suspect not everything at her print shop is aboveboard. When the growing criminal enterprise run by the elusive and violent Mastiff begins targeting their area of London, Brogan and Vera must work together to protect the community they’ve both grown to love. But that means they’ll need to learn to trust each other with dangerous secrets that have followed both of them from their home countries.

I’ll admit that a secret society of vigilante Penny Dreadful writers during the Victorian era sounded a little strange to me when I first started reading this series, but now I want to be a member! Sarah Eden can write so many different genres and due to her immense talent and painstaking research, I find myself immersed in every story.

The Merchant and the Rogue is different from the previous in the series because Brogan Donnelly has left the Dread Penny Society because he no longer wanted to lie to his sister, and because the Dread Penny Master wanted him to go rogue on a case involving a Russian ambassador in order to find out some information. He ends up working at a print shop where Russian Vera Sorokina and her father also sell penny dreadfuls, so he has to hide his identity.

The story takes on the same format as the previous in the series where there are installments of penny dreadfuls at the end of some of the chapters. These ones are written by Brogan and Mr King. Brogan’s stories are very unique. Because of the dreadfuls, there are more characters to keep track of, but I really like the addition of them.

There are some lovable kids from the street, and I instantly adored Olly and Liquorice. I would love to know where Eden gets the names for her street kids.

Readers not only get to know the main characters, but there are always side characters you love and hope to see again. Brogan’s sister is a force to be reckoned with, and I hope she gets her own story. I also am looking forward to learning more about Stone. So many characters are intriguing.

This series is so unique and each of the penny dreadfuls are fascinating as well. I love the characters, and I loved the mystery. I can’t wait to read more from this series.

The Best-Laid Plans – Review

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by Sarah M. Eden

ASIN : B08PW54CQ5
Publisher : Covenant Communications (January 1, 2021)
Publication date : January 1, 2021
Language: English

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Newton Hughes has long dreamed of pursuing a career in law, an acceptable choice for a gentleman of status and wealth. His parents, however, disapprove of his ambition, urging him instead to take his rightful place as a gentleman of leisure—with a suitable wife of their choosing, of course. 

Ellie Napper would like nothing more than for her parents to abandon their incessant efforts to marry her off to the greatest possible advantage. Her lack of matrimonial enthusiasm drives her family mad, but she refuses to feign frivolity in order to make herself more palatable to potential suitors. 

When Ellie and Newton are introduced through their mutual acquaintance, Charlie Jonquil, they commiserate over their shared plight. In desperation, they hatch a plan: Ellie and Newton will feign an interest in each other—enough to convince their parents not to push them toward unwanted matches but not enough to cause whispers or expectations. Their plot quickly spirals out of control, but the greatest complication is the one they didn’t see coming: their plan never included falling in love.

My Review

Ellie Napper has always had her fun, intelligent, and slightly outspoken personality pushed down by her family. They want her sister to shine, so Ellie is supposed to quietly stay in the background and follow their directions on who they want her to marry.

Newton Hughes dreams of being a barrister. His family believes that a gentleman having an occupation is beneath them.

With the help of their mutual friends Charlie Jonquil and Artemis Lancaster, Newton and Ellie plan to fake their relationship to appease their parents.

No matter if it is a novel or a novella, Eden always draws the reader in with her characters. They are so memorable, and you wish you could know them in real life.

I loved the story, but felt the ending was a little abrupt. I hope Charlie’s story will at least mention how Newton and Ellie are doing.

Yes, this is a lead up to Charlie and Artemis’ story which so many of us greatly anticipate reading. However, I also loved this as a standalone and as Newton and Ellie’s love story.