Her Country Gentleman by Sian Ann Bessey, Sarah M. Eden and Rebecca Connolly {Book Review}

 

Her Country Gentleman by Sian Ann Bessey, Sarah M. Eden, and Rebecca Connolly

Kindle Edition, 300 pages
Published March 8th 2022 by Mirror Press
Source: I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given

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London is not the only place to find love . . .

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. Soon afterward, however, 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 his unwanted houseguest 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.

 

My Review: 5 Stars

 

Maybe it's the fact that I grew up in the country in a small town or maybe it's that life it so crazy right now, but I loved this collection and it spoke straight to my soul. 

 

There are many ways to find love and it was refreshing to find it in the quiet corner of a sheep farm by the sea, with a dash of mystery, as well as in the countryside of Scotland, and in a dilapidated piece of quiet land. Each of these stories was so entertaining and soothing. I could visualize the settings and almost smell the earth. The gentle romances were equally pacifying.

 

My favorite thing was the overall feeling of an almost spring-like tenderness of hope, love, and renewal. This was an easy and delightful book to settle into and I loved every minute of it.

 

Content: mild romance; mild moments of peril in the first story

 

The Valet's Secret by Josi S. Kilpack {Book Review}

 

The Valet's Secret by Josi S. Kilpack
Paperback, 288 pages
Published March 8th 2022 by Shadow Mountain

A passionate kiss from a handsome valet becomes a Regency Cinderella story when he is revealed to be the heir to the earldom.

York, England, 1819

As a once happily married woman, Rebecca Parker had a good life, but now widowed, working for a living, and her only child grown, she feels invisible, tired, and lonely. That is until the day a valet speeding by on a horse nearly runs her off the road. Mr. Malcolm Henry is apologetic, gentle, and handsome. She’s instantly drawn to him, which is why, rather than stopping him from kissing her, she kisses him back, reigniting a nearly forgotten passion. But love at first sight only happens in fairy tales—never to an ordinary woman like her.

She sees Mr. Henry again and feels the possibilities growing until, while working in the kitchens during a dinner party, she sees the valet she kissed sitting at the right hand of the baroness. Mr. Henry is not the earl’s valet; he is the heir to the earldom—Kenneth Winterton.

Heartbroken, angry, and betrayed, Rebecca does not trust Lord Winterton and refuses to accept his apology. But when Lord Winterton proves he is as kind and gentle as “Mr. Henry” was, she finds herself willing to give him a second chance. But will he take a chance on her? He needs a wife to help him in his place in society, and nothing about Rebecca's life does that . . . except how he feels when she is with him.

Trust, love, loneliness, and passion collide in this story about a man who will risk it all to fight for the woman he loves and a woman who does not believe in fairy tales—until she finds herself living in one.

 

 My Review: 5 Stars

Josi Kilpack has a magical way of pulling me into her books and this one was no exception. I'm not a big fan of reading about couples my age or older for some reason, and although Kenneth (48) and Rebecca (42) are right in there, it didn't bother me as much as I thought it would and I was rooting for them to find love, happiness, and companionship once again.

I love how this author tackles more difficult topics and things not written about as much in the Regency time period and with a stretch of the imagination, this story delivers a Cinderella feel to a couple mismatched in status, but the electrifying first meeting had me desperate for more.

Kenneth is someone who came to his title later and is grappling to find his footing in a world so foreign and Rebecca is stumbling to find security after discovering the true nature of her father. Yet they each complement each other in only the best ways possible and their meetings and interactions were simply wonderful.

I loved the flow and progression of the story and even the villainous characters were well-written, drawing up a lot of feelings and emotion. I loved wallowing in the depths of hope. This book was so much fun and was very entertaining, especially with the surprising hints of swoon.

Content: mild abuse/violence; mild romance

*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*