LDS and Lovin' it: Sarah Eden

Covenant Communications, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-52440-861-9

ABOUT THE BOOK

Young love is all too fleeting, as Harold Jonquil painfully discovered years ago when Sarah Sarvol, the niece of a neighboring landowner, captured his heart. After an idyllic few weeks in the throes of blossoming love, reality intervened. They could have no future. Following their disastrous parting, Harold attempted to push aside thoughts of love and regret, but Sarah has never left his heart. Now, years later, he has achieved his lifelong aspiration of becoming the local vicar. However, the role proves more difficult than he imagined. He feels hollow and uninspired—until the most important person in his past returns, challenging him as no one ever has.

When Sarah’s ailing uncle summons her back to the family estate in England, there is only one person from her past she is reluctant to see again: Harold Jonquil, the only man who has ever claimed her heart. But when she comes face-to-face with her former beau, she hardly recognizes the aloof and dull man before her. She is determined to help Harold rediscover the passion he once felt toward his chosen profession. Soon, despite their exasperation with each other, they cannot deny the stirring of feelings long buried—but is it too late for second chances?

REVIEW

Another fabulous Jonquil book always excites me. I've thoroughly enjoyed reading about each of the Jonquil brothers as they find romance. I thoroughly enjoyed this one just as much as all the others. It was refreshing to get to know Harold as I've gotten to know the other Jonquil brothers. Harold is rather different than his brothers, and not just because he's a vicar. He's always been more reserved and serious than his brothers, but he became even more so after Sarah Sarvol, the girl he loved, returned to America.

When Sarah returns, she finds Harold stiff and cold, a result of his brother's incessant teasing and his own uncertainties. She challenges him by telling him she could be a better vicar. This leaves Harold wondering if he's a complete failure. But as he starts to warm up in the face of Sarah's warmth and caring, he is faced with deciding where his future lies and if he can make Sarah a part of it.

Once again, Sarah Eden has written an engaging story full of heart and humor. She makes her characters feel so real that I wish I could really know the Jonquils. The period details are spot on, often frustratingly so, especially in this book as Sarah suffers very poor treatment at the hands of her uncle, despite her brother's efforts to protect her. I always appreciate the care Eden takes in making her characters real. I especially enjoy reading about characters I met in other books. It's great to find out what's happened to them. All in all, another delightful book in what is probably my all time favorite regency series ever.

GIVEAWAY

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Wednesday, April 4, 2018

BOOK REVIEW: Ashes on the Moore by Sarah M. Eden

ASHES ON THE MOOR

A Proper Romance

Source: ARC for review from publisher

Shadow Mountain, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-62972-402-7

ABOUT THE BOOK

The life of an impoverished schoolteacher is not one Evangeline Blake would have chosen for herself. Torn from her home and her beloved sister and sent to work in the gritty factory town of Smeatley, Evangeline must prove herself to her grandfather, a man who values self-reliance above all else, before he will grant her access to her inheritance. Raised to be a lady of refinement, she hasn't any of the skills necessary to manage on her own nor does she have the first idea how to be a teacher. But failure means never being with her sister again.

Alone and overwhelmed, she turns to the one person in town who seems to know how she feels—Dermot McCormick, an Irish brick mason who is as far from home and as out of place as she is. Despite the difference in their classes and backgrounds, Evangeline and Dermot's tentative friendship deepens and grows. Her determination and compassion slowly earn her the faith and confidence of the skeptical residents of Smeatley, who become like the family she has lost.

But when a secret from her past comes to light, Evangeline faces an impossible choice: seize the opportunity to reclaim her former life and rejoin her sister or fight for the new life she has struggled to build for herself—a life that includes Dermot.

Ashes on the Moor is the inspiring love story of one Victorian woman's courage to fight against all odds, and the man whose quiet strength gives her the confidence to keep trying.

REVIEW

Sarah Eden has written another great book. This one revolves around the experiences of a young lady who's recently lost most of her family. Her remaining family, including her aunt and uncle and her grandfather, force her into accepting a teaching position. But her sister Lucy is sent away to boarding school further breaking both girls' hearts. Even worse, Evangeline discovers the schoolhouse and attached living quarters in shambles and she is unprepared to take care of herself. So she reaches out to the only other person in town she knows: Dermot McCormick, who despite his grumpiness reluctantly agrees to help her. With Dermot's help, Evangeline slowly begins to find her way in teaching and living. But her aunt's hostility continues to undermine her work and she struggles to fight off the despair. But with Dermot's encouragement, Evangeline develops a growing determination to fight for what she wants and to do right by her students, regardless of the cost.

Once again Eden has created characters that I couldn't help but fall in love with, and not just Dermot and Evangeline, but also the secondary characters as well. Lucy, Ronan, and the students and their families just worked their way into my heart. I couldn't help but cheer for Evangeline every time she stood up for herself and her students. And the romance between Evangeline and Dermot is at times amusing as well as touching. I love how realistic Sarah Eden's books are. Not only are they delightful to read but they stick with you long after you're done.

Thursday, October 5, 2017

BLOG TOUR w/ GIVEAWAY: For Love or Honor by Sarah M. Eden

FOR LOVE OR HONOR

A Regency Romance

Covenant Communications, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-52440-256-3

ABOUT THE BOOK

From the moment they met, Marjie's heart has belonged to handsome Captain Stanley Jonquil, younger brother of the Earl of Lampton. But six long months ago, when Stanley's sense of honor required that he do as he had sworn and return to the Continent to fight in defense of King and country, neither Stanley nor Marjie could have dreamed what the cost of his service would be.

It has been ages since Stanley last wrote, and Marjie and the Jonquil family are plagued by his unknown fate—until the day he unexpectedly reappears. Marjie's joy, however, is quickly shadowed by confusion—the aloof, battle-worn soldier before her is not the man he once was. In the wake of Stanley's blatant disinterest in renewing their acquaintance, Marjie's devastation turns to determination as she vows to help him find peace. But his scars run far deeper than anyone realizes. Despite his feelings for her, Stanley believes Marjie deserves a man whose hands are not stained with the violence of battlefields and whose mind and heart are not haunted by the horrors he has seen.

Honor requires Stanley to return once more to the life he has grown to despise, one he knows will destroy him in the end, even as his heart beckons him to stay with Marjie, the only woman he could ever love, and the promise, at last, of redemption.

REVIEW

Sigh of happiness inserted here. Sarah Eden has written another fabulous book. I've become rather attached to the Jonquil brothers over the years so I was delighted to pick up this book about Stanley, the 5th of the seven brothers. Stanley's had a hard time of it serving in the army. With a compassionate heart, having to kill people has eaten away at his soul. And the injuries he suffered at Waterloo haven't helped any.

Marjie fell in love with Stanley when they first met almost a year ago when he was home recuperating from a previous injury. But after six months of no letters, she wonders if he still cares for her. And when Stanley arrives home unexpectedly in poor health and refusing to discuss the war, her fears seem to be confirmed. But Marjie isn't ready to give up quite yet and her determination to help and Stanley's need of some hope bring the two together again. But Stanley's honor won't let him back out of his commitment to the army and he refuses to expose Marjie to the things he's seen and experienced. So it may just be that their feelings for each other may not be enough.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I found it impossible not to cheer for Stanley and Marjie. Both characters had their struggles but they sincerely cared for each other and it's obvious. Through in the rest of the Jonquil clan and you have a delightful book that still manages to be hopeful despite some rather heavy themes related to war, loss, and secrets. If you enjoy reading clean regency romances, I can heartily recommend this one.

GIVEAWAY

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TOUR SCHEDULE

*Oct. 2^nd: http://brightlystreet.com/category/book-reviews/, http://mybookaday.blogspot.com/, https://joyinthemoments.wordpress.com/, http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/

*Oct. 3^rd: http://bonnieharris.blogspot.com/, http://thoroughlyhere.blogspot.com

*Oct. 4^th: http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/, http://empowermoms.net/, http://thethingsilovemost.com/, http://www.kindleandme.com/

*Oct. 5^th: https://ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/, http://heidi-reads.blogspot.com/, http://www.wishfulendings.com/,http://www.rockinbookreviews.com/, http://minreadsandreviews.blogspot.com/, http://katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com/

* Oct 6^th: http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/, http://fireandicereads.com/, http://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/, http://booksaresanity.blogspot.com/, http://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com/, http://whynotbecauseisaidso.blogspot.com/

Thursday, June 8, 2017

BLOG TOUR w/ GIVEAWAY: Romancing Daphne by Sarah M. Eden

ROMANCING DAPHNE

A Regency Romance

Covenant Communications, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-52440-296-9

Historical romance

http://melsshelves.blogspot.com/

ABOUT THE BOOK

As her first London Season looms before her, the thought of the impending social whirl fills Daphne Lancaster's timid heart with dread. She hasn't her sisters' beauty nor their talent for conversing easily. Even her family's enviable connections may not be enough to prevent disaster.

But Daphne's misery turns to surprised delight when the first even of her Season brings an unexpected visitor to her door—James Tilburn, whose tender kindness stole her heart in her youth. When the handsome young gentleman expresses his desire to court her, Daphne is elated. Their feelings for each other quickly grow, and it appears that, much to Daphne's disbelief, her happily ever after is within reach.

Yet nothing is as it seems. The couple finds themselves caught in a tangled web of greed and deceit, leaving James and Daphne to determine whether they are willing to risk everything for true love.

REVIEW

I have loved every one of Sarah Eden's books and this one is no different. I was delighted to read more about the Duke of Kielder and the Lancaster family. After thoroughly enjoying both Seeking Persephone and Courting Miss Lancaster, I was thrilled to read about Daphne, the third Lancaster sister. In fact, I found myself relating to Daphne more than I did her two sisters, much as I liked them. Daphne is supremely shy, and self-conscious. Growing up after her mother's death and being shunted aside by her father, Daphne has spent most of her life moving quietly in the background. But after a brief encounter with James Tilburn at her sister's coming out ball, she decides that if she could meet someone like him she might like to marry someday. But she doesn't expect to run into James again, when she does she's uncertain of his interest but longs to develop the relationship further. Slowly as they get to know each other Daphne starts to bloom into the flower she was always meant to be. But an unfortunate piece of news sends Daphne running back into hiding and its up to James and the rest of her family to rescue her from herself. Full of sweet encounters as well as amusing ones (these usually involve the Duke of Kielder, who tolerates almost no one, or Artemis, the youngest Lancaster sister, who can't keep her opinions to herself to save her life), Romancing Daphne is a wonderful book and I can't recommend it highly enough.

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR SCHEDULE

*June 5th:

http://mybookaday.blogspot.com/,

http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/,

http://www.kindleandme.com/,

https://atransparentmom.com/,

http://heidi-reads.blogspot.com/,

*June 6th:

http://seekingwithallyurheart.blogspot.com/,

http://readingismysuperpower.org/,

https://joyinthemoments.wordpress.com/,

http://bonnieharris.blogspot.com/,

http://www.blogginboutbooks.com/

*June 7th:

http://rachellewrites.blogspot.com/,

http://ilovetoreadandreviewbooks.blogspot.com/,

http://www.rockinbookreviews.com/,

http://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/,

http://www.iamareader.com/

*June 8th:

http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/,

http://ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/,

http://katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com,

http://minreadsandreviews.blogspot.com/,

http://www.wishfulendings.com/

*June 9th:

http://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com/,

http://thethingsilovemost.com/,

http://whynotbecauseisaidso.blogspot.com/,

http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/,

http://booksaresanity.blogspot.com/,

http://www.iamareader.com/,

http://sweetlymadejustforyou.com/

Thursday, March 9, 2017

BLOG TOUR w/ GIVEAWAY: A Fine Gentleman by Sarah M. Eden

A FINE GENTLEMAN

A Regency Romance

Covenant Communications, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-52440-210-5

http://www.wishfulendings.com/

ABOUT THE BOOK

London barrister Jason Jonquil has spent his entire life working to establish his identity as a gentleman, a man of refinement like his father and brothers. But when fiery Spanish beauty Mariposa Thornton walks into his office, he finds himself losing his grasp on his dignified character. The woman is infuriating, pushing him to the limit of his legendary patience. However, her case seems simple enough—a small matter of inheritance. Or so he believes.

Once a well-born lady, Mariposa fought to survive the brutalities of Napoleon's war on Spain. She braved horrific perils and undertook dangerous missions on behalf of those fighting against the invading French army. But her greatest battle still lies ahead: after being separated from her family, Mariposa sets in motion a plan to reunite with her loved ones in England. To avoid drawing the attention of the French, Mariposa dons a carefully crafted persona to conceal her true purpose.

As Jason and Mariposa are drawn together by the case, they come to know the people beneath the masks they both wear. When the truth of Mariposa's quest is revealed, the couple is pulled into a mystery that will test the limits of their courage—and expose the true desire of their hearts.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SARAH M. EDEN read her first Jane Austen novel in elementary school and has been an Austen addict ever since. Fascinated by the English Regency era, Eden became a regular in that section of the reference department at her local library, where she painstakingly researched this extraordinary chapter in history. Eden is an award-winning author of short stories and was a Whitney Award finalist for her novels Seeking Persephone and Courting Miss Lancaster. Visit her at www.sarahmeden.com.

REVIEW

I am thrilled to be able to review A Fine Gentleman. Sarah Eden has proven once again why she is one of my all time favorite authors. I was excited to return to the Jonquil family. I've loved every one of these books (Friend or Foe?, ) and this one was no different. It was fun to read Jason's romance as he faces off with a woman who is a match for him in intelligence and wit. But things don't start off to well when Mariposa Thornton shows up in Jason's office and tricks him into helping her. Pretending to be simple and vacuous, Mariposa desperately needs help to find her family before her spying past catches up to them. But she doesn't dare tell the truth, and after her horrible experiences in war torn Spain, it was hard to blame her. Unfortunately for her Jason doesn't appreciate her approach, especially once he realizes its all an act. After some rather painful encounters, Jason realizes Mariposa does really need his help and with his father's training in being a gentleman ringing in his ear, he can't help but offer his help. And as the two start to see the person behind the mask, feelings beyond irritation and guilt become involved. It was especially fun to see characters from previous books show up, including one of my favorite characters, Jason's older brother, Philip. The ongoing relationships between the Jonquil brothers is delightful to read about and always makes me smile, especially once Jason sees behind Philip's mask.

Sarah Eden has created a wonderfully enjoyable series with the Jonquils and I am excited to be able to read Stanley's story later this year. If you enjoy regency romances with depth to them as well as delightful characters, then I highly recommend Sarah Eden's Jonquil Brothers series.

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR SCHEDULE

*March 6th:

http://heidi-reads.blogspot.com/,

http://mybookaday.blogspot.com/,

http://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com/,

https://joyinthemoments.wordpress.com/,

*March 7th:

http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/,

http://seekingwithallyurheart.blogspot.com/,

http://bonnieharris.blogspot.com/,

https://atransparentmom.com/,

http://www.iamareader.com/,

http://www.blogginboutbooks.com/

*March 8th:

http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/,

http://rachellewrites.blogspot.com/,

http://ilovetoreadandreviewbooks.blogspot.com/,

http://www.rockinbookreviews.com/

March 9th:

http://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/,

http://minreadsandreviews.blogspot.com/,

http://katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com/,

http://empowermoms.net/,

http://ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/

March 10th:
http://booksaresanity.blogspot.com/,
http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/,

http://whynotbecauseisaidso.blogspot.com/,

http://brooklynberrydesigns.com/,

http://sweetlymadejustforyou.com/,

http://www.kindleandme.com/,

http://thethingsilovemost.com/,

http://fireandicereads.com

Friday, February 17, 2017

COVER REVEAL: Love Remains by Sarah M. Eden

Coming September 5, 2017!

LOVE REMAINS

Covenant Communications, 2014

Mirror Press, 2017

From the USA Today Bestselling author of the Longing for Home series, LOVE REMAINS is a new romance novel set in the beloved world of Hope Springs.

Cecily faces a dark, uncertain future. Tavish is haunted by his painful, anguished past. Fate has brought them together in a world determined to tear them apart.

I am really excited to read this book!

Thursday, January 19, 2017

Cover reveal for Sarah M. Eden's newest novella!

From the USA Today Bestselling author of the Longing for Home series, a new romance set in the beloved world of Hope Springs: MY DEAREST LOVE, coming July 2017!

Add to your Goodreads list

MY DEAREST LOVE

by Sarah M. Eden

Mirror Press

July 11, 2017

From the USA Today Bestselling author of the Longing for Home series, MY DEAREST LOVE is a new romance novella set in the beloved world of Hope Springs.

Alone in the world and far from home, Biddy holds out little hope of lasting happiness. Ian, loving her silently from afar, dreams of one day capturing her heart.

I love Sarah Eden's books and I'm excited to be returning to the world of Hope Springs!

Sunday, September 28, 2014

FAVORITE AUTHOR REVIEW: As You Are by Sarah M. Eden

AS YOU ARE

Jonquil Brothers #3

Sarah M. Eden

ISBN: 978-1-62108-575-1

Clean Regency Romance

Source: purchased

ABOUT THE BOOK

A horse breeder by trade, Corbin Jonquil is more at home in the stables than in the ballroom of his sprawling estate. Corbin is the quietest of the Jonquil brothers and has always faded into the background, contentedly unnoticed. When a mysterious young widow, Mrs. Clara Bentford, moves into the neighborhood, however, Corbin quickly comes to realize that being noticed has its advantages. But how to catch the eye of the lady?

According to his brothers, Corbin need only make a few simple changes to transform himself into the object of any woman's desire - dubious advice, indeed. Following a series of misadventures, Corbin and Clara slowly lower the facades behind which they've been hiding, leaving Corbin shocked by the horrors that haunt the woman he's coming to care for so ardently. When the menace of Clara's past threatens to tear them apart and tensions mount, will the couple have the courage to fight for the promise of forever?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SARAH M. EDEN read her first Jane Austen novel in elementary school and has been an Austen addict ever since. Fascinated by the English Regency era, Eden became a regular in that section of the reference department at her local library, where she painstakingly researched this extraordinary chapter in history. Eden is an award-winning author of short stories and was a Whitney Award finalist for her novels Seeking Persephone and Courting Miss Lancaster. Visit her at www.sarahmeden.com.

REVIEW

Another fabulously great clean romance from Sarah Eden. No wonder she is one of my two favorite romance writers. Once again we meet the Jonquil brothers with all their quirks. This story focuses on Corbin, the brother that raises horses for a living. Corbin's quirk is his extreme shyness that often comes across as arrogance. Which is exactly how Clara sees him when they first meet. But as Corbin teaches Edmund about horses as well as about being a man, Clara starts to realize there is more to Corbin than she originally thought. Clara's past experiences with men have been negative so she is slow to trust. As she grows to care about and trust Corbin and his family, she starts to hope for a better future, until a nightmare from her past shows up to destroy it.

I really, really love Sarah Eden's books. Not only are they well-written, with great characters, interesting plots, and beautiful settings, but they are clean! Clean romances can be hard to find these days, so it's very refreshing to me to find romances that have depth of feeling, some good kisses, and plenty of feel good moments. There always seem to be moments that I want to cheer when I read Eden's books and I always seem to laugh. If you enjoy those sorts of things as well, you may love this author's books as well.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

CLEAN ROMANCE REVIEW: Drops of Gold by Sarah M. Eden

DROPS OF GOLD

Jonquil Brothers #2

by Sarah M. Eden

Covenant Communications, 2013

ISBN: 978-1-60861-569-8

Clean Regency Romance

Source: Purchased

All opinions expressed are solely my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK

When her father dies and leaves her completely destitute, Marion can think of only one thing to do--make a new life for herself. Commencing a life of duplicity, Marion transforms herself into Mary Wood--governess. In possession of a forged letter of recommendation and cloaked in the anonymity of her new identity, she enters a life of self-imposed servitude as teacher and caretaker of young Miss Caroline Jonquil of Farland Meadows. Her idyllic daydream vision of life at the Meadows is dashed when she finds a child desperately in need of hope and a cold and sorrowful home haunted by the past. With her characteristic sunny disposition, Marion casts her spell upon the household and slowly brings to life the long-forgotten joy of those within.

Layton Jonquil is a man tormented by the lies surrounding the death of his late wife, but he cannot deny his growing attraction for the beautiful governess whose goodness and optimism have touched his dormant heart. Their connection grows ever stronger, and despite the impropriety of harboring feelings for a servant, Layton's heart whispers that this is the woman he's destined to love. But when Layton's fears about the past become too much to bear and the falsehoods in which they are entangled threaten to shatter his and Marion's blossoming attachment, will true love conquer all?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SARAH M. EDEN read her first Jane Austen novel in elementary school and has been an Austen addict ever since. Fascinated by the English Regency era, Eden became a regular in that section of the reference department at her local library, where she painstakingly researched this extraordinary chapter in history. Eden is an award-winning author of short stories and was a Whitney Award finalist for her novels Seeking Persephone and Courting Miss Lancaster. Visit her at www.sarahmeden.com.

REVIEW

Sarah Eden is one of my all time favorite authors. Not only does she write clean romance, but she writes it very well. Her characters are flawed human beings with plenty of challenges making them easy to relate to, but they also have the values and character traits to keep going even when life is really hard. I think one of the things that I especially enjoyed about this one, (besides reading about the Jonquil brothers again) was the way the characters dealt with some painful secrets. Secrets can be so destructive and they definitely play a major role in the story; secrets between family members, secrets between employer and employee. These secrets cause major problems in the relationships between the different characters. And yet despite the painful secrets, it's also sweet to see the difference that one person can make in the lives of others, in this case, Marion arrives at Layton Jonquil's home and quickly realizes that it's not a happy place. But with her own natural optimism and tender stories she finds a way beyond her own painful memories to help Layton and his daughter find healing and peace. A beautiful love story, but not just romantic love, also parental love, brotherly love, and the way that love helps bring healing.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

BLOG TOUR: Longing for Home: Hope Springs by Sarah M. Eden

LONGING FOR HOME: HOPE SPRINGS

Book 2

Clean Romance/Historical Fiction

Shadow Mountain, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-60907-810-2

Source: Publisher for review

ABOUT THE BOOK

Katie Macauley gave up her lifelong dream of returning to Ireland in order to make a home for herself in Hope Springs, Wyoming, but her future has never been so uncertain.

Katie’s heart still remains sharply divided between playful Tavish and steady Joseph, though she feels ill-prepared to make a decision. Furthermore, the town is more divided than ever with both the Irish and the Reds stealing property, burning buildings, and endangering lives. In the midst of the growing unrest, temperatures drop quickly, too quickly, and Irish nightmares of famine and cold resurface as the little Wyoming town struggles to beat the harsh winter.

Katie makes one sacrifice after another to keep the peace and help see her loved ones through the difficult days ahead, but will her efforts be enough? Can the town make amends before their hatred consumes them all? And will Katie find the love she has been searching for as well as a home to call her own?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah M. Eden read her first Jane Austen novel in elementary school and has been an Austen addict ever since. Fascinated by the English Regency era, Eden became a regular in that section of the reference department at her local library, where she painstakingly researched this extraordinary chapter in history. Eden is an award-winning author of short stories and was a Whitney Award finalist for her novels Seeking Persephone and Courting Miss Lancaster. Visit her at www.sarahmeden.com.

AUTHOR VIDEO

REVIEW

Longing for Home is one of my all time favorite stories (it's a two book set). I love the characters, the setting, and the beautifully told, if rather heart-breaking at times story. I found myself loving Katie from the very first page with her determination, courage, and kind heart masked behind her prickly facade. A facade developed over years of being on her own working as a servant from the age of 8-years-old. She blames herself for her estrangement from her family and wants desperately to return to Ireland to fix things, but first she must earn the money she needs to do so. And that brings her to Hope Springs, a town that unfortunately is having a hard time living up to its name. The town is sharply divided between the Irish and their neighbors and Katie inadvertently stokes the already simmering tensions. And with two good men seeking to win her heart, Katie has her work cut out for her.

In book 2, Katie having chosen to remain in Hope Springs finds herself desperately trying to stop the conflict between the townspeople from exploding into all out war, but finds that circumstances have moved far beyond her control. With a heart torn between Tavish, the Irish farmer, and Joseph, the wealthy landowner, she wonders if she will ever find a place to truly call home.

I confess that I found the historical aspects of this novel heartbreaking, the anger and the hatred expressed through violence and confrontation with most people simply wanting to be able to live their lives. The relationships that Katie develops I really enjoyed reading about as she learns to care about others and let them care about her. I found myself quite torn between the two love interests, both good men with their own strengths and weaknesses. But of course, Katie can't choose both and so choose she does. I confess I was wrong about who she ended up with, but I think in the end she ended up with the man she fits with best, certainly the one she loves the best.

A wonderful series that is one of my all time favorite series and one I can thoroughly and heartily recommend to readers who enjoy historical fiction with a strong dose of romance but also so much more. Sarah Eden is truly a magician in creating stories that remain in your heart long after the book is closed.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

BLOG TOUR/GIVEAWAY: Longing for Home by Sarah M. Eden

LONGING FOR HOME

A Proper Romance

Review copy provided by publisher in return for honest review.

Shadow Mountain, 2013

ISBN: 978-1-60907-461-6

Clean Historical Romance