The Governess of Penwythe Hall by Sarah Ladd Review and Giveaway

 

Sarah Ladd, one of the finest Regency writers of our time, has created a wonderful cast of characters in the Governess of Penwythe Hall. Set in the lovely seacoast area of Cornwall the story is filled with secrets. Delia Greythorne, widow turned Governess never dreamed her job would require her to return her native Cornwall. Now she is forced to face the family she fled from after the death of her husband. Jac Trethewey had his life planned out restoring Penwythe Hall. Now he has his dead brother's children to raise. Fortunately Delia is there to help. I know when I get one of Sarah's books I had better set aside enough time to settle in and enjoy the story.

So get out your fine china and your favorite tea, then settle back for a fantastic read.

I was given a copy of this book by Celebrate Lit and NetGalley.com with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.

About the Book

Book: The Governess of Penwythe Hall

Author: Sarah Ladd

Genre: Historical Romance

Release Date: April 16, 2019

In the first of a new series from beloved Regency romance author, Sarah Ladd, Delia, a governess to five recently orphaned children, would risk anything to protect them . . . even her heart.

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 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 tries desperately to forget.

Jac Trethewey 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 at Penwythe Hall, he battles both grief of this 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 Novels series introduces us to the Twethewey family and their search for peace, justice, and love on the Cornish coast.

Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Author

Sarah E. Ladd received the 2011 Genesis Award in historical romance for The Heiress of Winterwood. She is a graduate of Ball State University and has more than ten years of marketing experience. Sarah lives in Indiana with her amazing family and spunky golden retriever. Visit her online at SarahLadd.com; Facebook: SarahLaddAuthor; Twitter: @SarahLaddAuthor.

More About The Governess of Penwythe Hall

5 things to know about Cornwall, England:

1. Throughout its early history, Cornwall’s inhabitants called the country Kernow.
2. Early inhabitants largely spoke their own language known as “Cornish,” which became nearly extinct in the 1800s
3. The country has a long and rugged coastline and there were frequent shipwrecks.
4. Fishing was a major industry, with herring, mackerel, and sardines being common catches.
5. In 1870, novelist and poet Thomas Hardy called Cornwall “the region of dream and mystery.”

Imagine yourself in The Governess of Penwythe Hall with these pictures of 19th Century life in Cornwall

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/gallery/2016/may/19/everyday-life-in-cornwall-captured-in-the-19th-century-in-pictures

Sources:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/cornish_nation_01.shtml

https://www.maritimeheritage.org/ports/Cornwall.html

http://www.cornwallgoodseafoodguide.org.uk/cornish-fishing/history-of-the-cornish-fishing-industry.php

Blog Stops

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Worthy2Read, April 18

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Just the Write Escape, April 19

Stephanie’s Life of Determination, April 19

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 19

Babbling Becky’s Book Impressions, April 20

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Locks, Hooks and Books, April 21

Inspiration Clothesline, April 21

Pause for Tales, April 21

Through the Fire Blogs, April 22

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Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, April 22

Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, April 22

Inspired by fiction, April 23

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The Meanderings of a Bookworm, April 24

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Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Sarah is giving away a grand prize of a finished paperback copy of The Governess of Penwythe  Hall!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/de80/the-governess-of-penwythe-hall-celebration-tour-giveaway

Breathing Room by Marsha Hayles

Very interesting look at life in a tuberculosis ward in the 1940s. Breathing Room opens  with 13 year old Evvy Hoffmeister being dropped off at the sanatorium by her dad. She will live there without any contact with her family until she is cured or dead. It was a very interesting novel of what the day to day life in a sanatorium looked like. So grab a warm glass of milk and snuggle up to read a good story.

From Amazon:

Evvy Hoffmeister is thirteen years old when her family brings her to Loon Lake Sanatorium to get cured of tuberculosis (TB). Evvy is frightened by her new surroundings; the rules to abide are harsh and the nurses equally rigid. But Evvy soon falls into step with the other girls in her ward. There's Sarah, quiet but thoughtful; Pearl, who adores Hollywood glamour; and Dina, whose harshness conceals a deep strength. Together, the girls brave the difficult daily routines. Set in 1940 at a time of political unrest throughout the U.S. and Europe, this thought-provoking novel sheds light on a much-feared worldwide illness. Hundreds of thousands of people died each year of TB, and many ill children were sent away to sanatoriums to hopefully recover.

This is a masterful novel—both eloquent and moving—that gives voice to those who fought hard to overcome the illness.

About the author:

http://www.marshahayles.com/Bio.html

Between Stairs and Stardust by Pepper Basham

                Stella, an illustrator is in hiding when she meets James. Believing James to be a gardner at the Biltmore, she befriends him and his young sister. I love the friendship that develops as they learn about each other. A beautiful version of Cinderella. So grab a pitcher of meadow tea and relax with a beautiful tale!

I was given a copy of this novella by the author with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon:

An illustrator in hiding A millionaire with a gardening fascination And the possibility of a perfect fit for a happily-ever-after Once Upon a time…A young illustrator, forced from her home in Boston, must return to her Blue Ridge Mountains to escape a scandal. Certain that her dreams are on hold, Stella Emory doesn’t expect to find a prince charming in the form of James Craven, a young man who works in the gardens of the famed Biltmore Estate. Brought together unexpectedly, the two begin a tender friendship inspired by James’s little sister and the story of Cinderella, but James isn’t all he seems. As their friendship grows into a romance, the truth of James’s millionaire status shakes Stella’s confidence. When her past follows her to Asheville, Stella thinks her chance at romance with James is over, but will a Christmas masquerade and the remnants of a charm bracelet somehow provide the magic Stella needs to clear her name and claim her own happily-ever-after?

About the author:

 Following

Biography

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor with a southern Appalachian flair. Her books have garnered recognition in the Grace Awards, Inpsys, and the ACFW Carol Awards, with The Thorn Healer selected as a 2018 finalist in the RT awards. Both her contemporary and historical romance novels consistently receive high ratings from Romantic Times, with Just the Way You Are as a Top Pick. Most recently she’s introduced readers to Bath, UK through her novellas, Second Impressions and Jane by the Book, and taken readers into the exciting world of WW2 espionage in her novella, Façade. The second novel in The Pleasant Gap series, When You Look at Me, arrives in October and her contribution to Barbour’s wonderful My Heart Belongs series hits the shelves in January 2019 with My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge. Her books are seasoned with her Appalachian heritage and love for family. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of five great kids, a speech-pathologist to about fifty more, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus.

You can get to know Pepper on her website, www.pepperdbasham.com, on Facebook, Instagram, or over at her group blog, The Writer's Alley.

Two Weeks by Karen Kingsbury

   Fans of Karen Kingsbury's Baxter family will surely enjoy this visit with Cole Blake as he finishes high school.  A new girl joins his class and suddenly all of his plans are in jeopardy. Elise has a past and shortly after she and Cole meet she reveals she is pregnant by a former boyfriend. Two weeks refers to the two weeks a woman has to change her mind after surrendering a newborn for adoption. I enjoyed this book even though at times I was fighting tears.  So grab a cup of tea and a comfy chair and settle in for a good read!
 I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley.com with no expectations.  All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury comes a heart-wrenching and redemptive new story in the Baxter Family series about a couple desperately waiting to bring their adopted child home and a young mother about to make the biggest decision of her life.

Cole Blake, son of Landon and Ashley Baxter Blake, is months away from going off to college and taking the first steps towards his dream—a career in medicine. But as he starts his final semester of high school he meets Elise, a mysterious new girl who captures his attention—and heart—from day one.

Elise has her heart set on mending her wild ways and rediscovering the good girl she used to be. But not long after the semester starts, she discovers she’s pregnant. Eighteen and alone, she shares her secret with Cole. Undaunted by the news, and in love for the first time in his life, Cole is determined to support Elise—even if it means skipping college, marrying her, and raising another man’s baby.

When Elise decides to place her baby up for adoption, she is matched with Aaron and Lucy Williams, who moved to Bloomington, Indiana to escape seven painful years of infertility.

But as Elise’s due date draws near, she becomes focused on one truth: she has two weeks to change her mind about the adoption. With Cole keeping vigil and Lucy and Aaron waiting to welcome their new baby, Elise makes an unexpected decision—one that changes everyone’s plans.

Tender and deeply moving, Two Weeks is a story about love, faith, and what it really means to be a family.

About the author:

 Following

Biography

Karen Kingsbury, #1 New York Times bestselling novelist, is America’s favorite inspirational storyteller, with more than twenty-five million copies of her award-winning books in print. Her last dozen titles have topped bestseller lists and many of her novels are under development with Hallmark Films and as major motion pictures. Her Baxter Family books are being developed into a TV series slated for major network viewing sometime in the next year. Karen is also an adjunct professor of writing at Liberty University. In 2001 she and her husband, Don, adopted three boys from Haiti, doubling their family in a matter of months. Today the couple has joined the ranks of empty-nesters, living in Tennessee near five of their adult children.

Jane By The Book by Pepper Basham

I loved Jane by the book. It is a quick read but oh so enjoyable! Jane sounds like a gal I would love to have for a friend. And Titus! If I wasn't already married to the best guy in the world... So grab a double dark chocolate milk shake and settle in for a great read!

From Amazon:

She’s level-headed and ordered. He talks to imaginary characters.

She keeps to the plan. He never has one. 

Will true love find a way to color outside the lines but inside God’s love to create a story they can write together?

Four years ago, Jane Warwick escaped the shame of being jilted at the altar by becoming a housekeeper at the secluded Inn at Simeon Ridge. Predictable and quiet, the inn and large Simeon family help Jane find a place to heal but also cultivate her natural strengths for order and planning. But an unexpected visit to Bath, England, upsets Jane's peaceful monotony and sends her out of her comfort zone, directly into the harrowing path of historical detective author, Titus Stewart.

The only plans Titus sticks to are family holidays and the ones that send him careening into his story worlds, but when an uptight innkeeper stumbles into his life - and his latest novel - nonfiction begins to take on a much more interesting gleam. 

With the help of a mysterious journal, will they both uncover a romance that stands the test of time?


About the author:

 Following

Biography

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor with a southern Appalachian flair. Her books have garnered recognition in the Grace Awards, Inpsys, and the ACFW Carol Awards, with The Thorn Healer selected as a 2018 finalist in the RT awards. Both her contemporary and historical romance novels consistently receive high ratings from Romantic Times, with Just the Way You Are as a Top Pick. Most recently she’s introduced readers to Bath, UK through her novellas, Second Impressions and Jane by the Book, and taken readers into the exciting world of WW2 espionage in her novella, Façade. The second novel in The Pleasant Gap series, When You Look at Me, arrives in October and her contribution to Barbour’s wonderful My Heart Belongs series hits the shelves in January 2019 with My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge. Her books are seasoned with her Appalachian heritage and love for family. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of five great kids, a speech-pathologist to about fifty more, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus.

You can get to know Pepper on her website, www.pepperdbasham.com, on Facebook, Instagram, or over at her group blog, The Writer's Alley.

The Noble Guardian by Michelle Griep

The Noble Guardian is Michelle Griep's newest book. It is the latest installment in her Bow Street Runners trilogy. Each book is a stand alone novel with mention of characters from past books. As this book mostly takes place in a carriage on Hounslow Heath, I thought I would share a few scenes I found on Google images. 

 I love Michelle's writing style. She brings her stories to life with well researched facts with a touch of humor. She does an excellent job of weaving romance and suspense together with an element of faith. Michelle is definitely one of my favorite authors in the Historical Fiction genre.

           Claude Duval painting by William Powell Frith, 1860

Crown Tipstaff

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley.com with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.

Coaching inn

So grab a mug of tea and settle in for a great read!

Coach

Coaching Inn

map

Hounslow Heath

A Hero For Miss Hatherleigh by Carolyn Miller

Australian author Carolyn Miller is quickly becoming one of the queen's of Regency fiction. She writes well researched, enjoyable tales of long ago days when men were gentlemen and women were ladies. I never fail to learn something new from each novel. In a Hero For Miss Hatherleigh I learned about paleontology along the Devonshire coast of England. The setting is lovely and I loved Gideon and Caroline. The story is strong with a few plot twists thrown in for fun.  So grab a cup of Earl Grey and a few biscuits and settle in for a lovely read.


From Amazon:

Can a very 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. It’s simply the way things are done in her world. When she visits south Devonshire and encounters a fossil-hunting scientist and his sister, her assumptions about what is right are shaken. She is suddenly confronted by questions she has never considered about the importance of friendship and faith—and her comfortable understanding about how the world works is thrown off balance.

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 by both his personal beliefs and by local smugglers in the Devonshire countryside. And every day his sister’s illness is becoming more desperate and her care grows more demanding. Adding a proper Viscount’s daughter to the mix is a complication Gideon never expected—especially since he has a secret that demands he stays far away from this young woman he’s falling for in order to protect his beloved sister.

When a mysterious stranger visits the village, that secret is set to 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 managed to build be strong enough to overcome their differences—or will the trust they’ve withheld from each other end up tearing three lives apart?

About the author:

 Following

Biography

Hi, I'm Carolyn Miller, author of 'The Elusive Miss Ellison'.

I live in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia.

I'm married, with four gorgeous children, who all love to read (and write!) as I do (except not in the Regency genre - funny, that!).

My favourite authors are classics like Jane Austen (of course!), Georgette Heyer, and Agatha Christie, but I also enjoy contemporary authors like Susan May Warren and Becky Wade.

I try to write stories that are fun and witty, yet also deal with real issues, such as dealing with forgiveness, the nature of really loving versus 'true love', and other challenges we all face at different times.

I hope you enjoy reading my novels. Thanks for stopping by!