A Stranger at Fellsworth

GIVEAWAY

LADD, SARAH E.
A STRANGER AT FELLSWORTH

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 fiance has broken 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 , where her estranged uncle serves as the school's superintendent. Upon arrival, Annabelle learns that she must shed her life of high society and work for her wages for the first time in her life.

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

My Review:

Sqqqqquuuueeeeaaaaalllll alert! A scrumptious Regency with sinister overtones and a despicable villain -- well, more than one -- to thwart! The kind of story that will curl your toes in rapturous delight while sending delicious shivers of  trepidation up your spine. The kind of read you want to devour in one sitting -- but pace yourself, you don't want it to be over too fast!

As heroes go, Owen rates right up there. He might not be a traditional high society gentleman but he certainly has more gentlemanly manners than the men Annabelle has been associating with. And Owen has a strong sense of right and wrong, not to mention a protective streak where damsels in distress come into play -- especially where Annabelle is concerned.

Annabelle's world has been turned upside down and hiding away at her uncle's school seems the safest place to be...only there are more mysteries in Surrey than in London and somehow Annabelle becomes entangled in them all.

Impeccable pacing -- subtle nuances that might just be clues are scattered throughout the story and I was furiously trying to put the pieces together before Owen and Annabelle did. Depth and detail in all the characters, not just the hero and heroine, bring this story to life in the manner of a classic BBC drama.

There's a glorious inspirational thread -- subtle but powerful all the same -- woven into the story. Though Annabelle's mother died when she was a young girl, she leaves a legacy of faith behind. A faith that sustains her daughter until she develops a faith of her own. There's a tangible link between Annabelle and her mother that is both bittersweet and joyful and it made me think about the kind of impact I can make on my loved ones. A great spiritual takeaway to ponder long after the last page has been read.

Exciting, uplifting -- full of adventure and romance -- a perfect mix for a Regency read.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of A Stranger at Fellsworth, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT  instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easier for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday September 10 2017. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!