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"How foolish to think she'd be safe in this little Penwythe refuge,
with its
idyllic seashores, rolling orchards, and ancient gardens.
She'd lost
sight of how the Greythornes would stop
at nothing to get their way."
CORDELA GREYTHORNE is no
stranger to hardship and heartache. Forced to leave her home in Cornwall three
years ago after being blamed for her husband's death, she began a new life as a
governess to five children in Yorkshire. Though suffocated by secrets, she
tried to bury herself in her work. It was the only way to escape the fear of
her mother-in-law's parting warning and curse spoken against her.
Unfortunately, Cordelia finds her life
in upheaval again when her employer suffers a fatal riding accident. She gives
her word to a dying man and promises to stay with his children even though it
means returning to Cornwall. Will she be able to keep her secrets and remain
unnoticed, or will she be putting her life and possibly others' lives in danger?
JAC TWETHEWEY longs to
restore Penwythe Hall to its former glory. While busy trying to revive the
once-thriving apple orchards, his plans are interrupted when his distant
brother's children, along with their governess and tutor, arrive unexpectedly.
Determined to be a good guardian, Jac
spends time getting to know the children of his deceased brother. However, it's
not only the children he's growing attached to. Despite the mystery surrounding
Delia and her past, Jac can't help but be drawn to the governess. He desires to
provide for and protect her in any way he can. If he only knew how. When
betrayal and disaster threaten his financial security, he wonders if he'll be
able to continue providing for his new charges.
Unfortunate circumstances brought Jac
and Cordelia together, but will secrets, danger, and betrayal tear them apart?
The Governess
of Penwythe Hall is Sarah E. Ladd's latest regency romance and is the first
book in the Cornwall series.
My Thoughts
I like novels set in England's
early nineteenth century, and I like governesses as main characters too. The
Governess of Penwythe Hall has both! I'm already familiar with and
fond of Ladd's writing style, so I figured this would be a wonderful story to
abandon myself to each night before bed. The apple orchard setting captured my
heart right away! I love apple trees and desperately miss having my own.
Besides the lovely apple trees, I
liked getting to know the main characters Jac and Cordelia, or Delia as she's
called in the book. The main focus is on them: Delia trying to make a new life
but having to deal with her dangerous past, Jac trying to revive his estate and
dealing with the unexpected responsibility of having to provide for his nieces
and nephews, and of course the possibility of a budding romance between the
two. I don't remember their faith being mentioned a bunch, but it is there
subtly woven throughout the book.
The plot was predictable but in a
comfortable way. I wasn't bored at all. I looked forward to finding out about
Delia's secrets and how everything would play out. Mystery and threat of danger
kept the pages turning. Though I had a feeling the end would turn out how it
did, I wasn't disappointed.
It's always fun to start a new book
series, but I sure wish I didn't have to wait until January 2020 to read the
sequel to this lovely book! If you like good, clean, and wholesome English
historical romance novels, The Governess of Penwythe Hall is
worth the read.
Book Rating: 5 stars
