I received a complimentary copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers and was under no obligation to post a review. No compensation was received for sharing this review and all opinions are my own.
Published by Thomas Nelson Incorporated on 2017
Source: BookLook Bloggers
Genres: Historical, Regency, Romance
Pages: 336
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 fiancé has called off 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 father, he is fiercely protective of his only daughter. As an industrious gamekeeper, he is intent on keeping poachers 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.
A Stranger at Fellsworth is the conclusion to the Treasures of Surrey series by Sarah Ladd. Though this book is a part of a series—they’re able to be read as standalone novels.
The first thing I want to say about this book is that the cover is beautiful. Actually, every cover in this series is beautiful and well worth having on your shelves for that purpose.
However, I struggled a little with this book. I found that I was easily distracted while reading this book. I’m not entirely sure why except that the story was a bit predictable. Poor little rich girl runs away. She finds herself in a position that puts her equal with her previous staff. She meets and falls and love with the first guy that pays attention to her.
I had a really hard time accepting that Annabelle and Owen fell in love so quickly. It was as if they were expected to fall in love and they did so without complaint. It was so rushed and I would have liked to have seen more of Annabelle and Owen bonding as a couple. I would have liked to have known Hannah more as she had some true spunk to her.
I liked this book. I know my comments make it seem like I didn’t. I truly did. But, I just felt like I’d read the story before. Sometimes a book is good but you read it at a time where it just doesn’t resonate with you. I think that’s what happened here. I’d be curious as to my feelings if I pick this back up in a year or two and give it a reread.
Would I recommend this to others? Yeah, I would. It is a solid story. It just wasn’t resonating with me right now.
About Sarah E. Ladd
Sarah E. Ladd has always loved the Regency period — the clothes, the music, the literature and the art. A college trip to England and Scotland confirmed her interest in the time period and gave her idea of what life would’ve looked like in era. It wasn’t until 2010 that Ladd began writing seriously. Shortly after, Ladd released the first book in the Whispers on the Moors series. Book one of the series, The Heiress of Winterwood, was the recipient of the 2011 ACFW Genesis Award for historical romance. Ladd also has more than ten years of marketing experience. She holds degrees in public relations and marketing and lives in Indiana with her family and spunky Golden Retriever.
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