Tuesday, December 5, 2023

A Winter by the Sea

 


About the Book: 

When the Duke and Duchess of Kent rent neighboring Woolbrook Cottage for the winter, the Summers sisters are called upon to host three of the royal couple's male staff in their seaside house. But they soon realize they've invited mysterious secrets and the sweet possibility of romance into their home.

Meanwhile, Emily Summers approaches a local publisher in hopes of fulfilling her dream of becoming an author. When he turns her down, his dashing competitor promises to consider her novel if she will first write a new Sidmouth guidebook for him. Emily accepts and begins researching with the help of the Duke of Kent's handsome private secretary. But a surprise visitor from her past shows up at Sea View, leaving Emily torn between the desires she used to hold dear and her budding dreams for the future.


My Review: 

The blending of fiction with fact is masterfully crafted by Julie Klassen, one of my favorite authors, to create an English seaside town that I would love to visit and be tempted to stay there permanently. The visit of the Royal family was so realistic that I found myself wondering what was actual fact in the story. I wanted to skip to the historical notes at the end, but I showed some self control and waited until I finished reading the book.


I felt a range of emotions (hope, joy, sadness, loss, fear) as Emily Summer, her sisters, and her mother must face the past, decide what to do about the future, and live in the present. Emily was blessed to have her sister and mother as her sounding boards and help with navigating her feelings. There were two suitors, so which man would she choose? 


This is the second book in the series, and I would recommend you read the first book so that you can appreciate what has transpired up until now. Three of Emily’s sisters have stories that need to be told, so I am anticipating great things to happen in the third book. I highly recommend this if you love historical fiction, romance, and/or women’s fiction. 


I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and Austen Prose book tours. I wasn’t required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

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