MoonglotexasA biting gust of Cornish wind screamed downward from the churning sky, billowing Cordelia Greythorne’s jet-black traveling cape. She reached to secure the hood atop her head, and as she did, her grip on her valise slackened. The heavy bag plummeted to the snow-laden ground below. Through a veil of tears, Delia looked to the satchel, and the sharp burning in her lungs reminded her to breathe.
The Governess of Penwythe Hall by Sarah E. Ladd
This is my first Sarah E. Ladd novel and the first in a new series, and what a great beginning The Governess of Penwythe Hall is! I fell in love with this novel within minutes and the writing is so emotive, the pages flew past. Delia is an endearing, multi-layered character who endures so much in her journey, she has an air of Jane Eyre about her. Our leading man, Jac, is a grounded, country man who doesn’t have airs and graces. The two come together to raise the five children left in their care. This focus gives both new purpose and an appreciation for familial love.
Amidst the grief and adjustment to the new situation, mystery and something sinister lurks in the Cornish coast haunting Delia and creating trouble for the family. No sooner had I settled into a family drama when it became an adventure! This novel really is a treat. Jac’s aunt is probably my favourite though, sharing her Christian wisdom and bringing a light-heartedness to the story.
It’s a five out of five on the en-JOY-ment scale and I highly recommend this one, it’s a delight not to be missed!
From the back cover:
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.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
