At twenty-five, Patience Creighton is already a spinster. The busy headmistress of Rosemere always expected a dashing man to sweep her off her feet and take her away . . . but that man never came. And since her father’s death, keeping the school running and her mother happy has been plenty to keep her occupied.
William Sterling dallied his way into financial trouble and mortal danger. When he is assaulted by his creditors’ henchmen on the road home from a tavern, he guides his horse to the doorstep of his tenant, the Rosemere School for Young Ladies. After being tended to by Patience, the wounded William rides off into the dawn—but makes a point to learn more about the lovely headmistress.
As he spends more time at Rosemere, something delicate begins to develop between William and Patience. But that will not deter William’s creditors. With little money to repay his debts, and less for the upkeep of his estate, it becomes clear that sacrificing Rosemere may be the only way to preserve his legacy. But it may also cost him his happiness.
Sarah E. Ladd has more than ten years of marketing experience. She is a graduate of Ball State University and holds degrees in public relations and marketing. The Heiress of Winterwood was the recipient of the 2011 Genesis Award for historical romance. Sarah lives in Indiana with her amazing husband, sweet daughter, and spunky Golden Retriever.
My Impressions:
Do you love Regency fiction, Jane Austen or the Brontes? Then look no farther than Sarah Ladd’s second novel, The Headmistress of Rosemere. Filled with period details and a story that shares the message of second chances, this novel is perfect for anyone looking to satisfy their Regency craving.
This standalone novel revisits the environs of Ladd’s first book, The Heiress of Winterwood. William Stirling is the landlord of the school Patience Creighton has endeavored to head since her father’s death and her mother’s withdrawal six months previously. Patience has steeled herself to the fate of spinsterhood and William believes he can never love again, but circumstances bring the pair together and there is instant attraction. The two have to overcome many obstacles and impediments, not the least being their feelings of unworthiness and loss.
The strength of this story is its characterization. The supporting characters are well-developed and realistic and certainly have echoes of Austen, but it is the two main characters that are excellent. William Stirling has a lot of strikes against him and could have become an anti-hero, but Ladd’s handling of him created an empathy for all he had gotten himself into. From the first pages, he was by far my favorite in the novel. The plot of the novel is realistic as well — no far-fetched plot twists or unbelievable situations — no eye-rolling from this reader. 😉
So if you like Regency and romance with a realistic flavor, try The Headmistress of Rosemere.
Recommended.
(Thanks to LitFuse for a review copy. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)
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To purchase a copy of this book, click on the image below.
Sarah is celebrating the release of book two in her Whispers on the Moors series with a fun “School” Your Desk Kindle Fire Giveaway and an Author Chat Facebook Party!
Between January 17–28, visit Sarah Ladd’s Facebook Page to enter to win a new giveaway each day and be entered to win a Kindle Fire grand prize. Winners will be announced at the Facebook Author Chat party on January 28th! (Don’t have a Facebook account? Enter here.)
RSVP today for Sarah’s The Headmistress of Rosemere Author Chat Party on Facebook. During the party Sarah will be hosting a book chat, testing your Regency trivia skills, announcing the winner of the “School” Your Desk Giveaway, and giving away books, gift certificates, and more. Oh, and she’ll also be giving partygoers an exclusive look at the next book in the Whispers on the Moors series!
So grab your copy of The Headmistress of Rosemere and hope to see you on the evening of January 28th! (If you haven’t read the book, don’t let that stop you from coming!)
Great review! I love Jane Austen inspired books and looking forward to reading this series. I’m visiting from the ‘Semicolon’ link up. : )
Thanks so much for stopping by! I love Austenesque books too.
So many Jane Austen wannabes out there–its hard to decide which ones to take a chance on. Thanks for the review that makes this one sound like one that would be worth a try.
You are welcome! Thanks for stopping by. Let me know of any other Austenesque books I should try.