Old Sins Long Shadows

by B.D. Hawkey

Nominated for the 2014 RONÉ “Best Indie or Small Published book of 2013” Award.

A Cornish Victorian romance set against the backdrop of the magnificent Bosvenna Estate, with eccentric rural characters and the sweeping hills of the dramatic Bodmin Moor. Janey Carhart's story is a tale of obsession, jealousy and love.

At the age of nine, Janey's younger sisters die from scarlet fever and her grief stricken mother blames Janey for their deaths. Financial difficulties and a desire to win back her mother's love, forces Janey to enter service where she quickly rises through the ranks. Upon her arrival to the elegant Cornish Country Estate, she successfully secures a position of a lady's maid for the wealthy and powerful Brockenshaw family. An exchange of letters between Lady Brockenshaw and her son ignites Janey's interest, but Janey's feelings for this mysterious and charming gentleman soon change her life forever. Old sins cast long shadows and not only does Janey's mother's wrath affect Janey's life, there are others whose sins risk destroying her, the people she cares about and her capacity to love again.

Daniel Kellow, her neighbour, offers his help. Can she trust this man who has, it is rumoured, killed a man? Who is the real Daniel Kellow and can she trust him? Can he trust her?

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Victorian

374 pages, Paperback

First published August 5, 2013

About the author

B.D.'s books are published in British English (UK). This means that in some areas British and American spelling is different.

Born in Cornwall, B.D. enjoyed a fulfilling twenty-five year career as a nurse and health visitor before writing her first historical romance novel.

Since the publication of her first novel in 2013, B.D. has been twice nominated for the RONÉ “Best Indie and Small Published Book Award" and short-listed for the "New Talent Award" at the Festival of Romantic Fiction in England.

You can also find her on the following sites:-

Blog:
https://bdhawkeyauthor.wordpress.com/
Facebook:
facebook.com/BDHawkey
Twitter:
twitter.com/BDHawkey

Reviews

[Jennifer-Eve Workman · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW... What do I say about this book that I have only just moments ago finished? I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaways. I have fallen in love with many books in my life, but none as quickly as this book! Usually when reading a book, especially a love story, there are always things that you wish were a little different... Sometimes, you want things to go a different way. Even if it is only a little more passion or a little less drama... sometimes the hero has a habit that irritates you or maybe the heroine is a bit ditzy... or worse, the ending isn't at all what you were hoping for even though you loved it, you just wish it would have gone a different way. There is not one single thing that I would have changed about any of these characters or the plot!! I loved every single word, every single paragraph, every single page!!! I cried, I laughed, I got so excited that I couldn't read fast enough and sometimes found that I read so fast, I had no idea what I had just read and had to go back and re-read it!! This was not a sappy love story cookie cutter. The hero didn't always make it in time to save the girl.

How do I put this into words... To describe the plot would sound to some like your typical love story, and I guess it is. But the writing was not typical in the least. The author didn't just focus on the two main characters describing everything about them, leaving you to fill in the blanks about other characters... or describing in so much detail, things that the reader need not know, seeming to just want to fill pages. The points of few flowed based on the plot, as it should.

I know I am rambling and probably not making a lick of sense, I normally write my reviews after I've had time to think about the book and really absorb what happened, but I had to come out here and let everyone know how much I recommend this book to EVERYONE!!!

Until I edit this and make myself a little bit more coherent, just know that I TRULY loved this book.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old Sins, Long Shadows by B.D. Hawkey is a self published novel released August 2013. I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

BOOK BLURB:
A Cornish Victorian romance set against the backdrop of the magnificent Bosvenna Estate, with eccentric rural characters and the sweeping hills of the dramatic Bodmin Moor. Janey Carhart's story is a tale of obsession, jealousy and love.

At the age of nine, Janey's younger sisters die from scarlet fever and her grief stricken mother blames Janey for their deaths. Financial difficulties and a desire to win back her mother's love, forces Janey to enter service where she quickly rises through the ranks.

Upon her arrival to the elegant Cornish Country Estate, she successfully secures a position of a lady's maid for the wealthy and powerful Brockenshaw family. An exchange of letters between Lady Brockenshaw and her son ignites Janey's interest, but Janey's feelings for this mysterious and charming gentleman soon change her life forever.

Yet, old sins cast long shadows and not only does Janey's mother's wrath affect Janey's life, there are others whose sins risk destroying her, the people she cares about and her capacity to love again.

Although a little young for such a high position in service, Janey applies to be a ladies maid for Lady Brockenshaw, a lady nearly blind and in fragile health. Janey makes an impression and gets the job.
It doesn't take long for Janey and Lady Brockenshaw to connect and become close. Their relationship is more like mother and daughter.
Lady Brockenshaw's son, James runs the estate and is a very handsome man with considerable charm. His good looks and intelligent conversations with Janey has her developing romantic feelings for James. Although, there is another man that lives on an adjoining farm named Daniel who is also quite handsome. However, Janey is warned to stay away from Daniel because he has been accused of murder, although it was never proven.
As Janey settles into her new position, she begins to see a side of James that is not at all pleasant. Not only that, the infuriating Daniel warned her about him. But, when the situation with James escalates, Janey is forced to make some really tough choices. Before she winds up in dire straights, Daniel steps up and offers her another alternative. But, what of the murder allegations? Will Janey be going from one bad situation to another? Can she trust Daniel?

This story was very absorbing and at times reminded me of the historical romance novels at the peak of their popularity in the 1990's. Don't misunderstand, I'm not talking about "Bodice Rippers", but stories that were not just a lot of fluff. This story has substance. We are told the story of life for a young women virtually on her own in the world and attempting to be all things to all people. Her mother blamed her for the death of her sisters, Janey felt she must please her employer and the staff at Brockenshaw and if need be, Master James or else she would be forced into a work house.
There were no fancy balls, or gowns or focus on society and properness. This life is rural and depends on farming. Daniel owns his farm outright which is unusal since most farmland is sharecropping. This gives him an advantage, but he is still the subject of many rumors. He is not only successful in business, but Daniel has a sensitivity about him toward people, especially Janey. While he isn't really the "grand gesture" time hero, I just thought he was awesome. He is honest with Janey and with his feelings, although he does struggle with tactfulness at times.
Janey has a lot going against her and her back is against the wall. She and Daniel get off to a rocky start and faced many challenges in their relationship. The shadow of his past would come back to haunt them and it would be Janey's turn to step up and support Daniel.
Fate and maybe a little karma would see things turn around for both Janey and Daniel. Each will learn the true feelings they have for one another and the real meaning of family. They may have to work hard to achieve peace and comfort in their lives but the payoff will be worth all they went through.
The author did a fantastic job of describing the scenery. The Cornish landscape and farmland was not a usual setting for novels, so I enjoyed this change of pace. I loved the realizations that Janey came to about the people in her life, the maturity that came with finding out the true meaning of friendship, family and love gave her the strength to return those feelings. Daniel also learned that things are not always what they appear to be on the surface and despite his difficulties with trust, he will learn that Janey is someone he can depend on through good and bad times.
The secondary characters were also well drawn. I felt true anger towards James and pity for his mother, although she was frustrating as well. The other characters were well drawn and complimented the story quite well.
A quick note about the steam level. The actual romantic love scenes were really a level one, however, there were some other adult situations that are sexual and were rather difficult passages to read. So, I wanted to be sure that anyone looking for a "sweet" romance would not be misled. While this story is ultimately uplifting and certainly has the required Happy Ever After, the journey to that point is a little rough.
The author has noted the spellings of words are British. This will not in any way hamper your enjoyment of the book. I hardly even noticed.
I recommend this book to not only lovers of historical romance but to those that enjoy historical fiction as well.

I give this one an A. ( I would rate it a 4.5)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
About this author


OLD SINS, LONG SHADOWS is written in British English (UK). This means that in some areas British and American spelling is different. OLD SINS, LONG SHADOWS is available on Amazon in print and kindle format.

I was born in Cornwall and enjoyed a fulfilling twenty-five year career as a nurse and health visitor.

My first published work was a short poem called "Taken" in the book titled “Bright Voices” published by United Press Ltd. in 2003. “Bright Voices” was a collection of poems by various artists from the South West of England.

I wrote my first book at the age of ten and have always had the desire to write. Following a career change, I now have the time and wrote the book I would like to read. I called it Old Sins, Long Shadows. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Please feel free to visit my facebook page and website

[Jultri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Victorian story set in the author's native Cornwall, it is no sugar coated sweet romantic tale but was very realistic and at times brutally so. The characters were well portrayed and came with flaws and all. In fact, the female lead, Janey, started off rather naive and silly but evolved and grew more backbone as the story progressed. She joined a country gentry estate as the lady's maid for the visually impaired Lady Brockenshaw. Upon meeting said lady's handsome son, James, Janey was bowled over by his smooth charms. In comparison, her first impression of Daniel Kellow, a local farmer/landowner battling a shady past, was less than favourable. However, all were not as they seem. Through trial and error, she slowly learnt the nuances of her new life on the estate and in the local community and through tragedies, betrayals and personal challenges, she discovered unexpected friendship, unity and love which ultimately triumphed over the nasty side of humanity.

[Anne in VA · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. For those of you looking for a romance, I wouldn't exactly say this is a romance. There is a love story--a lovely story that at times brought tears to my eyes--but there was a lot of other 'stuff' too. Meaning that the focus wasn't solely on the two main characters and their interactions. I would go so far as to say this was 40% romance and 60% the daily life of villagers in a small town. For almost half the book, we get a great deal on Janey and her life working at the house. I wasn't bored by this in the beginning, however when I realized all this extra 'stuff' with the secondary characters had nothing really to do with the romantic plot, I did start to get a little annoyed with all the babble. Just a little. I can't help it! I went into this expecting a romance.

If not for the ridiculously perfect ending that tied up everything in a neat little bow, I would have rated this 4 stars.

[Michelle Stein · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a wonderful read! B.D. Hawkey captures a readers attention from the very begining! I felt like I was brought back in time, stepping in Janey's shoes, to the year 1868. I loved how Hawkey put such beautiful detail in her words. There were characters in the story that I instantly began to like, and others that I strongly disliked (one in particular). I felt so much emotion for everything Janey had to go through. There was Joy and saddness throughout this story that I did not expect. I can't count how many times I had tears streaming down my face. She had me hooked until the very end.
If you want to read a great Historical Romance, then this one is definitely the next one for you.

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. Hawkey writes an emotional and inspiring story of one woman’s struggles to overcome every hurdle thrown in her way.

Read full review in the 2014 February issue of InD’tale Magazine.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 solid stars. For me, a couple of things prevented this from being a five star book. First of all, the good things, I loved the setting...Cornwall, England (which I can imagine much more vividly thanks to Poldark). I loved that the H and h were both working class, he a farmer and she a lady's maid. They were both basically likeable characters but I did not understand the author turning the heroine into a shrew every time she was around the hero for the first half of the book. She was a nice person and in fact went out of her way to make friends with others but for some unknown reason, she was downright mean, bossy and contrary to the hero. Another issue that prevented a five star review was the character of the head housekeeper. She was so mean and dastardly that it bordered on cartoonish, although there was nothing funny about her actions. Still, I read this rather quickly as I was engrossed in Daniel & Janey's story and I think it was an above average read.

[Princess Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed By

Being a princess has its perks and having lots of free time to read is one of them. While Eric is doing his royal duties, I spend time checking out the newest books. The other day, after reading a really steamy contemporary novel, I was in the mood for an old-fashioned romance and as luck would have it, I’d downloaded “Old Sins, Long Shadows” by B.D. Hawkey. I curled up in my favorite chair and with Sebastian by my side, I started to read and immediately found myself transported to old England. The main character, Janey Carhart is a character unique to her time in that she was educated. Most women of that time were seen and not heard. Definitely not fun, I can tell you from experience. Anyway, she begins work as a lady’s maid for a prominent family and is shunned for the most part by the other servants because of her elevated station. The only thing she has to keep her thoughts occupied is the handsome but mysterious neighbor, Daniel Kellow. Add to that, James Brockenshaw, the handsome and wealthy son of the family she works for and you’ve got the recipe for a romance reminiscent of the likes of Pride and Predjudice. The simple act of touching hands was taboo in those days and once you’ve gotten into the story and the more intimate the characters become, the more swoonworthy the story became. I really enjoyed this book and it’s definitely a read for those who love historical romance.
I give this book 3 ½ Tiaras and look forward to future work by B.D. Hawkey.

Final Review Rating

[Jacinda Buchmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been my of my favorite books of the year so far! Don't let the cover fool you. Even though it is beautiful, I don't think it portrays the emotional depth and romantic roller coaster that is experienced by the main character, Janey. Told from multiple points of view, OLD SINS, LONG SHADOWS is mostly told from the viewpoint of Janey who is hired as a lady's maid. She struggles to find her way amongst the rest of the staff and soon fights her attraction to two very different men - one who is above her class and the other who is abrupt, mysterious, and aloof.

As the story progresses through rich English language and imagery of the Cornish countryside, made more realistic by an author who is from the country, Janey is confronted with one emotional struggle after another. It was a tale of love, turmoil, and emotional struggle, and without giving the story away, I adored the ending even though I didn't want the story to end, and highly recommend this story to anyone who enjoys a rich, romantic historical saga. This was a story whose characters stayed with me long after I finished the book.

[Alice Melrose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old Sins, Long Shadows is a really excellent read. The characters are vivid, the plot is intelligent and creative and the writing is simply charming. This book is not a simple account of good vs. evil, but instead it is intricately woven with complex emotions, plenty of suspense of the mostly restrained, emotional variety with a decent dose of light relief.

Would certainly recommend this book. Not only do complicated relationships change throughout the novel but you, as a reader, change with them, and you grow alongside the characters. One of the best romance novel’s I have read in years. An easy and at times an intense read and I’m glad I stumbled across it.

[Debbie Carnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read. The story is a wonderful love story, but its much more. You really get into the story and places. I loved the settings, Cornwall is one of my favorite places on Earth. :)

B D Hawkey, is a wonderful, very talented writer and I look forward to reading more books by her

[ROMANTIC HISTORICAL REVIEW BLOG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review by: Julie Whiteley

Review Rating: 4.5 Stars

Link to Review: http://www.romantichistoricalreviews....

[Jenny Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read a page turner and did not want it to finish

[Delia Sandford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book defiantly 5 stars Ty Liz xx