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The Race to Rainhill: A Dawn of the Railways Romance
The romance and mystery of the rail ignites Irish immigrant Sorcha O’Shea’s personal romance in ‘The Race to Rainhill”.
Sorcha O’Shea is a poor but skilled factory artisan with an unusual talent who is present at an event which changes the course of the race contest for the rights to build the first passenger steam locomotive in the world.
While Sorcha is at the Rainhill Trials watching history unfold, she meets Robert Stephenson, the engineer who built the entry Rocket. She also encounters Thaddeus Fulbright, a newspaper reporter who annoyingly turns up at every corner.
Lawrence Davenport, Sorcha’s employer, has less than honorable designs on Sorcha, whose family depends on her income. Lawrence holds Sorcha’s family’s survival over her head.
Still living in an historical period containing all the elements of a Regency romance, “The Race to Rainhill” has carriages, horses, ball gowns, theatre, assemblies, class hierarchy and aristocrats while on the cusp of the next phase of British the rail, which transformed travel, work, leisure, and even home life.
Experience the romance of the rail as history unfolds and Sorcha finds true love.
Late Georgian Traditional Romance with a non-traditional heroine. In the vein of Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer, and Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell, movie starring Judi Dench.
Sorcha O’Shea is a poor but skilled factory artisan with an unusual talent who is present at an event which changes the course of the race contest for the rights to build the first passenger steam locomotive in the world.
While Sorcha is at the Rainhill Trials watching history unfold, she meets Robert Stephenson, the engineer who built the entry Rocket. She also encounters Thaddeus Fulbright, a newspaper reporter who annoyingly turns up at every corner.
Lawrence Davenport, Sorcha’s employer, has less than honorable designs on Sorcha, whose family depends on her income. Lawrence holds Sorcha’s family’s survival over her head.
Still living in an historical period containing all the elements of a Regency romance, “The Race to Rainhill” has carriages, horses, ball gowns, theatre, assemblies, class hierarchy and aristocrats while on the cusp of the next phase of British the rail, which transformed travel, work, leisure, and even home life.
Experience the romance of the rail as history unfolds and Sorcha finds true love.
Late Georgian Traditional Romance with a non-traditional heroine. In the vein of Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer, and Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell, movie starring Judi Dench.
396 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 2, 2024
1 person is currently reading
3 people want to read
About the author
Suzette Hollingsworth
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 28, 2025
This is a well written romance set in 1820's England and you can tell the author has done her research.
However speaking as someone who is local to the areas described and has a keen interest in it's local history, there are more than a couple of anachronisms that I personally found a little distracting, alongside several Americanisms that didn't fit in with the story - Although, I will admit I'm possibly being a little too picky and a casual reader probably wouldn't be too bothered by these minor details.
I enjoyed the character of Sorcha and watching her interact with different people of different classes, and her budding romance(s) but I unfortunately had to pause reading around halfway through the book because the plot was starting to feel a little repetitive and not moving forward fast enough for my liking. (Day 1: A locomotive has it's turn at the trial, Sorcha talks to her suitors; Day 2: A locomotive has it's turn at the trial, Sorcha talks to her suitors; etc).
Overall, I did enjoy what I had so far and I'm hoping to return to this book once I'm out of my reading slump and can fully appreciate the story and discover what else Sorcha gets upto.
Thank you to Booksirens and the author for providing me with an advanced review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.
However speaking as someone who is local to the areas described and has a keen interest in it's local history, there are more than a couple of anachronisms that I personally found a little distracting, alongside several Americanisms that didn't fit in with the story - Although, I will admit I'm possibly being a little too picky and a casual reader probably wouldn't be too bothered by these minor details.
I enjoyed the character of Sorcha and watching her interact with different people of different classes, and her budding romance(s) but I unfortunately had to pause reading around halfway through the book because the plot was starting to feel a little repetitive and not moving forward fast enough for my liking. (Day 1: A locomotive has it's turn at the trial, Sorcha talks to her suitors; Day 2: A locomotive has it's turn at the trial, Sorcha talks to her suitors; etc).
Overall, I did enjoy what I had so far and I'm hoping to return to this book once I'm out of my reading slump and can fully appreciate the story and discover what else Sorcha gets upto.
Thank you to Booksirens and the author for providing me with an advanced review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.
September 2, 2024
I found myself becoming entranced with the characters and thrilled with the plot twists of the railway trails. Definitely worth a read!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews