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The Promise of Persephone
A secret love, an unbreakable vow, and the promise of tomorrow...
All Persephone had ever wanted was to retain her independence, but between her father’s manipulations and the looming ruin of her family estate, she finds herself once more face to face with the one person who poses the greatest risk to her fragile heart. Torn away from everything and everyone that she knows, an unknown future beckons, but upon seeing the enigmatic Earl again, she realises that her reluctant new husband may be far more than meets the eye.
There was little that Henry Westlake, 9th Earl of Bridgewater wanted less than to honour the hated betrothal contract which had overshadowed the final days of his father’s life; especially as his future bride may well have been instrumental in trapping them both. Death bed promises can not be broken though. Duty demands that he honour his father’s final wish, but upon seeing the beautiful Miss Shaw again, he soon begins to wonder if his ethereal bride might be a mystery worth unravelling after all.
Elizabeth Castleton brings us a sweet romance set within the Mid-Victorian era.
*No permission is or has ever been given by this author for this book or any part of it to be used to train generative AI in any form or context.
There was little that Henry Westlake, 9th Earl of Bridgewater wanted less than to honour the hated betrothal contract which had overshadowed the final days of his father’s life; especially as his future bride may well have been instrumental in trapping them both. Death bed promises can not be broken though. Duty demands that he honour his father’s final wish, but upon seeing the beautiful Miss Shaw again, he soon begins to wonder if his ethereal bride might be a mystery worth unravelling after all.
Elizabeth Castleton brings us a sweet romance set within the Mid-Victorian era.
*No permission is or has ever been given by this author for this book or any part of it to be used to train generative AI in any form or context.
- GenresRomance
266 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 15, 2024
22 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Castleton
3 books4 followersElizabeth Castleton was born in a small, picturesque little village in the middle of England, not far from the Welsh border. She spent most of her childhood wandering through the long grass, climbing trees, and paddling in brooks, while gathering up wild watercress to feed to her pet rabbits.
Almost from day one, she became passionately obsessed with the written word; as well as the delightful escape that only a good book can provide, far away from the stresses and strains of day-to-day life. If that book just happens to come with a crackling fire, a nice warm blanket, and a big block of galaxy milk chocolate then all the better!
Today, she resides in Abruzzo, Central Italy, in an old stone farmhouse, which she is in the seemingly never-ending process of renovating. The house sits on the very edge of the Gran Sasso National Park and is smack dab in the middle of an untamed wilderness full of wild boar, wolves, the occasional bear, and a whole host of incredibly adorable vegetable-stealing porcupines.
She surrounds herself as much as possible with nature and her ragtag troupe of rescue animals of all different shapes and sizes; spending her free time creating or roaming the countryside with her large white dog, in search of peace and her wayward muse.
As well as crafting stories packed with love and adventure, she also works as an editor and freelance artist, as well as scribbling down poetry whenever inspiration happens to sweep through her life.
Some of her favourite books feature intelligent and free spirited heroines, brave warriors, enigmatic lords, and as much angst as it is humanely possible to squeeze between the two covers of a book! With so many wonderful, beloved tropes to choose from and a whole host yet to be discovered, she hopes to get chance to write them all in the years to come.
Her greatest hope of all though, is for her readers to get to enjoy her books even half as much as she enjoyed writing them!
Almost from day one, she became passionately obsessed with the written word; as well as the delightful escape that only a good book can provide, far away from the stresses and strains of day-to-day life. If that book just happens to come with a crackling fire, a nice warm blanket, and a big block of galaxy milk chocolate then all the better!
Today, she resides in Abruzzo, Central Italy, in an old stone farmhouse, which she is in the seemingly never-ending process of renovating. The house sits on the very edge of the Gran Sasso National Park and is smack dab in the middle of an untamed wilderness full of wild boar, wolves, the occasional bear, and a whole host of incredibly adorable vegetable-stealing porcupines.
She surrounds herself as much as possible with nature and her ragtag troupe of rescue animals of all different shapes and sizes; spending her free time creating or roaming the countryside with her large white dog, in search of peace and her wayward muse.
As well as crafting stories packed with love and adventure, she also works as an editor and freelance artist, as well as scribbling down poetry whenever inspiration happens to sweep through her life.
Some of her favourite books feature intelligent and free spirited heroines, brave warriors, enigmatic lords, and as much angst as it is humanely possible to squeeze between the two covers of a book! With so many wonderful, beloved tropes to choose from and a whole host yet to be discovered, she hopes to get chance to write them all in the years to come.
Her greatest hope of all though, is for her readers to get to enjoy her books even half as much as she enjoyed writing them!
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 17, 2025
SWOOOOON 🥹🥹🫶🏼, I don't remember the last time I read such a sweet and heartwarming romance 🥺, the pacing was just perfect, the ending was so satisfying, and it reminded me of those pure classical romances that you don't get to see much these days, this book is a rare gem 🥹🫶🏼.
If you're someone who enjoys classical romances but find them hard to read this is perfect for you, it has the perfect blend of classical and modern writing, which gives you the feel of reading a classic but one you can understand easily; if that makes sense 😂.
It was such a simple narrative and yet I wasn't bored or underwhelmed at any point and honestly those are one of my favourite kinds of books.
Gonna take a while to get over this one 🫠.
If you're someone who enjoys classical romances but find them hard to read this is perfect for you, it has the perfect blend of classical and modern writing, which gives you the feel of reading a classic but one you can understand easily; if that makes sense 😂.
It was such a simple narrative and yet I wasn't bored or underwhelmed at any point and honestly those are one of my favourite kinds of books.
Gonna take a while to get over this one 🫠.
September 17, 2025
2.5- Ermmm I had high hopes bc the reviews were so good but…. The writing felt very juvenile and I feel like Henry was not developed enough as a character. And neither was their relationship, like at all? I like the idea, very bridgerton-esque, but to me was lacking a lot!
January 6, 2025
I so loved this book! The author really evokes the Victorian era of social rules and restrictions and yet its characters feel very modern in the way they rebel against their stereotypes. The lovable but hot-headed Persephone ('Seffi') is a really great character, an independent woman thrust from all she knows into marriage with an old childhood friend to pay off her family's debts. The twists and turns throughout as she comes to terms with her new circumstances will keep you hooked, thanks to the author's evocative imagery, descriptive language and her Elizabeth Gaskell-like abilities to have you root for the characters through everything that happen to them. A page-turner that's a real pleasure to read, like all the best books I shall really miss it now it's over. I look forward to the author writing many more!
March 7, 2025
A Dickensian novel written in easy modern style.
A novel set in the 19th century but delivered in relatively modern English style and made all the more readable for it.
The story concerns a young woman who has been ‘promised’ in marriage to a man of whom she knew little and who presented as being somewhat forbidding. There came the time when the eponymous Persephone had to make the long tiring journey to the home of her proposed, the latter riding horseback while she was conveyed in a coach. I particularly liked the graphic description of the coach journey - no wonder railways soon caught on !
On arrival at her ‘suitor’s home Persephone’s anguish and worry begin to subside and the relationship has a happier ending than what we might have expected.
This is a promising first novel, with well defined characters, and which bodes well for Elizabeth’s future writing.
A novel set in the 19th century but delivered in relatively modern English style and made all the more readable for it.
The story concerns a young woman who has been ‘promised’ in marriage to a man of whom she knew little and who presented as being somewhat forbidding. There came the time when the eponymous Persephone had to make the long tiring journey to the home of her proposed, the latter riding horseback while she was conveyed in a coach. I particularly liked the graphic description of the coach journey - no wonder railways soon caught on !
On arrival at her ‘suitor’s home Persephone’s anguish and worry begin to subside and the relationship has a happier ending than what we might have expected.
This is a promising first novel, with well defined characters, and which bodes well for Elizabeth’s future writing.
June 15, 2025
I thought that this was a lovely regency romance. Very easy to read and kept me engaged the whole time of reading.
December 23, 2025
A cute read but nothing show stopping. Obviously no spoilers but it's a slow start then gets very cute at the end. Overall I am glad I read it.
September 19, 2025
This is a fantastically written historical romance with some really well thought out characters. I love the subtle intensity of Henry and Persephone's relationship as it developed throughout the book, very fitting with a classical historical romance rather than many of the modern romances that focus more on the physical side of things. Subtle romances like this are truly an art form, as you have to build up the relationship in small gestures and little actions rather than overtly passionate displays.The language used throughout is wonderfully descriptive, and I love how the author has used a varied vocabulary, while not going overboard with the high-level of language of the era to make it more accessible to a modern audience. This was a well thought out and sweet romance with a lovely slow build and some really deep emotional themes that the characters have to overcome. Well worth a read if you love traditional historical romances.
October 11, 2025
This was an absolutely adorable read. I devoured it in a single day! The FMC is equal parts sweetheart and spitfire and I loved it. She wasn't a weak or prissy woman of the time. She was fiery and adventurous but still charming. Watching Henry go from thinking she was another stuck up royal woman to realizing he loved her was such a fun journey. This is a non-spicy book but the romance still leaps off the page! Highly recommend!
December 27, 2025
A comfortable and ultimately feel good walk through Victorian Britain. This story is definitely a slow build, but this works well considering the era in which it is set. I also found that the realism of both the description and settings within the book are very well done. A very pleasant fireside read.
February 17, 2025
A amazing story filled with vibrant characters, wonderful scenery, and gripping events. A sweet romantic story with a strong main leads and a thrilling ending. I would love to read more stories about the other characters in this book, especially Neale and Lea. Would highly recommend to anyone. A real hug of a book.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews