Lady Faith Takes a Leap

The Baxendale Sisters #2

by Maggi Andersen

Dutiful daughter Faith Baxendale just wants to please. Faith isn’t as adventurous as her younger sister, Hope, gadding about the Continent with their aunt, nor as rebellious as her elder sister, Honor, who planned to become a card sharp. And Faith couldn’t lose herself in her art like sixteen-year-old, Charity. Even Mercy, at fourteen, shows more backbone!
After Faith’s first Season ends, her father urges her to marry the man of his choice. But when Lord Vaughn Winborne, a neighbor Faith had a crush on while still in the schoolroom, arrives home for the Brandreth’s hunt ball, surprising even to herself, Faith is drawn again towards a man her father would never consider.
The youngest Brandreth male, Vaughn, is the black sheep of the family. His elder brother, Chaloner, Marquess of Brandreth, still looks upon him as a reckless youth, and Vaughn is determined to prove him wrong.
A chance comes in the form of a scandal not of Vaughn’s making, and he must learn to trust Faith, who, when all’s said and done, has always known her own mind.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Novella

121 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2015

About the author

USA TODAY bestselling author of Regency romance, and winner of the RONE award, Maggi Andersen wrote her first book for publication after gaining a BA in English and an MA in Creative Writing. She lives on a farm in the beautiful Yarra Valley in Victoria, Australia. She wrote her first adventure story at 8 years old. Her novels are mostly adventure stories, but also sensual romances. Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen inspired her Regencies and Victoria Holt, her Gothic Victorian mysteries She also writes contemporary romantic suspense and young adult novels.

Maggi supports the RSPCA (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to animals) and animals often feature in her books.

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lady Faith Takes a Leap by Maggi Anderson is a 2015 publication. I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second story in the Baxendale Sisters series and can be read as a stand alone.

Now that her half sister, Honor, has married and settled down, Lady Faith is now being pressured by her father to find a husband. But, Faith has only ever loved one man...Vaughn Winborne. The problem is, Vaughn is a rogue, a man with a cash flow problem and a bad reputation. So, this puts him off the table as far as Faith's father is concerned. While Faith is loathe to marry a man she does not love, it appears she may have no other choice because her father has run out of patience with her constantly turning away suitors. Are Faith and Vaughn destined to be star crossed lovers or will fate intervene and save the day?

This is a novella length story, so it would be a great book to read on your lunch break. The set up was a bit lengthy and the story started to drag around the midway point, and I was starting to wonder if anything more interesting was going to happen and if so, could we please get on with it. I have to say I was surprised by the developments that took place in the last few chapters. Suddenly, the predictable tried and true historical romance trope changed over to one of fast paced danger and intrigue.

The underlying theme is “love at first sight” and even if you don't think it's real, this story may give you pause, because Lady Faith has loved Vaughn since she first laid eyes on him and even though she tried to put him out of her mind and convince herself her feelings for him were just “a crush”, the heart clearly thought otherwise.

I enjoyed the banter between Faith and Vaughn, which was sharp, witty and at times poignant. These two have a wonderful chemistry between them, and I loved their unconventional HEA.

Overall, this is a delightful and fun romance and a pleasant light read. 3.5 stars

[(Nat) Reading Romances · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm happy to have discovered Maggi Andersen!

Lady Faith Takes a Leap is the second book in The Baxendale Sisters series and the first book I’ve read by Maggi Andersen. It can be read as a stand alone.

There’s lots of dialogue in this book, which made me very happy since a lot of historical romances end up being overly descriptive. Maggi is a skilled author and agreat storyteller, but the last couple of chapters, in my opinion, weren’t necessary to end the story.

I’ll definitely continue to read this series and recommend Lady Faith’s sweet HEA. A fun, light hearted and easy reading novella.
Lady Faith Takes a Leap is the second book in The Baxendale Sisters series and the first book I’ve read by Maggi Andersen. It can be read as a stand alone.

There’s lots of dialogue in this book, which made me very happy since a lot of historical romances end up being overly descriptive. Maggi is a skilled author and agreat storyteller, but the last couple of chapters, in my opinion, weren’t necessary to end the story.

I’ll definitely continue to read this series and recommend Lady Faith’s sweet HEA. A fun, light hearted and easy reading novella.

Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.

[My Book Addiction and More MBA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady Faith Takes a Leap by Maggi Andersen is an exciting Regency Historical Romance. Book 2 in "The Baxendale Sisters", but can be read as a stand alone. See, "Taming a Gentleman Spy".
Fast paced tale of scandal, trust, passion, and romance. Once again, Ms. Andersen has proven her storytelling, even in a Novella. This title is a quick read, only 122 pages, but packed full of action and passion.
I enjoyed how Faith, stepped up to the occasion and showed her worth and her own mind. Compelling and powerful! Fans of Regency Romance will enjoy this quick, light-hearted romp through Regency England. Well done!

*Received for an honest review*

**Cross-posted on My Book Addiction and More dot com**


Rating: 4.5
Heat rating: Mild
Reviewed by: AprilR, courtesy of My Book Addiction and More

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vaughn and Faith are both easy to love characters. I was rooting for them from the start and knew they would find their way together, even when things looked bad. There was some light drama, but it was quickly resolved without any major incidents. A cute, sweet and quick read with a little heat at the end.

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

[Ronnae Stately · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faith took a leap by trusting her conscience and feelings and waiting for the right man to come along to marry. This perplexed her father to no ends and made for more than a small argument about her future. Along comes Vaughn, the boy next door and her childhood love. He has it bad for her but he doesn’t have the approval of her father being the fourth son of a marquis. But circumstances happen that help him come into favor with Faith’s father and he gets the girl of his childhood. This was the second book in a series about a set of sisters and them finding husbands that they love and appreciate. Can’t wait to read the third one about Hope.

[Keri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great novel

I think I enjoyed this book better than the first one about the older daughter, Honor. This has Faith in a romance with their neighbour Vaughn, whose brother is married to Honor! LOL! Both families enter into this story, making very enjoyable to see the characters from both families interacting together. I read this in one day and now I'm going to start the next book in this series about the third sister named Hope.

[Wendy Tavenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the 2nd book in the Baxendale series! Faith has always loved Vaughn but everyone including Edward, Vaughn’s brother has stirred them away from each other. Faith struggles with duty and what she wants. A great read!

[Reviewer Choice · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another great book in this series. I love Maggi's work.

[Louiseann Walter · Rating 5 out of 5]

TERRIFIC!

This book was every bit as ENTERTAINING as book one . I now have to read Hope and Charity stories. I was wrong before I read book 5 but it just made me want to read about the other 4sisters hope you read this.

[Isha Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faith is at a crossroads. So used to pleasing others, she has never took the time to explore what she wants. When she finally decides to live life by her own rules, that is when the fireworks began. I loved this story. Lady Faith Takes a Leap is about not being afraid to explore. Maggi Andersen has written a beautifully enchanting story about being true to the heart. No matter what. I received a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

Merged review:

LADY FAITH TAKES A LEAP IS AVAILABLE NOW!  
 
READ AND REVIEW
 
 
LADY FAITH TAKES A LEAP BY MAGGI ANDERSEN
 
SYNOPSIS
 
Dutiful daughter Faith Baxendale just wants to please. Faith isn’t as adventurous as her younger sister, Hope, gadding about the Continent with their aunt, nor as rebellious as her elder sister, Honor, who planned to become a card sharp. And Faith couldn’t lose herself in her art like sixteen-year-old, Charity. Even Mercy, at fourteen, shows more backbone!
After Faith’s first Season ends, her father urges her to marry the man of his choice. But when Lord Vaughn Winborne, a neighbor Faith had a crush on while still in the schoolroom, arrives home for the Brandreth’s hunt ball, surprising even to herself, Faith is drawn again towards a man her father would never consider.
The youngest Brandreth male, Vaughn, is the black sheep of the family. His elder brother, Chaloner, Marquess of Brandreth, still looks upon him as a reckless youth, and Vaughn is determined to prove him wrong.
A chance comes in the form of a scandal not of Vaughn’s making, and he must learn to trust Faith, who, when all’s said and done, has always known her own mind.
 
BUY LINKS
 
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lady-Faith-Take...
 
Barnes and Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lady-...
 
Ibooks:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/lady...
 
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REVIEW:  LADY FAITH TAKES A LEAP BY MAGGI ANDERSEN
 
 
Lady Faith Takes a Leap (The Baxendale Sisters, #2) by Maggi AndersenMy rating: 5 of 5 starsFaith is at a crossroads. So used to pleasing others, she has never took the time to explore what she wants. When she finally decides to live life by her own rules, that is when the fireworks began. I loved this story. Lady Faith Takes a Leap is about not being afraid to explore. Maggi Andersen has written a beautifully enchanting story about being true to the heart. No matter what. I received a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.(www.goodreads.com/review/list/2555691...)
 

[Miriam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read the first book in this series so I'm not sure if Faith's personality in this book was the same in that book, but I struggled to connect with her. She was incredibly subdued and timid, not at all the heroine I pictured she'd be.

I wanted so badly for her to show some fire, to throw her shoulders back and say exactly what she thought instead of letting people decide for her. I think I'm so used to Regency heroines being outspoken and defiant that I was, I hate to say it, slightly disappointed that Faith wasn't like them.

It took a few readings for me to appreciate Faith's quiet nature. I was happy she held fast to her feelings for Vaughn even when faced with possibility of losing him to another woman. Of course, there was no real threat to her feelings for Vaughn as he was never interested in the other woman except as a friend.

When Vaughn agreed to help his friend, he knew what he his brother Chaloner might think. To be honest, I hated Chaloner's opinion of him. Vaughn didn't come off as irresponsible or reckless to me. I could see how his agreement to help the other woman could be seen as irresponsible and reckless, but if you could see his heart and hear his reasoning you would know that his decision was neither of those things. He had a great heart, a great sense of self, and a selflessness that I wanted his brother to see so badly.

The progression of Vaughn and Faith's relationship was, um, really slow. There was a lot of denial and second guessing but there was also a lot of hope. And this story wasn't really about Faith taking a leap of, well, faith into a relationship with Vaughn. It wasn't about both of them being willing to take that chance and jump into something wonderful.

This is a relatively slow moving romance. If you like that pace, this is right up your alley. If you're into something faster with more willful characters, this probably won't scratch that itch. But it is a good love story about two people who were meant to be together despite what others thought.

3.5*
(Received from Tasty Book Tours for an honest review)

[Gaele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read a couple of titles from Maggi Andersen, but the Baxendale sisters are new to me. Faith is the ‘dutiful’ sister, often feeling uninspired and uninspiring around her sisters that are more daring, dramatic, artistic or even more self-centered. You can’t help but like Faith, she wants to please her parents, but she also wants something more. She’s just not completely certain that she deserves, or can reach for it.

As a girl in a family of them, there isn’t time or patience for extended seasons with no clear choice of husband, and Faith’s father isn’t willing to let her chances pass her by. He’s made his choices clear, and the suitor he has chosen as appropriate is just not what she wants.

The annual Brandreth Hunt Ball brings a chance for another option in Vaughn, the younger brother of the Marquis, Vaughn has always been the black sheep: not in direct ascendant line, Faith knows that the object of her crush of many years would never be acceptable to her father.

A lovely and sweet romance, this fast paced novella gives Faith some of the daring, adventure and backbone she fears were sorely lacking in her flirtation soon to be romance with Vaughn. Their interactions are lovely, and both characters grow and develop with the support of one another to become more than their familial reputations, even more than they expected from themselves.

Andersen writes a lovely character: full of heart and emotion with some growth to discover their true selves and feelings as they work their way through obvious and not so obvious obstacles. Secondary characters add depth and contrast, while a touch of humor and insets of description and etiquette obeyed or flaunted keep the story firmly grounded in its time.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the author via Tasty Book Tours for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read of Maggi Andersen's. This writing style was very good and made me apart of the story. Faith is a loving daughter who only wants to make a love match while her father is looking for a titled match. Lord Vaughn the "boy next door" has always been Faith's crush but his bad boy image is not something that her father wants but in the end love conquers all.

[Maria Almeida · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um amor antigo porém relegado a memória. Imagens duvidosas foram criadas com base em fofocas e meias verdades, mas quando o amor existe nem mesmo o tempo ou a distância pode destruí-lo.
Lorde Vaughn tem uma fama que o precede. Verdadeira ou não, ele precisava encontrar um norte e criar raízes. O marido de sua irmã viu nele algo que nem ele mesmo conhecia e o levou para ajudá-lo com seus cavalos e aí ele descobriu sua verdadeira vocação.
Quando retornou para sua antiga casa precisava mostrar esse seu novo lado e provar aos seus irmãos que era digno de ter acesso às suas finanças para adquirir seu tão sonhado haras. Só que ele não contava em rever sua antiga vizinha, Lady Faith Baxendale.
Ele sempre nutriu um carinho especial por ela, e ela por ele, mas viviam através das expectativas alheias.
Faith sempre soube o que quis e não tinha medo de brigar por isso, porém seu pai tinha grandes desejos em relação a sua temporada e ao seu casamento.
É uma aventura divertida, que mostra duas pessoas apaixonadas com medo de se posicionarem por não acreditarem ser a melhor opção. Mas no final das contas, quem dita a opção certa é o nosso coração. E mesmo que todos fossem contra, o destino se fez presente e deu aquela ajudinha.

[Tracey Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Faith. Faith's character was so easy to relate to and connect with. After now having one season almost complete her father is demanding her to choose a husband. She's having a hard time putting her own wishes aside to be a proper young lady that most expect in a marriage. Vaughn, the youngest son and neighbor to Faith has had a bit of a rough patch. Now back home and with a purpose on starting his life, he finds himself stuck, unable to move forward with no money yet his brother won't release his inheritance till he proves himself responsible. With an attraction that has lasted the years it is harder to move on now that they cross paths quite often. I enjoyed the story and characters, it was well written, and flowed wonderfully. I liked the little bumps and surprises that popped up along the way. A wonderful story!
Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.

[Phoenix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great treat!

One of my favorite genres! The author does her characters well, especially Vaughn, the misunderstood yet anxious to do good hero. I like Vaughn! He shows ambition and purpose, unlike some historical romance heroes who do nothing but go to clubs and gamble. Faith is wonderful, too! She listens to her heart. She tries to break free of Society's restrictions to go after what she wants.

The story is true to the historical setting. I can easily imagine the characters in such a setting! Their behavior, actions, speech are all as if they truly lived in that era. The restrictive situations for women are authentic and well done! But I wish there could be more romantic development between Vaughn and Faith, a little more getting to know before their HEA.

A great treat for historical romance fans!


Review copy provided via Reading Alley (https://www.readingalley.com) in exchange for an honest review.

[CassandraG · Rating 4 out of 5]

And boy does she ever. Especially, since she wasn’t planning to in the first place. It was fun and had just the right amount of quips and thoroughly enjoyable characters. You like faith and Vaughn. Vaughn was an interesting character and was a good match for her. You enjoyed them from the minute you met them and you even like their supporting cast of characters, as well. So if your don’t mind a nice short novella , pick up a copy and enjoy.
Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vaughn and Faith

This is the first time I have read one of Ms. Anderson's books. I was very surprised I could not put it down. Faith has always been in love with her neighbours son Vaughn. So when her father set out to find a husband for her she I determined to marry for love. Vaughn is kind of like th e black sheep of his family, but is really a good person. In the end Faith gets her wish to marry for love.

I received this book for an honest review.

[Candy Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming story

I enjoyed this story. It was engaging, in spots intriguing and so much love. I read this straight thru . All the characters are just that characters, they have so much intelligence and their personalities are so fun and diverse. I believe you will have fun and enjoy this book.

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

4.5/5.0

Ms. Anderson captivates with her tale of intrigue and chivalry as Vaughn rescues not one, but two ladies in distress.

Read full review in the 2015 September issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Marjory Alexa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better

This was an improvement over the first Baxendale Sister story. The ending was fluid and I rushed. I enjoyed the love of Hope and Vaughn. Someone should shoot Mr. Baxendale for all the grief he causes his daughters. I am looking forward to Hope's story now that she has returned from the Continent.

[Cyrene Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uncaged Book Reviews:

I really enjoyed this story, even more than Honor’s story. You can’t help but feel for Faith and Vaughn, although he comes of as independent, there is a lot more going on, and you can’t help but to root for him. This story did not feel hurried to me at all, so for a novella length, I was quite happy with it.

All in all, I give the series thus far, 4 1/2 stars

[Queds Carvalho · Rating 4 out of 5]

O livro transmite uma mensagem de amor e determinação em seguir nossos corações.
Ao longo da leitura, experimentei uma mistura de emoções, desde simpatia até admiração.
É uma história que valoriza a importância de seguir nossos desejos mais profundos, mesmo diante das adversidades.

[Quedma · Rating 4 out of 5]

O livro transmite uma mensagem de amor e determinação em seguir nossos corações.
Ao longo da leitura, experimentei uma mistura de emoções, desde simpatia até admiração.
É uma história que valoriza a importância de seguir nossos desejos mais profundos, mesmo diante das adversidades.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A charming short story. A pleasant read.

[BK · Rating 2 out of 5]

Characters were great but the relationship and story building was lacking some serious depth.