After a medical discharge from his duties in the Napoleonic War, Thomas Quincy Fitzbatten has returned home. Disoriented, burdened by guilt for his wealth, and disillusioned with life's injustices, Thomas longs for a chance to make a difference in the world. But he keeps himself a mystery to those around him, and another motive for his charity gnaws at the back of his to seek redemption from the traumatic demons of war. Then everything changes at the arrival of Ruth Dawson, the niece of Thomas's butler, a stunning woman with a secret of her own. Thomas graciously offers to assist Ruth in her predicament, but a surprise instinct prompts Thomas to handle the case a little more personally—through marriage. As their love blossoms, it appears that all will be well—until Thomas receives a mysterious letter from an old friend in trouble, compelling him to the rescue. But what will Thomas do when nothing is as it seems? And why can't Ruth shake the feeling that her destiny is intertwined with Thomas's in a way they could never have imagined?
Anita Stansfield, the LDS market's #1 best-selling romance novelist, is an imaginative and prolific writer whose romantic stories have captivated her readers.
"With sales approaching a half million, Anita Stansfield has clearly found a niche in this market," said Nicole Martin, Publicist for Covenant Communications. "Her popularity stems from her ability to empathize with and write about the issues that LDS women deal with on a daily basis."
"I always write for women like me. It's through my interaction with other women that I've found there are some personal and emotional struggles that are typical," said Anita Stansfield. "I hope my writing makes women feel better about themselves and shows them these real problems can be solved through gospel principles."
Thomas and Ruth are two characters that are unlike many of the MC's in a typical regency romance.
Their marriage begins on unconventional grounds. Ruth is pregnant with another man's child. Thomas gets the impression that he needs to marry her so she can keep her child. He truly is a rarity among the British upper class. He treats everyone he meets with respect and kindness. He is friends with his servants. He's a remarkable character to read about and respect.
Ruth has a contrite heart. She knows that she made a mistake and is willing to take the consequences. Thomas comes in and saves her. He is unlike any man she has met and she immediately trust him.
The attraction between the two happens quickly. Their romance comes after a hasty marriage. They have mutual respect and fondness for each other.
I liked the characters in the book. I liked the regency setting. I liked that the characters are unconventional and unpretentious. For me the story lagged. It focuses on the emotions that each are going through. I really liked that they talked to each other as equals and learned about each other that way. I can't quite put my finger on why this book was slow for me. It is a solid and good book. It is clean with strong Christian values.
I really enjoy clean Regency Romance novels, so even though I didn't care for the last book I read by Anita Stansfield I couldn't help but agree to review The Heir of Brownlie Manor. The cover is simple, but excellent for this genre. It would definitely catch my attention at a book store or library.
I was quite intrigued by the beginning of the book. I loved the way Thomas' parents raised him, and how they treated their servants so well. The relationship was so unlike everyone else in their high society, but it was refreshing. Thomas' willingness to help his butler's niece, Ruth, was really unique, and then it went so much beyond the norm. Even though it didn't fit the mold, I was happy for the choice he made.
The middle of the story really dragged for me. It kept repeating over and over how Thomas and Ruth thought life was too good to be true. I'm not the most patient reader and I just wanted them to get on with whatever tragedy was surely coming.
When tragedy finally struck the story became quite the soap opera. While I usually enjoy characters and situations that don't fit the mold, everything that came about was over the top for me.
Anyone else out there who has read/is reading this book have a major case of deja vu? I am almost 100% sure that I have read this book before. So I went searching through Stansfield's previous books wondering if this was a republish or something but I couldn't find a book that matched. The whole time I was reading I kept guessing at what was to come and sure enough I was right.
Overall I enjoyed the plot and the storyline. The characters good characters were good and the main villain of the story was definitely bad. The descriptions of him, and while reading his responses, he was definitely somebody I wouldn't want to come across.
Thomas was raised by exceptional parents, who didn't allow their good fortune(figuratively and literally) to cause them to put on airs. They were blessed with wealth and titles and they believed that everyone around them deserved to be treated equally and loved as another human, not some object or a means to an end.
Ruth had parents who loved her, yet didn't always have that expressed to her or even treated her that way. Not that she was ever abused by them but definitely a different upbringing than Thomas.
Thomas returns home earlier than expected from war in hopes of surprising his family. His parents, unfortunately, didn't know of his return and are gone on an extended holiday. Thomas tries to wait patiently but memories and horrors from war are a real struggle for him. He is lonely and needs to find a purpose for his life. He works with the servants and doesn't dally around but there are the quiet moments when he is truly all alone that he feels the pain and sorrow. Unexpectedly, his head butler Dawson has a visitor. His niece has been kicked out of her home and sent to find Dawson to help her in her new circumstances. Ruth is pregnant out of wedlock. Thomas agrees to help Dawson and offers money, as well as being willing to escort Ruth to the inn so the other servants won't gossip and cause any scandal to be attached to Dawson.
As Ruth and Thomas sit and talk for a while, Thomas feels a great connection to Ruth and he knows that he cannot just send her off to be confined during her pregnancy. He leaves her at the inn for the night, goes home and through much prayer and contemplation, as well as talking with Dawson, Thomas feels very strongly that he should marry Ruth. They marry and life for all in their families is changed from that moment on.
I don't want to give too much more on the plot than that. I'm sure you probably already figured that much out by reading the synopsis as well. I will tell you that I loved the relationship of Thomas and Ruth. I loved how the author used Thomas' parents as his example/role model for how he would treat his wife and children. He was so good to Ruth. I loved their openness and understanding that they must be open if they were going to have a chance at a good, real marriage relationship. Ruth was sweet and wonderful. She wasn't afraid to shirk away from the challenges of life, nor was she afraid to get her hands dirty and work. She was a perfect companion for Thomas to have married.
Without giving away anything else about the plot, especially the angst throughout the story, I will tell you that trouble is brewing. Unknown to Thomas or Ruth someone is watching them and waiting for the perfect moment to strike and when he does, the question is, will they be able to sort it all out before either one of them is lost to the other? Will they be able to help heal the sorrows and trials they have faced individually and together?
Occassionally I struggled with the book because of the pacing. Sometimes it would be flowing smoothly and other times would slow down. About 3/4 the way through I really struggled with the pacing, until the "bad guy" appeared and all the turmoil started. Then I felt that way near the end as well. Part of me wonders if it was because I felt I had read this story before and felt like I knew what was coming and ready for it all to wrap up? Or was it something else? Was it the writing? Or was it that it dragged on? I don't know, I can't decide what it was exactly. I will say I have read several others of Anita Stansfield's books. Usually I love them, at least the first one or two in a series and then I can't read past that. I haven't read one of her books in a long time because I felt like the storyline kept repeating the more books in the series there were. Now, that said, I have several favorite books that are written by her but they are the first couple books in a series.
If you are looking for a Regency book with characters that aren't afraid to break the mold of no interaction with servants then this is a great book for you. It was well written. The characters are very easy to connect with. There is a lot of great underlying teaching within the writing. I think the plot and the big reveal at the end would be something a lot of readers would enjoy.
As for content in the book, some mild PTSD, a pregnancy out of wedlock(the circumstances are explained but with very little description-I don't want to ruin anything but it's not quite the circumstances you might be thinking), some hand holding and very mild kissing. Even with the pregnancy and those circumstances I would say this is a clean book. I think older YAs and adults alike would really enjoy it.
I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Wow, what an all time low. I can usually get through Anita Stansfield (mainly for recommending purposes) but this one... Ugh! Okay, so characters: of you've read any of Anita stand Stansfields other books, you already know them all. There was almost nothing original. It's like she took parts of the plot from By Love and Grace and a few others, changed the names and put it in Regency Era. The phrasing she used, especially when describing Ruth and Yvette's emotions were almost cut and paste from her other novels. The only reason I finished it was to see if she had an original ending. If you haven't read any Anita Stansfield then it won't be so bad, but seriously almost painful to read...
Ahhh...Regency novels. You know I love it! (Well, ALMOST Regency. 1808 is close enough)
Anita is a new author to me and I was pleasantly surprised. This book is from the point of view of both Thomas and Ruth. They are heavy thinkers and a considerable amount of their thoughts are written. That was a little difficult to me as I like to get to the point of things, but, overall, it was really well written.
Thomas has been raised by aristocratic parents that have trained him to treat others well and not to follow the snobbery of their peers. When he comes along a girl that is in desperate need, he can not help himself but reach out to her and become her savior. What he doesn't fully expect is that she became his.
This is a really sweet book with characters that are probably nicer than anyone you will ever meet in real life! haha. It's a beautiful love story with some surprising twists and intrigues. I definitely recommend!!!
Thank you for this great book in exchange for my review. As always, this is my honest opinion. Here's to many more!!
My biggest problem with this story is that aristocracy doesn't behave that way. I don't care if you're the nicest aristocracy in the world. They just didn't. They might treat their servants really well or even sometimes help in a small way. But if your servant can't get everything done, they would at the very least hire some help rather than just say, oh I'll just do those dishes even though I'm a Lord (or whatever it is that he was). I'm sorry - it just DIDN'T HAPPEN.
The fact that it took me more than a day should say it all. The only reason I finished this is because I feel strongly that if you are going to review any book on this site it should be finished.
So I did...barely. I hate to be so harsh but here it is. The characters were entirely too perfect and there was no growth in them. To me that is what makes a book interesting- a change of heart, a new perspective gained, etc, etc. There was none of this. It was so sticky sweet that I was bored reading it. The characters kept rehashing how wonderful things turned out, how lucky they were, how things could have been different, how perfect it ended up. Even the predictable climax to the story was the same. The whole book was too perfect and completely predictable. Perhaps if he had been hard to love, perhaps if she really had a great secret she was harboring.... There are so many things that could have been better.
I have never read Anita Stansfield before and I felt like I should give her a chance being as prolific an LDS author as she is. It is one of those expected things: read Gerald Lund- check; read Anita Stansfield- check. But if her others books are this way I don't see the draw. I'm sure she is a lovely person but I just can't do any more like this. Please someone tell me how this stacks up with her others. Because my high expectations were sadly disappointed. .
I guess I'm in the minority. I know Anita Stansfield is a beloved author for many, but I just can't get through any of her books. There is so much sugar I get a cavity just reading, and the implausibility of this story especially was simply too much. The storyline dragged way more than it needed to and it often felt as if Ms. Stansfield was inserting repetitive ideas and feelings just to fill more pages. I slogged through about a third of the book before deciding there are just too many good books out there without wasting time on the dismal ones.
Anita standfield delivered another standing ovation for this book in my opinion. I loved the setting in the regency time period and the hero character of Thomas. His values and upbringing were quite refreshing for the time period. Kindness and respect to the lower class was unheard of, but not at Brownlie Manor, it was the way of life. Thomas saves a damsel in distress, not realizing how she will be returning the favor in this love/mystery.
I read this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is not only a regency, but suspenseful as well. I had a hard time with how fast the two main characters were able to connect, I won't go into too many details so I don't spoil the story for someone else. The characters learn about forgiveness and trust. It is a quick read and if you like Anita Stansfield you will love this book.
Curious about the popularity of this LDS author, I read the entire book, but probably won't read another by her. The writing reflects a good moral standard, but the plot was contrived and unrealistic and the characters were unbelievable. Fluff reading---kind of a waste of time. Ooh, sorry!
This was my in my top 3 least favorite regency romance books I've read. The characters were not believable at all, the plot was like a soap opera, I was so unimpressed.
An interesting premise. I really appreciated about how the effects of fighting in a war (although the heir should never have been in the military in the first place) are portrayed. Thomas is desperate to find meaning in his life after the things he had to do as a soldier. He doesn’t sleep, he drinks too much. Suddenly, he finds a way to do good in the world, and, despite how unorthodox it is, he seizes it.
As with other previously mentioned issues, one that I had with this book is that Thomas is constantly referred to as “Mr. Fitzbatten”. Later in the book, it is indicated that there is a family title, so he should have been referred to as “Lord Fitzbatten” and “your lordship.”
I like how the relationship between Thomas and Ruth develops. It’s such a crazy predicament to be in, but it works.
The plot twist is, honestly, a bit farfetched. There was no real motivation for what happened to create the twist. However, it is effectively carried off, although I guessed it far ahead of time because it was heavily telegraphed.
Possible objectionable material: Unwed pregnancy, drinking, perilous situations.
This book is also reviewed at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2... Thank you to Covenant Communications and NetGalley for providing advanced reader copies in exchange for my honest opinion.
Why do I keep torturing myself? I really enjoyed the early work by Ms. Stansfield, but haven't found one I have liked in almost a decade. The premise of this story was good--the characters were even likable. My only problem was that there was WAY TOO much miraculous timing! The almost immediate marriage of a gentleman to a pregnant servant girl was a huge stretch, yet that was the most believable of the crazy situations that happen in this book. A few are ok-it is christian romance after all-but there were way too many.
I am a big fan of Anita Stansfield and particularly enjoyed some of the messages from this book. I was a little surprised with how the book went so long with what appeared to be only positive things happening. In one way, I continually waited for the proverbial "shoe to drop." Let's just say, I was not disappointed! I think it was actually refreshing to read so much of the book with little conflict. There is so much conflict in the world that it was nice to read about people that were good and noble and caring and kind.
I used to devour Anita Stansfield's books years ago, but anymore I have a hard time getting through them. I guess I just keep thinking, "Oh, the next one will be better." Unfortunately it's just not the case for me. I keep getting drawn in by these beautiful covers and the blurbs sound really good. The stories just end up being so syrupy sweet that I can't stand it. They just don't sound true to life. And the repetition...I get tired of hearing how grateful everyone is. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's good to know how blessed you are, but I don't need to read about it every five minutes.
I only got through 65% of the audiobook before I couldn't take anymore. The characters are magically the perfect match! They whole family are the perfect masters of the estate, you know the kind that will roll up their sleeves and work with the servants. All the staff love everyone, nothing but kind words all around. I kept thinking surely there must be conflict at some point, and having read some spoilers there will be eventually. But I couldn't get past the saccharin sweetness, gag. Two stars is generous.
I have mixed feelings about this book. It was slow-moving but not so much so that I wanted to quit. My main qualm is that the good characters were impossibly good, and the bad ones were almost unbelievably bad. I know this isn't real life, but it's not that black and white in real life. I did like Thomas and Ruth's characters, but I had a hard to getting completely involved in the story because they never seemed to make any mistakes and therefore grow from them.
This is my first book of Stansfield that I've read. I was drawn to the cover and the plot seemed intriguing. I couldn't put it down but it was fairly predictable and almost to the point of being too lovey dovey...it was too perfect and much of Thomas and Ruth's interactions were so full of "I love...I prayed..." that it was getting old and boring. I will read more of her books if they're not all like this. But still a fun read.
This book was so ooey gooey cheesy sunshine and rainbows that it made my teeth hurt. I'm all for kindness and positivity, but the perfect way everything clicked together was just ridiculous.
I couldn't get over the cloying nature of all the perfect, sweet, altruistic people interacting with each other. One villain + conflict that was utterly understated and simplistically resolved made this whole story fall flat for me.
I loved this book, I could not put it down. Anita always does a great job at connecting you with the characters and making you feel like they are family, and this book was no exception. I cried and laughed along with them, and was pleasantly surprised with some of the plot twists. Very clever, emotion filled, and a pleasure to read.
This book moves incredibly slow. Every little detail gets talked about and Thomas is almost saintly in his perfection. I love a hero, but he doesn’t have a thing wrong with him, which of course is great just kinda boring. After such a drawn out beginning, the ending moves very fast and comes to a satisfactory conclusion, but this just didn’t resonate with me.
Excellent regency romance (clean). The storyline was easy to get into and enjoyable. I liked how Stansfield brought prayer into it without making it awkward. And the horrible twist at the end. Shocking. Who would do that!?
The two stars is for the story, not the writing. I haven't read one of these in years and probably won't again for years. Yes, it's clean but so repetitive and cheesy and too much.
I started this book but it was moving soooo slow that I put it away for a month. I finished it so I could reach my reading goal for the year. It finally got interesting 200 pages in.