The Daughters of Allamont Hall Collection

The Daughters of Allamont Hall #1-3

by Mary Kingswood

700 pages, and hours of reading in one collection — books 1-3 of The Daughters of Allamont Hall, a series of traditional Regency romances, drawing room rather than bedroom. Amy is a shy, timid soul, browbeaten by her domineering father until she’s terrified to do or say anything without his approval. When he dies suddenly, his will leaves large dowries for his six daughters, but only if they marry in the proper order, the eldest first. Amy must now find herself a husband, and soon, so her younger sisters can marry in their turn. There are several possible suitors, but will any of them come up to scratch? And how will Amy choose without her father to guide her? Belle is the plain one of the six Allamont sisters, happy with her books. With Amy betrothed, now Belle must find a husband. Reluctant to parade herself at balls and card parties, she intends to accept the offer of her cousin, James, a pragmatic but loveless choice on both sides. But fate and poetry and the gentle tendrils of friendship combine to overturn her careful plans. Connie’s older sisters have managed to find husbands, but now it’s her turn and she’s not sure she wants to marry at all. Having only just escaped her late father’s restrictive regime, she’s reluctant to surrender her freedom to another man just yet. If only she could find one who would fall so adoringly in love that he would do anything for her. Books 1-3 of the 6-book series The Daughters of Allamont Hall. Each book is a complete story with a HEA, but read them all to find out all the secrets of Allamont Hall!

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Ebooks, Historical Fiction, Regency, Regency Romance

684 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 16, 2017

About the author

I live in the beautiful Highlands of Scotland with my husband. I like chocolate, whisky, my Kindle, massed pipe bands, long leisurely lunches, chocolate, going places in my campervan, eating pizza in Italy, summer nights that never get dark, wood fires in winter, chocolate, the view from the study window looking out over the Moray Firth and the Black Isle to the mountains beyond. And chocolate. I dislike driving on motorways, cooking, shopping, hospitals.

The lovely lady in my avatar is Archduchess Clementina of Austria (1798-1881), Princess of Salerno, painted around 1839.

NOTE: I read Regency romances as well as write them, and I review them all on my website, or you can find them right here on Goodreads on my real-name account at Pauline M. Ross.

Reviews

[Tess Ailshire]

I got this set free from fkb.me. I enjoyed all three of the novels, though I almost dropped halfway through Amy, as I simply cannot abide the won't-think-for-myself type who expects a man to take care of her. Reminding myself of the time period and Amy's upbringing, I continued. The three novels turned out to be relatively charming, with the 2nd and 3rd better, I think, than the first. Mostly predictable, but an enjoyable read nonetheless. Perfect beach- or pool-side companion.

Now I must decide whether to pay for the remaining three books in the series. The pull is the slowly unfolding story of Lady Sara's family. Not until book 3 do we learn about Aunt Tilly, and I'm certain that more of those revelations - including, I'd bet, the whereabouts of Ernest and Frank - will come to light.

Perhaps it'll be off to the library for me. These aren't books I have any great interest in owning, but certainly in reading.

[Sarah Stegeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the Sons of the Marquess series, I had to read the Daughters of Allamont Hall series. One of my favorite things about Mary Kingwood's is the creative and realistic personalities she creates. I love that the personalities of the girls in this family are not at all like their names. For example, Amy is not amiable, Belle is not beautiful, Connie is not constant, etc.

In the series, the six sisters discover that their father has left them generous dowries upon his death, but only if they may in birth order, oldest to youngest. Out of duty to give their sisters a chance to marry and maintain their dowries, each girl searches for a husband in her turn.

As I mentioned earlier, I really enjoyed reading these books in part because of the different personalities involved. The story feels so much more real when there are shy, commanding, rebellious, and flirty people interacting with each other, rather than having everyone be beautiful and witty. Kingswood has also fine an excellent job researching, and the Regency Era feels very historically accurate in this series.

As she did in the Sons of the Marquess series, Kingswood also had a thread that tires these books together. In this case, it is the question of whether the conditions of the will can be broken, as well as where the money came from.

I enjoyed this series very much, and hope to reread the Sons of the Marquess, now that I know some of the side characters better.

I use three stars as an average for my ratings, so the Daughters of Allamont Hall gets four stars, as the quality of writing and my enjoyment of the series are above average.

[Melanie S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet Regency romances from simple country folk to haut ton

A charming and historically faithful account of the eldest three Misses Allamont: Amy, Belle, and Connie (Constance), in their transition from put-upon daughters of an overbearing father, to happily engaged/newly married young heiresses. Their father's strange will gives each a large dowry, but only if they marry in birth order! Their Mama, newly widowed, er... liberated, from the same overbearing Mr. Allamont -detaches herself from her motherly role post haste, leaving the young ladies to fend for themselves in the serious business of acquiring husbands. Friends and fellow country villagers are the girls' support, and their transformation is as satisfactory to the reader as it is to them. (Since each falls in love, and gets her own HEA, that must be a great satisfaction indeed.) The plot is well-paced and interestingly detailed. The characters are as unique, engaging, and sympathetic as they can be, (except for the villains, of course), the setting so well described that a reader may well envision herself in the gardens and drawing rooms of Allamont Hall, Brimfordshire, and London. Sweetly romantic but clean (very Regency, you understand) and a bit reminiscent of Austen and Heyer. Regency fans - this set will leave you thrice pleased!

[Kim Power · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining Family Saga

I was totally enchanted with the first novel in this set. I thought Amy a pea-goose and rather tedious at times. But the author has a light hand with satire and the characters in the local community are well drawn. Amy has the least personality of all six sisters. Belle's and Connie's stories I found far more engaging because the facets to their personalities which are slowly revealed. As are other family secrets. Nobody is all saint or all sinner. Onto Dulcie's story now!

[Jennifer Lara · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Daughters of Allamont Hall by Mary Kingswood is the story of six sisters, Amy, Belle, Connie, Dulcie, Grace and Hope. They are forced to marry in order from eldest to youngest in order to receive their inheritance. With a sizable dowry, the girls should have no problem finding a match, right? I recently read the first three books in this six-part series.


Amy is book 1. She is a shy, timid soul, intimidated by her domineering father until she’s terrified to do or say anything without his approval. She never rebelled or dared to toe the line. When her father dies suddenly, his will leaves large dowries for his six daughters, but only if they marry in the proper order, the eldest first. Amy must now find herself a husband, and soon, so her younger sisters can marry in their turn. She’s willing to get married simply so that her sisters can marry, although she always thought she would a spinster. And at 24, she’s almost there. There are several possible suitors but will any of them be suitable. Mr. Ambleside had asked for Amy’s hand third times, after her father’s last refusal, he left the country. When he learns that her father is gone and she now must marry, he drops everything and seeks to win her hand. As the word gets out about her sizable dowry, how will Amy choose without her father to guide her?

Belle is book 2. She is known as the plain one of the sisters, quite happy with her books. With Amy betrothed, now Belle must find a husband. Reluctant to parade herself at balls and card parties, she intends to accept the offer of her cousin, James, a pragmatic but loveless choice on both sides. Mr. Burford is the village clergy and love in with Hope, the youngest sister. His income is not enough to support a wife so he is content to wait before he can ask for her hand. Belle hopes to marry soon so that Hope and Mr. Burford can then find their own happiness. It's just too bad that she soon discovers that she and Mr. Burford would make a perfect couple. But what happens when friendship blossoms into something more? Will they follow their hearts to keep with their careful plans? Or will they take a risk for their happiness?

Connie is book 3. Connie’s older sisters have managed to find husbands. Now it’s her turn and she’s not sure she wants to marry at all. Having only just escaped her late father’s restrictive control, she’s reluctant to surrender her freedom to just any man. Connie wishes to fall in love with someone who adores her so completely, he would do anything for her. Does such a man even exist? But when the Marquess of Carrbridge comes to the village to visit his aunt, Connie finds herself smitten to his good looks and charm. She believes she doesn’t have a chance with him. The Marquess is tired of being chased because of his title and sees Connie has just another gold-digger after his title and money. Can anyone change his mind?

These books reminded me of Jane Austen. Unfortunately, I am not a big fan of Jane Austen, so it was hard to really liked these books. I liked each sister in their own way. Amy reminded me of me in that she was shy, timid, cautious when taking a risk. Belle is very bookish like me and I liked Connie’s desire to be adored by her husband and not just married to be married. But the story itself, the action, the dialogue seemed bogged down for me and it was hard to finish. If you are a fan of Jane Austen, you may enjoy The Daughters of Allamont Hall series.

The Daughters of Allmont Hall series
is available in eBook and audiobook

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Allamont Sisters, minor spoilers

The connecting thread in this series about the three oldest of the 6 Allamont sisters is the fact that the last will and testament of their overbearing, autocratic father required that they wed in birth order or lose their dowered inheritance. There is a related plot line that their late father might not have been the quite principled, morally driven, upright man that he projected to the world and allusions to an interesting past for their mother.

AMY. The series begins with the oldest sister, Amy, who I found annoying in the extreme. She was completely in her father’s thrall and consequently, is unable to move beyond his strictures. She finds social settings daunting and longs for the rules, patterns, and routines laid down by her father. She is truly a woman who needs a man to provide the same kind environment in her marriage. Fortunately a kinder version of her father and her HEA comes along in the form of Mr. Ambleside. Unfortunately, a different sister has designs on Mr. Ambleside and there in lies the conflict. Amy can’t possibly on her hopes on him so either she allow her heart to break or chooses to break her sister’s heart.

I wish I could have liked or felt more sympathy for Amy but I just couldn’t muster it. Even with allowances made for the societal and gender expectations of the period, the extreme depth of Amy’s timidity and dependency on male guidance made me want to shout at Amy to “grow a backbone.”

BELLE. Sister #2 is a good deal more outspoken and self actualized than Amy, thank goodness. However, like Amy, the obstacle to her happiness, marriage to Mr. Burford, the local curate, is the same as Amy’s: the youngest sister, Hope, has her cap set for him. To be fair, Mr. B has favored Hope with his attentions, but that lasts only until he truly notices Belle and how well suited they are. It’s unfortunate that the author couldn’t devise a different complication because Belle’s story is little like the second verse of a not very good song. In this case,the reader is treated to sisterly accusations and handwringing before the eventual HEA.

CONNIE. Sister #3 stands between Amy and Belle when it comes to being able to speak up for herself. The obstacle for her is the approbation of two brothers in competition for her regard rather than another sister standing in her way as it was in the first two novels. Connie is the first of the sisters to confront her mother to find out why she has so little regard for the sisters. That alone makes Connie’s story a bit more interesting, but only slightly less annoying.

Bottom line: I don’t know where the Allamont Sisters is in Ms. Kingswood’s writing history, but for me, this series falls far below the Sisters of Woodside and the Silver Linings Mysteries. This trio of novels tells the story of the three oldest sisters but I’m not sufficiently interested to read about the youngest ones. Of that younger group, only Dulcie, the next book in the series, might be interesting. That’s a young lady who needs to have some if her own meddlesome mischief fed back to her.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

As this is a bundle I will divide my review for each book, also considering that Belle’s and Connie’s books were so much better than Amy’s I think I should comment on them separately.

Amy. As other reviews have said I almost stopped reading in the first chapters of Amy’s book. I was very annoyed by the main character, yes I tried to understand the context, and the fact that the father had been strict and left little room for them to think, but still I hated that she didn’t want to think by herself. The sisters were very well educated so I’m sure she could have her own will but choosing not to? Choosing a man because he was going to decide everything for her and so she didn’t have to? It was very annoying. The characters are not well developed in this book, you keep discovering more things about them in the series which is also what makes the other books more interesting. The book is quite repetitive and at some point you feel like its going nowhere it was an almost DNF which would have made me miss the rest of the series, for that 2 Stars.

Belle. She is a much more interesting character, she has decided to take charge of her life and manage the finances of the house, she is taking care of her family (something that no one else seems to be worried for) she is sensible and finds love in the most unexpected way. This is were the story starts becoming more interesting 4stars.

Connie. She decides to get the Marquess as a husband because of his title, connections and money. The character develops throughout the book and the author wants to make you think that this not the reason why he wanted him and that she was looking for love. But I wasn’t that convinced so when they ploy the scheme to test her and she gets angry I could not feel sympathetic towards her. As this book is more from her point of view that his compared to the previous books it was also hard to see when did the Marquess fell in love with her. Still I enjoyed and the fact that more secrets were revealed concerning the family and the dowries which kept me reading. 4 Stars.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Daughter’s of Allamont Hall

Mr. William Allamont passed away. His will read that his wife Lady Sara gets her Dower house and a income. Monies go to the home for foundling children. His oldest son gets Allamont Hall. His two sons ran away and hasn’t been heard of for seven years. His six daughters will get a dowry of twelve thousand pounds if they marry in proper sequence. The eldest before the second and so on. Amy is the eldest but she is also the mildest and shyest. Their father kept the girls jumping to his commands like little soldiers. They had studies taking up most of the day every day. Mr. Ambleside asked Amy’s father for her hand three times and all three times the answer was no. Now Mr. Ambleside had his chance. After some time he won Amy’s approval but had to wait for the year of morning to be over. Next in line to marry is Belle. Belle was into books. Mr. Burford would be her husband. Then a Jack Barnett suddenly shows up and says he is the oldest son and should have Allamont Hall. Mr. Burford paid Jack to back off but Jack also had to sign papers to prove that he would. Now is Connie’s turn. She had her heart set on the Marquess of Carrbridge. She got caught up between the two brothers, Lord Reginald Marford and the Marquess. In the end she ended up with the Marquess.

[Gerda · Rating 2 out of 5]

It captured the mood, the setting, the social customs, etc of Regency. But it was not a book that ticked all the boxes of Regency romance as I like to read, it was too much Jane Austen, the sisters always talking about marriage, dowry, jealous of the other one's suitor, no romance.

The sisters were always studying Latin, Greek, history, but none had any education in regard to housekeeping, one of the main skills a lady of that time had to have.

Amy had been brain washed by her father, even after his death she - a 24 year old- still abided by his rules.
Belle had some common sense, she handled the economic part.
Conni was a selfish sister,I didn't finish her book, already disliked her from the first book.
Selfish mother, instead of helping her daughters to get fitting spouses she pursues her own happiness after decades in an abusive marriage.

As all the siblings are named in alphabetical order, the boys Ernest and Frank should be 19 and 20 years old now. Once it is mentioned that they ran away seven years ago, they would have been 12 and 13 - is that believable????

Sorry, not my cup of tea, it was too repetitive, too much inner dialogue, too depressing.

[Phyllis H. Pajka · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a good book. I thought it was fantastic and I plan to get the last 3 books to cover all 6 girls. The part of this story I found fascinating was that the father told these girls what to do every minute of every day. What they could wear, what they could eat, what they could do and when they could do it. They had no time during the day to be little girls. They were always reading or memorizing what their father told them to. He even picked the subject to discuss during dinner. It's hard to believe they actually lived and grew up this way but they did and never spoke back to their farther because they were so afraid of him. After he died, that's when the book gets interesting. I know you will enjoy this book if you choose to read it and I highly recommend it. I would have liked it more if I could just read a little faster because I never wanted to put it down. Give it a try and get to meet the girls.

[Shobhana Stoyanov · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had read the first three books in the series a few years ago but barely remembered the stories so
I reread them all. To the bitter end since I wanted to find out what happened to everyone finally. So: Hope is the most boring book. With characters you don’t much care for. I liked grace and belle. The books are decent. A bit slow, but they unwind at a gentle pace and are interesting enough that I kept reading. But I will not re-read them. She has written better books. There are glimpses of bitterness that are interesting, glimpses at how difficult women’s lives could be. Some of the characters are utterly unlikeable. Some are not fully fleshed out and feel a bit contrived. But all in all, a decent read.

[Florien John · Rating 5 out of 5]

If it's all about the journey - then I enjoyed this ride

Testament to how much all of 'The Daughters' and their hopes beguiled me - Had three other titles on the go mid-read of this - Couldn't finish the others at all - not up to snuff - kept returning here - missed the girls of Allamont Hall too much don't you know - wanted to see how things played themselves out - and with each sister's tale stepping to quite a different tune....very nicely done to the author - keen for more as most of all the read was clever and fun - I'll rate it if I enjoyed it - I rated this - because I enjoyed it - a welcome escape :)

[Ewa ❀ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amy (The Daughters of Allamont Hall #1)

I liked this book. It was in the spirit of Jane Austen.
At first, Amy was upsetting me. She was naïve and very obedient. I wanted to shake her. Fortunately, after getting to know Harriet and the truth about her father, she took on a bit of character.
At first, Mr Ambleside appeared as a great manipulator, similar to Amy's father. At the end he went to his senses, admitted that he acted badly, he apologized.

Belle (The Daughters of Allamont Hall #2)

Both characters are bookworms :D

Connie (The Daughters of Allamont Hall #3)

I enjoyed it.

[Paul Sabin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection of entertaining Romantic stories!!!

All three of these Romantic tales are full of interesting characters and each is uniquely written in an entertaining style. I really enjoyed reading them and seeing the new heroine and her man along with the recurring characters surrounding them! The sense of family and friends in a small community comes across with the love and devotion one would expect. Must read if you are any kind of fan of Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility!!!

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Three books included in this pack. Frankly, the first one, Amy, was so terrible I almost didn’t bother with the other two. Her character is just... awfully pathetic. Pathetically awful. But carrying on, you get to Belle and Connie, whose characters and stories were much more charming and interesting.

These were easy, engaging reads, and hints of family mysteries were given throughout- some of which start to be revealed.

Trying to decide if I want to get the next three stories or not. I’m not terribly invested in any of these stories or characters, so I’m leaning no.

[Ingrid Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpected

In all three of these book, the girls ended up with men other than they started with. That's not a spoiler because that's really what the stories are about and they are all delightful. They have common threads leading through the characters so you follow one story right into the next. There is great description of characters, clothing, etc. so the books were very enjoyable since I could fly myself into the pages. I highly recommend this boxed set.

[Molly Graf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining!

This is a collection of the first three books about the Allamont sisters and their efforts to find husbands. The writing gets better and better book by book, and I'm looking forward to reading the ones that follow. If you like Georgette Meyer, you'll like these too.

[Elaine Hummel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A reuminder oof what women had to put u]p with in the 1o800s b nwith controll by t he ,men. No freedom of choice w with by here. Líf. Es. I am proud of some who made there own way.


Re finds all women who fought for their wrights. Miracles happened every once in a while. . Gr8 Es at job by the author.

[Neena Hodigere · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible characterization

I found the sisters' behaviour quite baffling. They seemed oddly competitive and mean towards each other and I could not imagine enjoying them as heroines in their own stories. Amy is such a weak minded character that I just could not continue reading. I have enjoyed the author's other books, but will not be proceeding with this series.

[Rosario Barrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fortunes to be had

Six sisters needing to marry in order. That’s the premise. These stories are a little bittersweet, because of all the secrets to be had, but nevertheless, quite enjoyable. I especially liked Connie’s story, not only because it was the cheeriest of all, but because it really sends you to Regency England.

[Kathy Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

great detail and historical accuracy

I like regency romances that go beyond the romances and set the story in the context of the time. This book provides information about the several types of family relationships typical of the time. The sisters in these stories have complex relationships with one another.

[Tami · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mary Kingswood is one of my favorite authors and I've read a lot of her books but if Amy would have been the first undoubtedly that would have been it., no way would I have tried more. It took me several starts to buckle down and make it through the first book in this collection and it did get better at about the 80% mark. Amy was so wimpy and constantly crying. Belle was my favorite and Connie was ok, she's much more interesting in Sons of the Marquess.

[Adelheid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay

Although the mystery of these sisters' unusual father is successfully unraveled, I find I didn't really care that much about them as characters. Nor am I compelled to read more.

[Janet Wild · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read

This set of Recency romance make a lovely read on a quite day. The storyline is well crafted and set into the historical period. With some interesting reflections on society at the time and the twisted turns family relationships can take.

[Carol Cobb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very uplifting and well written to keep your attention.

Enjoyed the way the story was told regarding each sister. Very detailed and kept you thinking. I am looking forward to reading about the last three sisters.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this series. The characters were all so different and interesting in how they handled the conditions of their father’s will after his sudden death. The only thing about the story is that everything always works out for the best for each girl.

[L JONES]

Excellent stories

These are extremely well written and thought out books that can be read individually, each is different although the characters appear regularly in each book and new characters introduced.

[Becky Hanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the collection

I really enjoyed these stories. Amy did drive me a little crazy holding up to her fathers rules but that is what brainwashing can cause. I loved how each story unwound and how they ended.

[Sylvia Hopkins-Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay!

I was not excited to read Connie story. Her behavior in the previous stories was selfish and hurtful towards her sisters. Ms Kingswood was clever in weaving a plot that showed Connie a reflection of herself and a valuable lesson in humility. Let's hope.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

sweet and clean

This is three of the sisters stories on how they found love despite the fact they set out to marry only to fulfill an unusual bequest in their father’s will that they couldn’t get their dowry unless they marr in specific order