Lily of the Manor

by Anita Stansfield

Broadbent Manor is a home brimming with life and love. With eleven adopted children in her care, young widow Lily Broadbent is in search of the right tutor to instruct and nurture her young charges. So when Frederick Woodstone arrives on her doorstep seeking the position, Lily is quickly impressed by his qualifications—but even more pleased with his gentle manner and immediate rapport with the children that society cast aside. It is Mr. Woodstone is a perfect fit for the family. From the moment he arrives at the manor, Frederick is enchanted by the lady of the house. Lily is a pillar of strength and compassion, and her striking beauty is undeniable. As the pair works side by side to teach the children, their professional association evolves into something far deeper. But when they stumble upon a young boy in dire circumstances, their relationship is put to the test as Lily makes the impetuous decision to rescue the child—no matter the consequences. What follows is a chain of events that will threaten all that Lily has built for her young family, as the fight for the safety of one small boy becomes a battle between life and death…

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance, Christian Fiction, Adult, Fiction, Historical, Regency Romance

272 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2017

About the author

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."

Reviews

[Deanne Patterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author writes her characters with tenderness and compassion. Lily adopts children from orphanages that have gone through terrible circumstances before they came to her. Lily treats her household staff like family and they all care tremendously for her and the adopted children. Fredrick a new worker is unsure of his position and how he will be treated by Lily. When they develop feelings for each other it is a sweet tender relationship with the utmost respect for each other that develops into a sweet marriage. An old grumpy man who says his wife and child died lied, turns out only his wife did. He had his child hidden away in a basement. He is rescued and interesting things happen after this. Things snowball after this with cause and effect. Interesting!
Thank you to NetGalley and Covenant Communications for a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Pub Date 25 Jul 2017

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this one up because 1) lots of friends love Stansfield's books and 2) the wait list at the library was long, so I figured it was worth a shot. This was the first Stansfield book I've read... and mostly I feel "meh" about it. It's fiction, written by an LDS author, and has a lot of prayer, talk of God directing our lives, & scripture quoting. I'm all for these things... I just found the book to be on the boring side. I kept wondering if I should bother to finish it, then I thought I'd read another chapter to see if the action picked up a bit... and eventually, I got to the end. I guess I just never got really invested in the book or characters... and I totally saw the ending coming from 10 miles away. That being said- it wasn't a bad book and it's gotten mostly good reviews from other readers, so maybe it's just not my cup of tea.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LoVe AnIta Standafeild books. So you can’t go wrong. But a story about a family with 11 adopted children and she is a widow. You know right there it is going to be interesting. What an amazing woman Lily is to take in so many children. I have 6 and I can only imagine. She is strong and loving. Frederick is a great fit for their family which is need to help teach all 11 children. It is not your normal regency but none the less wonderful! But you can’t go wrong with Anita Standsfeild!

[LAWonder10 · Rating 4 out of 5]

 
Although somewhat predictable, Lily of the Manor has enough twists to make it intriguing. It is a great historical romance with strong moral situations which is uplifting and captivating for the reader.
A young widow moves forward, after her husband's death, to bring hope and joy to a few, and offers charitable gifts to others. In doing so, she brings joy and solace to herself and true meaning in her own life.
I recommend this book to all, especially those grieving or seeking meaning in his or her own life. The gift of self is the greatest gift one can give.
The characters are very real and mostly endearing. The scenes are depicted in a manor easily visualized. The Title and Book Cover were chosen very well. The writing was done very well. The story had a smooth, steady flow. It was among one of Anita Stansfield's best stories.
This is a story of charitable service, love, unselfishness, forgiveness, grief, and unconditional love.
*This was gifted to me with no suggestion for a positive review. This is my honest review.
*I offer a Four and a Half Stars rating.

[Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lily Broadbent is an unusual woman with a big heart. Widowed at a young age, she opened her home to orphans, children who could use a home and solid upbringing. Her home is unusual and it takes a special employee to work for an unconventional woman.

Frederick Woodstone needs a job desperately. He felt that the Lord was directing him to the job at Broadbent Manor. He needed a place to feel like he belonged and the Manor was the perfect fit. Teaching 11 orphans after having served as a vicar was providential.

The book is different from the typical Regency. The home, the society, the characters are new. I loved that flawed people made a difference. Not only for themselves, but used their talents to benefit others. To me this book was about appearances being deceiving. Many in society looked down on Lily for her compassion to the less fortunate. She looks different, acts different, and treats her servants with grace and honor. She loves her children, even though they came to her in less than ideal condition.

I also found the thought of not being judgmental. There are so many ways that this story illustrated this principle to me. The book has layers of ideals that make you think. It is not a book that was easy for me to get into. It took a little time and patience for me, but it the end it was worth it.

Source: I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

[Kristi Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

It has been years since I read an Anita Stansfield book. I got sick of the predictable outcomes and everything always working out. I decided to give her new book another try - and sadly it hasn't changed. You know from the very beginning who is going to get married and that everything will all work out. Took 100 pages to finally get to a plot twist - but even then you knew what would happen eventually.

[Shauna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A woman, a teacher, and a house full of children will capture your heart as you walk with them as they learn, visit neighbors, and have picnics. You will be forever changed as you read about a rescue, a marriage proposal, a kidnapping, an illness, and more.
Are you as courageous as Lily is?
FANTASTIC WRITING! LOVED. LOVED. LOVED. IT!!!

[Ladawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly I've read better books. Even of hers. I thought this book lacked emotion. The plot was lacking. I felt like I was reading a travel log. And the characters weren't even traveling.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lily of the Manor is just an okay read for me. A little slow.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anita Stansfield has written a tender story about faith, love, and forgiveness. I found it easy to care for Frederick and Lily from the very beginning because both characters are genuinely good people. Lily is a widow using the money her husband left her to bless the lives of the eleven children she has adopted. Frederick is a former vicar turned teacher who thanks to his mother's efforts has a deep faith in God and compassion. As Frederick settles in as the teacher for the children, he finds himself falling in love with Lily and she with him. But things get complicated quickly when Lily discovers a child nearby in rather desperate straits and can't resist trying to help him. Frederick is worried about the risks Lily is taking to help the child. A life-threatening illness puts everything Frederick and Lily have built at risk. Will Frederick's and Lily's faith and love be enough to face the challenges in front of them, especially when some shocking revelations come to light? I found it impossible not to cheer for Frederick and Lily's efforts and sympathized with their struggles. Once again Stansfield has written a book to touch the heart.

[Candy Briggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lily Broadbent was a widow with 11 children, but they were adopted. But she loved them all the same. Frederick Woodstone was an ex vicar and now a tutor. He needed a job and Lily needed a tutor for her children.
This was a long story but I think it had to be for all the questions to be answered. I can't imagine 11 children but the servants and her took excellent care of all of them and her estate.. The descriptions were very good as were the characters. They seemed so life like, in both their actions and dialogue. The plot has twists to the tale and some surprises. It has danger and some intrigue. It moves smoothly, even paced and keeps your attention. I loved the idea of how they managed to keep the children happy and were so generous with themselves in regard to helping those on their estate. Mr. Toop had lost his wife and child and was in deep grief, she took a basket and Mr. woodstone to see if he could ease Mr. Toop's grief. This is a book for all ages and is a clean read. This an Author I have never read before but I am glad I did. I received a copy of this book from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed.

[Amy S · Rating 2 out of 5]

I made it to about page 30 before I started skimming. At about page 70 it was interesting for a bit then it almost got exciting in the middle but didn't last. I checked the last few pages (something I almost never do) to see if I could find motivation to finish the story then skimmed the rest. The pace was just so slow and the story was just too implausible.
Rich guy marries orphan then dies a few years later leaving his massive fortune but never having had any physical aspects to the marriage. A few years later the widow has taken in a bunch of orphans and lives "unconventionally" in a house where none of the social mores of this time period apply.
Why not make it a modern day story instead of forcing modern day ideas into long skirts?
This author tells a much more compelling contemporary story, her historical pieces just lack a sense of chronological placement. I've read most of Stansfield's books and I have a degree in history so I'm not just tossing this opinion out there.
The story continues by stealing a march on the rich guy marries the poor governess idea; we get the rich lady falling for the impoverished tutor. There's a bit of action for a page or two but it has to be explained as a drunk guy doing a crazy thing because it sure didn't make rational sense, then the rest of the high drama involves the chicken pox. I'm old enough to have actually had the chicken pox so I'll give it to you there, it was miserable and dramatic enough for me to remember having the experience however the story version underwhelmed me. Some other stuff happens slowly and there are lawyers involved (nuff said). The ending is mildly pleasant.
Violence, very vague references to sex, no swearing. Themes of spousal abuse, alcoholism, violence to children.

[Sonya Wasden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lily Broadbent was in search of a tutor for her eleven children, all of whom she had adopted. It had to be the right person to meet all of their needs. Frederick Woodstone was in search of a job as a teacher. He was desperate and prayed that this job would be the one, otherwise, he would be left with no place to stay and no money to survive on. When he first met Mrs. Lily Broadbent, the lady of the manor, he was struck by her unusual beauty and calm demeanor. He was hired on the spot and he came to know more about Lily, he began to see her as more than an employer. She, likewise, saw Frederick in a different light.

When circumstances happened to bring the two of them together, their marriage was a natural extension of their earlier relationship. As they learned more of one another, they came to understand God's hand in their lives in bringing them together. There was suspense, drama, romance and love that told a wonderful story. I enjoyed very much that the story showed emotion and intimacy without being vulgar or crass. It was a beautiful story.

I was given an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. I am a fan of clean romance and historical fiction. However, the actual writing in this book is quite poor. I’m sorry, Ms. Stansfield, but despite having a huge quantity of works to your name, you could do a little more for quality.

There are problems with the plot and the characters, but I was willing to suspend my disbelief and allow myself to picture an albino orphan marrying an aristocrat and adopting double digits of abused orphans. I was okay with said new money aristocrat eating meals with her servants and even falling for her children’s tutor. I could get behind the near-perfect widow and former-pastor characters. But words are the vehicle of story, and that car broke down for me too often to make the journey (already lacking realism in plot and characters) worth it.

My critique of the actual writing follows.

There are huge long paragraphs of just straight summary of the plot; the reader is allowed to actually experience only a few scenes because the majority are merely summarized. Whole conversations go by without a word of dialogue. When actual dialogue is used, it’s for only a line or two and then we’re back to being told the gist of what was said rather than getting to experience it. This is a case of all telling, no showing. There’s a reason your high school English teacher said, “Show, don’t tell.” It’s because summary is boring and leaves the reader unengaged.

For example: The children are described as so important to the mom, Mrs. Broadbent, and as becoming so important to the main love interest guy, and we’re told how he got to know all about each of them, their strengths and weaknesses and levels of education and whether they’re shy or rowdy...but we, the reader, aren’t privy to any of that. It would be easy to have a scene showing that James is always cracking jokes and Mary can’t meet anyone’s eyes or something, but no. So despite telling us over and over how much the main characters care for the kids, we can’t summon an ounce of interest in them because we don’t know them at all.

The two main characters, who are both viewpoint characters, are always saying exactly how they feel (via third person narration). Something like, “Lily had loved her former husband, and missed him,” is just written out like that. We can’t just have a scene showing her looking at an old photo of them together and smiling wistfully or something.

Emotions are described in a way that feels flat and unrealistic—which also describes, sadly, the characters feeling them.

The author uses visual imagery almost exclusively, and then mostly to describe what the main female character looks like. And she also describes that the main woman’s voice sounds melodic as well. Beyond that, we are sense-starved. In a beautiful historical setting, we could’ve enjoyed so much more imagery to help us really feel like we were there.

To be fair, it could get better later on. I couldn’t make myself continue slogging through all the exposition, so I didn’t finish the book. This review is going entirely off of my experience with the first part of the book. Hopefully there’s some improvement later on. The beginning didn’t inspire enough interest for me to try to find out.

[Kathleen (Kat) Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lily Broadbent isn't what society would deem as a proper English lady. To begin with her appearance is striking that those that see her believe she is a witch or something other than a woman based on her pure white hair, pale complexion and blue eyes. She also lives alone as a widow in Broadbent Manor with her servants and a collection of children she has taken into her home from orphanages. She believes that since she has been left with all her wealth and no heir to take over, she will do her best to ensure that every child she feels God has placed in her path will get a good education, food and a place to live where they can be loved. She only needs to find a tutor that can handle her brood of 11 orphans.

Frederick Woodstone is hoping to get the job as a tutor at the Broadbent Manor since leaving his vocation as a vicar. He only hopes that he can make a good enough impression that will win him favor to become an employed again. Unfortunately with no money to his name, he is forced to walk to Broadbent Manor in all his finery and wouldn't you know it, it begins to pour. He only hopes that the head of the house will understand why he couldn't afford to take a carriage. He is surprised to learn that Lily is the head of the house and even more surprised that he will not be teaching her children but a group of orphans in what can only be described as an ideal school room filled with everything he could possibly dream of to teach these young wards.

He just doesn't plan on falling in love not only with Lily, but also each of the eleven children, now under his tutelage. However when Lily's generosity garners the best of her intentions of taking food and supplies to a local family, she learns they all have the chicken pox, but she has not. Knowing that if anything should happen to her, she would lose custody of all the children she makes plans to put everything in Frederick's name, but even that won't curb her anxiety of losing everything she has worked so hard for. Is there another way?

I received Lily of the Manor by Anita Stansfield compliments of Covenant Communications. This is such a brilliantly written book that conveys what the meaning of forgiveness really means according to the ideas outlined in the Bible. Lily learns from Frederick how to communicate openly and how to draw people into a conversation with honesty and compassion and in time Frederick learns what truly motivates Lily to be so generous not only with her wealth but in the way she treats anyone she comes into contact with. Truly a beautiful story of unconditional love and forgiveness. I can't wait to read more by this author and this one deserves a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

[Gina Burgess · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a movie a long time ago starring Paul Newman and Joann Woodward that could have been truly boring, but instead was fascinating. This is that kind of novel/romance.

If written any other way, it would have been so boring. But this melodrama is actually fascinating because it is character driven rather than event driven. The only thing that could be improved is the character of the children could have been developed more. It would have made it more interesting. But then there are 12 of them, and that would have been a daunting task.

Rather predictable, but how the problems and situations are resolved makes it readable. Also, there is an interesting reveal of just how children were treated in the 1800s. It isn't graphic, but you get the idea and it sort of churns your stomach. We've come a very long way.

Good story premise, and could be a tad unbelievable except Lily suffered some prejudice because of her looks, and Fredrick suffered child abuse that he barely remembers.

What i really liked about it was that Fredrick and Lily found qualities about each other to love and thus it isn't handsome hunk and gorgeous woman thrown together and magically love abounds. It's a lot more real than most romance fiction. The faith factor is a bond that draws them together at first, and this faith factor never dissipates. Just a lovely story.

It gets 4 stars instead of 5 because it is a lot wordy and there's quite a bit of rehashing that could have been trimmed out with good editing. Although this book was a Netgalley and Covenant ARC (thank you!) so it might have been trimmed after I got the ARC.

[Michelle Llewellyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Set in Northern England (as opposed to Southern?) a single man named Frederick is hired to teach the eleven adopted children of an unusual-looking-white-haired-but-not-old, woman named Lily who has lots of money and lives in a HUGE mansion. Since she and her late husband never had any children, she decided to fill her house with cast offs. Determined to save every child in the world, Lily discovers another victim of child of abuse which means Frederick has no choice but to get involved. He's growing rather fond of this eccentric woman anyway so we all know what's going to happen next.

And so begins another uneventful tale. Only Anita Stansfield can make life changing events, like marriage, about as exciting as a trip to the grocery store.

The story meanders along. An antagonist threatens the happy couple but there is no climax. Lily and Fredrick experience all the usual drama typical of the author's characters-crying, praising God, worrying over weak plot complications that are never fully explored, before crying some more.
Like always, there is no swearing and romance never goes beyond kissing. However, there is one rather dark and violent scene that might surprise some gentle readers, The abusive boy's father kidnaps and assaults Lily who fights back and escapes-with a new haircut! very uncharacteristic of the author's usual storytelling format. Read the book, if only for Chapter Nine.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took me just a little bit to get into, but when I did, I didn't want to put it down.

I liked Frederick, he is unsure at first, if he's even going to get the job that he's applying for. But he forges on through the rain and it's really the start of a beautiful story. I loved the way he interacts with Lily's children throughout the story. I really liked the church scene where he gets the boys to sit through the meeting and endears himself to Lily.

I really liked Lily as well. I was kind of surprised by the way she would go to orphanages, say a prayer and bring home the child she felt impressed to bring home, thus enlarging her family of her own self to include 11 children who truly needed someone to care for them and who came to love her for her love for them.

I liked the plot of this one. I was never sure what was going to happen next, and I was really surprised by the way Frederick's story ties into one of Lily's children's story. I really wanted to know more about this part, maybe someday that will happen.

This is a cute book that I really enjoyed reading! Make sure to make time to read it yourself!

[Rachel DeVaughn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautiful historical fiction romance book. I really liked the main characters Lily and Frederick and how caring they were to each other, the children, people in need, their employees, and all of society. They were both good decent people! Lily adopted 11 children and took care of them in her home and met Frederick when he asked a help wanted to be a schoolteacher for the children. Lily was a brave, caring mother to her children and wanted to teach her kids how to love and care for others. When she discovers a child in need she goes above the law to try and help but sometimes things don't work out so well.

The story line flowed nicely and kept my interest-not too slow. I really enjoyed this historical, Christian romance. It was set in northern England in the early 1800s.

I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

[Kellie's Book List · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was incredibly slow. For such a short book, it took so long to get through. The strange part is, I actually really enjoyed the story - it had enough interest and moved along quickly. The characters themselves were actually well-written as well, even if Frederick did seem to have quite an underlying anger problem, and Lily was too generous to be realistic. The problem was the writing itself. The author erred on the side of being overly descriptive, which became repetitive, rather than using action to move the story along. Rather than feeling like I was experiencing the story through the writing, I felt like I was being told the story from someone else who heard it directly. For example, there were many cases where a conversation was described generally, rather than including dialogue - a much more boring style. And was anyone surprised AT ALL that Mr. Sawyer was Frederick's father?

[Amanda Lightheart Bodin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I originally was going to rate it 2 stars but the last part of the book made up for it and I finally decided on a 3. It felt like it took me forever to read it. I just didn’t get attached or sucked into the characters, their development, and the story. I found the writing overall a little lacking. Their dialog is a little TOO ‘rehearsed’. Not what a true conversation would feel like. It’s hard to explain. It took me almost half way through the book to actually want to keep reading. I had to force myself to read a chapter up to that point just because I wasn’t feeling it. The dialog was just corny in parts.

But! The overall story was really well done. I enjoyed it despite the rough start. I did find one of the reveals at the ending a little bit of a stretch.

Overall - 3 stars due to the ending. Stick with it through the beginning. Quick (though it feels like it actually drags) clean Regency Christian read.

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was interesting. I love how Frederick takes on this gaggle of adopted children and their various issues. Naturally, this being an Anita Stansfield book, he easily tames them and all is sunshine and lollipops.

I liked that Lily is actually a few years older than Frederick. It’s a nice change from the usual 17- to 21-year-old heroines.

There is a little bit of a mystery here that is also a nice twist. This one I didn’t really guess ahead of time.

I do wonder how Lily was able to inherit all her first husband’s assets. Clearly he wasn’t nobility, just a wealthy man, or it would have gone to some male heir.

Possible objectionable material:
Child abuse, orphans, children with traumatic pasts.

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.

[Sabrina Trejo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book by Anita Stansfield that I read, and I’m pretty sure I read it within 48 hours. Almost more than the actual storyline, my biggest reason for the amount of love I have for this book is what I learned from it. Stansfield has such a beautiful way of incorporating meaningful life lessons and values into each of her novels, bonus wit and charm included. Although I’ve read many of her books this one always stands out because I truly felt like a better person after reading it. I simply gained a different perspective on life and how to positively respond to the things I personally face. This book is a classic story with sweet romance, profound and complex characters, and a beautiful “Happily Ever After.”

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

great story line--WAY too much psychoanalysis of the characters. They talk for literally pages about how they can't get over their feelings. I get that.....but do we have to re-hash the same problem over and over and over and over and over? (annoying huh?)
The story itself was really a fun read. There were unexpected twists that made it enjoyable. Unfortunately, it read like the author was trying to also write a book on how to deal with the emotional drama the characters felt. Literally a third of the book was about how to work through their feelings & let them go. It made the book tedious and boring.
cut the psychobabble and leave the story.

[Adrienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book; there are parts that were really interesting--like Lily's background and her adopting all those children and the altercations with Mr. Sawyer. I saw the "twist" coming, which didn't bother me. What did bother me is that Lily and Frederick were both a little too good to be true; they didn't feel real to me. Also, the style of the writing--long descriptive paragraphs telling what happened rather than dialogue and action--didn't appeal to me. I'm sure there are plenty of readers who would really enjoy it; it just wasn't the best choice for me.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Alicia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay, the truth is I read a little over half of this book. I couldn't force myself to read anymore after that. There were a couple different things about this book that made me really not like it. 1 - It felt like the author had certain religious/moral points she wanted to get across and she used this book as her soap box to do so. The story felt as though it revolved around these points instead of the moral fiber of the book following the story line. 2 - The characters were too perfect. And they agreed with each other on nearly every point. It just didn't feel very realistic, or relatable. 3 - I just wasn't that interested in the plot or the characters.

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Half-priced books in Appleton. I was breezing thru the romance area and bought this book along with a few books from other romance authors and some awesome sci-fi books. PS: I had no idea this author has published so many books.

Okay, review time: I loved the concept of this book with a kind woman taking care of orphans but sadly, it ended up disappointing me when there wasn't enough about the kids.

I will leave this review as it is and you can read the book and make your own judgement.

Grand idea; poor execution

[Abbie Butcher · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a cookie-cutter story of every other title by this author. The mannerisms and characteristics are pretty much the same across all her stories. So cheezy, but I can imagine she will write another few books branching off the characters in this. I kept waiting for a name slip or something from another story, as most of Stansfield's books are related somehow. Definitely predictable, wouldn't really recommend, only read because I've read all her others and felt some type of obligation I suppose.

[Whitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I forgot about Anita Stansfield's saccharine sweet storytelling. This book was no different. The characters are perfect and form perfect relationships, are kind to everyone, and even adopt orphans, lots of orphans! Look how good they are! There is zero internal conflict, the only actual conflict is a predictable plot twist. Ugh, I don't want to harp on it but I hope my goldfish memory will finally remember to steer clear of this author. (3 stars is generous but I don't want to be mean. It isn't offensive just...not good.)

[Amy Peaden · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would have liked this story better if it had been set in modern times. It's supposed to be 1807, but NOTHING that happens in this book would have actually happened during that time. When I read historical fiction I expect it to be at least mostly historically accurate. I can allow a little leeway to accuracy for the sake of a good story, but this was almost laughable. The characters attitudes and things they said were too modern to be believable.