1794: Charlotte

The Legend of Nimway Hall #2

by Karen Hawkins

New York Times bestselling author Karen Hawkins writes a ravishing addition to an exciting series of romances touched by magic as old as time.

A properly raised young lady rebels against the restrictions of both society and family when she meets a dark, dangerous, and wildly passionate man as they both fight to resist their forbidden love ... and the seductive pull of an ancient magic.

Miss Charlotte Harrington knows what’s expected of her. Properly raised and newly reminded of her duties after the unexpected death of her far-more-perfect twin sister, Charlotte is resigned to wedding the son of a near neighboring land owner and live a sedate and proper, respectable life. But Charlotte’s high spirits will not be contained and she yearns deeply for a life of adventure, excitement, and love.

When wild and untamed Marco di Rossi arrives at Nimway Hall, commissioned to carve a masterpiece for the family home, he finds himself instantly drawn to the far-from-subdued Charlotte. Despite the potential ruin to his own brilliant career, he cannot resist her spirit and beauty, nor the call of the deep, wild magic that resides within a mysterious and magical orb hidden deep in the walls of the ancient house of Nimway…

A historical novel of 57,000 words interweaving romance, mystery, and magic.

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Audiobook, Georgian, Magic, Historical Fiction

167 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 22, 2018

About the author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Karen Hawkins writes novels that have been praised as touching, witty, charming, and heartwarming. A native Southerner who grew up in the mountains of East Tennessee where storytelling is a way of life, Karen recently moved to frosty New England with her beloved husband and multiple foster dogs. The Dove Pond books are a nod to the thousands of books that opened doors to more adventures, places, and discoveries than she ever imagined possible. To find out more about Karen, follow her at:
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If you'd like to keep up with Karen's crazed and hectic schedule, win free books, find out about her coming releases, or just want to engage in some easy on-line snooping, sign up for Karen's amazing newsletter!

Reviews

[Paraphrodite · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars.

A short story about another Guardian of Nimway Hall, the timeline is a couple of generations behind the first book. Has some of the same magical elements as the first book but not really much of a mystery.

Found a few editing errors but overall, it's an easy read but not one of Ms Hawkins' better works.

[Lynn Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I preferred this 2nd novel in the series to the first. However this too could have been a bit shorter in its length.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! 5☆

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good -- I just wished it had been longer, more fleshed out if that makes sense.

[Sandra Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating: 3 stars.

I had not read any of Karen Hawkins work before this book, so I didn't really know what to expect. I found, though, that this book was a bit boring at times. It just seemed to move slowly, and the two main characters seemed to have repetitive thoughts and behavior. I suspect the book moved slowly because the main characters were busy trying to stay away from each other for a large part of the story.

I usually read a book in 1-2 days, but I kept setting this one aside -- simply because it was kind of slow and boring. It ended up taking me almost 10 days to finish, which is very rare for me. That is the main reason for my rating of 3 stars.

Since the magical properties of the moonstone orb are a large part of the overarching plot of this series, I was surprised that they weren't really discussed until nearly the end of the book. I kept waiting for Charlotte to figure out that it was magical on her own, but she never did.

I liked Marco, but wanted him to be willing to take a risk on a relationship with Charlotte -- especially after he found out she had ended her engagement. It seemed like he was so sure their relationship couldn't work that he wouldn't give it a chance. I did like, though, that he was so loyal to his family.

I liked Charlotte, too, but wanted her to realize sooner that she couldn't live her lost sister's life for her -- and and that she had to be herself. Once she realized that, she was much happier, and knew that it was OK to pursue a relationship with Marco.

This book only contained one sex scene -- and it wasn't really very explicit at all.

My rating system is below.
1 star -- Hated it, or did not finish. I usually only give this rating if some of the content is truly objectionable to me, like if one of the main characters does something really awful, and gets away with it.
2 stars -- Didn't like it. This rating usually means that I thought the writing wasn't very good, the editing was terrible, I didn't like the characters, or it had other major flaws.
3 stars -- I liked it, but had some minor issues with it. This rating means that there were minor editing issues, the story needed more character development, it was just too unrealistic, or had some other fairly minor issue. The majority of books I read get this rating – I do not consider it a bad rating.
4 stars -- I liked it a lot. This is a high rating for me, and I rarely give a higher one.
5 stars -- I loved it, and will probably read it again. Very few books are good enough to get this rating from me. The ones that do are usually classics.

[Glittergirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful story. I love all of Karen's stories but especially the ones with a touch of magic in them. This one it's built in being the Legend is about Merlin and Nimway, the Lady of the Lake.

Charlotte is so lost in spirit. Her twin, Caroline has died in a terrible accident. Suddenly she's cast as heir to being Guardian of Nimway Hall, so now she has to be the proper English Lady that her sister always was. Charlotte was always the rebellious, impulsive, rule breaker. In order to ease her mother's grief, Charlotte is turning over a new leaf, minding the rules and getting married. She's not in love with Robert but the wedding is a distraction her mother sorely needs. Enter two very important people, her beloved Aunt Verity Barton and sculptor, Marco di Rossi from Italy. Aunt Verity is a terrible chaperone but a true friend with wise words. I adored her character. Marco has been commissioned by Charlotte's mother to form a new marble fireplace facing for the historic Hall. He's famous, talented and ambitious to have the Queen see his work to hire him in England. He's also gorgeous and taken with Charlotte. He knows he can't touch. Too much is riding on this commission. Charlotte is pulled to Marco and doesn't know why. She's restless and unsure about her coming wedding to the very absent groom, off in London taking care of business.

Karen has crafted a love story about two passionate individuals. Charlotte has lost her way, her joy in life and Marco is making her face and question her choices. I love how Aunt Verity knows the soul of Charlotte and helps gently to have Charlotte search herself for answers. We also get a glimpse into what it's like to live with scoliosis and the damage it does to the body and spirit. Thank you Karen for the tender story and opening your heart to your readers once again.

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I totally enjoyed 1794 - Charlotte by Karen Hawkins, one of the books in The Legend of Nimway Hall series, written by a variety of romance authors. Charlotte Harrington has been struggled with who she really was since the death of her twin sister. She was no longer the wild, adventurous, brave, and curious but had become sedate, proper, and dependable like the sister she lost. She even became engaged to a friend of her brother, as that is what she thinks her sister would have wanted, not what she wanted. With the arrival of Marco di Rossi, commissioned to carve a masterpiece for Nimway Hall, Charlotte becomes all confused with the attraction she feels towards him. Marcos is drawn to Charlotte, he sees her spirit and beauty but worries that if he acts on his feelings it could ruin his career. The wild magic that is within a magical orb along with the mysterious woods surrounding the house of Nimway has set into motion a wonderful and enjoyable story about finding true love; a love that will last a lifetime.

I really loved reading this book and had trouble putting it down. Ms. Hawkins wove a wonderful story, with lots of heart, charm and magic. She drew me in from page one with her heartwarming characters and did not let go until I turned the last page. I highly recommend this book to other readers and I am looking forward to reading the other books in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

[Stefanie Harten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karen Hawkins has done it again. She has given us another mesmerizing and fabulous read. It is part of the Legend of Nimway Hall series. It starts out with grief and a mystery. Miss Charlotte Harrington and her family are trying to recover from the sudden death of her twin sister. As a result, Charlotte is thrust into being the new heir and next Guardian of Nimway Hall and has changed her outlook on life. She is trying to be the dutiful daughter, sister and Guardian. Her mother has commissioned a sculptor to create a new mantle for the Hall. Marco Di Rossi stirs deeply buried emotions, newly discovered desires and has starting to Charlotte question her dutiful and responsible decisions since her sister died. Both Charlotte know they should not allow their attraction to go any further. Marco knows he should not overstep his station and it could ruin his career. Charlotte is so confused because she does not have those feeling for Robert, her fiancé! She knows her duty is t9 marry Robert and stay at Nimway Hall as Guardian. With the help of a magical orb, Marco and Charlotte are forced to face more than they are willing to admit to themselves. It is such a delightful, magical and charming story that is so captivating, you cannot put it down until you are finished every single page! I whole heartedly recommend and love this book!

[Patricia Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Norway Hall continues - Charlotte

Charlotte has lost her twin sister in death and at the same time has lost herself. A girl who was known for her outrageousness, has become sullen and quiet. Doing everything that is expected of her, including marrying her childhood friend, Robert.
Marco is a sculptor, coming to Nimway Hall to sculpt a new marble fireplace mantle for the dining room. Of course he gets lost in the forest ,where he literally runs into Charlotte and is thrown from his horse. Charlotte goes over to check to see if he's alright and the connection is instantaneous, strong. They both feel the connection and kiss, shocking both of them.
The story goes on from there to explain how Nimway Hall, the forest and the orb all play a part in bringing together Charlotte and Marco, bringing Charlotte back to her true self.
As usual, Karen Hawkins does a wonderful job showing the connection and chemistry between her hero and heroine. The story flows easily. That first unexpected kiss set the tone for the whole story. Well done!

[Laurla2 · Rating 2 out of 5]

nimway hall has magical protections and a special orb that brings people together in love. charlotte is mourning her twin sisters death and preparing for a wedding she isn't excited about. marco di rossi is a sculptor hired by her parents to create a masterpiece at the hall. they find themselves drawn to each other even though it could cost his career and cut her off from her family. in the end the mystery surrounding her sisters death is revealed and true love prevails.

"life isn't all happy or all sad. instead it's a fascinating mixture of both."
"fascinating? how can you say that?"
"because without one, we would never appreciate the other."

"you cannot change yourself just to please others."
"i'm just trying to be better."
"better implies that you weren't good enough before, and you were."

-i skimmed a lot of this book. its a multi-author series and i'm not inspired to read more by this author. 2 stars.

[Rosemarie Grainer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story, but a little harder for me to get into

I liked this story, but for some reason I was a little apart from it, which is not usual for me. I would give it 4 1/2 stars if I could. Marco and Charlotte are great characters. I loved how Marco kept trying to do the "right thing" as he saw it. Charlotte is starting to deal with the tragic and mysterious death of her twin sister. Because of this, she lost herself for a bit.

I liked a lot of things in this story: the relaxed pace, lovely characters, some steamy scenes near the end, and I especially loved how Marco sees Charlotte in all her glory, no matter what. I think the story was hard for me to read because Charlotte was struggling so hard to find herself and you just wanted to show her the way. But like real life, people have to learn things for themselves, like she does. Try it yourself and see what you think!

[Tiffany Dauzat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlotte Harrington is dealing with the loss of her twin sister when her aunt comes to chaperone her in her parent’s absence. It seems the entire household is walking on eggshells after the recent accident that took Caroline’s life and the mystery of it.

Marco di Rossi is a semi-famous Italian sculpture who has been commissioned to create a masterpiece for Nimway Hall’s formal dining room. His masterpiece is just the thing he needs to impress the Queen and this make him incredibly famous for his art. Along with his assistant, Pietro, he finds himself ensnared in the magic of Nimway and it’s guardian.

The chemistry unfolds during this story of finding oneself, dealing with loss, and finding love in an expected way.

Marco and Charlotte are charming characters who you find impossible
to not like!

Ms. Hawkins tells a lovely story of magic involving itself in life and death.

[C.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

It will be interesting to see how this series works out, as there are a number of different authors writing each volume.

This particular story was quite good, although I do wonder about something a bit strange in chapter 9 more towards the latter part of the chapter.

The author wrote That the main male character, Marco's thoughts on the dishevelled appearance of the main female character, Charlotte, as "She looked like a fluffed Kitchen" .

I am not sure that there is such a thing as a "Fluffed Kitchen", and think it may have meant to be a "Fluffed Kitten". further down in the same paragraph, there is a reference to an "Angry kitten".

But one never knows.....

[Lise Nanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wild and Wonderful!

As I had stated in my review of the first of the Legend of Nimway stories, I have been very excited to read the compilation of these legends. The fact that they are written by some of my favorite authors increased my anticipation no little amount. Karen Hawkins added new flavors to this intriguing dish of magic and romance, and I find myself savoring the Italian spice and comforting English tea that this installment brought. Nimway Hall, what a great place to visit!!

[Virginia Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlotte: Nimway Hall

It was beautiful, a small round clearing in the middle of gentle, swaying trees. The bright moon sparkled on a small silvered pool filled with swaying cattails.

As always, Karen Hawkins has created a world with her words that makes me as a reader feel as if I am a part of her story. In Charlotte: Nimway Hall; we observe as Charlotte enjoys the forest around Nimway Hall. Meanwhile, Marco, a sculpture is headed to the hall to create a fire place mantel.

Magic naturally happens in a magical place. Feel free to join Charlotte at Nimway Hall.

[Charlene Burnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner by Ms. Hawkins. She has you hooked from the first meeting of Charlotte and Marco. I loved the magic aspect, I would have liked to see a little more, but it did not detract from the story. This is the 2nd book of the series, but I don't feel it is necessary to read them in order especially since there are others in the series that fall before these in the time line that are not yet published.
If you are a fan of Karen's books you will not be disappointed. If you have never read one...give it a try... I think you will like it.

[Iza Soares · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating 7 of 7


And that kids is why Karen Hawkins is now on my endless list of historical romance authors that I wanna read

It was my first Karen Hawkins book and I must say that I'm not disappointed at all - oh well, I would be happier if it was longer but it's ok I know one can't have everything


On a side note, in the first chapter, when Lady Verity said it wasn't a murder I immediately thought it was definitely a murder and know I'm pretty disappointed with myself, but at least i figured out the would-be-reason for the would-be-murder, it's always love lol

[Julie Eichelberger-Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Legend of Nimway Hall: 1794 - Charlotte is part of a series written by different authors but is also a stand alone story. All of the stories revolve around a magic orb that holds the love of Merlin and Nimue and assists the direct decendants find their own true love. This is a story of being your true self and not trying to fit the mold that you believe other people want you to be. Along with love, this story contains a lot of laughs and a little sadness. Charlotte and Marco are strong, amazing characters. A great story.

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second in the series, so definitely read the first one beforehand. Loved this book. Fun and quirky and characters you immediately love. I already want more of Lady Barton. She is begging for her own tale. The book was shorter than I would have liked, and those loveable characters not as fleshed out as they could have been. A lovely hour with a cup of coffee. Worth the price tag!
Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Ginny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magic is in the air at Nimway Hall. I loved this book, and can’t wait to read the rest of this series. This is Charlotte ‘s story. A strong willed, bold young woman, mourning the sudden death of her twin sister, trying to be who she is not. She finds true love unexpectedly, and rediscovers her true self.

[Pj Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

A second keeper of Nimway Hall

This second book will stand alone in the series, but does a great job of deepening the romance of the thick woods near the hall. I was intrigued by the hero and championing Charlotte as she found her place in the caretaking ladies born to Monday Hall.

[Ronda Blanke Geiger · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Legend of Nimway Hall - Charlotte

Wonderful story of forbidden love. Marco and Charlotte and a perfect match. There were typos in the story that made it difficult to read at points in the book. But the overall read is very good.

[MARIE MARUCCI · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somewhat sad storyline, with the loss of Charlotte's twin, but she persevered and realized trying to be someone she was not, was not the right path for her.

Thanfully, she reverted to her normal, effervescent self and found an abiding love in Marco.

[Theresa Hurley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one! Great story!

[Kitty Mccaffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely romance in Nimway Hall

Very nice love story. Charlotte and Marco started with a heated kiss as strangers that bloomed to a lasting love.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

:) I liked it! I can’t wait to read the next one in the series.

[Vehrell Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read!

Never read anything by this author before. I was pleasantly surprised. I just needed a tad more romantic meetings between them.

[Maggie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series isn't all that great, tbh.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much, too soon. And Oh, puh-leez, that book description is ridiculous. Sadly, absolutely no substance.

[Neil C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!

Great characters and a wonderful story line. It held my attention from start to finish. I very highly recommend it.