The Summer Fields

by L.P. Fergusson

Is the pain of loss a price worth paying for true love?

In the year 1704, dairy maid Elen Griffiths immunity to the smallpox plaguing England should be a blessing. But when she is instructed to care for high-born Viscount Mordiford she is forced to leave her home and nurse him in the confines of Duntisbourne Hall. There, Elen finds a horribly afflicted patient and sinister associates whom set out to lure her into their debauchery. It is only her friendship with valet Ned Harley that offers a chink of light. That is, until she realises her ally is in fact out to betray her.

Elen is saved from shame by her patient, Mordiford, who urges her to flee and serve as a nurse for the Duke of Marlborough’s campaign against the French. He promises to follow when he is well, and Elen realises that their time together has sparked a passion between them – but how can they overcome the challenge of war, not to mention their vastly different backgrounds?

On the banks of the Danube at the Battle of Blenheim, Elen is threatened by a figure from her past. It may be a small battle in comparison to the events of the day but Elen’s destiny lies in the hands of others, and failure to win risks life, freedom and love.

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

421 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 13, 2020

About the author

As LP Fergusson I write historical novels including A Dangerous Act of Kindness and The Fever Box both set during the early years of WW2, and The Summer Fields set during a smallpox epidemic two centuries earlier.

As Loraine Fergusson I write a series of cozy mysteries set at Duntisbourne Hall, a crumbling stately home on the borders of Wales and inspired by my time working at Blenheim Palace. The Archivist (2012), The Golden Hand (2013) and The Hipkiss File (2023) are all available on Amazon.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love this cover!❤️❤️I thought this story was wonderful. I wish I could give it 6 stars! The writing was excellent and I’ve just added this author to my favorites list.
I don’t know how to explain this great novel without giving anything away. I loved and hated characters and I don’t know if I’m describing this right, but it held sort of a mystery for me. “Meaning” I could never figure out where the story was leading. It was so good! {{SIGH}}
I highly recommend this one.

What I loved:
• The Writing
• The way the story was told
• The Romance
• The time period
• Clean Romance
• HEA

This was a NETGALLEY gift and all opinions are my own and I’ve given my honest review.

[StinaStaffymum · Rating 2 out of 5]

THE SUMMER FIELDS by L.P. Fergusson was certainly not what I expected. At first I felt a touch of Poldark in the pages but then it drifted off into something far different.

Beginning in Wales in the year 1704, Elen Griffiths is a milkmaid on her father's dairy farm when late one night a carriage arrives and demands her immediate presence at Duntisbourne Hall to nurse Viscount Mordiford who is suffering from smallpox. Elen contracted cowpox as a child and as a result now has immunity from this highly contagious and horrific disease. Whilst caring for Mordiford, the two form a bond of sorts and a growing respect for each other. However, the Earl's valet, Ned Harley, has his sights set on Elen and they steal moments and kisses together in shadows and Elen finds herself longing for the next time that she will see Ned. But Ned is hiding a dark secret.

One night Elen and Ned plan to rendezvous in the old ice house but instead she is betrayed and it is Mordiford who comes to her rescue. The ramifications of the betrayal are so great that Elen is no longer safe prompting her to leave Wales and become a nurse in Europe.

But alas, trouble finds her there as well. Through challenges of many kinds and across the sea to war, Elen develops her nursing skills through necessity to tend to the injured soldiers.

A romance tale in the form of historical fiction, THE SUMMER FIELDS is an average read. I was shocked by one particular aspect as I hadn't expected it but it did add an interesting element to the story. I was more swept away by the scenery and the setting and then BAM! It had a bit of an occultish element to it which is not within my interests, although I'm well aware that this kind of thing did take place particularly amongst the aristocracy who saw themselves as untouchable.

However I would have much preferred a tale set upon the Welsh landscape than amongst the battlefields of France. I am not a fan of military stories so it kind of ruined it for me.

I can't really comment on the characters as they didn't really do anything for me and I found Elen a little more than annoying at times. Mordiford was an interesting character considering he was of the aristocracy but I kind of liked him.

It is interesting to note that I read this whilst the world is in the midst of a global pandemic with COVID-19 in which many of us have found ourselves in quaratine ourselves. It brings it into perspective more that our ancestors have also had to face quarantine just as we do today...although in their case without the advancement of medicine today, many diseases would have found them quarantined, I'm sure.

While I enjoyed the first half of the book, THE SUMMER FIELDS would have been better played out on British soil. I Have no interest in military stories and therefore my care factor for the story from then on plummeted. I think a cat and mouse game with Elen trying to escape the clutches of the Earl and his band of merry men would have better sufficed to make a more interesting tale.

I do feel I have to mention the stunning cover though. It is just breathtaking.

Sadly, THE SUMMER FIELDS was not really my cup of tea although it had the potential to be a more different and maybe better story than what it was. However, it was a taste of something a little different than your typical historical fiction. Just not for me.

I would like to thank #LPFergusson, #NetGalley and #Canelo for an ARC of #TheSummerFields in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story in several ways.

Set in 1704, partially in Wales and partially around the Battle of Blenheim in Bavaria, this is the story of a dairymaid who is tasked with caring for a viscount who has contracted smallpox (she is immune as she’s had a mild case of cowpox). She faces class issues, unwanted advances and losing her heart, and she ends up traveling with a doctor as his nurse following the military.

I enjoyed reading about the historical facts included here as well as some of the medical procedures that were cutting edge at the time.

The characters are well drawn, and the mains (Elen and especially Mordiford) are shown to mature and come into their own as the story moves along. My only con is that it does seem to wrap up a little too swiftly.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Canelo for providing me the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
This story contained a good amount of detailed descriptions concerning medical practices at home and especially in the war zone. It is during an outbreak of smallpox that Elen comes into contact with Viscount Mordiford. They have some heated exchanges but a growing respect developed as they were in each other’s company. Ned Harley befriends Elen but he is keeping a secret from her. Elen is a resourceful and strong person and she needed to be with the dangers she faced. There is also a romantic element to this story which had a very satisfying ending. Overall it was a fascinating read. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Kourtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really need to get better about reviewing books right after I finish reading the last page. It’s been a while since I finished this book and my thoughts on it aren’t as fresh so bare with me.

The Summer Fields by L.P Fergusson was a very unique read. The first half of the book is mostly spent in the sick room at Mordiford’s estate and then finally moves onto the battle field and field hospital where Elen works alongside surgeons as they stitch up, amputate, attempt to heal the soldiers injured in battle.

Elen was a very strong, smart heroine. She wasn’t perfect by no means, when she first starts nursing Mordiford she is squeamish about the “indecent” aspects of the nursing and the bodily fluids that come with the nursing territory. She gets over it quickly when she realizes how much pain and discomfort her patient is in. She devotes her time and effort to healing the pox stricken man, and over time, she begins to care for him romantically.

Mordiford at first seems like a prickly man who despises Elen but as the story progresses, we discover that Mordiford had his reasons for wanting to push Elen away and it was adorable and gallant how he wanted to protect her from his father’s grasp. He is one of my favorite heroes.

The setting of the story was descriptive and thoughtful. I felt like I could imagine the dusty mansions, the sprawling fields around the estate, the harrowing battle fields, and the bloody hospital tents where soldier’s amputated limbs filled buckets on the floor. I’ve read quite a few books that included historical wars and battles and I have to say I love Fergusson’s approach to writing the historical aspects of this book. I personally felt like the story was well researched and accurately done.

Very impressed with the writing! I felt it reflected the time period but still had enough modern writing moderations that made it easy to read.

My favorite part of the book was (besides the romance of course) the medical aspects. Fergusson doesn’t sugar coat the horrible side effects and symptoms of pox and we see these symptoms through Mordiford’s suffering. We get to see some interesting medical procedures when Elen suggests rigging up an oil canvas as a hammock so that her and the Doctor can soak Mordiford in salt water to help sooth and heal the sores on his body. We even get to see how maggots are used to heal a ghastly leg wound.

Overall, I adored my time reading this book and I will definitely pick up more by this author.

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy:
Historical romance
Medicine/nursing history
War/battles mixed with drama, romance, and medical
Social class divide amongst lovers
Heroine nursing hero back to health
Hero sick with Pox then injured in battle
Happy endings

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC through Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

This books starts in year 1704 with milkmaid Elen being required to nurse the Viscount Mordiford who is suffering from smallpox. Caring for Mordiford creates a bond between Elen and the Viscount. When Elen is betrayed by a friend, Mordiford comes to her rescue.
The ramifications of the betrayal lead Elen to leave Wales and become a nurse in France. Trouble finds her there as well.

It was not lost on me that I read this book whilst COVID-19 brings the world into quarantine - just as the character Mordiford was at the beginning of this book. It actually brings this into perspective that my forefathers and foremothers - all humankind - have had to quarantine ourselves from time-t0-time.

I was captivated by the time period of this novel. It's rare to find books set in Europe in this time period. The medical practices of this time are crude. It was interesting to read about, but also sad and senseless. I commend the author for all the research she put into this book. I could sense that as I was reading and really enjoyed the author's notes at the end.

[Joanne Cartwright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely stray into historical fiction but this is an absolute blinder!
All the way through the story it feels as if not much is happening but nevertheless it is an absorbing read and when you reach the end you realise just how much information, action and characterisation was packed into every page...it just sneaks up on you!

Overall a tale of love we meet Elen and Mordiford as she nurses him back from smallpox and is drawn into the world of the rich landowner, debauchery and excess. The story follows Elen through some major challenges and across the sea to war as she develops her nursing skills through necessity rather than desire.

Each character was beautifully described and the situations drew me in as a reader with little knowledge of the period the story covers. Small details made the history come to life (war as a spectator sport being one such detail).
Overall a great setting and a good story with just enough fact to balance the fiction but not bog the reader down in unnecessary detail.

[Marie (UK) · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a romance masquerading as an Historical Fiction. Its plot is so thin it is see through. Except that it is a book I received via net galley I would have given this up at the end of chapter 2 or 3. The first 50% of the book consists of two events - a knock on the door of a simple farm to take the eldest girl as a nurse and the attempt by men who should know better to de flower her. The rest of that part of the book has absolutely no relevant content at all. We then move onto France and the war of Spanish Succession we are treated to a couple of chapters of actual historical fact before the light and dark of romance, power etc come back to play. It is a far cry from this author's novel A Dangerous Act of Kindness both in its content, its characterisation and its writing style which to me seemed turgid in the extreme.

[Allison Valentine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful novel set in England in 1704. Elen Griffiths is young woman living on the family farm with her father and siblings, life is hard being a dairy maid but Elen is well educated and loves reading her books by the fireside of the evening.
Until one night there is a knock on the door demanding that she is to go to Duntisbourne Hall to attend and nurse Viscount Mordiford, the Viscount has been infected by smallpox and as she is immune from the disease she has no choice but to attend.
Whilst there she meets Ned Harley the valet and is soon impressed by him.
Even though the Viscount can be cruel at times Elen has grown very fond of him but things take a dangerous turn and the Viscount saves Elen from certain shame.
Elen has to flee the country to save her life and finds herself with the English army to cross the channel to France and serves as a nurse to the Duke of Marlborough.
This novel is breathtaking beautiful and the characters all come to life.

[BeverleyR · Rating 4 out of 5]

As this was not the normal.genre of book that I read I was pleasantly surprised by how easily I became absorbed in this historic tale. When Viscount Mordiford is struck down with The Pox, local farmer's daughter Elen is known to be immune so is forced into nursing him. She quickly becomes attracted to one of the staff, Ned Harley, not realising he has a dark motive behind his attentions. When the truth outs she is convinced to flee with the Doctor as his nursing assistant to the troops on the battlefield where we learn the gory details of the fie!d surgeon as they deal.with the horrific injuries suffered by the soldiers. Once again Elen encounters the Viscount and Ned and what ensues seals the future of our heroine.
Such a well written historical romance that was a pleasure to read and review.

[Mrs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not read an historical novel for years (Jean Plaidy days) and after reading this I am wondering why. I loved this book and it was written in a way I could almost transport myself to the era. Elen is a dairy maid on her father’s tenanted farm and is plucked away by the village Doctor to help nurse Viscount Mordiford at Duntisbourne who has smallpox. She is befriended by a valet in the household who turns out to be an unpleasant character. Things unfold which become very unpleasant for Elen and the valet is in the middle of this drama and continues to blight her life. I am struggling to write this as there is so much I liked about the book I am concerned about giving the story away. Suffice it to say that from start to finish I did not guess the way the story would twist and turn but I can say I loved it from page 1

[Chrissie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read A Dangerous Act of Kindness and loved it I was looking forward to reading The Summer Fields and I wasn't disappointed .What a fabulous book set in the 1700's it tells the story of Elen, a farmer's daughter who finds herself acting as a nurse to Viscount Mordiford at Duntisbourne Hall who has small pox .It is difficult for Elen who knows no one until she is taken under the wing of Ned Harley a valet who eventually betrays her, she flees and serves as a nurse for the Duke of Marlborough's campaign into France .The story is so well written I felt I was there, it as very atmospheric also ,I loved the characters who seemed very real .This era must have been very hard to be a nurse in as after battle if a soldier was injured the only way to save his life was to amputate the damaged limb thank goodness things have progressed since then .This is essentially a love story beautifully written and very enjoyable .I can't wait to read L.P. Fergussons's next book .
Many thanks to the Publisher the Author and Net Galley for my review copy in return for an honest review .

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Summer Fields is a very exciting story of Elen, and the lord of the estate, Mordiford,. As the story begins, the Dr comes and takes Elen to be a nurse to Mordiford while he suffers with small pox, since she is immune to it. Their friendship growsbut Elen is attracted to another servant, Ned Harley. As time moves on, she discovers, almost too late, that Ned is an awful man and she has to escape him. Mordiford rescues her, and they go off into the night into another adventure. She works with the Dr during the war. Mordiford is injured badly, and the two become much closer.. It is an exciting story that I didn't want to put down!

[Jane Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the early eighteenth century, this is an atmospheric, historical romance with an interesting medical theme, Elen, a young, naive girl, is immune to smallpox. Sent to nurse the local aristocrat in his sinister household, she is vulnerable to evil forces and doesn't know who to trust.

Rescued by her grateful patient, her next role is war nurse, not knowing if she will see the man she loves again. This medley of historical detail, medical drama and conflicted romance immerse the reader in a wartorn arena. The romance weaves through the hardship and pain with a satisfying conclusion.

I received a copy of this book from Canelo via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new author for me but I will certainly be looking out for new releases. My go-to genre is crime thrillers so a bit different from normal for me. When I first started to read the book which is set in England in the 16th century, I thought I don't think this is going to be for me. I'm so glad I persevered with it, I absolutely loved it. The description of the times and the people had me enthralled, it is so much more than just a love story and you will have to read the book to find out if there's a happy ending.

[Lindsey]

Summer Fields blended gothic fiction, romance, and history in an enjoyable but slow-paced read. It was a pleasantly engaging novel, but wasn't necessarily "action-packed". It took its time and wended it's way through various historical aspects of pre-Georgian history such as smallpox outbreaks and vaccination, the Battle of Blenheim, class distinctions, and injustice against women. I enjoyed it but feel anyone looking for an intense nail-biting spectacle might find it a bit amiss.

[Alex (Gadget Girl 71) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by L P Fergusson. I couldn’t put it down, I ended up reading late in to the night on a couple of occasions, until I finished the book. This book was like reading a classic such as Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. Except that you didn’t have to try and understand the old spoken English. Which can sometimes detract from you wanting to read the classics. So if you like the classics and you don’t want to struggle with the old language then you’ll just love this book. I’m looking forward to seeing what L P Fergusson’s next book is.

In February 1704, Elen Griffiths is a young woman who lives with her father and sibling as tenant farmers. Since her mothers passing she had taken on the household duties as well as being a dairy maid.

Late one evening when the farm was almost asleep Elen and her father hear a horse and carriage coming into their yard. Elen is told to go up to bed and not come down until her father tells her to. As someone turning up at this late hour never means anything good.

It turns out that its the local Doctor, he requires Elen to go with him to Duntisbourne Hall and nurse Viscount Mordiford. As he has contracted small pox, it turns out that with Elen being a dairy maid she will not contract small pox.

So Elen is rushed away from her family during the night, without being able to say goodbye to her siblings. She didn’t even get a chance to pack any clothes as the Doctor dare not leave the Viscount any longer than he has too. The doctor says that one of her siblings will have to bring over anything that she may need at a later date.

Once they reach Duntisbourne Hall Elen is whisked away up to one of the halls towers which is far enough away from the rest of the household so no one else has the chance of catching small pox. One of the servants a Ned Harley has volunteered to take food, wood or anything else Elen or the Viscount may need while she nurses him back to health.

Elen soon ends up fitting in and gets in to a routine of caring for her charge. Every morning after breakfast she goes for a walk about the estate with Ned Harley. Then she goes back to her duty of care and during some quiet times she sits quietly and reads. It turns out that Elen is quite an educated woman, even though she is a dairy maid. Her mother was a governess but fell in love with Elen’s father, someone far below her mothers standing. She made sure that Elen could read and write. Due to this she is given the opportunity to go and borrow any book she takes a fancy to reading from the Halls grand library.

This is when Elen becomes a person of interest to the Viscounts father. Mordiford has tried to dismiss Elen ever since she turned up, as he knew once his father met her she would end up in danger. His father and his friends were in to some strange rituals and most of them had been disgraced from society at one point or the other.

Ned Harley is also involved with what Mordiford’s father and friends get up to, every time they have a gathering at the hall. He isn’t the charming and caring person that he pretends to be to Elen. One evening Ned organises to meet Elen in a remote summerhouse on the estate, but he has lured her there not for himself but for his master and his friends.

Mordiford finds out what is going to happen and drags himself out of his sick bed to rescure Elen. He takes on his father and his friends and whisks Elen away from the estate to safety. But Elen won’t be totally safe until she is out of the country, as his fathers reach is far and wide. So he takes her to the local Doctor’s house and asks him to shelter Elen. The Doctor isn’t to happy about this as he is due to leave the country and become the Doctor to the Duke of Marlborough during the Battle of Blenheim in Bavaria. Mordiford insists that he take Elen with him and say that she is to be his nursing assistant as she is more than capable. He says that he will send for Elen once it is safe for her to return.

The journey to the battle field is long and arduous, as well as dirty. Once they arrive on the continent they are put up in a small establishment with others that are to join the campaign. This is where Elen meets Mrs Sarah Barker and her husband the field surgeon. Sarah takes Elen under her wing and makes sure that she is safe when the Doctor isn’t around, she also teaches Elen how to nurse the wounded soldiers.

Elen keeps hoping that she will hear from Mordiford telling her that it is safe for her to return home, but the months go by with no word. Until one day a battalion of soldiers are making their way to the front and she spots Mordiford as he spots her. He is so glad to see her, and it’s noticable to all that he has a liking towards Elen.

They keep on bumping in to each other during the battle, and there is an attraction between them, but Sarah keeps telling her to be careful as she doesn’t want her to be used and thrown away once the war is over.

Will Elen ever be able to go back home. If she can go back home what will she do, does Mordiford really have feelings and affection for Elen or has he just been leading her up the garden path. Will there be a happy ever after?

Such another great read from L P Fergusson, she has a way of writing that is so vivid you are actually transported back in time. Yet again I can’t wait for her next book.

[Patricia Moren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a thoroughly enjoyable historical fiction based in the time of Queen Anne and the Battle of Blenheim. This kind of story brings history to life, especially when as well researched as this one has been. The characters seemed very real and the story fascinating from beginning to end. Such a rewarding conclusion.

[Amanda Youngs · Rating 4 out of 5]

As historical romances go, this was a whole lot better than many of them! I had to read it for work so it's not quite the same for me as a regular reader because I didn't choose to read it, but I suspect very many people, mostly women, would really enjoy this read.

[Jennifer]

No rating. I read the sample which was a couple of chapters long. I’m sure the story itself
Is lovely, but the writing wasn’t for me. I have a hard time being engaged by third person narratives told in the present tense.

[Mrs Penelope A Cottell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The genre of historical fiction at its best.
Wonderful story line with well researched historical facts.
It demonstrates how far medical practices have come. Once you start to read it you just can’t put it down a great romantic story.

[Jill Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down! I had to know what would happen next. This is not a faced paced plot but the story has so much detail that it swept me away.
I received an ARC for my honest review.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elen’s life changes when she goes to care for a viscount who has small pox. She also travels to Europe for the was with France.

[GenevieveNZ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was hard to put down.

[Louise Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book surprisingly as wasnt expecting much. Definitely read this if you like a good historical saga.

[Squeaky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed learning about life in the 1700's, the wars and small pox.

[Patrick Barry · Rating 3 out of 5]

High(ish) 3 stars. I would recommend it but the brutal squabbles between the various empires in France had no interest for me. So lots of skimming over "great" English feats.

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A captivating love story which I couldn't put down. I loved getting to know the characters and enjoyed all the historical details about war and medical practices of the time. The story is wrapped up really well and I thoroughly enjoyed it!