The Heart of Hampton House

by Anita Stansfield

Upon the death of her beloved father, Deidre Miller is left penniless and alone. Her choices are few: if she is to survive, she has no choice but to assume domestic work. So when she is taken on as a maid in the vast manor of the powerful Hampton family, Deidre is determined to prove her mettle. But when she catches the eye of the young master of the house, she is set upon an unexpected new path.

Julian Hampton is immediately taken by the gentle, new housemaid. He sees in her the qualities necessary to help him with his greatest responsibility: the care of his younger sister. When he offers Deidre a position as his sister’s companion, it is an opportunity that is not without its challenges. Deidre becomes fast friends with Julian and his sister, but with this relationship comes stirrings of resentment within the household directed at the young woman who has risen so quickly to such a position of responsibility. As Deidre’s connection with Julian deepens into a forbidden love, she must reconcile the tumultuous feelings of her heart or risk losing everything.

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

241 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2020

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

[Mara · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up

I enjoyed this interesting story of love between social classes. Deidre is left penniless and on her own after her father's death. With the help of the doctor who treated her father, she finds a position at Hampton House as a maid but is soon asked to help with the care of Julian Hampton's sister, who suffers from a mental illness.

This is a tender love story. It doesn't involve a Season in London, going to balls, etc. It takes place in Hampton Hall while Deidre helps care for a young woman who doesn't have any friends because of her illness.

I really enjoyed the interactions between Deidre, Julian and his sister Miranda. Deidre treated Miranda with tenderness, love and respect. It was so sweet that Miranda found a young man that wasn't put off by her condition. This isn't your typical regency as most of the story takes place at Hampton Hall, but I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how Julian and Deidre would handle the whole master-falls-for-a-servant situation.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Holly Bleggi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a great book by Anita Stansfield. I liked how she wrote about a difficult subject. It is hard to discuss mental illness but I thought she did it were tactfully and did a good job of showing how it affects different people. I also liked how she wrote the romance between Julian and Deidre. I liked that as Julian watched how Deidre interacted with his sister in a respectful way he saw the good person she was. I also liked the story line of a servant becoming the mistress of the house and I liked seeing how Deidre dealt kindly with those who didn’t think she deserved to be elevated. I thought this was very well written.

I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors.  A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

[Jewel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hampton House

Another touching story from Anita.
Though it was a bit repetitious at times, causing me to skim over a paragraph here and there, it was still a beautiful story and an enjoyable read.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a big fan of this book. I read all the books by the author as a teenager and young adult (15-20 years ago) but eventually got tired of her writing style and haven't read anything she's published in the last 10+ years. I decided to give one of her new books a chance and thought maybe a regency romance would be better than the contemporary or historical novels I'd read in my youth. I was disappointed. This book didn't feel at all like a regency aside from the social distinctions between the classes, probably because the characters had basically no interaction with society and the one time they did (at the ball) they didn't follow the customs or rules of the time. The first half of the book was pretty good, but I feel like the book could/should have ended there instead of dragging on for so long hashing out the same feelings and concerns. I can't say that I'd recommend this book.

[Kirsi Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept of the book was intriguing, but I felt the execution a little lacking in this one. I’d say this book is a classic example of “telling” rather than “showing,” and I’d rather be shown. Lots of paragraphs of what’s going on, not a whole lot of actual character interaction. I would not have been sorry if there had been a bit (i.e., a lot) more dialogue.

[Abbie Butcher · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow, what a boring, long, and predictable book. Could've been like 50 pgs really, the only drawn-out issue of the story being the main character's own lack of self-esteem and doubts.

[Mistalyn Leis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy Anita Stansfield even though her books are usually somewhat predictable. This one had a little bit of surprise that I didn’t see coming.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable and engaging read! Social classes in the regency period are so dividing as our times now are divided by color of skin, religion and the like. When we focus on our similarities rather than the differences we find we have more in common and more happiness together than being apart.

Tough subjects of the death of loved one, mental illness, dementia, bipolarism are addressed. If only everyone had a Julian and Deidre to help them navigate those challenges we’d live in a more compassionate world.

[Leann Arave · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story. The main plot of the story is the love that crosses over social stations. Deidra comes to Hampton house when her father passes and she has no family left. She is hired as a maid. Julian is the master of the house, since his father has been declared incompetent, do to declining health. There was nothing that really made the story exciting. The side story of Miranda, the sister of Julian, having visions, some disturbing and some comforting. Her story, as she was coming of age and dealing with her unique ability, was a munching more interesting story. Over all it was a good read. Sweet, clean and wholesome romance.

[Kailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book, but I found myself having trouble staying into it. I liked the characters well enough, but it felt like it was dragged out and didn’t move fast enough. The ending felt a bit abrupt. I would like to see more of Miranda’s story.



I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

[Maggi Andersen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't get past the first chapter. The writing was disjointed and sloppy, the heroine devoid of life or personality. Stansfield has an impressive number of books to her name but if they're all as poorly written as this one, I think I'll pass.

[Rosemary Grace · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was so intrigued by so many aspects of this book, but I just could not get over the social implications of a match between the two main characters. Deidre would have been socially slaughtered, and not only her, but her daughters and her sister in laws family would have all been burned at the stake (socially speaking.)
In terms of the romance, it felt much too insta-lovey for me, and you never really get to know Julian at all.
I really wanted to get to know more about the ghost of her mom, the relationship with the father, and her way of paving a happy life for herself within her house and in society.
I also felt like everything that was interesting was skimmed over, and things that felt unimportant were given so much page space.
The writing was so pretty though! And i really liked the main character, and basically all the characters except Julian.
I think this book would have been greatly improved if she either had an inheritance bestowed upon her by a long lost relation making her a lady, Julian loosing his making him a regular guy, or her being a lady in the first place but hiding that fact cause she was running away from something. All of these would have added more to the plot and made their relationship better.

[Alysha · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cute book about breaking down class silos and being true to yourself set in the regency period. I love that both Deirdre and Julian are able to look beyond their stations and life experience to get to know each other on a deeper level. The book showed two different examples of mental health diagnoses and the issues and downsides for both especially in the regency period where anyone different would more than likely be thrown into Bedlam or another similar hospital. I love that Deirdre was able to look on the personalities and souls of everyone she met and connect with them in a personal level. She is such a great example of how to treat those different than us with acceptance and love no matter how they treat us or what the situation is. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a clean regency romance with mental health representation and want to come out of it with a pact to treat those around us with more compassion and acceptance.

[Maddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a lot of happiness in it, kind of too much. Everything just worked out for Deidre, it was fun to read how the staff weren’t too fond over the high promotion. It added hurdles that needed to be overcome. I want to know how old both Deidre and Julian were, and I wanted Miranda’s story to be all on its own. That last little bit about Mrs. Hawks was just strange and didn’t really seem needed

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book of warm fuzzies. Neat and tidy. That's how I'd generally describe this novel. The characters go through difficult things, but they behave as rational adults, don't overreact, and communicate clearly. A lot of conflict in other books comes from the character flaws of the main characters. The author has managed to avoid that here. The story moves along smoothly without much of a hiccup. If you're looking for a feel-good, Christian-based, clean Regency romance, this is a good one.

[Cassity Bennett · Rating 3 out of 5]

The most interesting part of the book was the fact that Miranda saw dead people. It should have been more centered around that and was interesting to read about. The love story lacked… it was on repeat a lot… rehashing how the main characters felt or what they said to each other over and over again…. I didn’t mind it until halfway through the book and then I was impatient. The last 20 I skimmed because they dragged. All the characters were just a little too perfect too.

[Terressa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great story with a different approach to the Regency era. I really enjoyed it!

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this
in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

While all of the Anita Stansfield books are very similar ( but I enjoy them anyway) I just wasn’t a fan of this one. It was a a bit confusing because Miranda apparently has a mental illness yet some of her delusions are “real” like seeing the ghost of her parents. It just didn’t make a lot of sense to me.

[Ashley Bunker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a likeable read, and quick to finish. The ending did include a HEA, and I hope we see more of the sister's story in the future.
Deidre was literally the Melanie from Gone With the Wind. She pretty much had a good perspective regardless of the situation that befell her. It is actually a reason why I had a hard time liking her character because she had no real emotions it felt like.
Julian was likeable enough, but again, had no conflicts.

Now Miranda, I want to know more about her! She had moods, emotions, and conflict! Love her!!!!

I was given this book to read by the publishing company in exchange for a review. Thank you Covenant Communications.

[Alicia Rivoli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was a powerful reminder of who we are as individual people. Other than certain parts of the books that felt more descriptive than necessary. It was like an information overload. However it was still a sweet romance

[Lawana Sisam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was much more than just a good story! It taught about being kind to those who are different and what an influence it can have on others. We are all influenced by those around us and we can share what we know with others!

[Lillie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a typical romance since there is a little less drama than usual in the relationship. Mental illness is featured in the book as well in a positive way. The characters were enjoyable and the story was appropriate for young and old readers.

[Mak · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 rounded up. Good book, though it took me so long to read it partially because the author would rehash everything three times or more in the mind of the main character. Other than that the story was nice and I liked the ending.

[Arlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty average Christian romance about young woman who loses father and moves into large estate to be maid then becomes companion to 15 year old who can see ghosts. Romance between oldest son/heir and her ensue.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. The characters were likeable, especially Miranda. There was a twist at the end that I did not expect, which helped me like one of the characters more. Good read.

[NaDell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, but it was a little slow at the beginning and kind of hard to get into. I kept expecting more of a twist at the end, but it was a great book!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story, some what predictable but with more depth.

[Dorry Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

She is penniless, but catches the eye of the master of the house. Things change for her . The household resent her rising so quickly to a position of responsibly. Fun reading.....
.

[Kyndra · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite author! Loved this!