WITHIN SIGHT OF THE SEA by Sian Ann Bessey When Charlotte's grandmother invites her to accompany her to Norfolk, Charlotte jumps at the chance to visit the sea and escape the fuss surrounding her sister's wedding preparations in London. Lord William Cheston, on the other hand, is most unhappy when his mother informs him that her old friend and a granddaughter are coming to stay. Not only is it lambing season, but he's also dealing with the mysterious loss of several sheep. The last thing he needs is a child underfoot. When Charlotte and William first meet, he does not realize that the lovely young lady is the granddaughter in question, and she assumes that the man dressed in work clothes in the barn is a servant. A dinner party at the house introduces Charlotte to some of the gentry living nearby but cannot compare to her experience the next evening, when she and William battle to save the life of a newborn lamb. Soon afterward, Charlotte stumbles upon a clue to William's sheep's disappearance. And when her life is placed in jeopardy, William is forced to choose between saving Charlotte and catching the thief.
LOVE OF MY HEART by Sarah M. Eden Cordelia Wakefield has never lived anywhere but London and is not overly happy when her family is forced to retrench to a small estate near Teviotbrae, Scotland. An ill-fated game of battledore and shuttlecock brings her face-to-racquet with Sebastian, who runs the home farm at nearby Teviot Castle. What begins as a clash of personalities, expectations, and preferences, soon leads to a friendship neither had expected. As the magic of Teviotbrae weaves its spell, the possibility of something more than friendship begins to blossom. But what future is there for a lowly farmer and a London lady?
MISS SMITH GOES TO WILTSHIRE by Rebecca Connolly Martha Smith wants to marry for love, and will not be persuaded otherwise. She is highly sought after in Society for her beauty and status, but refuses to consider any suitor whose only claim is that his prospects meet with her mother's approval. Her widowed mother has had enough of Martha's romantic sensibilities, and is sending her to stay with unfortunate cousins in Wiltshire to show her that marrying for love is a risk that is too great. Benjamin Steele, Lord Hillier, is working on his new and dilapidated estate when he first catches sight of the striking Martha Smith. Becoming Lord Hillier has only brought him a house that needs significant repairs, tenant farms that had been abandoned, and only the money he'd already possessed. He wants meaning in his life, and he's more than willing to work for it. Though worlds apart in all else, on this point they can agree: a life of meaning would change everything.
Sian Ann Bessey was born in Cambridge, England, but grew up on the island of Anglesey off the coast of North Wales. She left her homeland to attend university in the U.S., where she earned a bachelor's degree in communications with a minor in English. She began her writing career as a student, publishing several magazine articles while still in college. Since then she has published historical romance and romantic suspense novels, along with a variety of children's books. She is a USA Today best selling author and a Whitney Award finalist. Although Sian doesn't have the opportunity to speak Welsh very often anymore, she can still wrap her tongue around, "Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch." She loves to travel and experience other cultures, but when she's home, her favorite activities are spending time with her family, cooking, and reading.
Yay!!! I loved this first Georgian Era Collection in the Timeless Romance Line! Each novella was full of fun, great characters, beautiful settings and sweet and clean romance. I love that I know with every one of these collections, I'm getting clean reads. And I can happily recommend them to my friends and family. This collection had novellas by three of my favorite authors and I was quickly engrossed in each of them.
~Spring at Tribbley Hall by Sian Ann Bessey~5*~ Charlotte and William were such a fun couple. A little bit of mistaken identity happening and a humorous reveal of his true identity. Charlotte was just a delightful character to watch enjoying the country for the first time. And I loved watching the sweet connection form between her and William. Great chemistry between these two.
~Love of My Heart by Sarah M. Eden~5*~ Cordelia and Sebastian had an unfortunate first meeting. But I sure had a good chuckle over it. Poor Cordelia...and poor Sebastian who took the brunt of it all. Hahaha!!! Family ties in this novella were strained and my heart felt for both of these characters. But I loved watching how they were finally able to overcome and forge their way forward for their own happiness. There's also a bit of unknown identity in this one as well. When Sebastian shows up at the garden...oh my!!!! *grinning* I loved that scene! So many great scenes and moments in this novella, especially with the budding love and romance.
~Miss Smith Goes to Wiltshire by Rebecca Connolly~ 4.5*~ Martha and Benjamin meet in a far away country in Wiltshire. He having inherited an old estate and Martha being banished there by her mother to stay with her cousin. She's no shrinking violet and embraces the joy of this new adventure. Some mud and animal droppings never hurt anyone. ;-) Benjamin has to decide what all he wants in his life and what he will sacrifice to gain that, especially sweet Martha's love. Talk about the perfect grand gesture. *happy sigh*
Content: All three novellas are clean with no explicit content.
I received a copy from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.
What a lovely trio of stories! Sweet, gentle romances set in England and Scotland by three of my favorite authors. What could be better than that?
I love that you can read one story in one sitting and feel fully satisfied or you can binge read all three in one sitting and still feel fully satisfied. I'll leave it to you to determine which one I did. 😊 I loved the countryside feel with scenes I could imagine in my head. The characters were easy to root for and I enjoyed them, and their road to finding love, very much.
What a great start to the Timeless Collection's new Georgian series! This title is on Kindle Unlimited if you have that.
I LOVE these collections and it's always fun to get to read stories set in a new era. This collection is about ladies finding love in the countryside away from all the formalities of Society, because London is not the only place where love can be found. The stories in this collection are by authors that are auto-reads for me, so it's not surprising that I loved this collection.
Spring at Tribbley Hall by Sian Ann Bessey--When Charlotte's grandmother visits an long-time friend in Norfolk she has Charlotte accompany her. Lord William Cheston isn't happy his mother has invited guests to stay with them because it's lambing season. As William spends time with Charlotte showing her the estate and explaining about the sheep, he confides that someone is stealing his sheep. They work together to figure out when the sheep are being stolen, who's behind, and where the thief could be taking them.
This was a fun story with a fiesty grandma who's doing a little behind the scenes matchmaking with her long-time friend. Of course Charlotte and William don't know or suspect anything. I liked the mystery of the missing sheep and as usual, I was surprised who the culprit turned out to be.
Love of My Heart by Sarah M. Eden--Cordelia Wakefield, her sister and parents are moving to Scotland because her family can no longer afford to live in London. She meets Sebastian, the "Home Farmer" of the local laird, in a quite memorable meet-cute. Despite their seeming differences in station--a genteel lady and a farmer--Cordelia and Sebastian form a friendship that quickly shows the potential to become more.
I loved Cordelia's attitude about her family having to move to Scotland. She was determined to make the best of it. Her parents on the other hand, didn't seem to have learned anything from the mistakes they made in London. I loved Sebastian. He was so good and kind, unlike his crotchety grandfather. One of my favorite parts, besides when Sebastian meets Cordelia, was when he stood up to his grandfather, that and when he told Cordelia he wasn't just a farmer.
Miss Smith Goes to Wiltshire by Rebecca Connolly--Martha Smith has been sent to live with her "unfortunate cousins" in Wiltshire so she can see what happens when you marry for love. In Wiltshire she sees is how happy her cousin, who married for love not station, is and meets Benjamin Steele, the new Lord Hillier, who is trying to turn around the dilapidated estate he's inherited.
I loved that nothing seemed to faze Martha. I know I wouldn't have been so nonchalant if I'd stepped in animal droppings. I liked that Benjamin quickly noticed there was something special about Martha and that she was a source of encouragement for him. I felt that together there wasn't anything those two couldn't accomplish.
I love that all the stories are sweet romances and you can read the book all at once or read each story when you have the time. I received a complimentary copy for review. All thoughts expressed in this review are my own.
I also had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook and the narrator, Kim Bretton, is amazing. She's become one of my favorite narrators because of her ability to get the emotions of the stories across in her reading. I also love being able to hear the British and Scotish accents.
I loved each story in this collection! From my limited understanding, the Georgian era is just before the Regency era, which is quite a popular genre in sweet romance. The authors weaved in some historical details that showed some of the differences between the eras, especially in fashion. With each novella I was drawn in quickly, enjoyed the characters and felt connected to them as they journey to the country and discover love along with the wonders that make the countryside so different than the cities. I admired the country gentlemen with their work ethic and strengths. I'm so excited for more from this new line of Timeless Georgian Collections!
Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.
Kisses-only Georgian era anthology. The men were manly, also considerate & tender. I enjoyed all stories.
Story #1. Charlotte & her Grandma went to visit Grandma's friend in Norfolk. The host (her son, a baron) William, was busy with lambing season. Wm made a discovery. Charlotte showed keen observation skills & bravery.
Story #2 Sebastian managed the home-farm, as secret heir to his Grandsire, the Laird. Cordelia and sister had parents who exceeded their means and moved from London to the Scottish countryside. Cordelia accidently injured Seb when they met. Seb adopted an orphan lamb who followed him everywhere. Delia discovered she preferred country living. She felt tranquility w/ Seb.
Story #3 Martha's Mom sent her to her cousin Eliza's in the country x 6 wks for rejecting 2 marriage proposals. Eliza + spouse had 10 kids. Martha still considered it a respite from ton expectations & drama. Martha met farm laborer Benjamin. Who later decided to share that he was "the Earl of Nothing & No One." He had no tenants & enough funds to squeak by. The scene w/ the missing piglets: just priceless. Benj loved Martha first. This grounded couple made everything fun or adjusted to any challenge.
These ‘timeless’ collections from Mirror Press are some of my fave novella collections around. The stories are always high quality, even though I may enjoy some more than others in a particular collection, and it gives me a taste for authors I haven’t read before while also letting me spend time with familiar faves. I’m excited for this new line of romances, too, as I haven’t read much that was specifically labeled as Georgian before now. While Regency does tag along toward the end of that period, I’m interested in getting to know some of the nuances from the larger era as a whole.
In Sian Ann Bessey’s “Spring at Tribbley Hall”, we meet a pair of matchmaking matrons who take matters into their hands. We are also treated to a case of mistaken identity, a dash of suspense and some particularly breath-stealing romantic scenes. Charlotte and William have instant chemistry that just gets more tangible the longer they spend time together, and I enjoyed watching them fall in love from beginning to end. The story’s animals also add some smile-inducing moments for the reader even as the author skillfully uses those scenes to bring Charlotte and William closer together.
Sarah M. Eden’s “Love of My Heart” gives us a pair of protagonists who are fighting to be understood by their respective families and accepted – if not loved – as they are. When life brings them smack dab into each other’s paths (‘smack’ being the appropriate word, as it were, for their meet-cute), they begin to find in the other that acceptance they’ve craved. I so enjoyed watching Sebastian & Cordelia’s friendship grow into something more romantic – through the tender moments and the swoony ones, as well as the ones that just plain made me smile. The scene with the garden party, for instance – just try not to grin from ear to ear. It’s sort-of like the ‘drop. your. sword.’ moment in The Princess Bride, minus the sword or any murderers haha. But it’s definitely a scene that will have you cheering for the power of love to find a way! And Shadow!!! Be still my never-loved-a-sheep-before heart.
Last but certainly not least is Rebecca Connolly’s ‘Miss Smith Goes to Wiltshire’. Full of wry wit, this story has a hero & heroine you cannot help but fall in love with. I adored Benjamin and Martha’s complete lack of airs, their big hearts, and their first kiss. It was just such the perfect moment for him to kiss her – it would have left me bereft if he had not. Martha is such a lovable character that readers will want to embrace her more than once for her endearing nature. Benj is her perfect match, even just as friends but especially as even more. Smart dialogue, great lines to quote, and warm supporting characters make this another novella that will keep you smiling throughout its entirety.
Bottom Line: Her Country Gentleman by Sian Ann Bessey, Sarah M. Eden, and Rebecca Connolly is a delightful trio of stories in every way. Common themes of the countryside – and the sheep! – give way to each author giving their particular novella their own spin with their own voice and writing style, and readers will very much enjoy each one. I honestly can’t pick a favorite novella from this collection – I enjoyed them all. They were each well-written and full of wonderful characters and swoony romance, as well as touches of humor and tenderness. However, my favorite chemistry between the characters is from “Spring at Tribbley Hall”, my favorite meet-cute is in “Love of My Heart”, and my favorite first kiss is between Benjamin and Martha in “Miss Smith Goes to Wiltshire”. As a bonus, my favorite sheep is Sarah M. Eden’s Shadow… because if you don’t have a favorite sheep, was this really a collection about the countryside?
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
I LOVE anthologies, especially historical fiction anthologies! I had great expectations for this collection because it is written by three of my favorite authors. It exceeded my expectations. Each heroine was misplaced from their beloved London for various reasons. Each went to the country and each heroine was pleasantly adaptive to their new surroundings, willing to embrace the beauties of earth abounding there. Each met a hero unlike any city gentleman of their acquaintance. The stories in this collection made we laugh and even giddy at some points. PURE DELIGHT!
An anthology of sweet Georgian/period romantic stories. 3.5 stars
Sian Ann Bessey opens the collection with her story "Within Sight of the Sea." Charlotte's feisty Grandmama decides they've had enough with Charlotte's older sister's wedding planning and will be going to the seaside to visit her old friend, the dowager Lady Cheston. Grandmama and Lady Cheston are working on a project. William, Lord Cheston is busy with farm troubles. It's lambing season which requires all hands to help and sheep are routinely disappearing from the farm and he has promised their wool to wealthy merchants. He doesn't have time to entertain guests and having a child wander around the estate alone could be dangerous. He is not a babysitter! Little does William know that his mother's guest's granddaughter is not 8 years old but 18 and a lovely and compassionate young woman. Did he burn his bridges with her or will she give him a second chance after an awkward first meeting? He won't have much to offer if he can't solve the mystery of the missing sheep.
I loved this story so much! It had me at sheep! I love sheep! And puppies! The newborn animals just melt my cold heart! The romance was sweet and the mystery engaging. I really like Charlotte and William's connection. They share a sense of humor and a strong sense of compassion for animals. She is intelligent, good humored, and quick to observe details he misses. William is a wonderful hero. He's a dedicated landowner, farmer and has a strong sense of decency. I don't think he did anything terrible wrong at their first meeting but he should have made it less awkward.
I also really like Grandmama. She's a hoot. She knows her own mind and goes after what she wants, even if she's meddling. William's mother is less appealing. She's selfish, frivolous and seems not to care where her money is coming from - or in this case - disappearing to. The other party guests may have been invited to NOT appeal to William and Charlotte, even if they are neighbors. Mr. Beeker is a prosy bore obsessed with sheep and the natural world. While what he says is not wrong and I agree about living in harmony with nature, the way he says it and how often he says it are just... boring. Miss Fitzroy does not belong in the country for she doesn't like sheep! How can you not like sheep? She doesn't seem to have a pleasant personality and her father could be the one stealing sheep. He doesn't like them either so I guess I can forgive her for echoing her father. Mr. Wellington, the magistrate, is too busy inflating his own ego with exaggerated stories to do his job. Is he smart enough to catch a sheep thief? I doubt it.
"Love of My Heart" by Sarah M. Eden is a story of displacement, abandonment and adjustment. Cordelia Wakefield's family needs to retrench and her father suddenly moves the family to the wilds of Teviotbrae, Scotland where he doesn't seem to have learned any lessons about WHY they needed to retrench. Cordelia and her sister Seraphina are left wondering whether they will ever return to London or if they're destined to wither into spinsters in the wilds of Scotland. Sebastian Coburn is trying to make the best of being forced into the role of farmer by his grandfather, the Laird. Sebastian actually enjoys getting to know the land and the people more than he expected but he wishes for a little more kindness from his grandfather. When he meets Cordelia, at first it is awkward but soon he takes delight in showing her his favorite places on the estate. She is pleased and charmed more than she expected but if he reveals the truth will they still be friends? Will her father allow her to be courted by a mere farmer or does he have to break his agreement with his grandfather?
I'm sad to say this is my least favorite story in the collection. It is way too long and slow and lacks the spark of the Jonquils or the excitement of the Dred Penny books. The story is a little more sober than the other two.
Charlotte's sister Seraphina is the Jane Bennet sister. She's almost too good. Only when playing the piano does she express herself. Charlotte is a little socially awkward, clumsy and tends to speak her mind but she ends up being very patient and calm about her situation. I like Sebastian well enough but he needs to stand up to his grandfather more. The older adults are all horrible, unlikable people. The locals are charming and interesting. I want to know more about them. My favorite character was the lamb, Shadow, who follows Seb like Mary's lamb.
"Miss Smith Goes to Wiltshire" by Rebecca Connolly is my second favorite story. Martha Smith refuses to make a marriage of convenience so she's banished to stay with a cousin who married beneath her and now has a large family in the country. Martha takes to her boisterous but kind relatives and country life. She doesn't mind the mud at all. Benjamin Steele has recently been elevated to the Earl of Hillier, a worthless title with a worthless estate. There's nothing but mud. He's determined to put Pontcaster back together again and with any luck, some day he may be able to take a wife. When he meets Martha, he's astonished. Benji has never met anyone like her before but he has nothing to offer anyone, let alone a city girl.
Martha is a little too perfect for my taste but I enjoyed the romance between her and Benj. They certainly get to know each other well. I'm not sure how well she knows her own mind though and if they can be happy in the long run. Benj is a great hero. He's determined to succeed and capable of handling a farm. He's willing to put in the work to reap the reward, whenever that will be. I like how he's uncomfortable with his new position and doesn't automatically assume all the deference due to Lords should be his. He's more interested in farming than going to London to the House of Lords. He's good husband material, if he can make the estate pay. Cousin Eliza seems happy though and a good friend to Martha. She's in love with her husband, Mr. Cummings, and they're very cute together. Martha's friend, Miss Holmes, is delightful. She's a good friend but more city like than Martha, in spite of having lived in the country her whole life.
I would have read a little more about Martha and Benj before the epilogue. It seemed a little too rushed for me.
I’ve enjoyed some of the Timeless Collection anthologies in the past and was particularly jazzed because this was the first Georgian Era set of stories and they were all city girl heads to the countryside romances. Two of the three authors were already delightfully familiar, but I was equally excited for a new to me author and to have a narrator who I’d not experienced, too.
The three novellas were all standalone though they share the same premise of young lady leaving London and into the countryside where they experience the country and a charming romance.
In ‘Spring at Tribbley Hall’, I was tickled that the story includes a suspense element when Lord Cheston’s sheep are being stolen, but the first meeting involving a cute puppy and mistaken identity set the tone and the rest of the romance engineered by William’s mama and Charlotte’s grandmamma was a fabulous start.
From there, ‘Love of My Heart’ has poor Cordelia Wakefield along with her spendthrift family departing expensive London for Scotland and a fresh start. An infamous meet cute takes place between her and a certain farmer, Sebastian. Cordelia won my respect the way she really tried to keep her chin up with such a trying family. Sebastian was a solid man who is not exactly what she thought at first and they were splendid together as was this story.
Finally, ‘Miss Smith Goes to Wiltshire’ has Martha Smith sent off to the country as some sort of punishment that was far from it for Martha who takes to country life like a champ and strikes up a romance with the new Lord Hillier who is working to turn his newly acquired estate around. A sweet romp!
Kim Bretton did a stellar job of matching accent, characters, and the tone of the stories. I settled right into her storytelling and was able to get lost into the world of the stories so that I was reluctant to stop listening.
All in all, I absolutely adored all this love in the country and the time period. Each story was unique and came to romance a little differently, paced nicely, they were well-developed, and were quick in the telling as novellas. If someone wants some sweet and charming historical romances with not much angst, I would definitely suggest this first of the Timeless Georgian collections.
I rec'd an Audible audio code through Austenprose to listen to in exchange for an honest review.
A wonderful group of stories. A great book. This book is authored by three very talented authors, Sian Bessey, Sarah Eden, and Rebecca Connolley. I will admit upfront that these are three of my favorite authors so my expectations were high and they did not disappoint. What a great read. The first story is Spring at Tribbley Hall by Sian Bessey. It is set in Norfolk where Charlotte and her grandmother have gone to escape the stress and pressure surrounding the marriage of Charlotte’s sister. Unbeknownst to Charlotte and Lord William Cheston, owner of the house they are staying in their respective grandmothers have other plans that Charlotte and William are not privy to but those plans may go awry as William is forced to focus on the sheep being stolen from his herd. The second is Love of My Heart by Sarah Eden. Is set in Scotland where Cordelia and her family have moved to retrench. Cordelia’s parents are quickly impressed by the local laird but Cordelia is more drawn to the Home Farmer, Sebastian, someone her parents would never approve of. As Cordelia and Sebastian spend time together, they grow closer but how can the difference in station ever be resolved? The third book is Miss Smith Goes to Wiltshire by Rebecca Connolley. Martha has been sent to Wiltshire to stay with a cousin as punishment for refusing to consider let alone marry one of the men her mother has decided is suitable for her. While her mother looks for standing, money, and power, Martha dreams of a love match. Arriving in Wiltshire Martha soon makes the acquaintance of Benjamin as he is working on a rundown estate and they immediately strike up a comfortable and enjoyable friendship with Martha unaware that Benjamin, who seems to always be dressed as a working farmer, is in reality the new Lord Hillier. But how long will Martha’s mother remain content to let her daughter go against her wishes? This book is a truly wonderful read that I’m sure you’ll enjoy. I received an early copy and this is my honest review.
Timeless Romance anthologies are always well written. The stories captured me from the first word until the last. I honestly wished that there was more.
In all of the stories, young women of society who live in London find out there is a wonderful world outside of the city.
In "Spring at Tribbly Hall" there were plenty of embarrassing moments that were funny! Charlotte makes some assumptions that bring a perspective to life in the country that were incorrect. I adored her and William. A conniving mother and a grandmother are a delightful addition to the story.
"Love of My Heart" is a reminder that "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade". Cordelia leaves London with her family when they can no longer afford their lifestyle. Her positive attitude about making Scotland her home is inspiring. She inspires Sebastian to be happy with his current circumstances and to tell Cordelia who he really is.
"Miss Smith Goes to Wiltshire" explored the thought of whether or not love is an important part of marriage. Martha's mother certainly thinks so. To prove her point she sends Martha to the country to live with a cousin who chose love over connection. (Like that would work out well.)
One thing that I love about this anthology is that you can binge read the stories in a couple of sittings or you can read one a day. Anyway you go about it, you will be entertained and love the stories.
Maybe it's the fact that I grew up in the country in a small town or maybe it's that life it so crazy right now, but I loved this collection and it spoke straight to my soul.
There are many ways to find love and it was refreshing to find it in the quiet corner of a sheep farm by the sea, with a dash of mystery, as well as in the countryside of Scotland, and in a dilapidated piece of quiet land. Each of these stories was so entertaining and soothing. I could visualize the settings and almost smell the earth. The gentle romances were equally pacifying.
My favorite thing was the overall feeling of an almost spring-like tenderness of hope, love, and renewal. This was an easy and delightful book to settle into and I loved every minute of it.
Content: mild romance; mild moments of peril in the first story
*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*
WOW! WOW! WOW! This book is truly amazing! Each story is so sweet, heartfelt, heartwarming, romantic, and so much more! Whenever I picked up "Her Country Gentleman", I was whisked back in time to the Georgian Era, and went on such emotional journeys with these stories.
All three authors have such a beautiful way of bringing the past to life, and their characters feel like such real people. As the reader, I felt the emotions that the heroes and heroines were feeling throughout, and was so hoping for them all to find their happily-ever-afters. Furthermore, as an animal lover, I adore their love of animals!!
"Spring at Tribbley Hall": This story surrounds Charlotte and William. When Charlotte travels with her grandmother to Lady Cheston's (a friend of Charlotte's grandmother) house, she unexpectedly meets William while rescuing a puppy who has wondered off. Soon finding out that William is in fact Lord Cheston, she is shocked that he did not immediately tell her who he is upon their first meeting. However, these two quickly find they are drawn to one another, and soon find that they share a love for animals. As sheep have been disappearing from William's land, Charlotte offers to help discover who the thief is. With a strong, caring, and loving heroine, and a brave and kind hero, this story truly was impossible to put down. With puppies, dogs, sheep, sweet moments, suspenseful scenes that will keep you on the edge of your seat, and so much more, this story is simply incredible from the first moment to the last.
"Love of My Heart": This story surrounds Cordelia and Sebastian. Cordelia is such a sweet, kind, strong, and loving woman who is an incredibly talented artist. Her parents, however, devastatingly frown upon her art. Sebastian is such a kind, intelligent, and strong man who encourages Cordelia in her art. At first, Cordelia believes Sebastian to be a worker on the farm. As she and Sebastian begin to get to know one another better, they begin to fall in love, and Sebastian's real identity is revealed. I do not want to say too much because of spoilers, but, I will say, this story is full of both heart-warming and heart-wrenching moments, beautiful locations, an adorable and spunky lamb named Shadow, and so much more. Also, can we please have Seraphina's and Douglas' story next please?
"Miss Smith Goes to Wiltshire": This story surrounds Martha and Benj. When Martha is sent to live with her cousin Eliza in the country for a few weeks, she is instantly awed by the beauty of what she sees around her. She soon meets Benj, not knowing at first that he really is Lord Hillier, and soon finds in him someone she is completely comfortable being herself around. These two truly bring out the best in one another, as both are able to be their authentic selves around one another without worry of being judged. With many sweet, fun, witty, heartfelt, heart-wrenching, and swoon-worthy moments, this story will draw you in from the first page to the last. This story is full of heart, adorable sheep and piglets, and has two people who truly are so perfect together. Also, I adore Cassie!
If you enjoy historical romance, I HIGHLY recommend this book! It kept me turning the pages into the early hours of the morning as I simply could not put it down, and I hope there will be many more amazing anthologies to come from these authors!
Thank you so much to Mirror Press, Austenprose, Sian Ann Bessey, Sarah M. Eden, and Rebecca Connolly for the ARC of this book, it is truly incredible! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I don't know much about the Georgian era. To my uneducated eye, it's before regency, and in this collection I mostly noticed the difference in fashions (powdered wigs, large skirt frames). Otherwise, it read like a regency collection to me. I loved how everything occurred in the country. I'm redubbing this The Sheep Collection in my head. I expected the stories to simply take place out in the country, but they actually dealt with the land and livestock (hence the sheep).
Siann Bessey's story, Spring at Tribbley Hall, involved two matchmaking grandma's, a heroine who is always getting into trouble, missing livestock, and an unconventional host. I loved Charlotte's fascination the new environment she was in. I also loved the mystery of the missing sheep.
Sarah Eden's Love of My Heart was a fun story where the Wakefield's are forced to retrench in the wilds of Scotland. Her parents reminded me of Anne's in Persuasion: absolutely ridiculous in the face of monetary ruin. Cordelia meets Sebastian of the Home Farm. Her parents still care about status, she cares about his kindness. Once again there are some delightful sheep.
Rebecca Connolly's contribution was Miss Smith Goes to Wiltshire. I love Rebecca Connolly! This story had it all! Humor, romance, sheep! Had to fit the sheep in there one last time. In this story Martha Smith is being sent to Wiltshire to think about what she's done. She wants to marry for love, her mother wants her to marry a title. Now she's exiled to cousin Eliza's house to see how marrying for love results in poverty (not really) and ten children. The plan backfires on her mother though because Martha loves seeing the country and cousin Eliza is happy (gasp). While in the country, Martha meets Benjamin Steele who has inherited a title and a decrepit estate. I loved Martha's optimism, and Benj's hard work. I also loved that despite Martha's upbringing, she's ready to dig in and help. She doesn't see herself as better than the country folk, which would surely shock her mother.
I loved the scenery in this collection, the hardworking men and women, and the deliciously sweet romances.
Warmth, affection and eventually love all play wonderful roles in these endearing novellas. Her Country Gentleman is the first book in what promiss to be a wonderful historical romance series. Each of the authors were new to me and this book was a wonderful way to be introduced to them.
“Spring at Tribbley Hall,” by Sian Ann Bessey
Charlotte gets to spend time in the country while she is accompanying her grandmother. They are guests in William's home, something that initially displeases him. However, the more time that they spend together, the more that they realize they are rather drawn to each other. However, William was not who Charlotte thought he was, so they must decide whether or not they might have a future together.
“Love of My Heart,” by Sarah M. Eden
Cordella and her family are moving to Scotland due to financial reasons. When she meets Sebastian, who appears to be a farmer, class distinctions ring loud. Spending time together proves problematic when this gentle lady begins developing feelings. Friends from the start, but unlikely to have a future together. However, Sebastian has kept something about him a secret and it was enjoyable to see where things could go for the both of them.
“Miss Smith Goes to Wiltshire,” by Rebecca Connolly
In this lovely story, Martha is sent to live with her cousin in Wiltshire. She sees nothing but love in this part of her extended family. Will Martha ever find the same type of love, not being concerned about stations in life? She begins to understand new feelings when she meets a man on the estate, Benjamin Steele, whis is the new Lord Hillier. The pair make a fine pair of friends and Martha starts recognizing strong feelings.
With animals, most notably sheep, as backdrops for each of these stories, they all exuded warm feelings as each couple found love. I definitely look forward to reading the next book in this new series.
Many thanks to Mirror Press for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
These anthologies are my favorite when I need a quick story escape, this one is no different.
Spring at Tribbley Hall - What begins as a comedy of errors between our main characters becomes two sleuths searching for the truth. These two characters complement each other and they get past their misunderstandings without the extra drama that is sometimes found in stories with this trope. It was a refreshing lovely story and an excellent first story in this anthology. The chemistry between the characters was perfect as was the tone of the story.
I loved Charlotte's grandmother and her friend's scheme to get the two young people together. Grandma was a hoot. I love when stories feature the eccentric older character that helps the young see what is right in front of them.
Love of My Heart - Can I just say that this story made me want to scream at Cordelia's parents as well as Sebastian's grandfather? I wanted to slap them full of sense.
That being said, I loved Cordelia and Sebastian. They are unique and have such great chemistry. He sees her which is something that she needed considering her relationship with her parents. She also saw him for who he was, and don't we all need that.
This story was completely delightful with humor and romance.
Miss Smith Goes to Wiltshire - This story was absolutely delightful. It is a girl escaping her mother's push for a title when she wants to have a marriage of love. Martha and Ben come together very organically. He sees this great lady and she is made of more and works with him. She sees him for the determined hard worker he is and the story is beautiful.
This combination of authors and stories is fantastic and I was so excited to see them together in this anthology.
I received an early copy and this is my honest review.
This is an anthology full of amazing, well written romances. Each story is unique and approaches love from a different viewpoint and circumstances, but linked together by having a country setting and sheep. These stories are clean reads and are very well edited.
I was given an advance copy of this book. My review was voluntary and my opinions were my own. I highly recommend this anthology to Georgian historical romance lovers. They are wonderful quick reads and I'm looking forward to reading the next anthology in this series.
Spring at Tribbley Hall by Sian Ann Bessey Rating: 5 stars
I liked the touch of mystery with this romance. Will Charlotte and William solve the mystery of the stolen sheep and find love along the way? This was a fun, light hearted read.
Love of My Heart by Sarah M. Eden Rating: 5 stars
A story that will put a smile on your face with its unique characters, romance, and a happily every after.
Miss Smith Goes to Wiltshire by Rebecca Connolly Rating: 4.5 stars
This story had lots of witty banter and funny situations with Martha and Benj. I liked the unique perspective Martha had on life and people.
I enjoyed all three stories within this compilation. Each story was set in the country and captured the beautiful surrounding landscape via well crafted wording.
Each of the authors featured are some of my favorites and they did not disappoint!
Great characters, strong plots that feature strong heroes as well as heroines. They drew me into the story and held me in a well spun tale.
I recommend this book for a delightful three stories.
I received an ARC copy of the book and the opinions are my own.
Three fun novellas. I love these three authors, so I knew this collection would be good. And it didn’t disappoint! I enjoyed the premise of each book - high society lady going to the country. But each heroine found their own adventure as they learned to live a different type of life than they were used to. Each hero was engaging. And of course, I loved their HEAs. I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I loved this anthology of sweet Georgian era stories! I especially enjoyed that these stories take place in the country! All of the authors in this anthology did a fantastic job with these novellas!
These were all delightful stories. Very entertaining for an evening or Saturday afternoon. All three authors are wonderful so I had no qualms with getting this book. I knew they would all be great. And I certainly was not disappointed. I highly recommend it.
Lovely 3 stories! The one by Sian Ann Bessey was probably my favorite of the 3, and it was also the last one I needed to read before finishing Sian’s backlist (minus her 1-2 books that are not on audio.) I enjoyed all 3 and definitely recommend this anthology!
Content Guide for Spring at Tribbley Hall: Language: none Sexual content: brief sweet kiss Violence/gore: Mild peril Substance use: Mild-drinking of occasional social alcoholic drink Prejudices: social classes Religious content: none Other: Toxic parental behavior, theft
Content Guide for Love of my Heart: Language: None, though the word “dickens” is used Sexual Content: sweet kisses only Violence/gore: none Substance use: Mild-drinking of occasional social alcoholic drink Prejudices: Social classes Religious Content: none Other: Toxic parental behavior
Content Guide for Miss Smith Goes to Wiltshire: Language: none Sexual Content: sweet kisses only Violence/gore: none Substance use: Mild-drinking of occasional social alcoholic drink Prejudices: none Religious content: none Other: Overbearing mother
In this collection there are three similar, but also different books. In Spring at Tribbley Hall, since it is by Sian Ann Bessey, we can expect tension and excitement. You will not be disappointed, as this abounds. Yet it is beautifully written, with outstanding descriptions of scenery and happenings, great excitement on horseback, and tender romance. When the couple meet, they both think the other is of lower status, yet they don’t allow that to affect their friendship and admiration. Sian writes everything so well and the dialect very competently.
After Sian’s nail-biting suspense, we move to Sarah Eden’s Love of my Heart. At first, we can relax. This is time to settle back and enjoy the beauty of Sarah’s writing, becoming well acquainted with the characters and getting into their feelings. Enjoy it while you can. Sarah’s writing can be every bit as tension-filled as an action novel, inducing nail-biting anxiety from the everyday. In this case, parents.
Rebecca Connolly is new to me, but Miss Smith Goes to Wiltshire makes me want to read more. There are many quotable truths in her pages, such as: “…there was nothing more dangerous than an informed woman.” And: “Ignorance was not bliss, in Martha’s mind. Ignorance was madness.” And this may very well have been the first ever: ‘Are we there yet?’ With: “I hesitate to ask, for fear of becoming a nuisance,” Martha announced, avoiding the temptation to bite her lip as she looked back at her fellow occupants in the coach. “But . . . when do you think we will arrive at our destination?”
Rebecca’s romantic pair are very unconventional and immensely refreshing. I couldn’t help falling for Rebecca, though Benj needs a good slapping sometimes. Can you believe he said: “I believe I’d make an offer by the end of it, given I’ve fallen nearly in love with you.”? (Italics are mine.) Still, which one of us males has not been exasperatingly stupid in romance?
What I loved about this book was that each story is magnificent, and each is different. Well, except they all have sheep.
I have no hesitation in giving five stars collectively to this book. Great writing. Outstanding characters and each story is very compelling and different.
I always enjoy these timeless collections. I have read stories by these authors so I was excited to dive in and see strong heroines fall for country gentlemen. I should have expected mud to be involved but I was surprised at the amount of sheep mentioned. One gentleman even kept it as a pet. But every story was sweet and unique. I haven't read many Georgian stories but I knew they wore powdered wigs and many then had arranged marriages but these stories hardly had any powder.
Spring At Tribbley Hall - Sian Ann Bessey
First of all, I love the name Tribbley. Its fun to say and this story had intrigue and action at the end. I liked the bit of matchmaking with Charlotte's grandma. The romance between Charlotte and William was realistic and genuine. I wish this story was longer because I loved it so much.
Love Of My Heart - Sarah M. Eden
This felt like a whole complete story that left me happy. Cordelia's world is turned upside down when they quickly move from London to Scotland with hardly any society. Cordelia becomes friends with Sebastian of the Home Farm, not knowing he's to inherit and become the laird when his grandfather dies. I liked how Cordelia shared her talents with others with her drawings and paintings.
Miss Smith Goes To Wiltshire - Rebecca Connolly
Martha is being punished by her mother, sending her to Wiltshire to see how her cousin's poor choice of a spouse has left her. Sure her cousin doesn't have a grand house or lots of servants, she has to go to town for bread! *gasp* Martha finds this slow pace life just what she wants. She stumbles upon some shepherds and learns with fascination how they shear them. She had never seen sheep before! The thought, while absurd, made me realize there were likely many Londoners who had never seen one before. It doesn't help that one of the shepherds is handsome and turns out isn't a shepherd at all but an earl! I loved the aspect of his land and estate.
I recommend you read this if you like: -Heroines who wanted to marry for love when it wasn't done at the time -Heroes who didn't have problems getting their hands dirty and do hard work -Sheep -Mud and other gross things :) -Sweet kisses
I received an e-arc copy from the publisher. These are my own thoughts and opinions.
These three lovely novellas took me back in time and to the bucolic countryside of England for some heartwarming, sweet romance. I have a weakness for hardworking, honorable heroes, and I was not disappointed. Great read!
I’ve said this many times–I love novella collections! And this book, Her Country Gentleman, is no exception. Each story is incredibly written to represent the time era that each author portrays.
There are three stories–“Spring at Tribbley Hall,” “Love of My Heart,” and “Miss Smith Goes to Wiltshire.” All three stories can be read individually, but they are all set during the Georgian period. Personally, I read them in order, but that is only because I basically read the entire book in one sitting–I enjoyed it that much!
I don’t want to give too much away, because that it is easy to do when explaining a novella story, but I will say, if you love this period in English history, I gladly recommend this book. And if you love historical fiction, you will enjoy reading about the lives of these characters who lived in a world so long ago, which is why historical fiction is one of my favorite genres to read. It is so wonderful to be able to step back in time and enter a place we know little about, but through the pages of a story, we can gather a glimpse so we can better understand yesterday. Happy reading friends!
I love this collection of novellas! These are some of my favorite authors and they have done an excellent job, again! Historical fiction is my favorite and it was fun to get away from London for a bit and see how romance might be found in parts of the country of England. The way the characters found their way despite the challenges and changes that they couldn’t control was both entertaining and enlightening. I definitely recommend. I enjoyed the animals that were incorporated into the stories also.
Great book! I loved how each novella had its own unique story even though they had the same theme. This is a great way to read stories from authors I love like Sarah Eden and Rebecca Connelly as well as be introduced to new authors I would like to read like Sian Bessey. All had great stories but I have to admit that Sian's captivated me the most. Looking forward to the next novella.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT * SPRING AT TRIBBLEY HALL by Sian Ann Bessey * LOVE OF MY HEART by Sarah M. Eden * MISS SMITH GOES TO WILTSHIRE by Rebecca Connolly
MY TAKE I thoroughly enjoyed all three stories. Sometimes, I just want a simple, uncomplicated romance. These three novellas did the job. Beautiful country estates, engaging characters, and sheep!