The Jewels of Halstead Manor

Ladies of Devon #1

by Kasey Stockton

She can only stay as long as the invalid needs her... so he makes it his business to need her forever.

When a cryptic invitation brings Giulia Pepper to her uncle's remote estate in Devon, she arrives in dire need of a benefactor, only to discover that her uncle never sent her any invitation—nor does he want her there. Forced into a corner, Giulia must contrive a way to convince him to allow her to remain, just long enough to figure out where to go next.

Nicholas never asked for an earldom, but when an aged lord arrives at his door and tells Nicholas that he is next in line for the title, he willingly goes to Halstead Manor to learn the role. But someone isn’t pleased with the heir, and after a gunshot wound in the arm, Nicholas must discover who is out to get him.

When Giulia stumbles—literally—over a fallen man on the lane to Halstead, she has her answer: she can stay at Halstead and nurse her uncle's heir back to health. But as mystery builds and danger mounts, will Giulia and Nicholas be able to solve the puzzle before the Earl forces Giulia to leave for good? And furthermore, can they manage to work together without losing their hearts in the process?

Genres: Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Regency, Historical, Audiobook, Fiction

Audiobook

First published March 1, 2020

Reviews

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked The Jewels of Halstead Manor, I just didn't love it. It started out strong and then I felt it started to lag, and it kind of lost me, but then it came back up. Guilia and Nick were strong characters, in fact, all of the characters were but I think for me something was missing that didn't allow me to fully enjoy it to be able to really connect with the story, though I wanted to.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book. I enjoyed it, especially after the mystery was introduced. Jules was a great character. I loved how she was strong but vulnerable. The author did so well writing her. It took me a bit to like Nate. It was part of the mystery to figure him out. I'm not much of a mystery reader they either give me anxiety or they are not believable. This one was good and believable and didn't get so crazy and didn't have me on edge. This is a proper romance with a bit of mystery. No religion.

[Kitcatscratch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't really sure how to rate this book. First off, the author put a lot of effort into this story. By that I mean it was proofed with no typos that I could see, the story was not rushed and took its time, there was a solid structure to the story, etc. For the first 66% of the story, I was truly engrossed as I found the h very appealing and her life with her father and "Ames," the boy/young man that worked for her father and traveled with them a little bittersweet. It's obvious she has nothing but love for her small family (father and Ames) but then as a reader, you compare that love to what she says and thinks and can't help find it very lonely and lacking.

One prime example is that one of her many memories involves an incident when she was about 9. I believe Ames is 17 at the time. He finds her crying in a corner having cut her hair off horribly (Good lord, is this something every young girl has gone through? Cutting off their hair or eyebrows? I confess it was my eyebrows). He consoles her than goes to find another woman to trim her hair up. It was a memory she holds as a sweet one where Ames took care of her but as a reader I felt it sad that this 17 year old boy had to act as both mother and father.

Now, the problems with the 66% mark.



I found that the character I felt the most affection for wasn't even in the story yet. That's right. Ames. Her complete love and loyalty to Ames and his care of her for 10 years really touched me. The conflict comes because she is falling in love with the heir to the Earl (the current Earl who is her uncle). Now I get it because she was set adrift for a few months with no word from Ames. She worried he had forgotten her or didn't want anything more to do with her etc. I get it. She's vulnerable and she acknowledges it. Yet, a big part of me found I really wanted her to be with Ames and not the H (the heir).

The other issue was that most of the story had been told by the 66% mark. You ever read a story and are really into it and look at how far you are in the kindle because you're at the 89% mark and you realize you're nearing the end but you are LOVING the book. So you stress because you know the end is coming and you don't want it to? Well, that's not this book. I stared at the 66% mark and thought "OMG, I have so much more to go. What more is there to tell?"

Then lo and behold Ames finally shows up. His intro is lovely for a moment. Then it just...comes to nothing. She realizes that he found someone that he has fallen in love with. She realizes that she's happy for him and that what she felt for him was probably more brotherly than romantic. So I had to take a moment. Since up until this point, she had talked of how she had loved him all her life but at the age of 15, when he kissed her, her heart was his. She dreamed of marrying him. But see, this now frees her up to be with the H. And we have over 30% more to go. What follows is really annoying lack of communication. Now, I love lack of communication in stories more often than not. There's nothing like an H or h with a secret that is truly sad or heartbreaking and they can't say what it is (like For Elise by Sarah Eden. I felt the h's lack of communication understandable though many reviewers seemed to think she should have just told the H straight out. Um, let's agree to disagree). However, in this book, there was no big secret. Mostly she thinks he may just be a player and has no serious intentions towards her. Well, they've kissed. If you allow someone to kiss you and spend all that time with you, then I think you can ask "Hey, where are we going with this." Like the h in Lord Humphrey who basically does say that. And she manages it without being a demanding or overly emotion b*tch. she's basically like "hey, make a decision here and we'll both abide by it.

Anyway, it got to the point where I wasn't so much interested in the big mystery of why someone was out to get the H and h. I had now been made to lose interest in Ames who until then had figured as big, reliable, romantic protector.

Now I admit. I am at the 86% mark. I will limp along to the finish because I hate DNF unless truly forced to. If something amazing happens in the last 14% I'll be back. Otherwise, I stand by my opinions.

However, I will add that it's a clean story and for the most part not boring and definitely well written.

[Paula Shreckhise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great Regency tale with mysterious overtones. Gulia’s ( Julia) father had died in India. She travels back to England when a letter from her Uncle Robert summons her. She is almost to Halstead Manor when she stumbles over an injured man. Nick turns out to be her distant cousin and heir to her Uncle Robert.
With danger at every turn and an uncle who is less than hospitable, this is a slightly gothic tale with a puzzle to solve. It is an eloquent story with well drawn characters and a setting of an ancient castle with secret passageways. My kind of historical fiction. I give it 5 stars for an absorbing clean read.
*I borrowed tjis ebook from Prime Reading. All opinions are my own.*

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great regency romance

Great regency romance with some mystery intertwined. I loved both of the main characters and their automatic romantic tension. 4.5 stars!

[Rebecca Lange · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful and sweet…

Enjoyable with some twists and turns I tried to see coming but didn’t. The ending worried me for a moment, but luckily it turned into an HEA.

[Marlene]

"So she stays until I am better?" Nick asked.
"Yes."
"Then I must do my best to never ever get better."

[MichelleH H · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first Kasey Stockton book, and I state that because I realize I'm not an expert on her writing: So take that with a grain of salt.

Ms. Stockton is a great story teller, the book grabbed my attention right away...great opening scene, shocking and scary, and you fall in love with the heroine right then and there. The characters were all well written, fleshed out, engaging, intriguing (except I was left wondering about the change of heart of one of the characters, why no insight from his point of view, like we're allowed from other characters?) The heroine, Giulia Pepper, was amazing...almost too amazing, but she had a very unusual and adventurous girlhood traveling with her father and experienced a lot of nearly unbelievable circumstances. What I liked about that was that we learn it wasn't necessarily those exposures to different cultures that made her who she was, but that her own personality, zest for life, and respect of all kinds of people allowed her to be welcomed and protected in every strange place her father dragged her to. What was sad about that was that although her father adored his daughter, he never provided a real solid home and often left her alone to fend for herself because he felt she was 'safe.' It sounded very lonely. You feel his love all through the book, but sometimes love is just not enough.

The story dragged too much for me, I thought it could have been chopped by a good 1/3 of the book. I was invested enough to find out all the mystery and solving the threats to the hard won security and happiness that our heroine had finally achieved. But I can't say that I couldn't put it down. It felt like I was taking forever to finish the book. I found that the language was too modern to be true to the historical Regency era, and that pulled me out of the story countless times.

The love story part of the book was wonderful, if dragged on too long. The hero, Nick, was rather yummy. But here again the dragging on of the book took away from romance part of the book. Slow building romance is usually great, and this love story was wonderful as I already said.

We're introduced to some really curious and fascinating characters who we're not sure in the beginning we can trust. The story leaves you to wonder what will happen in their lives and that question will be answered in the next books in this series. I'd like to read about their stories someday.

I will end by repeating myself when I said that the author is a great story teller. I can recommend this book with the warnings I already stated above. If you're a speed reader, by all means go to it! If you're a slow reader like I am perhaps starting with another of her series would be the ticket to introduce yourself to this author.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one! There was a tinge of mystery to it that was so fun!



And Giulia was such a great character! Right from the beginning she is vibrant and wacky. I absolutely loved being in her head. And Nick was absolutely hilarious.

They mystery was a bit easy, but we all know we are really here for the relationships. And I loved all of them, not just the one between Giulia and Nick. Her uncle warming to her really touched my heart. And the friends she makes on the way. I love a good setup for a series. I am excited to learn about each of the girls in the group falling in love!

[Merry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started off with a bang. I was totally invested in it. The life that Giulia lived was interesting and unlike most main characters that I have read about. Nicholas was a great hero and I felt the chemistry between the characters. Then about half way through the book it just started to slow. There was the mystery of a key and who was trying to harm the main characters. I was not satisfied with the answers given. I rate it 3.5* and rounded up.

[Iris · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story showed potential and started off interesting but by the end several characters fell flat and it left me feeling dissatisfied. The ending was rushed and a bit contrived. The true villain needed to be fleshed out in order to believe they did what they did. It just didn't fit with the character's back story - the little we saw. The "hero" tended to be on the annoying side and I had a hard time seeing what she saw in him, other than his "good looks and well built body". Aside from the heroine of the novel, the backstory and other characters needed to be developed more in order for me to be able to immerse myself in their world. Kasey Stockton is a talented writer, but this one was not one of her better novels.

[M.A. Nichols · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fun book. Books with a mystery subplot aren't usually my thing, but I really enjoyed this. I figure a good measure for a book is whether or not I find myself finding excuses to avoid doing the things I should be doing to get a few more minutes of reading, and this definitely did that. I will definitely be jumping into the rest of the series.

[Ruby Maggard · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little feel-good romance with a predictable mystery, what’s not to love?
Aside from the completely capable modern woman that is somehow completely useless?
Also, aside from the cringy writing?
Aside from that, what's not to love?

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a most engaging read! It had romance and a mystery or two to solve. The main characters of Giulia and Nick were very likeable. Giulia had led an usual life with her adventurous father and was now back in Devon. Nick was handsome and charming and a bit of a reputation as a flirt. As they spend time with each other Giulia and Nick grow closer but Giulia is aware of his reputation. There is also her relationship with the earl and what happened between the earl and her father to discover. There are few twists and surprises. Giulia’s friends also seem to be an interesting trio and I hope further stories may feature them.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was about 100 pages too long for my liking. It started off strong but then just seemed to drag on too long. It would have been much more enjoyable if it had been shorter. Also, it was very predictable. The mystery wasn't that mysterious. Good clean romantic story with a mystery to be solved.

[Noonecansinkmyship (Tissa) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Much of the tension and plot in this book didn’t hold me enthrall because I knew what they were looking for the entire time. There was a nice twist to it that kept things interesting. But the romance for most of the book was them not communicating which was annoying. It irritated me a lot this time because everyone around her kept saying how smart she is and I was like so she’s smart but not smart enough to just ask him if he’s trifling with her and if he is to kindly stop. Instead she’s going to draw her own conclusions and avoid him because she’s so smart. Okay. (╥_╥)

I’ll give the author credit though. I liked the main girl better than most. She wasn’t all that bad. At least she had a spine, was mostly vocal and was determined to not be trampled over or left out. And the story wasn’t bad, pretty interesting although predictable which is why it got a 3.5.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this story! It had me intrigued from start to finish and I am already looking forward to the next book in the series. I loved the lively interactions between the two main characters. I also quite enjoyed their individual character development. The plot to the story itself I also thoroughly enjoyed. I don’t want to give away any spoilers though so I’ll just say that, although I guessed a few things correctly, there was plenty that I didn’t expect and even for the parts I suspected I was surprised by how it developed.
I received an ARC of this book, with no obligation to leave a review.
For anyone who likes to read wholesome and clean regency era romances, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it too.

[Lydia Hill · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

You had me in the first half. This was cozy and I don't regret reading it but I didn't loooove any of the characters and I wouldn't read it again.

Giulia just lost her father and so she meanders to her uncle's house. On the way, she finds a man who has been shot and left in the road. His name is Nicholas and apparently he's the heir to her uncle's Earldom (that's a word, right?). Anyway, Giulia has nowhere else to go and her uncle wants nothing to do with her due to family drama, but since she's a nurse, she barters a way to stay in the house by helping Nicholas back to health.

Would recommend if you like:
-Cozy historical romances
-Clean romance
-He falls first and harder
-Attempted murder mystery
-Treasure hunt

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Giulia's character! Strong willed females are my favorite. I didn't like how predictable it was, I was hoping for more of a twist ending. Also didn't like Jack's involvement. I knew he was involved when he dropped the tray while they were speaking, but his reasons were weird to me. It was a really good book though, and I loved the chemistry between Giulia and Nick!

[Kari · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Ladies of Devon series. I thought this was an adorable romance. I loved watching Giulia and Nicholas fall in love. I also loved how she wormed her way into her uncle's heart. I also enjoyed the mystery as well. I highly recommend this one. I'll definitely continue with the series.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars! Kasey Stockton does it again. Great first in series. Sweet building romance and mystery. Trying to figure out all the mysteries of Halstead Manor was a fun read! I'm looking forward to seeing the other ladies' books in the series! No spice, just sweet kisses. ❤️ clean romance.

[Olde American Spirit · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is my belief that one must do all one can for one’s fellow men, despite whether or not one deems them deserving. 📚☕

The excitement starts when our heroine is innocently trying to make her way to her elusive and grumpy Uncle’s grand estate and discovers an injured gentleman. Then a gunshot rings out when she is on horseback as well. Was it meant for her?

Who’s after the jewels? And why?

📚 slow and cozy
📚 squeaky clean Regency
📚 Autumnal backdrop
📚 mystery, peril, & intrigue

It could have definitely been shortened quite a bit just past the midpoint. I wasn't completely sold on our main male character. But he was ok.

It’s a page turner, but in a very slow, cozy, mysterious way. I truly enjoyed all the twists and turns and the mystery of it all!

Triggers: (grazed) gun injury



✨📚✨More in-depth reviews on my “Clean Reads” channel

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a bonus borrow on Hoopla and it was fantastic! It’s the first time Ive read this author and I don’t understand how people wrote some things in their reviews because it’s like they didn’t read the same book that I just read. Or they didn’t read it for comprehension? Some of the reviews have incorrect facts about the book itself. I plan to read more by this author because I enjoyed this one immensely!

[mikaela (spinebreaker)]

I'm just not feeling this one

[luckykarmatx · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Jewels of Halstead Manor was an enjoyable historical romance with a pinch of mystery thrown in for good measure. It was captivating as an audiobook, and I'd recommend it to fans of clean romance novels. It was quite lovely!

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably 3.5⭐️ Not a bad book by any means, but felt more mystery with a side of romance, which is fine if that’s what you’re going for! I was here for a bit more romance 🥰

[Stephanie Mote · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book

I liked that the romance built between the characters. I would have liked the epilogue to have been after they were married but overall it was a good book.

[Sharon Osburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Captivating Mystery & True Love

The writing was great, the plot kept you intrigued and the love was felt in my heart. Fabulous characters and a truly suspenseful mystery shadowing the building romance. I will the next in this series and hope it is as good.

[Maliha · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Bolstered by the support of her friends and the gentle love shining in Nick’s eyes, Giulia’s heart soared.

She was home."

I have read a number of regency romances but they weren't rated five stars because in my personal opinion, there was a thing or two that they all were lacking even though they were written by exceptional writers. But this one—sigh. Ah. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would and it was all because of Guilia and Nick and Lord Hart and her Swans. This was everything perfect.

A kind man with an ability to read her mind, a girl who wasn't afraid to speak her mind and her friends who accepted her so heart-warmingly and an uncle who was a grouch most of the book but a family nonetheless and the servants that gave her a warm welcome? If this isn't the perfect making of a great book then idk what else one needs to make it more perfect!!

[Carrie Jacobs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok