A Pursuit of Home (Haven Manor #3) by Kristi Ann Hunter book review

 

A Pursuit of Home

(Haven Manor #3)

by

Kristi Ann Hunter 

 

When she learns the family she thought dead might be alive and in danger, Jess Beuchene knows her secrets can only stay buried for so long. Desperation brings her to Derek Thornbury, an expert in history and artifacts, to help her decipher the clues in an old family diary. Will their search to uncover the truth of the past lead to a future together?

 

 

 

 

My Review: 10/10

 I have wanted this story since book #1... ages ago. Jess was certainly interesting and unconventional and embodies a lot of qualities I wish I had. So I was THRILLED when I discovered her tied up in the next series and I patiently waited until her time came. I was not disappointed.

But I have to admit that when I saw Derek being set up as her romantic interest, I was a little let down. I found him awkward, stuffy and boring in A Return of Devotion - everything Jess is not and he just didn't hold my interest. It seemed Jess agreed with me. But he won her over (and me too, in the process).

SPOILERS
One thing I didn't like was a small moment when Jess reunites with Ryland and household. She makes him promise that he will put his wife and child ahead of her and not get so personally involved. While the sentiment is nice, I felt offended on Miranda's behalf that it implied that Ryland would put Jess first, that he needed to be reminded, let alone swear an oath. Maybe it's my jealousy coming out, but I wouldn't have appreciated that implication if I were Miranda.

I did love just about every mention of all previous characters, Ryland and Miranda especially.

And the end of the book was one of the best I've read in a while. I won't give everything away, and I can't even give quotes, because I loved so many lines that I basically highlighted the last few chapters of the book. Let's just say, things aren't wrapped up like a fairy tale. They are hopeful, but more realistic. There is still struggle and hard work ahead. Loved that picture. The disappointment of a years (or decades) long fantasy falling short of expectation is real and hard and certainly introduces doubt at the very least. Very relatable, despite the extreme circumstances.

Loved this book!

The Lady and the Highwayman by Sarah M. Eden book review

The Lady and the Highwayman

by

Sarah M. Eden  

 

Elizabeth Black is the headmistress of a girls’ school and a well-respected author of “silver-fork” novels, stories written both for and about the upper-class ladies of Victorian society. But by night, she writes very different kinds of stories—the Penny Dreadfuls that are all the rage among the working-class men. Under the pseudonym Mr. King, Elizabeth has written about dashing heroes fighting supernatural threats and dangerous outlaws romancing helpless women. They contain all the adventure and mystery that her real life lacks.

Fletcher Walker began life as a street urchin, but is now the most successful author in the Penny Dreadful market, that is until Mr. King started taking all of his readers--and his profits. No one knows who King is, including Fletcher’s fellow members of the Dread Penny Society, a fraternity of authors dedicated to secretly fighting for the rights of the less-fortunate.

Determined to find the elusive Mr. King, Fletcher approaches Miss Black. As a fellow-author, she is well-known among the high-class writers; perhaps she could be persuaded to make some inquiries as to Mr. King’s whereabouts? Elizabeth agrees to help Fletcher, if only to insure her secret identity is never discovered.

For the first time, Elizabeth experiences the thrill of a cat-and-mouse adventure reminiscent of one of her own novels as she tries to throw Fletcher off her scent. But the more time they spend together, the more she loses her heart. Its upper-class against working-class, author against author where readers, reputations, and romance are all on the line.

My Review: 8/10

This book was more off the beaten track for this author and this genre. I enjoyed the more gothic feel of the excerpts of the penny dreadful novels and it was a neat way to tie multiple characters and stories together.

Side note: loved that cover!!!