A refreshing story following 4 sisters as they navigate their new life in Devon. The first 30% or so of this was slow and took me a while to get through, but once I got a feel for each of the characters, I really fell in love with all of them. Watching them each work together and overcome trials was so uplifting! I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my complimentary e-arc of this book.

This is my very first Julie Klassen book. But, luckily for me, I still have the one I got for my last birthday in my TBR pile. Hopefully I’ll have some extra time over Christmas vacation to read it.

I loved everything about this book. The story grabbed my attention from the very beginning. I loved the idea of the 4 sisters, running the house. And taking care of every thing that needed taken care of. I loved that the reader got to see at least a little bit through the eyes of each of the sisters. Each of them are amazing individuals.

I loved Sarah for her determination. She wants to keep her family together, not have them go off to be nannies or companions where ever they are needed. She makes the inn work. And she works hard to do so.

Emily is a creative one. She loves to read. And I loved that about her. She’s also a bit impetuous and gets caught in her old room when she shouldn’t be there.

Viola is Emily’s twin. I loved her. She has a scar. But through the story, she learns something about herself. And that is something we all need to learn. That we are each just fine how we are. We are who we are meant to be. And I loved seeing her learn that!

Last is Georgiana. She’s the youngest sister. And the most busy. Georgie likes to play outside games. And she wants to have the attic to herself. I loved how she solved a mystery in the book without even knowing it.

The plot of this book will keep you guessing. And intrigued from the very beginning. At least, that’s how it was for me.

Julie Klassen remains a popular author. Her story concepts are interesting and she has gotten good at Regency Era terminology and customs. The Sisters of Seaview is no different. It relies on four sisters who find themselves short on funds after their father dies leaving behind a mountain of debts. Their kind hearted mother is weak and needs to remain in bed, but tries her best to help out when the daughters follow the advice of a former employee and decide to let out their rooms as a guest house for vacationers, running their house as a business to earn the funds to repay their father’s debt.

The concept is interesting but is developed poorly. The novel introduces four sisters and proceeds to quickly jump between three of the four POV and their growing romantic attachments, but fails to stay with each POV for long enough to get settled in before switching again. Each of the three sisters we get to the POV of, Sarah, Viola, and Emily have a full story that never gets fully fledged out, and so most of the conflict falls flat while we get shifted off to the next POV. It would have been much more effective to have each sister star in their own book with their romance the central focus and make all of the books a series. In The Sisters of Seaview, we are first introduced to Sarah, but it is only Viola that gets a happy ending by the end and both Sarah and Emily feel as though their stories are unfinished while a mysterious fifth sister is referenced as another loose end to tie up in the next book. Everything that seems to be wrong—the conflict should feel more urgent, the dialog feels both rushed and at times pointless(conversations are short but beefed up by adding the unnecessary “hello’s” and “goodbye’s” that are standard and inform the reader of nothing), the abrupt shifting of of POV— seem like they would be better addressed if the novel was split into a series.

I would hesitate to recommend this to anyone who is not already a die avid Julie Klasson reader.

The situation confronting the Summers sisters is a dire one. Their father has died and the estate has been entailed to some fairly unknown relative. Their ailing mother, Eugenia Summers, is unable to maintain the Sea View residence and care for her daughters. The suggestion of their solicitor to consider becoming governesses to supplement their income elicits ghastly expressions and is promptly dismissed. However, making Sea View available to paying guests is a more palatable solution. They imagine their clientele to be elderly invalids visiting to take in the sea air for their health. In this assumption they were wrong.

Twin sister Viola will be earning her keep by reading to the poor-sighted elderly. A childhood defect makes her more inclined to solitary pursuits. Viola makes it clear that entertaining guests and cleaning rooms at home is not an option. However, she’s surprised when her first client is a petulant, wounded officer in his thirties.

Although the Summers sisters seem to be getting more than what they bargained for, might the payoff be unlike anything they could have ever imagined?

Reading The Sisters of Sea View was like taking a gentle, leisurely stroll down Regency lane. From the initial pages I was intrigued. Julie Klassen writes engrossing, realistic historical fiction that awakens each of the five senses, and The Sisters of Sea View was no exception. I savored the pages and enjoyed the details of many fine characters, including the genteel Summers sisters—each possessing their own unique qualities. In addition, I was thoroughly entertained by: an eccentric blind guest and his stuffed parrot; a widowed Scotsman and his temperamental stepdaughter; a salty, wounded officer and his faithful friend; a lovely former ladies maid; friendly fishermen; a fault-finding lodger; a kind old lady with a sorrowful past, and so many more. The wonderfully developed characters deeply enhanced my enjoyment of the book, along with the mystery of an absent sister, a doctor’s folly and the perilous storm that lead to Sea View’s becoming a refuge for many. So many things to love about this book. And the happy, satisfying ending makes me eager to read the next installment in this delightful new series. Loved it.

The Sisters of Sea View is a heartwarming story involving four sisters and their widowed, invalid mother, who open up their seaside home to paying guests. Not all the sisters are happy with this decision and Viola, whose romantic tale dominates, reluctantly takes up paid employment reading to a major recovering from wounds sustained while serving in India. Two of the sisters have had bad experiences with love and are not yet ready to open their hearts anew, but are not as immune to love as they think. A fourth sister, the youngest, is a bit of a tomboy, but tenderhearted. And then, there is a mystery surrounding a fifth sister. The reason for her absence is hinted at but not fully explained, adding intrigue to an already multi-layered tale.

Most of the guests are eligible men who are friendly and obliging, but two other guests, Mr and Mrs Elton (a nod to characters from Emma by Jane Austen), by their name alone, prove difficult. All in all, these and other secondary characters were diverting and enlivened this novel a great deal.

I enjoyed meeting the Summers family and look forward to what awaits them in the next instalment of this entertaining new Regency series.

I love how this new series is shaping up. It was like Sense & Sensibility, Pride & Prejudice, and Emma joined together and started a guest house. I enjoyed the references to Austen throughout. I loved that the first book focused a lot on Viola, the one who thought she was unloveable because of a deformity. Her interactions with the Major were delightful and they both learned a lot about dealing with scars both internal and external.

I also enjoyed the various characters who came to stay in the guest house...from the demanding Mrs. Elton to the quirky man with a dead parrot. The guest house is a great setting and I can't wait to see who shows up next.

Thank you to Bethany House for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I love Julie Klassen's books, and this one is no exception. I'm so excited it's going to be a series. The romances are so sweet and the characters are fun and quirky. I also appreciated her representation of some of the difficulties people with disabilities had during this time. This story is well told and I highly recommend it. I can't wait to read the next book. Thank you Netgalley and Bethany house for the ARC.

"Sea View is a guest house in the western town, owned and managed by Mrs. Summers and her daughters."

This book was so incredibly refreshing. It reads like an adaptation of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and a Jane Austen novel, and it was delightful from the very beginning.

Julie Klassen is a master of bringing you into the minds of her characters and immersing you in their lives and their world—and The Sisters of Sea View was no exception. From the first page, you can picture Sea View in all its loveliness. The house, the picturesque beachfront, the charming interior, everything. I could almost smell the salty air and feel the ocean breeze with how vividly the author described her setting.

I loved the balance of romance and family in this book. The main romance is sweet, tender, and so beautifully done. I was a little worried I would be disappointed at the plot being just as driven (if not more so) by the entire Summers family rather than by the romance, but I wasn't disappointed in the slightest. All the members of the Summers family are deep and dynamic, which makes every scene from every perspective new and refreshing.

With three different perspectives, it had the potential to be confusing, but the author wove the stories together so seamlessly that I found myself enjoying every perspective as it shifted. I wanted more from all three perspectives, and I cannot wait for the next book. There is one romance I particularly wanted more of by the end of the book, and I can't wait to see how it unfolds in the next installment. I also hope to see many of the side characters return, as there were so many whom I loved.

The minor characters were absolutely delightful. All of them are so unique and fun and vivid, and I felt so enveloped in each thread of the plot that involved these characters. Seeing the Summers sisters interact with the side characters and watching the sisters grow and change was fulfilling and heartwarming.

The themes from this book range from adapting to change to overcoming things that set you back to forgiveness and being accepting of those whom society looks down upon. Truly, truly a masterpiece of a novel.

My one disappointment with this novel was that it wasn't longer so I could extend my stay at Sea View.

4.5 stars—I would absolutely recommend this book.

Thank you to Bethany House, the author, and NetGalley for the complementary digital copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'm such a fan of Julie Klassen's work and this was no exception!

At the heart of this novel are themes of sisterhood, helping your fellow neighbors, and prejudices against how someone might look. One of the sisters in this, Viola, has a cleft lip repair. It's sad to hear the superstition surrounding cleft lips back then. But I am so happy that the major was able to help Viola appreciate the fact that she is worthy of love despite the scar she carries.

I enjoyed a lot of the side characters that they brought. One in particular and his parrot! I really loved the nod to Jane Austen's Emma that the author talks about in the back of the book with two characters from that book in this. I can't wait to continue with this sister storyline and hopefully a romance in the next one that I really hoped for in this.

The first thing that I noticed about the book is the cover. It is lovely and captures a time and place that I would like to visit.

The first thing that struck me was the beautiful descriptions. The house sounds lovely and the sea beautiful. I could picture a quaint town full of history and tourists.

The Summers family had to relocate to Devonshire Coast because of the untimely death of their father. Their home was entailed, but the father purchased this home as a getaway place, and now it is the residence of his wife and daughters. Unfortunately, they cannot afford to live in it. To remedy the situation, they turn it into a bed and breakfast. The sisters have drastically different personalities. The story changes the POV between the sisters. I find it refreshing to get the whole story from each of them.


This is an "Austenesque" book. Julie Klassen has captured the feel of one of her books.

I also loved the many different guests that visit their home. It is a very eclectic group. I would say that it is hard for young ladies to give up their rooms and adjust to a different living situation. Imagine walking into your room to find a gentleman in there. That is definitely not a common occurrence in the Regency time period.

If you are looking for a Regency novel that is a little different, this may be a book that you would like to take a look at.



Source: I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

As always Klassen has written another winner and one that will keep your interest from the first chapter until the last word. I loved the setting that this novel takes place in and you will also. Three sisters and their ailing mother with no income since the death of their father has left them desolate. The eldest decides that they must take matters into their own hands lest they lose their home. You will love the ingenious idea and how they carry it out. Times of laughter, sadness and romance as you become absorbed in this most interesting book. A well written, heartwarming family drama to keep you reading about the Summer sisters and their lives and romances?….. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the author and publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review, but I am pleased to do so.

When Julie Klassen’s imagination gets going, you are guaranteed a treat! The Sisters of Sea View takes us to a small seaside village in Devonshire. More specifically, we meet a family of women down on their luck after their father dies. They creatively work together to keep their home by converting it into a seaside inn.
I love when Julie has more than one main character and she just switches points of views. I was curious if each book would be about a different sister, but the story was developed with all of the sisters taking an important part.
The struggle of running an inn impacts each of them differently, playing into their gifts and talents. I loved the variety of guests that book their stay and share their experiences while there. I felt like all of my emotions: joy, happiness, sadness, anger, curiosity, defensiveness, contentment, and love, were tapped into.
Each time I read, I related to a different sister through their experiences. Viola certainly captured my heart with all that she works to overcome. I love the romantic interest with the major as it had a tone reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast. Sarah felt the burden of having to be the strong one but finding new creative outlets born of necessity. I can’t wait to know more about her story and the outcome!Emily has the perfect knack for drawing others in, ensuring there are no strangers our outsiders amongst the group. Georgiana feels like the youthful breath of fresh air, livening up any room and challenging traditions. There are other important storylines to mention, but you’ll have to read for yourself in order not to spoil it for you.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and absolutely recommend it to those who enjoy clean, inspirational, historical fiction set in early 1800s Devonshire.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

The Sisters of Sea View is a charming tale of a struggling family trying to make ends meet any way they can.

The four Summer sisters - Sarah, Viola, Emily, and Georgiana, reminded me of the book Little Women in that everyone pitched in to do their part to help the family. Also, the fact that they were sisters gave it that "Little Women" vibe. The author expertly presented each sister's talents, quirks, and inner thoughts so that we got to see what made them tick as the book progressed.

I was surprised this was the first book in the series because it read like something had gone on before it, especially concerning a fifth sister and their father. At times I felt lost. I look forward to reading the rest of this series, hoping that Claire's story is explored.

While the story was slow and without much excitement until the final chapters, it was the characters themselves that moved the plot. Mrs. Elton can only be described as a modern-day "Karen" who was lucky she wasn't booted out on her rear the first week of her stay. These sisters had more patience than I!

Overall, a stay at Sea View sounds lovely. The community of friendships that developed between the girls and their guests made this book hard to put down. You will enjoy The Sisters of Sea View if you enjoy historical romance.

I received a review copy courtesy of Bethany House Publishers through NetGalley.

I enjoyed this book so much! After hearing several people mention that this book reminded them of Little Women, I was even more excited to read it. I’m happy to say it didn’t disappoint! As this story follows the lives of four sisters who are close to each other and their mother, it definitely reminded me of Little Women and I loved that!

I loved the family dynamics in this book! I also really enjoyed how each of the the sisters had their own unique personality and gifts. I really enjoyed getting to know Sarah, Viola, Emily, and Georgie, and watching them come together to run the guest house.
It was also fun getting to know the side characters, especially Mr. Henshall, Mr. Hornbean and Mrs. Denby.💗

I also loved the setting by the sea! I loved the cozy feel of the book and following the sisters day-to-day life. It’s definitely a character-driven book but I really enjoyed that. There was always something interesting happening so I never got bored.

This book focuses more on the sisters running the guest house than romance but the romance that is in this book was perfect! Jack and Viola were perfect. I loved them so much!

In conclusion, I really enjoyed this book! The coziness, the characters, the romance… all of it together made for a really great book. It definitely reminded me of books like Little Women and Sense & Sensibility so if you enjoy books like that, I think you’ll really like this one! I’m so excited to continue this series!

*Thank you to the publisher for a complimentary copy! All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

The Sisters of Sea View is the story of four sisters. In 1819, the sisters find themselves in difficult financial straits after their father unexpectedly passed away. They settle with their mother, who also has weakened health, in their seaside residence and start to take in boarders. Their lives are changed in the process. There is Sarah, who organizes everything, and who is drawn to a handsome widower who is a single father. Emily is the creative sister. Viola has a scar that makes her self conscious but finds some new perspective as she takes on a job reading to a wounded veteran. And the youngest, Georgiana, is always looking for fun and an adventure.

I wanted to read this novel because the storyline sounded unique and appealing. I had not read Julie Klassen before, although I love historical fiction and had heard very good things about her books.

This was a delightful read! At first it seemed like the Sea View guest house would be a refuge for older invalids. When it turned out to be a place that people of all ages (including handsome male guests!) visited, it became more interesting.

The story is beautifully told. I love the way the author paints pictures with her words. The descriptions are so vivid that I could visualize Sea View, the sisters, and their guests as I read.

The dialogue is charming and natural and has a Jane Austen quality. (Huge compliment!)

I thoroughly enjoyed The Sisters of Sea View and recommend it highly to other fans of historical fiction. This is the first book in a series, and I will be looking forward to future reads On Devonshire Shores.

The Sisters of Sea View is a historical fiction about a family of women who come together to overcome their sudden poverty due to the death of their husband and father by opening their seaside home to boarders.

Each sister and their mother has a handful of challenges to overcome with a sprinkle of romantic entanglements to keep things interesting.

The writing style was not my typical, nor my favorite, but this is a sweet and wholesome romance that many will enjoy!

I really enjoyed this novel! I was hooked every time while I sat down to read. I loved all the sisters — Sarah, Viola, Emily & Georgiana. Their older sister Claire is only mentioned a bit and she lives in Scotland. Sarah, Viola, and Emily had a lot going on in this book and some of it didn’t seem like it resolved by the end (but not in a cliffhanger way!!) so I’m hoping there will be more in the series!

I loved the setting and the guests who stayed at Sea View. It was charming, entertaining and so sweet. I enjoyed having the four different perspectives to really know the women and their lives. 💕

This book is perfect for anyone who loves a good regency romance! This was my first book by this author but it won’t be my last!

My Thoughts:
After turning their home into a bed and breakfast to stay together and keep their home after their mother becomes sick each sister has their place in the family.
How they work out together what life throws at them and any love interest that’s comes their way makes for a interesting read. This is the first book in this series I will be interested to see what’s next for them all

The Sisters of Sea View
by Julie Klassen is book one of “On Devonshire Shores” and I loved it! Its delightful and I’m a huge fan of JK.
I highly recommend this one. The writing was good. JK wrote about unique situations and people. Her clean romances are my favorite and what drew me in to her novels to begin with. But her stories are always so much more.
This one is about a family of women who are forced to open their house to guests for lodging or lose everything.
I really liked the pace and character development.
I believe that JK novels just gets better and better. I hope you get the chance to read this. And did I mention I can’t wait to get my hands on book two???
Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for this wonderful story.

4.5 Stars

Sisters of Sea View is truly an ensemble piece. The story unfolds through the sisters’ alternating viewpoints, giving readers a mixture of broad and up-close looks at all the action. The delineation between those points of view isn’t immediately clear — at least not in the digital review copy — but quickly come into focus once you understand what’s going on.

Author Julie Klassen does an excellent job developing her main players — they all have distinct and compelling voices. But the true stars are Klassen’s supporting characters. They’re mysterious, quirky and provide a strong framework for her stars to shine.

Sisters of Sea View is the first book in Klassen’s new On Devonshire Shores series. Given that there are the four sisters in Sidmouth (Sarah, Viola, Emily and Georgiana) and a fifth (Claire) who mysteriously up and moved to Scotland, there’s room for at least four more books in this world.

Set in the Regency era, Sisters of Sea View features characters of varying ages and personalities, “chaste” romance and a good bit of mystery, making it a good crossover into the YA market. With nods to Jane Austen and a bit of a Little Women feel to it, this novel is a gentle and entertaining read.