This is Amanda Taylor’s debut novel, and it was so sweet to read!

This a re-kindled romance story and I just loved James and Sarah’s journey. This book not only delved into the love story of these two characters but their growth as individual people as well.

James and Sarah were very much in love when they married; a few weeks short of James’ departure to the navy. Sarah went on to live with his family to wait for his return. For five years she has faithfully awaited James’ return and has imagined their reunion with hope and love. A new start for them.

James has been away at war for 5 years His return back home, is less than ideal or really wanted. The man that returns from war is a man Sarah does not recognize. War comes at a cost and James has been hardened by his experience. His brother’s death means that now James holds the title he never expected to have. Despondent and suffering from the repercussions of war, James pushed Sarah away.

The story really begins with James’ return from war. Sarah has waited for James and is looking forward to starting a married life with him, only to find a cold, stoic man. I loved how the book truly captured both the horrors of war and the uncertainty it brings, but it also displayed the emotional struggle and PTSD that James suffered because of it. It does not delve heavily into it, but there are signs throughout the book about his struggle and coming to terms with his experience in the war. We also get to see Sarah’s experience, the experience of the one who is left waiting at home and the emotional struggle attached to it. Sarah is looking forward to a married life with the man she loves only to encounter a totally different man. I loved that we get to see the interaction through her eyes and the emotional pain that it causes.

I feel like the book could be divided in two parts. The first part, James and Sarah’s struggle with him coming home. The second, James’ realization his priorities must change if he wants to get the wife that he loves back. I really liked James courtship of his wife and the genuine attempt at winning her back. Although the first half of the book was riddled with miscommunication, in the second half, James and Sarah make a conscious attempt at communicating and being honest with each other. The miscommunication trope is not my favorite, so I was really glad it changed in the second half of the book.


While I loved both James and Sarah’s characters throughout the book, I did get a bit annoyed at both at the beginning. James’ for his treatment of his wife and the rest of his family. At times, it felt like he blamed them for having to be back home. And at Sarah, for trying for being a bit of a push over the first half of the book. I felt like the first half of the book took its time to develop the story and in some parts it went really slow. But in the second half the pace went too fast at times. I did love the unexpected twist at the end. It kind of came out on nowhere but at the same time it really tied the story together for me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

An absolutely beautiful debut novel! Most Romance books don’t start out with a wedding, but it was so refreshing to read about a couple finding love and happiness again after their honeymoon phase has long worn off. It’s not an arranged marriage or marriage of convenience, simply a marriage that struggles from the affects of war time separation.

I loved seeing the second chance courtship and the couple CHOOSING to be together even through the rough patch they experienced. You could feel the angst and the misunderstanding through the dual point of view throughout the book. Overall it was a great read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

As always, historical fiction catches my fancy, and this book set in the time frame when England and France, under Napoleon, once again warred with each other and when spies risked doing their thing. Romance mingled into the mix gave spark to this narrative especially in the form it takes with James and Sarah.

I like the healthy friendships between James and Patrick, and between Sarah and Margot and how despite being ladies of the early 1800's, did their part with aplomb.

I found the author kept the tempo simmering and well paced, pro-actively moving forward, keeping my interest throughout. It has been a satisfying read and believe others will likely give a thumbs up too.

A 4 Star rating from me.

~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~

May 2023

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the complimentary review copy sent by NetGalley and the publisher.

I was really excited to read this story. It has a very unique plot that isn't often written so I was excited to read what the author created. I really like the overall idea of this book but I struggled with loving the characters. I felt like I needed to get to know them a bit more before the end. Lady Sarah I liked at the start of the story but I proceeded to dislike as the pages flipped. I was happy with the ending but it left me wanting more. I think some things could have been fleshed out a bit in the middle and that might have held my interest. I do think there are some great scenes and I actually really loved the secondary characters. I will definitely read Amanda Taylor's next novel this one just wasn't my favorite.

"I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."

This second chance regency romance is a debut novel for author Amanda Taylor. There are a lot of things I really liked about this book. It has a great story line, different from the typical regency romance. I also liked the main characters, though it took me a while to warm up to James. His character did improve as the story progressed and I was rooting for him and Sarah to work out. I always enjoy a book with some adventure and the last part of this book is filled with it.! One of my favorite parts of this book was the parts of the story that mirrored the Scarlet Pimpernel. It added a really fun element to the story.

This is a fun story and one I recommend you read if you enjoy regency romance.

An Uncharted Devotion by Amanda Taylor.

Sarah thinks all of her dreams have come true when she becomes married to her Lieutenant, Mr. James Turner. After serving for 5 years, James returns to become Lord Whitfield and is no longer the attentive and caring husband Sarah once knew. Will they be able to become the happy loving couple she hoped for or is she stuck in a loveless marriage?
This book was a sweet clean romance. I found it a bit slow, but I loved how it ended.
#AnUnchartedDevotion #NetGalley

'Was marriage for love a foolish inclination?'

Historical romance is so fun to read because it lets the reader see how lucky a love match really is. Love stories are inspiring and I am here to read those kinds of stories all day, every day. Pair that beginning with the need for a second chance romance plus a little redemption arc and... yep, I'm here for ALL of that!

I cannot be convinced that second chance romance is not one of THE best tropes every to be written. Every time I read a second chance romance trope, I fall a little more in love with it!

An Uncharted Devotion is a debut novel for Amanda Taylor and I am excited to see what she writes next. There is a side character in this book that desperately needs a story-fingers crossed it's in the future for this author's readers!

I thought the characters were well thought out and well developed. Halfway through the book the pacing really intensified and I had to know how it would end! I loved the little pinch of suspense, the descriptions and the romance!

I always love finding a new promising debut author because it means more happy reading in my future!

Thanks to the author and the publisher for the copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Amanda Taylor for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for An Uncharted Devotion coming out June 6, 2023. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Sarah Whitfield is now a Lady and the newest member of English nobility after her husband, Lord James Whitfield, inherits the family estate and title. She never imagined she would end in a life of comfort and wealth, but she’s not as happy as it would seem.

After a five-year post in the Navy, James the once gentle and kind man Sarah had married, has returned from war a very different man. He is now stoic, distant and tortured by his time in the Navy. How can he go on with a life of wedded bliss with his sweet wife when his oldest friend is trapped in a French prison?

Heartbroken by the changes in her husband and unable to reach him, Sarah leaves their home for London. James seems to have lost both his love for life and for her. James, haunted by the war and the loss of his wife, cannot make sense of his pain. He knows one thing, however: he cannot let the woman he loves go. But when he receives news of his friend, he must decide whether he can face the horrors of his past to save his friend and gain a future with Sarah or whether he must give up one for the other.

This is the first book I’ve read by Amanda Taylor. I thought it was a really sweet rekindling second chances romance! It reminded me a little of Persuasion, except they were already married to start with. I loved it! I love the whole Navy plot and James struggling to find his way back to Sarah. I thought she was a strong character. I think some of the other characters could’ve been a little more fleshed out, but maybe it’ll be in the second book. I definitely want to read the second book.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys sweet regency romances!

An Uncharted Devotion by Amanda Taylor, 216 pages. Covenant Communications, 2023. $15.
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - NO, ADULTS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
James and Sarah are madly in love when they get married before James has to report back to the Navy. Five years later, he returns a different man knowing that his friend is MIA, and she wonders if she will continue to be lonely even with her husband home. Can they find love again?
The fact that James and Sarah are willing to work to save their marriage is appealing when divorce has become so common nowadays. With their romance as the main focus, the action bit reminiscent of The Scarlet Pimpernel added some fun variety to the characters and the plot. Overall, James and Sarah have a sweet story with the hope of choosing to fall—and stay—in love.
The majority of the characters are English and French. The mature content rating is for alcohol use. The violence rating is for gun use and mentions of suicide.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

This book is seemingly two parts. First, Sarah and James Whitfield fall in love and marry just weeks before he ships out to fight Napoleon in the British Navy. He returns five year later, hardened and despondent. His older brother dies from pneumonia leaving him a title and barony he didn’t expect. In addition on his last naval mission his long time friend is betrayed, captured and presumed to be held captive in France. Wether he has PTSD, or is depressed or unhappy, he pushes away his wife and resents being home. Sarah is heart broken at being brushed aside. The second part has the Whitfields and friends launching a rescue mission in France with a nod to The Scarlet Pimpernel.

This publisher’s books are always clean which is fine. I read a lot of clean books. But where the couple is married I thought it odd that small touches and caresses were not brought into play as part of their re-wooing. Eventually there is a few shared kisses but it is a long time coming. They are so formal it is as if they were only engaged and never wed. James does get a back story which doesn’t put him in the best light. But there isn’t much reason for the reader to connect with Sarah. She comes off very sweet but what has she done for the last five years other than live with her husbands family? No reference is made to how the change is status impacts her. The rescue part of the story is more adventuresome but adds in people and places without a lot of back information.

This is an enjoyable debut novel but I wanted more depth to connect to the romantic couple. Thank you to Covenant Communications and NetGalley for the ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review.

I found a new favorite author! Amanda Taylor is such a good writer! It was so easy to follow along with her story and become connected to all the characters.

It won’t be hard to root for Sarah and James.

Sarah wants her husband back after all his years away at sea but James wants nothing more than to push her away and feel nothing. The struggle between these two characters is sad but you won’t be disappointed with their journey!

I loved learning about the history of the Napoleon days in Europe. There is a fun adventure in the book that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Thank you to netgalley, covenant communications, and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book!

READ IT FOR THE:
❤️ Inspiration
❤️ Clean romance
❤️ Overcoming hardships
❤️ Second chances
❤️ Strong friendships & character
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THOUGHTS:

I was super happy when I got the email approval from the publisher for this book. I was immediately pulled in by the cover and then the plot.

I was lucky enough to be able to have some down-time, because I finished this in one sitting. It is such a page-turner!

Sarah and James have a relationship that started off strong and then, after years at sea, James comes home changed. It creates tension in their relationship which they struggle at first to come back from.

I love that Sarah is such a loveable character. You fall in love with her immediately because she is such a sweetheart. She goes out of her way to make sure everyone around her is taken care of -- even at the expense of her own happiness.

I also fell in love with James. He is coming back from years at war and struggling to adjust. Through it all, he tries to do what he feels is right. He isn't perfect, which actually makes his even more loveable.

The characters are realistic and the storyline amazing. There are twists and turns that I didn't expect, but welcomed.

Everything the author did just made this story better and better.

Highly recommend this 5-Star read!
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Coming out - June 6th
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I received an e-ARC from the publisher through NetGalley. A positive review was not required. All thoughts, views and opinions are my own.

I loved how this book started out, showing the reader the affection James and Sarah had for one another at their wedding. Fast forward five years and after years of war and hard times on a ship, James isn't the man he used to be.

It was gratifying to watch James and Sarah unravel and take steps to sort out their lives. I loved their characters and especially loved Lord and Lady Ramsey. The story took a surprising turn, and while entertaining, this event moved a little too quickly for me. But honestly, I'm shocked this is a debut novel. It's well written and possessed all the necessary points to a good story.

This sweet second chance story is about a couple trying to save their marriage and fall in love again, learning to communicate and resolve their pasts and their expectations.

Content: mild war-type violence/descriptions; mild romance

"An Uncharted Devotion" follows the story of James Turner, a captain in the English navy, and his wife, Sarah. Everything was perfect when the two agreed to marry five years ago, but when James unexpectedly becomes the new Lord Whitfield and is forced to return home, he is beyond recognition. The war left him cold, stoic and tortured by the past. Constantly haunted by the nightmare of his only friend being captured by the French because of him, James withdraws into himself, hurting the feelings of the most important person in his life: Sarah.
When Sarah realizes that her husband is no longer the man she once knew, she leaves for London, leaving him only a letter as an explanation. At that point, James begins to really question what his priorities are and what is really worth fighting for.
Fortunately for me, James realizes that he misses Sarah too much so he follows her to London, intending to set things right with her.

Honestly, I liked this book because it was different from the other regencies. I especially liked the way Mrs. Taylor expressed her characters' feelings and struggles (they were written so realistically that I felt them too). Even if the relationship between the main characters moved slower than I would have liked, I really enjoyed the ending.< I also loved the friendship between Sarah and Margot.>

Sadly, there were a few things that I did not find pleasing, like James' behaviour towards Sarah in the first part of the book. Also, his character's development didn't feel too real.

This book is highly recommended for those who like a second chance/rekindling of romance.

I look forward to more books by Amanda Taylor in the future since I quite like her writing style ('silently wishing for a better male main character')

* I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley, and this is my honest opinion.*

This is the first book I have read from this author but it won’t be my last. This is a well crafted story that pulls at the emotions. I felt James and Sarah’s pain. I was on the edge of my seat during the adventurous parts of this story. I loved the ending and can’t wait for Patrick Sloane’s story. I highly recommend this book.

Okay, Amanda, I see you. This debut novel completely sucked me in and I was hooked on the story from the first chapter!

Happily married for two weeks, Sarah and James are then separated for five years as James serves as a captain in the navy. When a family tragedy brings James home, he is a different man - hardened, closed-off, and oftentimes rude.

Sarah is desperate to regain what they once had; James is too distracted by feelings of guilt over the fate of his best friend to notice. That is until Sarah decides to take a stand, and now James realizes just what he has lost...and what is possible between them if he can earn back Sarah's respect and love.

Things I loved:
Second-chance romance between married couple
Dual POV
Scarlet Pimpernel vibes
Sarah standing up for herself
James...once he gets his head out of the sand
Adventure in France
The library scene
The garden spot...and the bouquet!
James courting his wife
Lord and Lady Ramsey

This was an achingly tender and sweet romance that hit me with every emotion! Yes, there are sad chapters when they are estranged and James is, let's be honest, kind of a jerk. But that just makes his character development that much better because before long, this is a stars-in-your-eyes sigh-worthy romance. This is a love story about being vulnerable and learning to trust, and I enjoyed every moment of James and Sarah's journey.

Hard to believe this is a debut and I will most definitely be reading more from this author!

I received a complimentary copy but a positive review was not required.

This was such an intriguing Regency romance. It was definitely unique in its plot and I appreciated that. The second half of the book especially had some great action and an exciting adventure that kept my attention.

I struggled, however, feeling any love for the characters in the story. James spent almost the entire first half of the book a jerk and had a rather abrupt change of heart after being scolded by several of his friends and family. I would have expected that change of heart to come a little more gradually, I guess. Sarah was definitely more likable than James; however, I felt like she had very little growth throughout the story. I think I would have liked them better had there been a little more depth to their characters, along with some more of their backstory.

All in all I'm glad I read it, and I'm looking forward to seeing what this author writes next. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy; all thoughts are my own.

Oh my! This book was a fabulous debut novel! The characters dove in and made themselves comfortable in my heart! I was cheering them on thru the good times and the super awful ones! The storyline was enjoyable and took me through all the emotions! Way to go!

Amanda Taylor is a new author whose work I will definitely be keeping an eye on. Although there were moments in An Uncharted Devotion when I wished for more romance, I really enjoyed Taylor’s writing and the interesting blend of history and fiction. I’m really excited for more books in this series! 3.5/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

“You keep appearing out of nowhere like an angel sent to rescue me.” His weary smile appeared grateful, and it caused Sarah’s heart to swell.

“I have no choice. You keep needing to be rescued.”

James and Sarah only have two short weeks of marital bliss before the lieutenant is shipped out for his next assignment in the Royal Navy. Being utterly besotted with one another, the time and distance away is disheartening, but manageable. As the saying goes, absence makes the heart fonder. After five years away, James is forced to relinquish his commission as captain and return home to claim his role as unexpected heir. Sarah’s jubilation is quickly doused when the James she knew and loved comes back a cold and indifferent person.

James is a man consumed with guilt, regret, and sorrow. He lets these emotions destroy his relationship with his family and friends. Sarah is a saint, she tries for so long to comfort and help James. But her efforts are fruitless, causing her more pain emotionally than she thought possible. That is when she decides that she must love herself enough to let go. Drastic times call for drastic measures. Her leaving causes a fracture in James’s hard heart and he soon realizes his mistakes.

I loved this second chance romance between a married couple. I felt it was very realistic; a man returning home after war, his wife elated and relieved, but the realization setting in that things may never be the way they were before, that time and circumstances have altered the man into someone unrecognizable. I loved Sarah’s heart and compassion, her strength and resolve. But most of all, I admired her decision to love herself enough to step back and protect her mental and emotional health. Sometimes it takes losing someone or something to understand what you had to begin with. James didn’t know what he had until it was gone. Heeding the advice of his wise mother, he decided begins to win Sarah back by building a strong relational foundation. It is so sweet and precious to watch him court her again, trying to win her back trust and affection.

But this story is more than just a second chance at love, there is also an unexpected twist that brings danger and possibly death. This was a great debut novel. And the teaser for the next story has me very excited.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my advanced copy, all opinions are my own.

#netgalley #amandataylor #anuncharteddevotion #regencyromance #cleanromance #historicalfiction #historicalromance