Wilhurst House - London 1819

Annabelle Thorley, is shocked to find her late mother’s furnishings are being removed from her home to be sold at auction. Her brother, Thomas Thorley, has inherited the home but is having financial problems due to embezzling accusations against his late father. Angry at Thomas for selling these items, he reminds Annabelle that she owns nothing and it is up to him to make the decisions.

Thomas wants her to attend a ball that night and hopefully attract Cecil Bartrell, an old and irritating widower with three daughters. He also informs her that he is expecting two men as guests for a few days. At one time, Annabelle was to marry Mr. Samuel Goodacre, but when the scandal erupted about her father, he broke their engagement.

As Annabelle and her maid, Crosley, are shopping for some items to update Annabelle’s old gown, her reticle is grabbed by a woman. Annabelle recognizes her as Miss Henrietta Stillworth whose parents died leaving her penniless. The woman is stopped by a gentleman, but Annabelle doesn’t want to see the woman prosecuted. Instead, she gives her some money to help her. Thanking the man who rescued her, she learns he is Owen Locke from Fellsworth in Surrey. Owen is the gamekeeper for Mr. Stephen Treadwell and the two men have been friends since they were boys. As it turns out, Owen and Stephen are the men who are to be the guests of Thomas.

At the ball, Mr. Bartrell is drunk and treats Annabelle disrespectfully. He grabs her wrist and tells her she will be his wife. When Annabelle rebuffs the man, her brother becomes angry and ends up slapping her. She now knows that she has no other recourse but to flee to her Uncle Edmund Langsby, the superintendent at Fellsworth School. With the help of Owen, Annabelle and Crosley travel to Fellsworth. Her uncle welcomes her but says she will be employed as a junior teacher at the school and Crosley will work in the kitchen. Never having taught before, this is new to Annabelle but she is determined to do a good job.

As Owen and Annabelle occasionally see one another, they form a friendship. But when some poaching problems arise, Owen discovers there are more sinister things at work here.

I have always enjoyed this author’s books but this one became confusing at times so it’s not my favorite of her books. It is not necessary to read the other two books in this trilogy as they are each stand-along novels.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Reading historical romance presents history fans with a conundrum. I’ve heard it said that much of the history presented in these novels is “Heyer” history or “Austen” history, meaning that the facts placed in historical romances are influenced more by what these fiction authors wrote than by actual historical events. It’s hard to know then what is anachronistic. Do I find something odd simply because the event/factoid is actually untrue to the period or because it is untrue to how Heyer or Austen would have presented it? Either way, A Stranger at Fellsworth presented me with some historical hiccups which kept a good book from being stellar.

Miss Annabelle Thorley has fallen on hard times. Or more specifically, her family is in dire financial straits, a fact which has affected Miss Thorley’s fortunes. Her engagement has ended. Her mother’s beloved belongings have been sold off to pay creditors. And now an attempt to rob her has been made by a young woman who was the belle of the ball in their circle not two years earlier. If not for the timely intervention of Mr. Owen Locke, Annabelle would have lost her reticule along with the few precious coins she had left within.

This is an important moment in the book, the scene where the hero and heroine first meet – but I’ll admit to being completely distracted by what was happening with what the text described as the young “beggar woman.” I couldn’t understand how a young woman of quality could fall to thieving in the streets. I would have presumed some position would have been open to her – whether it was shop girl, governess, lady’s maid, companion for an elderly relative or even the mistress of one of her many admirers. The social circle Annabelle moves in is comprised of a rather hedonistic group of young men, so if this girl had indeed been the beautiful diamond of their group, offers such as that should have been forthcoming. I filed this away in my mind for later and tried to get back to the story.

Later that evening at a party Annabelle attends, we see her erstwhile fiancé. Once more, I got mired in confusion as it seems he was the one to end their betrothal. My understanding, from numerous romances and a bit of internet digging, was that this was not the done thing. A lady could cry off but not a gentleman. While I pondered that bit of information, Annabelle’s brother got drunk, and then created a scene when he advised her to marry one of his friends – an older man who is portly, bad-tempered, ill-mannered and a slovenly dresser besides.

Annabelle, of course, has no intention of doing that. She is forced to share the carriage home with the man along with other of her brother’s drunken friends, but when it’s time to disembark she ignores her suitor’s proffered hand and exits the carriage on her own. Her plan is to lock herself in her room but before she can escape, the rejected Romeo demands an answer to her rudeness. They have a minor altercation which Annabelle hopes is private but when she manages to disengage from the scene she realizes they have a witness; the same man who came to her rescue earlier that day is standing in the shadows, watching her.

Naturally, she demands to know why he is there and is surprised when her gentlemanly rescuer explains he is the servant of one of her brother’s guests. The reader already knows that he is actually a close friend of that gentleman as well as a servant. We also know he has accrued some savings and soon hopes to be a land owner. Annabelle, however, will only learn of this later. For the moment, the two have a barely civil exchange in which he offers to come to her aid should she ever need it again, after which she finally retires to her room and its locking door.

There is no comfort there, since her maid essentially tells her she needs to think through rejecting her only chance at marriage and the two wrestle with the possibility of Annabelle finding herself on the street begging. Again, really? Just when all hope seems lost Annabelle remembers something; she has an uncle at Fellsworth who once told her she would always have a place of refuge as long as he lived. She contacts Owen to ask for help arranging a carriage ride there and makes her escape, her maid in tow.

Once at Fellsworth, Annabelle discovers that her safe haven is not a place in her uncle’s home but as a teacher at his school. Feeling she has no real recourse, she accepts his offer and moves into a small attic room to begin her career as a teacher. As chance would have it, Owen Locke is the gamekeeper at a neighboring estate and the two develop a steady friendship. But their quiet country life soon contains some surprises, for trouble has followed Annabelle from London and it’s about to land on Owen’s doorstep.

One of the many things I liked about this tale was the pacing, which has a life-like cadence of fast and slow which gives both Annabelle and the reader time to reflect on all that is happening. I also really appreciated the way the author captures some of the struggles Annabelle faces as she moves from one style of life to another. Learning to dress and undress herself is a challenge that I think a lady of that time would have faced as she moved down in the world. I liked that Annabelle’s faith journey was a personal and private one, and I loved the moment she had towards the end of the novel where she shared her discovery of faith with someone of significance to her. I also enjoyed the development of Annabelle’s relationship with Owen’s daughter. Normally, those types of encounters in romance novels feel forced to me, with the child loving her future new mother on sight. In this case it feels like a much more natural progression.

I also enjoyed getting to know about Owen’s job as game keeper and I appreciated his kindly, steady personality. And I just loved having a working class, blue collar hero in a Regency romance!

While the romance between our leads didn’t shine, I thought the author did a good job of presenting us with two amiable characters who admired each other and would likely make a very solid marriage. That whole endeavor felt very true to the time, place and social station of the people involved.

A Stranger at Fellsworth is a story that I really wanted to love. In the end, I found it one that was very readable and enjoyable but not without difficulties. Historical errors/inconsistencies seemed to plague the text and bog down the tale the author was trying to tell us. I would recommend it to fans of the author and those who enjoy Inspirationals but readers new to the author or genre might prefer to start elsewhere.

Suspense, danger, painting, family, servants, friends, heartache, woods, horses, loneliness, intrigue, prayers, rumors, peace, love, pistols, hunting, carriage rides, dresses, boarding school, jewelry, scandal, dashing hero, teaching, gardens, arranged marriages, murder, Autumn, property, inheritance and a little bit of kissing.

I love this author's books and I really enjoy her writing style, her characters, the suspense(some books have more suspense than others), the mystery, and how she wraps it all up and gives the reader closure. A Stranger at Fellsworth was a great read that had me turning pages to find out what all the mystery was. I would just think I had it figured out and then something would happen and it was different than what I was thinking. I did have my eye on one character in particular but there were several characters who helped put a shadow over the one I was watching. Which then had me trying to decide if I was going to be correct in my guess or not. I love when an author can stump me in my guessing.

Annabelle was a sweet and courageous heroine. I ached for her when she came up against so many struggles. She was trying to find her place and feel loved but her life was full of deceit and being told what to do(yes it's a regency novel so that is what life was like for women, so probably not a big surprise saying she didn't have a lot of say in her choices). Her compassion was a great addition to her character. Several instances in the story showed her true nature and helped endear her character to me more.

Owen has some mystery surrounding him from the very beginning and as you read further into the novel all the bits and pieces are revealed. I really enjoyed the stories about his youth and I liked watching how those stories and life lessons shaped him and affected his decisions as a man.

The chemistry and romance in the book was so well written. I loved all the moments between Annabelle and Owen. You know the video montages on YouTube, yeah I want one showcasing each moment of these two characters with some rain falling down and the right music playing in the background. I'd even vote for a period drama to be made of this novel. I enjoyed the whole of this book but I will say that my favorite part of the book was anytime these two shared page time together. Talk about some sweet and tender moments. Not every moment between them had a romantic feel to it. I loved watching their friendship and relationship grow. Sometimes a little look, sometimes just a conversation. The scene in the study, oh I loved it! There are a couple scenes in the study so you'll have to read to figure it out, but I'm sure you'll know which one I'm talking about!

The pacing of the book had moments where it was a little slower and some where the intensity picks up the pace but I really enjoyed the reflective and slower moments. I think it's a job well done when an author can write a book with balance between the intensity and the slower moments. This has me wanting to go back and reread her other books. I have been a huge fan of her writing since my first book by her. If you haven't read any and like regency novels I highly recommend picking one up and getting lost in the pages.

Content: Clean. Some fight scenes but nothing graphic, and a few sweet kisses. Some talk about finding peace through prayer but nothing preachy. I would recommend this book for YA and up, I'd let my teenage daughters read it.

I received a review copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

Gave up at 54% when I realised I didn't actually care about any of the characters except the maid with attitude. Sorry.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable story. Romance laced with a mystery and set in Regency England. The heroine has to leave everything she's known in a rush and her world is upended. There is so much at stake as she learns someone was murdered at her home the night she left. She should be safe, but is she really? This is an author who only get stronger with each book. This one is on my keeper shelf.

A Stranger at Fellsworth

by Sarah E. Ladd

Thomas Nelson--FICTION

Thomas Nelson
Christian

Pub Date 16 May 2017

I am reviewing a copy of A Stranger at Fellsworth through Thomas Nelson and Netgalley:

Annabelle Thorley finds herself having to rebuild her life after her deceased Father's financial ruin. Her fiancé called off their Bethroal and she finds herself at the mercy of her controlling often cruel brother.

Her brother tries to force her to marry an unkind wealthy man, and soon decides she must leave her brothers house, and go to where her uncle has a school.

Annabelle finds herself wondering if her life would have been different had she had a more loving, available Father.

Will Annabelle find the family she desires, the one her Mother dreamed for her?

Find out in A Stranger at Fellsworth.

Five out of five stars.

Happy Reading.

A Stranger at Fellsworth is the third book in the Treasures of Surrey series, by Sarah E. Ladd. You won’t feel lost if you have not read the previous two books.

This is a nicely paced, clean regency romance with a nice suspenseful touch and underlying themes of the importance of faith and forgiveness.

Several unanswered questions might exist in her life at the present, but one thing she knew for certain: she would not be wearing the green gown to the Baldwins’ ball. ~excerpt

As with many of Ms. Ladd’s characters, Annabelle Thorley is multi-layered and holds strength and bravery she didn’t realize she had. By disguising her true identity, she discovers who she really is.

This is a lovely, moving read, with a mixture of characters you’ll love and those you won’t, and a stimulating 1819 historical England setting. As someone who doesn’t normally read regency romance, I can say this held my interest and inspired me to read more in this genre.

It was highly improper for her, a lady, to speak with a strange man on the street, regardless of the service he provided. But she had to at least know something about him.. ~excerpt

I love the cover art, the storyline, and Ms. Ladd’s writing style.

Cover: Love
Title: Love
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Pages: 336
First Line (Chapter One): Annabelle gasped at the sight that met her eye as she passed the parlor door.


I received a complimentary copy from BookLook and NetGalley.

Sarah Ladd has again written a wonderful tale of life in Regency England. Annabelle Thorley, an orphan who is dependent upon her younger brother and his wife for everything. When Her brother Thomas declares she will marry his associate, she flees to her uncle at Fellsworth. I loved the gorgeous word pictures Ms. Ladd creates as she describes the settings. The characters were believable, and the story plausible. This story read very quickly and I had a hard time putting it down. As always with Sarah Ladd's books, make sure you have time to sit back with a cup of tea and enjoy!

From Amazon:

Could losing everything be the best thing to happen to Annabelle Thorley?


In the fallout of her deceased father’s financial ruin, Annabelle’s prospects are looking bleak. Her fiancé has called off their betrothal, and now she remains at the mercy of her controlling and often cruel brother. Annabelle soon faces the fact that her only hope for a better life is to do the unthinkable and run away to Fellsworth, the home of her long-estranged aunt and uncle, where a teaching position awaits her. Working for a wage for the first time in her life forces Annabelle to adapt to often unpleasant situations as friendships and roles she’s taken for granted are called into question.


Owen Locke is unswerving in his commitments. As a widower and father, he is fiercely protective of his only daughter. As an industrious gamekeeper, he is intent on keeping poachers at bay even though his ambition has always been to eventually purchase land that he can call his own. When a chance encounter introduces him to the lovely Annabelle Thorley, his steady life is shaken. For the first time since his wife’s tragic death, Owen begins to dream of a second chance at love.


As Owen and Annabelle grow closer, ominous forces threaten the peace they thought they’d found. Poachers, mysterious strangers, and murderers converge at Fellsworth, forcing Annabelle and Owen to a test of fortitude and bravery to stop the shadow of the past from ruining their hopes for the future.

About the author:

Sarah E. Ladd received the 2011 Genesis Award in historical romance for The Heiress of Winterwood. She is a graduate of Ball State University and has more than ten years of marketing experience. Sarah lives in Indiana with her amazing family and spunky Golden Retriever.

A Stranger at Fellsworth is the third book in the Treasures of Surrey series by Sarah Ladd. I have enjoyed all of Sarah's books and this one was no exception. Great story and characters with suspense and romance.

Annabelle, with some help from her aunt and uncle has to learn how to live and make it on her own. She meets Owen, who is also trying to make his and his daughter's lives better. As they grow closer so does the danger. A great read and am looking for more from this author!

I received this book from Netgalley for my honest review.

Living in the aftermath of her deceased father's financial ruin, and after being dumped by her fiance, Annabelle Thorley must live under the command of her controlling brother who seems intent on only adding injury to their already desolate prospects. Her brother wants her to marry one of his wealthy friends, so when Annabelle learns of a teaching position in Fellsworth, she asks gamekeeper Owen Locke to help her escape.

Working for a living is a big change for Annabelle, who finds out how little she is prepared to do things for herself and teach a classroom of children.

Owen is conscientious gamekeeper, dedicated to keep poachers off the property that he manages, he has been finding traps, and evidence that people have been hunting the property. He dreams of being a landowner himself, but without title or fortune it is a distant dream. His young daughter attends the school that Annabelle teaches at. He is a widower, and isn't interested in reliving his disastrous marriage to a socialite. But after meeting Annabelle, will he give love a second chance?

Annabelle has been living a sheltered life, going with the flow and never challenging the status quo. But she bravely leaves everything she's known behind, she is willing to learn, but hesitant and unsure of herself in this new environment and her new social standing. She makes new friends, and her uncle and aunt are welcoming to her, as she finds herself stepping out more independently and learning to enjoy being self sufficient.

Owen loves his daughter and the outdoors. He enjoys his life, and doesn't want more social standing or wealth.

Overall, a well done book that follows Annabelle's journey as she learns to live a simpler more satisfying life, working and doing things for herself. I thought that it was very realistic, especially in dealing with the delicate changing and loss of relationships for Annabelle after she falls on hard times. There is romance and mystery, as Owen fights to find the answer to the shortage of wildlife on a neighbor's property. A well written regency romance, with realistic characters that you can't help but cheer for throughout.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."

If you are looking for a Regency era romance with all the trimmings such as fancy ball gowns, elegant ladies, and dashing men then this is not the book for you. If you are looking for a Regency era book with a good storyline, relatable characters, and a pace that doesn't slow down then this is the perfect book for you! A Stranger at Fellsworth is a great read!

The main character in this book, Annabelle Thorley, is easy to like and have empathy for. Her family has been through a lot and she is now being forced to marry someone she does not want to. To escape the marriage she runs off to Fellsworth and the school there that is run by her uncle. Helping Annabelle is Owen Locke, gamekeeper for Bancroft Park, the estate adjacent to the boarding school. Owen is a likable character and also has a somewhat scandalous past that he is trying to get away from. These two characters, although different in social standing, have scandal as a common bond and a friendship soon develops.

I enjoyed this story and the two main characters. I liked the natural progression of their relationship from strangers to friends. I also enjoyed Uncle Langsby's character. I liked how the author made him seem gruff to the young Annabelle yet a kind person to the adult Annabelle. Aunt Lydia was equally likable and added a bit of lightheartedness to the story.

It was interesting to read of Annabelle's struggles to adapt to a life without a maid. Even though Crosley accompanied Annabelle to Fellsworth, it was easy to see the chinks in their relationship as Crosley found her freedom. I didn't really care for Crosley as I found her cold and untrustworthy but that just showcases the author's ability to write characters for readers to love and to hate.

This story has a mystery to it but it doesn't overpower the book. There is a great balance between romance and suspense in this story. There's just enough of each to keep readers interested and on the edge of their seat.

Although this book is the third in the series it does quite well as a standalone. Fans of the author are sure to love this book and those new to her are going to be left wanting more. A Stranger at Fellsworth is Sarah E. Ladd at her best.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and was not required to write a review. All opinions are mine.

A well written Christian romance set in Regency England. I am not normally a fan of the Regency era books but I enjoyed this book's plot and the author's writing style.

Annabelle Thorley has been left an orphan in London and now her alcoholic, abusive brother wants to marry her off to a rich, but deplorable, friend to keep his own affairs afloat. Having no one else to turn to, Annabelle asks Owen Locke, a kind gamekeeper who earlier protected her from a pickpocket, to help her escape her London home. She flees to Fellsworth, where an uncle she barely knows owns a school. Her new position there as a teacher is a far cry from the luxuries of a London belle, and she must learn to take care of herself, work hard, and be careful whom she trusts.

This book was a fun Regency romance, although not particularly memorable. Annabelle is a sympathetic heroine, and I particularly liked the exploration of the new relationship between her and her maid Crosley, once Crosley is no longer a servant. Owen Locke, the gamekeeper, was a stand-up hero, and the mystery about what happened to his first wife unfolded nicely in the plot. The antagonists were a little less well-rounded, some being almost caricatures in their outrageous villainy. All in all, this book was an enjoyable read and a good addition to Ladd's canon of novels.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This book was right up my alley! I noticed it on netgalley.com and the description caught my attention. I loved the main characters and the resolution was perfect! I had not read books 1 & 2, but that didn't take away my enjoyment of the series. Now I definitely want to read the other two books in this series, as well as Ladd's Whispers on the Moors series. Thank you, Netgalley, for a free digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion. 5 out of 5 stars!

After the death of her father, Annabelle Thorley's life is virtually controlled by her untrustworthy elder brother. Her original betrothal broken due to her family's financial problems, Annabelle's brother begins to push her more and more strongly to marry a man she cannot love, or trust. For her own safety, Annabelle decides to secretly run away from London and accept a teaching position at a school in Fellsworth with her estranged uncle.

Widower and game keeper Owen Locke is hard-working, single-minded, and extremely protective of his young daughter. When Owen has the opportunity to help Annabelle escape her conniving and dangerous brother, he is surprised when she requests to flee to Fellsworth-- where his own daughter is a student. Despite his determination to buy land of his own and protect his heart from further damage, Owen can't seem to put Annabelle out of his mind.

As Annabelle struggles to find her footing as a teacher, will she learn to discern who she should and should not trust? Will her new-found friends or family betray her to her brother? And as she and Owen become better acquainted, will either of them learn to let go of past disappointments and trust each other with their hearts?

Sarah E. Ladd's A Stranger at Fellsworth is a lovely story full of danger, excitement, adventure, and romance. While many aspects of the plot strongly resembled The Curiosity Keeper-- another Ladd novel in which a young woman runs away from a dangerous family member and finds herself teaching at a small school-- I found Stranger at Fellsworth much more satisfying. While I've certainly loved many of Ladd's previous novels, she has a tendency to gloss over the relationship-building portions between the main characters and somehow magically skip to the "happily ever after" a bit prematurely. In this case, I definitely could have used a bit more interaction between Owen and Annabelle, but their story was still believable and entertaining. The plot itself was full of action and kept me guessing until the end. Overall, Ladd's latest is among her best efforts.

Annabelle is in a horrible situation. She needs a different path. She thinks she has a friend in her lady's maid and trusts her. But remembers words of her father later never trust the servants. She wonders if his words are true. She bravely runs away with the help of a game keeper Owen to her uncle's school. Fellsworth. There sge is a teacher yet still wonders if she is safe. A mystery and danger unfold. A romance may be in the works as well. Another excellent Regency by author Sarah Ladd.

This is the is the third of the Treasures of Surrey but can definitely be read as a standalone. Annabelle has been forced to marry the evil Mr. Bartell by her brother who is facing financial ruin. Refusing to marry him, she and her maid travel to Fellsworth with the handsome Owen Locke who aids in her escape, to live with her aunt and uncle who run the local school for young girls and boys. Owen lives in the neighboring property as the gamekeeper while his young daughter attends the school. There is a mystery surrounding the death of his wife as well as the missing of animal game on neighboring properties. Owen is set out to find who is behind this and Annabelle begins her new life of freedom. Circumstances bring Owen and Annabelle together and they can't help the attraction between them. There is deception among friends and family and Annabelle is on her guard. I love the mystery and the freedom both her and Owen find because of their past.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this.

“A Stranger at Fellsworth” is a Regency era romantic suspense that grabbed my attention from the very beginning. Its brisk plot and strong characters kept me engaged and I quickly finished reading it in just a couple of sittings.

The suspense is fairly tame yet interesting. A bit of a mystery about poaching on two estates near Fellsworth is finally solved with some surprising results. A couple of truly nasty characters add to the drama and an unexpected romance will make the story worthwhile for many readers.

A story of betrayal and forgiveness, this novel was an enjoyable read that kept this reader occupied and happy for a few hours. I always enjoy a novel by Sarah E. Ladd.

I had not read the previous two books and did not feel lost. Good clean regancy read. I liked the mystery element but felt the end wrapped up a bit sudden and neat.