I enjoyed reading the book. I liked the main characters though I did get frustrated with Elizabeth's stubbornness. But I do have to give her credit. I kept thinking that staying at the manor would be the safest place since they knew they had already been looking for her in that area. Hiding where they had already been would be safer than moving to a place where they might yet come looking. Turns out Lizzy was right.

Barton was a good man and I liked that despite being burned before, he was eager to believe in Elizabeth. He searched for evidence to back up his feelings and trusted his gut.

It seemed like the good in this story were really good and the evil were really evil. Not a lot of middle ground. Even those who made terrible mistakes still were acting out of love and goodness.

Thomas was treated as though he was much younger than he was but I wonder if that was because he had shrunk back in the months of his uncle's reign of terror. Or had he always been treated that way and knew no different? His sister seemed to be his only playmate.

There was a familiarity in the plotline but I'm not sure that I have read a book where the sister was so fiercely devoted to a sibling that she always put him first. And all other duty before herself as well. If only she would have included Barton's desires they could have been happy a lot sooner.

Sex: no. Some leering and innuendo.
Language: no
Violence: yes. Not too graphic.
*I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley and voluntarily chose to review it.

3.5⭐️s.....This was a easy short read that transported me to romance and away from my daily worries.
The story starts off in England during the 1800 where death and hardship were commonplace. Elizabeth has lost both parents and has only a cruel uncle to see after her. She must try to protect herself and her brother and doesn’t know who to trust.

Things I loved about the book.
*Barton and how he loved people.
*HEA
Things I didn’t like.
*The uncle
*The constant running.

This book is my first Net galley read and I’m so excited about this.. I want to tell everyone I know about reading and always try to be as honest as possible with each review.
Happy Reading! ❤️

Loved this story. Sister and brother overcoming loss and abuse. To find love a home and protection. Elizabeth always giving of herself to protect her little brother. Then Barton coming along to love and protect her.. Great story in finding trust after so many heartaches.

Escape to Everly Manor by Chalon Linton. Covenant Communications, 2019.

This historical romance begins in 1813, after Elizabeth Stafford’s father and stepmother have been killed in a carriage accident and their cruel and abusive uncle has arranged for her young brother Thomas, to go to sea and for Lizzy to marry an older much disliked neighbour. Lizzy and Thomas escape, taking refuge in an abandoned cabin in Barton Everly’s forest.

This well-written book is a pleasant and engaging read, even though most plot elements will be familiar to historical romance readers from other stories. Thomas is an appealing child but is treated like a four-year old. Kind and generous Barton is especially likeable, though he has his hands full with is annoyingly nosey mother and loyal but stubborn Lizzy who is perhaps dangerously lacking in common sense.

I enjoyed reading Escape to Everly Manor.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of Escape to Everly Manor via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This started out intriguing, also scary. Elizabeth Stafford had lost both her parents in a carriage accident a short while ago. All that is left of her family is her half brother. She has always adored him. Her uncle had come to the house for his inheritance, which was all of it. Their father left them nothing. He had arranged for Thomas to be a cabin boy and she knew with his sweet disposition he would not make it. She would not let this happen, they would run. Her fate was to be wed to a man twenty five years her senior, very cruel, and evil. Harrison Barton Everly of Everly Manor had lost his father but he still had his older sister, younger brother and his mother. He tried to make his tenants and the villager lives better.
When lizzy and her brother ran, an awful storm came up and they stayed in an abandoned cottage.
While there they met Barton, he was interested in Lizzy but he was a gentleman and tried to help them and protect them.
I enjoyed the tale of wet stormy nights and evil people and love budding. There were some twists to the story which kept it interesting. The characters were engaging and had depth. They were kind.
The weather did not cooperate. It was well written, flowed smoothly, and had dialogue to fit the scene. I loved when Thomas got a puppy, actually Barton bought it for himself but the boy had fallen in love with it. It is a clean novel and worth the time to read it.

I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

A beautifully written story about a young woman and her younger brother who are fleeing from they tyranny of an uncle who has come to claim his place after the death of their father. The struggles endured by Lizzy to the benefit of Thomas, her brother, really endeared me to her quickly. Is she is even willing to sacrifice her heart for him? Read this wonderful story and find out for yourself.

Review excerpted from my blog post over at FanSciHist (https://fanscihist.wordpress.com/2019/03/03/escape-to-everly-manor-by-chalon-linton/)

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Library recommendation: Recommended for public library historical romance collections.

Warning: Hereafter, you chance spoilers. I will try never to reveal major plot points, but to review any book, you must reveal some parts of the story.


____________________________


Number of titles I have read by this author: 1

Love story speed: Slow burn

Relationship dynamics: The Orphaned Young Woman with Nefarious Relatives (h) / The Kindly Lord of the Manor (H)

Sexual content: None. Some kissing only.

Triggers: Some violence against women (not by H); some gun violence.

Grammar/Editing: This ARC suffered from an awful lot of formatting problems which caused some confusion (e.g. dialogue paragraphs mashed together). There were a few typos as well. If the published version is vastly improved, this could be a 4 star book for me.

Review: The pacing in this novel is quite good, and even. There are enough twists and turns throughout the novel, even if they were a little predictable. Although the subtitle on the cover of the book declares this to be a Regency setting, I did not note any particular details within the book that would mark it as such. That being said, it was still clearly pre-Victorian.

Lizzy is a devoted sister and determined, though somewhat naive (as one would expect the daughter of a gentleman to be). Barton is a kind, benevolent soul who, though he has some emotional scars, sees the best in most people and is quite persistent. Lizzy and Barton are well-matched and refreshingly candid with one another, for the most part. The relationship progression was good, although historical propriety seemed a little forgotten about in places. The supporting characters were interesting and fairly well developed, Thomas especially so. In fact, Lizzy and Thomas’ relationship was almost more interesting than the romance.

Horse version: A fine piece of horseflesh. Although it seems confused at times, it always knows where it’s going and won’t throw you off if you treat it with a little bit of patience.

Full disclosure: I received a free advance review copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This started out ok. The writing was not great. I could tell right away this was not an experienced author. I kept reading because it wasn't too bad in execution just lacked feeling and depth. I got into the story and kept reading but by the end I was pretty frustrated with the leading lady who was odd and turned into the biggest problem in the story. By the end if I were Barton I would have thrown up my hands and let her alone. Geez. This is a clean regency romance but takes place in the country. Clean with some kisses.

I unfortunately didn't love this book. I felt Lizzy's character as a whole was too stubborn, and not in a good way. Her growth appeared minimal to me. There were definitely aspects of her character that I did enjoy, but overall some aspects of her personality were jarring to read. The storyline itself had a lot of potential, again not a bad plot, but the biggest issue for me was that if I didn't know what time period this book was set in, I wouldn't know because it's didn't have any particular details that made it obvious it was set in the regency period. For me, that's key when I read historical fiction. Overall, not my cup of tea.

I enjoyed this story. Barton is a very sweet hero, and Elizabeth is just so selfless. There were times I wanted to shake some sense into her...but her heart was always in the right place. The villainswere truly bad guys, the supporting cast quite well developed! Enjoy!

Escape to Everly Manor quickly grabs your attention with the plight of Lizzy and her younger brother. They have been orphaned and their evil uncle is now their guardian. In an effort to save her brother from being sent to work on a merchant ship, the siblings run away. They soon seek shelter in an abandoned tenant house, which eventually leads to their meeting the owner of Everly Manor, who wishes to help them but can't get any honest answers from Lizzy. Her fear of word getting back to her uncle moves Lizzy to keep trying to run away, even when help is offered. Her tendency to keeping run leads to all sorts of drama and complications.

The overall writing style of this novel is pretty good. There were a few awkward sentences. but not enough to lessen my enjoyment. However, the drama that made the book interesting to begin with started to strain my patience and credulity by the end. The length of the book felt a little artificially inflated by unnecessary misunderstandings and lack of communication. While this wasn't my favorite of stories, I would consider checking out other books by the author.

On a side note, the digital version I received needed some major formatting adjustments that will hopefully be addressed.

Hands down Linton’s best yet! This cover is perfect for the story. Everything and I mean everything is in the plot - you couldn’t ask for a more gripping edge of your seat tale of events.

Elizabeth and Thomas are left to deal with an abundance of unknowns and fears after the death of their parents & it seems the ruthless Uncle is out to destroy them.

Harrison Everly is all that’s just and true, with enough dashing good looks to make you swoon. He may be who Elizabeth needs to help her. Or, perhaps she will just want to fight this battle on her own.

I just loved this story. Even the minor details, which to me, are very important to get right - like language and phrases - were there.

I’m so desperately hoping we get to revisit the Everly family and see where Franklin’s life is headed.

You won’t regret picking this one up. Fantastic.

I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley & Covenant Communications. This is my honest review.

I love me some good historical fiction, and I really enjoyed this one. While one could reasonably predict a happy ending (and I love happy endings) for this genre, it had enough intrigue and plot twists to keep me reading far too late at night. :) The characters were well-formed and likeable - well, except the ones that were NOT likeable. The story-line unique and engaging. I look forward to more works from Chalon Linton!

Overall, the story wasn't bad. It was well written and if you're looking for a quickie historical romance read then this will fit the bill nicely.

However...

I love a good damsel in distress romance - definitely a guilty pleasure when the dashing hero swoops in and saves the day. This damsel, however, I might have left tied to the train tracks. Okay, obviously not, but this story did leave me wondering what exactly the hero saw in the female protagonist that was worthy of instant romance.

I think my problem lies in the popular idea that stubbornness, an unwillingness to ask for help, and a lack of willing to communicate makes for a strong female character. It does not. And in no way is it believable that anyone would fall head over heels in love in a matter of days with someone who exhibits these traits.

My other problem was that a lot of aspects of the story just felt off. For starters, a ten year old boy is around 5th grade, right? No way do I believe that said child would stand for being coddled by his sister, kissed on the forehead, read to sleep, etc. It was strange he was portrayed in such a way when making him younger would have been a simple solution. Also, this may be nitpicking, but the era felt off as well. Some events unraveled in ways that just wouldn't happen in regency England. I don't need a spot on representation of the times, but I wanted it to feel a little more authentic.

This was my first time reading a book by this author and I’ve found a new amazing Regency author! I thoroughly enjoyed this story and am looking forward to reading more by her.

I loved the elements of adventure and hints of danger in this book. This Regency romance occurred away from the fancy ballrooms and gossipers of city life and society, which I really liked. The two main characters, Lizzy and Barton, were fantastic protagonists. I loved how determined Lizzy was and she had courage and honor in spades. Barton was the epitome of goodness and gentleness, but I loved seeing how riled up he got over his feelings for Lizzy and her and her brother’s welfare.

I really enjoyed the little details the author added to the setting and supporting characters- there were many that I loved. The relationship between Lizzy and her brother Thomas was especially sweet.

I couldn’t put this book down and read it in less than a day, and I can’t wait to see what the author writes next!!

**I received a copy from Covenant Communications through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lizzy will do anything to protect her younger brother Thomas, so when she realizes her Uncle Cline, their father's estranged brother who claimed their estate and became their guardian after their parents' deaths, plans to send him to join the crew of a merchant vessel, she is determined to keep that from happening. They escape on the journey to the ship and take refuge in an abandoned cabin, and they soon find an ally in Mr. Barton, a handsome young man who wants to help this mysterious girl and her brother.
Barton knows that Lizzy isn't telling him everything, and his mother warns him against trusting her, but he can't turn his back on her and will do all he can to keep her safe and show her that she can trust him with her entire story--and with her heart.

I really enjoyed Barton's kindness and Lizzy's devotion to her brother. I also enjoyed it when Lizzy would banter with Barton, and I also enjoyed the fact that Barton actually slugged someone in the course of the story. There were some points where I started to lose interest, but all in all, I enjoyed it.

3.5 stars.

I read an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I think I have a new favorite book by this author.

Lizzy and Thomas had an idyllic life. Until it came crashing down. Now Lizzy must make some hard choices if she is to protect Thomas and herself. She will have to stay on her toes (so to speak) if she's going to stay ahead of those who are trying to force her and her brother to fates differently than they had always planned.

I thought this book had a great cast of characters. We have our main heroine, our main hero, family members of each, our dastardly duo of devious characters, the sweet and charming dog (ok it's not really a big character but makes a couple very minor appearances), a lonely and empty cabin in the woods (again not really a major character-or character at all but it made my list) and plenty of minor supporting characters, mainly the servants of the manors. The combination of all these characters and their interactions created a well thought out story.

Plenty of peril, escaping, storms, horses, danger, hiding, treasure hunts, hidden identities, little white lies (for the sake of protection), family drama, sorrow, hope, secret plans, friendship, bad guys, love, broken hearts, love, daring rescues, and of course love again (what's a happily ever after without some sweet love story throughout the book-hence the repeating love).

I was hooked with this one that I found myself listening along when I couldn't be reading. Lots of driving around the last couple days which made it a good way to enjoy the book as well. If you haven't read any books by this author I would definitely recommend trying out one or all of them. This one is definitely my favorite but in no way does that declaration diminish my enjoyment of the other novels by her.

I really liked the ending. I predicted that would probably be the outcome throughout the whole book and gave myself a little pat on the back for guessing right. I don't think all readers would guess the outcome, but I've read a few books...just a few. Lol! All in all though, I enjoyed it! The sweet love story was very tender and sweet. I loved anytime the hero made an appearance. Pssst...so did Lizzie. *giggling*

Content: Clean. A few moments of peril. A couple very mild innuendos. Some kissing but nothing further.

I received a copy from the publisher, Covenant Communications, via NetGalley. As well as listened through my Deseret Bookshelf subscription. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

This was a great story. The characters were solid and enjoyable to read about. The storyline flowed well. It was a great evening read.

A very good Historical Romance with drama,twist,angst,action and romance.
Lizzy is a strong smart characters who only wants to protect her brother Thomas and build a life for them both.
Barton wants to find out what Lizzy is running from and protect her.
Situations develops what will the outcome be.
Really enjoyed reading.
Voluntarily reviewed.

#EscapeToEverlyManor #NetGalley
I loved this book! It had just the right amount of twists and turns, romance and suspense to keep me happy.