Such a beautiful and well written story that captivated me from the first page. I loved the deep characters, the castle setting and the chemistry between the characters. This was my first story by this author and I will be looking for more by her. Very beautiful book!

Where the Stars Meet the Sea reminds me of Beauty and the Beast. It's a beautiful tale of love, self-worth, staying true to yourself, healing and loss.
Juliet Graham is an orphan who has been at the mercy of her Aunt Agnes for the last 10 years. She's been counting down to her 21st birthday when she will receive her inheritance and be able to take her younger brother Harry away from their awful aunt. Her plans are derailed when her best friend and cousin tells her he loves her, and then her family is invited to spend 2 weeks at the Duke of Halsteads castle. Juliet is just trying to keep her head down and not be noticed, but things get out of control when she escapes her aunt the first night and meets the Duke himself.
The Duke of Halstead is a broken man, literally. Two years ago he suffered an accident that caused him to lose the use of one of his legs. He now lives in almost constant pain and has decided to never marry because he does not want to burden anyone with his frailties. But then he meets Juliet who ventures into rooms she's not been invited into and breaks heirlooms. She speaks to him as a man, not a Duke
Juliet and Halstead both need to heal and learn to trust. Watching their stories unfold was beautiful and exciting. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and recommend it for anyone who loves a good clean romance that will sweep them off their feet.

Juliet Graham is two short months away from coming into her inheritance and being rid of her cruel and overbearing aunt for good. When the family is invited to a house party at the Duke of Halstead’s estate, unconventional and fiery Juliet catches the attention of a most unexpected person - the Duke himself. Wounded from a reckless riding accident and permanently disabled, the Duke is a shell of a man - withdrawn, surly, bitter, and angry. He lobs insults and condescension at everyone he meets. But Juliet goes toe to toe with Halstead, refusing to be treated thusly and, in doing so, catches his interest. She makes him want to be more than he is now - more than he’s ever been. But she has a responsibility, one that Aunt Agnes holds over her head. The course of true love never did run smooth, but is there too much in the way?

This book FLOORED me. It is a beautifully written tale of two people who guard their scars - both physical and emotional - closely. Juliet knows what it is to have a happy home filled with love... and then to have it ripped away in a moment. Halstead, for his part, knows what it is to be virile and healthy and carefree... and to have that ripped away in a moment as well.

Juliet is the heroine I’ve been longing for for some time. She is strong and capable and bright and independent and puts her foot in her mouth often. She has no use for the trappings that Society and the Ton hang upon ladies because what have either ever done for her? They won’t bring back her family and they won’t make her happy. Not in the long term anyway.

Halstead is a grumpy one, to be sure. I love a grumpy hero, but he’s more than that. He is a Beast figure in many ways. His arrogance led him to hubris, which laid him low. It takes the fire of a person who is not afraid of him or his title to awaken the man he’s destined to be from beneath the bitterness he’s been hiding behind.

If you like a historical romance that is full of chemistry and heart, which characters who leap off the page and stakes that feel real and important, look no further. I read it in two sittings and could not put it down.

Kiss and tel:
Nothing more than kissing and borderline-improper touches in passing. But the chemistry is palpable and gets stronger and more potent with every turn of the page. Halstead and Juliet’s connection is electric and deeply satisfying. BasicIlly, this entire book is Mr. Darcy’s hand flex after handing Lizzie into the carriage.

I feel like I might be in the minority here but I did not LOVE this book. I enjoyed it, but I felt like there were definitely ways in which it could have been improved. For instance, I felt like Halstead's character could have been developed a lot more. He was a character that seemed to have a lot of depth but we never get to see that as the reader. He's just grumpy and then when Juliet sasses him he falls in love with her. There was so much more potential to him as a character than he was given in this book.
Julia on the other hand was a fun and spunky regency heroine. However, she makes the big mistake that I find so frustrating in regency novels where she takes everything on herself and not acknowledging the fact that she needs help and help is readily available. Because of this the ending fell a little flat for me.
All that being said, the idea of the house party in the castle was delightful and I love how the romance developed between other characters in the book. Julia's Aunt is one of the most despicable regency characters ever written - and every regency novel has to have one of those.

Thank you NetGalley and Covenant Communications for the eARC!

This story had a great storyline, and I told my teenage daughter that, "I was reading a good book right now, and I want to get back to it." when I had to go do real life stuff.

Juliet was a fun character, but here's the thing. While I did enjoy the story, I was surprised when I finished and looked at the author. I would have bet this was a first novel for someone. And I would have guessed that because even though I enjoyed it, the characters weren't super developed, and I had a lot of why questions that I don't think I can bring up without spoilers. But I never really felt the connection grow between Juilet and the Duke. Since I liked them both it didn't bother me, but they are insulting one another and then like each other. I needed more why's, especially with the aunt. Her actions really didn't make sense to me.

I'm kind of glad that we have no typical May commitments right now, because otherwise, I would have had to keep putting this book down, and I really didn't want to do that. This story had everything that makes a book a winner for me. There were many times when I got choked up, which is slightly embarrassing when your teenage son is in the same room as you are.

I loved Juliet's character. She was the underdog, but stayed as strong as she knew how, in spite of everything she was put through. Her first interaction with Halstead had me laughing out loud.

I highly recommend this story and look forward to reading it again.

Romance, clean, period;
Juliet's story, and her romance with the Duke of Halstead, was a lovely, period romance. As she stumbles in several encounters with the Duke, mainly as she seeks to escape notice of her overbearing, unkind Aunt, making mistakes with him, but with her genuine nature, and forthright manner open his heart to a chance of a future. The moments were sweet, funny at times, and even as she questions the outcomes and worries, you can see his heart opening to her. Some of the side characters were caricatures, a bit over done in some ways. The conflict with her Aunt, pushing her cousin's suit and holding her brother's future over her as she tries to control how Juliet acts, and interacts with others made for a good contrast with Halstead's subtle observations and interactions. Halstead's family, his mother, grandmother and sister and the conflicts and contrasts they brought out, and also the friendship with his sister and her friendship and kindness to Juliet were well done. Some stronger side characters than others, loved the house party setting, and seeing how the final conflicts resolved. More of a 3.5 for me as a reader, but overall a good read. Rounded up with the subtleties of the cover made me love this even more!

This was a very good read. I enjoyed the author's writing style, her character development, and the pace of the story.
Juliet was a character that was relatable, and you felt for her, wanting her to find peace and acceptance after years of being unloved. Her love for her brother was beautiful to watch.
This was a wonderful story, I will keep a watch out for other books by this author.

I finished this book last night. This is the first book I've read by Heidi Kimball and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Juliet and William meet in the most unprepossessing circumstances. She sneaks into his library and breaks one of his family heirlooms. William, mostly known through the book as Halstead is hiding from the rest of his family and society in general. Juliet is just hiding from her aunt and cousin.
Sparks fly when Juliet gives the Duke a piece of her mind and tells him to stop acting like a child. Of course as a Duke he's not used to people speaking like this and that makes her all the more intriguing.
I felt a connection with Halstead and Juliet and thoroughly enjoyed the book. At times it was a bit of a struggle to put it down.
I look forward to reading more by this author,

Heidi Kimball is quickly becoming an auto-buy for me. I LOVE her new book, Where the Stars Meet the Sea. I'm still thinking about some of the moments the hero and heroine had long after I finished the book!

Juliet Graham is at a house party at Shaldorn castle so her cousin can woo the sister of a duke. She tries to sneak away from a long evening of polite conversation and meets up with a snarky, borderline insulting man who is also avoiding the rest of the party. She gives back as good as she gets and later finds out she was talking to the reclusive Duke of Halstead. Oops. But that encounter starts a chain of events that will have you turning pages long into the night. I nearly finished it in one sitting, because I couldn't put it down.

I loved how vulnerable Juliet was, and yet the more we get to know her, the more we realize the incredible inner strength she had to have to survive her situation. The duke is also vulnerable and fighting his own demons so putting these two together caused some really big sparks. I loved the push/pull between them and how the outer forces of family and society affected their slow-burn romance. So good! The duke was everything a wounded hero should be and everyone will cheer for him to find his happily-ever-after. The author's use of setting and society rules is superb, the secondary cast is memorable, especially the "villain" and the ending was sigh-worthy. Historical romance readers won't want to miss this one!

A deliciously immersive and atmospheric Regency romance. The intriguing title and lovely cover are merely the subtle beginnings of a deep dive into the innumerable complications of human connections. The unusual relationship between the hero and heroine was exquisitely rendered. The story was expertly plotted with unexpected twists and crafted with beautifully descriptive, almost lyrical, prose. It was about overcoming prejudices, societal expectations, and devastating loss to ultimately choose from the heart.

This is a lovely book! It's about 2 people both with their pros & cons. It tells their individual as well as the joint struggles to be happy and be together.

I loved the characters and the plot. The imagery I can see in my mind always makes a story the best kind for me to read. There was plenty to "see" in this one!

The ARC I received was also very lovely. Kudos to whoever choose formatting, type fonts, graphics & cover because it all added a little extra to make this a book well worth the price!

Solid Regency Read

This was a delightful read that I thoroughly enjoyed. A mysterious man + inquisitive woman = an awesome adventure! The symbolism of stars and sea were poignant. This was a sweet and clean read, that I'd rate G/PG for kissing.

Where the Stars Meet the Sea is another sweet romance by Heidi Kimball that topped it off the charts! I think this is one of my favorite tropes, and I loved and enjoyed every second of this story, both the getting to know stage between Miss Juliet Graham and the Duke of Halstead, and their slowly falling for each other. I loved how it's definitely not an easy road for them, and how much their backgrounds play a part in their decision making, but I think it was the learning from it and the overcoming of it that made this book the wonderful read it ended up being.
I think the Observatory scene is my favorite (though there are many to choose from), and that final chapter + epilogue gave it the perfect ending 💕 ~ 5 stars and completely recommended!!

#WheretheStarsMeettheSea #NetGalley

I really loved this book! It had so much character inside! The characters themselves, the villain (aunt), the unsuspecting interested party. All played their parts so well! I love how in the end, Juliet has to be herself even though she believes she is possibly dooming herself and her brother, and how even though she is in a bad spot she doesn't play helpless victim, but figures it out herself. A wonderful, wonderful book! I can't wait to read more from Kimball!

Thank you to NetGalley and Covenant Communications for an advance reader in exchange for a fair review. The ideas expressed are my own.

This was an excellent story. I loved the spunk of the main character. She kept putting herself in awkward positions and it made for a very entertaining story. She had a very good heart and had been dealt a huge blow by the loss of her parents. Having to live with a cruel aunt endeared her to me even more. I loved the transformation she helped with for the cranky duke.

It was a lovely story with a happy ending that I can see myself reading again.

4.5 Stars

I hope I can adequetly express why I thought this book was so wonderful. I could imagine this being dramatized and becoming such a classic in the way of a good romance movie to watch with your friends like any Jane Austen movie or North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell, The h & H were easy to fall in love with. Once I picked this book I was hard pressed to put it down to get any work done. I loved the reading journey of the couple trying to find their happily ever after. The writing was able to hook me from the first few pages. Heidi Kimball was able to write a compelling love story with just the right amount of tension, twists and turns without being overly dramatic. I felt the h & H had layers and depth. The author was able to convey well by showing and not telling the reasons behind their actions and hesitations and struggles. I thought the secondary characters added to the story well and propelled the story at a natural pace. The h & H grew individually through the story. The story had a wonderful message of trust, courage and perseverance but wasn't preachy. There was a nice little twist and swoony element in how the story was concluded. Beautiful romance, good antagonist, and cast of characters.

#wherethestarsmeetthesea #netgalley
I loved this story, Heidi Kimball has a way with weaving a story. it was a beautiful story of romance and intrigue. I can't wait to read it again.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The plot moved swiftly and steadily. The characters were varied and well developed. The house party was wonderful and I loved the ending. PURE DELIGHT! This is one I will read many times!

I enjoyed this story. Juliet is a young woman close to her majority who is living under the thumb of her aunt. She is attending a house party where her cousin is expected to become engaged. Juliet doesn't intend to find love, but is biding her time until she can rescue her young brother from school. She befriends the Duke and her plans start to go awry.
This was an entertaining story, definitely something that kept me reading so I could find out how it would be resolved.