True to Julie Klassen form, A Castaway in Cornwall is atmospheric and romantic. I loved the thread of intrigue running through this story! And I adore the cover. :)

I did enjoy this story very much. It really describes how life was in the area at this time, with the shipwrecks, the wreckers and how hard life was for some people. Laura was living with her uncle by marriage and his second wife but she always felt like an outsider, as she hadn’t been born in Cornwall. She was a very caring person and did what she could to help people. Alexander Lucas, was shipwrecked near where Laura lived and Laura helped nurse him back to health. There is a mystery surrounding Alexander and gradually this unfolds through his memories. Alexander and Laura began to develop feelings for each other but their circumstances didn’t help. There are some dangerous events, but also happy ones and definitely a very satisfying ending. I enjoyed reading about the way the community would help one another. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Castaway in Cornwall combines an idyllic setting, secrets, and unique history of the region all with a story of loyalty and friendship. It has been far too long since I’ve read a Julie Klassen novel, and I’m happy to say this one delivered the richly historical story I wanted!

Much as the heroine, Laura, happens upon cast off trinkets and the occasional item of value from the sea, her fated discovery and care of the mysterious hero of the novel proves a story of personal discovery, too. The backstory of these characters is smartly revealed as the story unfolds. I enjoyed their growing camaraderie and the way their wits and strengths must come into play in their relationships with each other and with their friends and enemies.

The Cornish setting is wonderfully portrayed by Klassen! Fans of Poldark will enjoy seeing familiar place names and even similar themes of loyalty, betrayal, joy amidst loss, and friendship. I was also happy with the surprising direction of the story in the latter half — I won’t say more than it explores a unique part of history not always given its due in Regency stories.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy. This is my honest review.

I am thoroughly impressed with Julie Klassen’s new book, “A Castaway in Cornwall.” The story of Laura Callaway, who spends her time locating items from shipwrecks to return to the families of those lost in the tragedies, and Alexander Lucas, who himself was washed ashore following a shipwreck, is filled with so many unsuspected turns that the reader is drawn deeper and deeper into the tale. The research and explanation of this time period is excellent and necessary as many readers are likely to have little knowledge of this time period. Bravo. Well done.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and was not required to write a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

Julie Klassen has written another book that educated and entertained me at the same time.

This book is set during the Regency time period. Laura is a young woman who doesn't feel like she fits in anywhere. She is an orphan living with non-blood relatives and in a close-knit community. She feels as if her parents abandoned her and doesn't see her true worth.

Her life takes a drastic change when there was a shipwreck near her home. She saves the life of the only survivor and is his advocate and champion when danger is near. He is also different, a fact that leads to a kinship between the two.

Sprinkled in the story, Klassen adds tidbits of history about the region and the religious and social practices of the time. I loved the small community setting and could imagine myself there. She described the customs and people in a way that I felt as if I could connect with them.

The book contains romance and suspense. I loved the dual perspective of the French and English during the war. This is a book that is worth reading.

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

This is the first Julie Klassen book I have read and boy am I hooked .
Set around the rugged coast of Cornwall it has all the ingredients you need for a historical romantic novel. Romance intrigue a good mystery with pirates and Cornish reckers in the mix.
Just loved it and can’t recommend it enough
Five stars all the way

Wrap yourself up warm and enjoy all aspects of this tale set in the early 1800's in a small coastal village in North Cornwall 2 miles from Padstow.

The setting is important as Ms Klassen gives us scenes involving smuggling, pirates and shipwrecks. There is a simplicity to life experienced by the main character, Laura Callaway who loves just wandering along the beaches. The author even gives us characters who sometimes converse in the old Cornish language.- all adding to the atmosphere!

Yes, there is love involved but no other spoilers. Have a pasty and a couple of pints of 'Doom Bar' and lock yourself away with such a good book.

Thanks to Net Galley and Bethany House for the chance to read and review.

A story of shipwrecks and smugglers in a time of war. Orphaned Laura Callaway lives with her uncle by marriage and his second wife, in a small Cornish village. One of her projects is to try and identify shipwreck victims by their personal belongings and give their families closure. After one tragic incident she rescues a near dead man, going by the name, Alexander Lucas and nurses him back to health. However, as the days go by and her feelings for Alexander grow, she finds herself embroiled in treasonous acts.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was such a wonderful read. I am totally a romance-novel-addict and I lived this one. If you like my got a Historical fiction bug, you will love this book. Julie Klassen writes so beautifully. And the characters are so real.
I deeply enjoyed it.
This was a 4 stars for me.

I enjoyed the setting and getting to know the believable, interesting main and minor characters. I liked Laura, and her Uncle Matthew as they lived on the coast of North Cornwall, England in 1813. They helped shipwreck survivors and nursed them back to health the best they could, possibly reuniting them back with their family. The author takes her time in having readers get to know these characters and the community they lived in.

I enjoyed the Cornwall coast as the author had it come alive through main characters searching the beaches looking for treasures. I enjoyed how Laura does this to not only to find treasures for herself, but she hopes to reconnect the treasure with their family. Sometimes reuniting a treasure with the family was not always well-received – caused some trouble to a few which surprised Laura.

Things change for Laura when she helps rescue a likable, mysterious man from a shipwrecked boat. She is intrigued by him and treats him well. Laura treated people the way she would like to be treated, kind of like Jesus loving people right where they are not waiting until they are cleaned up and beautiful.

I enjoyed this fun blend of mystery, danger, and intrigue with characters I enjoyed hanging out with in a unique setting. I enjoyed learning about the community they lived in and the things they faced and how this group was skeptical of outsiders who washed up on their shores. I enjoyed how this all played out with Laura and this mysterious guest.

I found the author note to readers interesting, she says, “If you were surprised to read that more people on shore did not try to help those trapped on foundering ships, or that so many died in shipwrecks, remember that few people knew how to swim in previous centuries, and this period is before the creation of the Coastguard, or the proliferation of the rocket life-saving device and breeches buoy, etc. The Padstow lifeboat was not established until 1827. Before that, shipyard gig crews, fishermen, and others did what they could to save those in distress, though many perished.”

This is an interesting read that would make for an interesting book club pick. The author includes ten questions to help create a lively discussion for your group.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog www.bookfun.org

Romance, adventure, and intrigue.

I recently discovered Julie Klassen and really like her writing. I think my favorite books are the Ivy Hill series. This book is a bit different than that series, more intrigue, more cliffhanger until the very end. It will especially be popular with fans of Poldark, Jane Austen, and Jane Eyre. A lovely diversion for reading by the fire.

Thank you to the publisher who lent me a time limited e-arc via netgalley with no obligation. This review is optional and my own opinion.

Actual rating: 2.5

The only word I can use to describe this books is fine. It was fine. I think it's a good book for people who like historical romance, but get uncomfortable with graphic sex scenes. This is marketed as Christian fiction, but the spiritual aspects are very minor. They fit in with the time period well and don't get preachy at all.
However, the main plot points, the conflict with François and Alexander's past, and the romance arc, were all bland to me. It was fine, but it all read like a very basic episode of a period drama, nothing new or interesting. The few parts of the story that were intriguing and mysterious were resolved in long scenes of exposition through dialogue, which I though was a little too easy and boring. And I also felt like the ending wrapped up a little too cleanly, but I'm sure it would be satisfying for people who appreciate a good, clean ending. I just appreciate repercussions for the events that happen in a book. I find it unbelievable when a story can tie up all the loose ends like this one does.
But overall the writing is fine, and the structure was, again, fine. Maybe I'm not the target for a book like this, but if you are, I think you will enjoy it.

If I were to use just one word to describe Julie Klassen’s writing it would be the word gentle. Gentle – almost leisurely – pacing is a hallmark of her style and kindly, amiable folk people her tales. Even her villains are milder than most. All of that is in full force in her latest novel, A Castaway in Cornwall.

Shipwrecks are a typical occurrence along the windy, sandbar-riddled coast of Cornwall where the villagers are more likely to plunder the flotsam and jetsam of a wreck than they are to risk life and limb to help the lost souls aboard the battered boat. Orphan Laura Calloway is an exception; like the others she makes a modest living from what she finds on the beaches near her home but she also makes it a point to keep a catalog of the dead and write to their families, to help arrange a church burial for the bodies that wash up on shore and to look out for survivors. Which is how she comes to invite a stranger into her step-aunt’s home.

When she finds him floating on the sea he is battered, cut, bruised and unconscious. He spends days fighting a fever but with the help of a young local doctor and an elderly midwife, Laura is able to restore him to health. He says he is Alexander Lucas and that he was sailing home to Jersey. But he has an odd accent and his hands have abrasions from where they were clearly tied. When he asks Laura for her descriptions of the dead, he seems more concerned about a stranger who doesn’t appear on the list than the deceased friend who does. In his manner and clothes, and the snippets he tells of his life, Alexander appears to be every inch the gentleman, yet he claims to be but a humble sailor. Laura feels uneasy about these discrepancies but is charmed by the seemingly earnest and kindly nature of her guest.

Alexander had been on a personal mission of vital importance and is deeply troubled that so much time has been lost to healing from the wreck. His situation is a precarious one; he cannot afford to come to the attention of the authorities but he must begin a search for a silver flask that was on the ship, a container which holds a letter vital to the success of his endeavour. He hates lying to the lovely Laura about who he is and what he is up to but he feels he has no choice.

When another survivor from the wreck is found, the very man about whom Alexander was so curious, Laura realizes that her house guest has indeed been lying to her. She should turn him in to the local militia and be done with the matter. Yet when he explains what he is doing and why, she finds herself risking her own freedom and position to help him. It’s a choice that will result in her leaving her familiar world to follow a stranger into the dangerous unknown.

The star of this story is the vivid descriptions of existence on the Cornish coast. We see how daily life and the local economy revolve around the sea, from the salvaging efforts which help keep people financially afloat to the difficulties which occur, such as dangerous smugglers and unscrupulous reclamation men. Julia, who moved there after her parents’ deaths, has not fit easily into the area. Her habit of reconnecting the items she finds on the beaches with their previous owners is seen as a criticism of the denizens’ own more practical efforts (read theft). This hasn’t kept the local lads from looking her way, though. She is a beautiful girl with a kindly, sweet nature which has many men of the community interested in her, but her position as a penniless orphan dependent on the largesse of a relative who sees her as a rival to her own daughter, has made Julia wary of suitors. She knows there will be trouble if a man her aunt wants for her step-cousin Elsed chooses Julia instead. However, she can’t help but be immediately attracted to Alexander not just for his handsome face and flawless manners but because of where he is headed. Julia’s parents died in Jersey and she has longed to go there since she was a young girl, if for no other reason than to see their graves.

Alexander has behaved honorably all his life but that honor has brought him only cold rewards. His greatest enemy was on the ship that wrecked, and when he discovers that man survived, he knows it will mean trouble for him; his rival wants nothing more than to see Alexander imprisoned or killed. The man’s hatred is so strong that he has caused Alexander’s family a great deal of harm, harm which Alexander feels responsible for and is determined to fix. He feels guilty asking Julia for aid to escape his enemy but he has no recourse if he is to help his family. He is stunned when she winds up journeying with him but the additional time together serves to move their relationship from attraction to love.

Like much of the story, the romance is a pleasant, quiet event which happens neatly and without much fuss. They get along well, admire each other’s strong morals and there are no impediments to their union aside from Alexander’s familial problems. Once those are resolved they ease into their HEA.

The mystery is mildly interesting if not overly compelling, and it too has a nice, neat resolution.

This is an inspirational romance with conversations about God, his provision and the importance of church and bible reading sprinkled throughout the text. I thought the matter was handled in a manner which would have been typical of the time period and seemed natural to all the characters.

I had a few quibbles with the tale. The first is that I couldn’t quite figure out the rank of the characters. The Regency period is one where everyone had a place and that place was marked by certain rules of behavior but neither Alexander nor Julia seemed to fit into my notions of what would be expected of the upper middle class, which is what I think they were. The second is that much of the plot involves things working out a tad too conveniently for the characters. Large problems would be presented and then total strangers would step up to resolve them.

Not a quibble but what might prove a deterrent to some readers is the achingly low key nature of the tale. Even the action packed sequences, told in the author’s clear, quiet style, aren’t riveting or anxiety inducing.

Smooth prose and likable characters make A Castaway in Cornwall a pleasant, comfortable read sure to please fans of the author. For those not familiar with her work, I recommend it if you are looking for a quiet, easy read.

A Castaway in Cornwall is such a wonderful book. The setting of Cornwall is magnificent and yet, dangerous and mysterious in its own right. I have read several stories of the unique customs of the area, including the history of the dangerous shoreline, where ships would be thrown upon the rocks and then what’s left of the ship the winds would finish demolishing it. Very few of the ships crew would be saved. Then there were wreckers, who deliberately shown lights during the storms to lure them onto the rocky shore. So the smugglers could reap the contents of the ship. Laura lives with her uncle after the death of her parents, but she never feels like she belongs so she spends her time finding things that are lost with the hope that she can return them to their owner. That is what’s left after the wreckers take their haul. She carefully cleans each item and writes a note of which person, {a description as best she can} it was found on or near and the date of the wreck. After a severe storm the men that washed ashore and are alive are taken up to the main house of her uncle. When Alexander washes up on the shore during a storm, Laura immediately sets out to do what she can to help him. But this mystery man is clearly more than he appears. He is definitely hiding something. I loved the slow, respectful development of their relationship……Oh there is so much to this story that will keep you reading on and on. I heartily recommend this book, you will not be disappointed……I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley and voluntarily chose to review it. I loved it.

Fans of regency historical fiction will find a new book to love in Julie Klassen's A Castaway in Cornwall. With wonderful attention to detail, Ms. Klassen spins an exhilarating tale filled with shipwrecks, smuggling and romance. The vivid setting of the Cornish coast almost appears as a character itself under Julie Klassen's pen. I loved the quotes the author included at the beginning of each chapter. These snippets from the past gave historical authenticity to the story playing out within the pages of the book. The theme of finding a place to belong, family and forgiveness tugged at my heart. Julie Klassen proves once again why she is one of favorite authors. Highly recommend!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is an interesting read to me because I haven't read any book about Cornish people and their culture. The seas are dangerous in Cornwall and there are many shipwrecks. Things and even people can be washed ashore. Laura likes to help these shipwrecked victims and she also finds some things from the boats. Alexander is washed ashore. Laura with the assistance of family and friends helped him recover from his injuries. He has secrets and is not ready to reveal it to anyone, even to Laura.

The story is set during the Napoleonic wars and so spies, prisoners and military people are involved. I like that their love for each other just grew over time and Alex is respectful of Laura. The story evolves more of finding out Alex's true nature, his plan to go back home to France to help his brother, and how the people of Cornwall lives. Oh Francois and Alexander's relationship is intriguing and their last scene together is emotional. I didn't expect Laura's decision on Alexander's escape to the ship. Treeve is a surprise too. The book is long but overall, I enjoyed the book. If you love historical fiction this is for you. 4 stars

Thank you #netgalley and the publisher for the complimentary copy.

A Castaway in Cornwall is Julie Klassen‘s latest historical romance. Set among the rugged landscape of England’s southwestern tip, it’s a tale of shipwreck, loss, adventure, discovery, and danger.

Laura Callaway feels adrift in her life in North Cornwall, but finds purpose writing to the next of kin and returning keepsakes of those lost when their ship wrecks on the craggy shore near her uncle’s house. When one of the castaways turns up alive – at least as long as she can save him – Laura recognizes his secrets could be the key to answers she craves. If she dares to trust him despite the clues she’s piecing together about his true identity.

I love Julie Klassen’s writing, especially in this story. It’s lyrical, like the sea, yet pulls a reader in so that you cannot put down the story. The secrets, the unraveling; I wanted to find out what happened so much that I kept turning page after page. Then the danger increased and the story completely ran way with me!

If you love shipwreck tales, stories of far off places, and have a penchant for wanderlust, A Castaway in Cornwall will speak to your soul. Fair warning: before you begin reading, be prepared to set aside a large portion of uninterrupted time. It’s a book to be savored even while it won’t let you go.

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC guidelines.

What a moving story! I was caught up in this book and had a hard time putting it down. The story and characters captivate you into Cornwall and beyond. I don’t want to give anything away but you will enjoy this from beginning to end. I look forward to ready many more books by Julie Klassen.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review.

Set in Cornwall England in the early 1800's during the Napoleonic Wars, Laura has been taken in by her loving pastor uncle, but is not appreciated by her frugal step-aunt who feels Laura's beauty will chase away suitors from her daughter. So Laura spends her time combing the beaches for things that have floated in from downed ships. She, one evening spies, a ship that has floundered on the rocks and rushes to help out. While watching to help, she spots a survivor of the ship on the sand, and thus begins an amazing adventure.

This book has a slow start, but once the action begins it kept my attention as I discovered more about Cornwall and the Napoleonic Wars. Klaussen's vivid descriptions of Cornwall made me feel like I was right there on the windy beach with Laura. Even though I am of English descent, I couldn't help but root for the French Officer, Alex. Laura reminded me so much of a Cinderella character, and Alex the perfect hero to rescue her. She definitely was a castaway in so many senses of the word. But she and Alex both clung to hope, forgiveness, and redemption as they journeyed together to find their families. With a wide variety of emotions, both found their way to happily ever after.

** I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.

This was a fascinating story. I was drawn in from the first scene when Laura walks the beach trying to decide if she is flotsam or jetsam as she searches for the same. She has always been out of place in Cornwall where she came after her parents’ died. Her life takes a decided turn when she saves a man who has been shipwrecked on the coast.
I really liked Laura. She is bold and adventurous. She is a bit unconventional. She sees the worth in people others have looked over. Alexander is a bit mysterious, thoughtful, and wonderful. I enjoyed his relationship with Laura. I appreciated how the story came full circle and Laura rethinks what Cornwall means to her. I liked many of the secondary characters and would love to see Treeve and Jago in future books.
This was a great, interesting book. I’d highly recommend it. Thank you to Bethany House for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.