"He knows your name. Your true name, the one at the heart of you that has never been spoken. He knows you, and He calls you by it. You, in all your uniqueness...He knows how you fit into this world."

Oh. My. Word!! What a masterful, engaging, unique story this is! The characters, each and every one of them. The friendships, the drama, the intrigue, the setting. You will be pulled into the world of the Isle of Scilly and wish to never return.

I can always count on Roseanna M. White to write the most intelligent, unique, absolutely loveable heroines. I don't know how she does it time and time again! And Libby is no exception. Born into high society and being pushed into a marriage she does not want, she talks her mother into letting her escape for the summer to the island of Scilly with her handmaid (who has a tale of her own!). This is where the adventure begins. When she's mistaken for another Elizabeth and left with clues as to where this other Elizabeth has gone, she dives in head first to help "Beth's" brother, Oliver, find his sister before anything happens to her.

This story is exactly what we've come to expect from Ms. White...and if this is your first one of her books, devour this one. And then go find yourself any of her previous works! You won't be disappointed.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

I do love a good historical fiction book! One thing I really like about this one is that it is in a different setting--not the same old thing!! I also like the main character being interested in something other than what the typical lady of the day was interested in.
I like the characters and the plot development. If there's one drawback, it's that it can be a little long in spots, but not too bad. ;)
Overall, an enjoyable book, and I think it would be great for younger adults, as that is the age group of most of the characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to have an advance e-copy. All opinions are entirely my own.

*Warnings*

#1 This is a long review, so pull up a chair and grab a bowl of popcorn. You’ll be here awhile. #2 When I read a review, I want substantial information. So I will not skimp on the details. Which may mean some spoilers, so watch out.




Stars: 5+


Synopsis: Lady Elizabeth Sinclair had planned on running from a marriage arranged by her older brother—only, upon her arrival to the Scillies, she realizes that she may have run straight into the arms of danger...and maybe even the arms of love.


Favorite Quote: All of them!!! But if I have to pick just one…

“He knows your name. Not Libby, not Elizabeth Sinclair. Your true name, the one at the heart of you that has never been spoken. He knows you, and He calls you by it. You, in all your uniqueness. You, in all that makes you different from others. You, in all that you have in common with them. He knows you, and He calls you by name. He knows how you fit into this world.”




I have read all but one of Roseanna M. White’s books. I’ve read her biblical fiction, Love Finds You in Annapolis, Maryland (as in, before it became A Heart’s Revolution), both the Culper Rings and Ladies of the Manor series twice, her two short stories, and for the last four years, I have been quite literally devouring every single new book she writes the moment I can get my hands on it.

I know the streets of London like the back of my hand, the ins and outs of high society, the best way to remain hidden in shadows whilst spying on Redcoats. I keep Camden and Lukas and Samuel on my bed because they are hands-down three of the best ever heroes. I’ve done the whole off-again/on-again relationship with White’s novels for so long—loving some, disliking others, being wholly engrossed in everything she writes anyway.

After On Wings of Devotion, I thought it couldn’t get any better. And for a while, it didn’t. A Portrait of Loyalty was good, but certainly not my favorite. Dreams of Savannah was amazing, and I loved the portrayal of the Civil War (and, more importantly, Southerners), but it was missing some little something that would have hoisted it to the #1 spot.

Then The Nature of a Lady showed up, and boy howdy, it got better!

I mean, Oliver isn’t Camden or Cayton. Libby isn’t Ara or Zip. It wasn’t as intriguing as the Culper Rings, as mysterious as The Codebreakers, as exciting as Shadows Over England. It wasn’t as romantic as On Wings of Devotion or A Lady Unrivaled. It wasn’t as raw as A Stray Drop of Blood or as powerful as A Soft Breath of Wind. It wasn’t as political or cultural as Dreams of Savannah.

But, y’all. Y’all. Y’all. Y’ALL. y a l l . . .

(I will devise a million different ways to write y’all.)

this book was perfect

there i said it

(Now you may dis me for not using periods or proper capitalization.)

IT WAS EVERYTHING. All of it, all at once.

Raw emotion, Holy Ghost power, mystery and intrigue, PIRATES, sugary sweet, tender romance—times two! I mean, I honestly don’t know what to say.

Let me put it like this:

Libby was an amazing heroine. No, she was not my favorite of White’s heroines. No, she wasn’t perfect. No, I didn’t feel for her like I do Charity O’Connor or Eliyana Ember. But she was different, unique—but not in an overbearing way. She wasn’t trying to be unique. She just was. And I mean that from an author’s point-of-view. Her character wasn’t forced or contrived. White wasn’t confining her to a strict idea of how her character should be to move the plot along. Libby was natural, graceful, flowing. That’s really what I liked about her. I got a little upset with her over the whole science/evolution thing, but she was never forceful about it—toward other characters or in her own mind.

Ugh. I’m not making any sense.

Let me just compare her to Margot. Margot is probably one of my least favorite White heroines (I know, I know; everybody else likes her...I just have to be the odd one out, okay?). She wouldn’t depend on God or surrender herself to Him. She forced her opinions and views on other people (no matter if they were right or wrong). She had her strengths, yes. But I couldn’t get past her weaknesses to appreciate her good qualities.

But Libby? She was like a Margot do-over for me—same goes for Oliver with Drake. She was a softer, gentler, kinder, more mature version of Margot. Libby was so kind and unassuming—like Arabella. But also intelligent and progressive like Margot—just not to the point of being annoying.

Yes, she committed the great sin of rebelling from authority (yes, that’s the great feminist sin in my mind; it’s really a matter of morals and scripture rather than opinion). But I feel like she handled the situation better. And that’s really all I have to say about that. Libby was just better than Margot. There.

Can I just say, though, that she had that insightful, tenderhearted air of Arabella that just made her all the more perfect? I mean, can you imagine Margot saying something like this to Drake?

“It’s you that see people, Oliver. Sees them truly, sees them clearly. Sees them with purpose—and that purpose is to care.”

She truly cared for Oliver and wanted to help him see what a good man he was—and where he needed to change. And she loved Mamm-wynn and Mabena and even her brother (I think). Her compassion and love for people was there, which was so beautiful to witness.

And Oliver?

Ugh.

He was just so...Oliver.

Like, I shouldn’t like him, because he’s nice and calm and too perfect. He’s not Cam. He’s another one of White’s too-perfect, too-sweet, too-handsome, too-kind, too-loving, too-darn-beautiful heroes. Like Peter, Drake, Thad, Brice, Samuel—all of those adorable munchkins. (Yes, I just called them munchkins. Don’t give me that look.)

But here’s the thing, guys.

I liked Oliver.

More than that, I loved him as much as I love Peter and Samuel (because those are the munchkins I was referring to, not Drake and Thad).

Why? Because he had his faults too. Not his insecurities—Peter and Sam and Brice and all had insecurities, not faults.

Oliver quite literally had faults. Not to mention he was extremely sarcastic (which is actually not a fault, believe it or not).

To prove my point, cue my favorite Oliver quotes:

“Isn’t it tiring, being such a blighter all the time?”

“I’m right and they’re wrong.”

“Well, if you’re giving me a choice—I’ll take the flirting.”

Can it get any better? No. It can’t.

Oliver was just everything perfect. Strong, loving, kind, understanding. He didn’t presume (although Casek’s presumptuous attitude was seriously adorable, but we’ll get to that in a second). He didn’t push. He just stood there, a little smile on his face, eyes shining with love, waiting for you to open up and spill all of your woes and tears on his shoulder.

Ugh, yes. He was just too perfect.

At the same time, he sucked at being friends with Casek. He was prejudiced, prideful, persuasive. (I seriously just wrote that so I could get an Austen pun in. He was really only judgmental toward Caz, which is a terrible offense in my book.) He couldn’t get past the surface to see the man’s soft, teddy-bear heart. Because, y’all, Casek Wearne has a heart!

And in addition to his heart, he is currently in possession of mine, ‘cuz, y’all. This man. Caz. Casek Wearne. Mr. Hottest Headmaster Ever. (Can I say my ‘ansum?)

I know I should continue gushing about how wonderful and tender Oliver was and how sweet he was with Libby and how cute they were together and how godly Ollie was and all, but Casek is demanding all of my attention right now.

With good reason.

Quite possibly, he was the best part of this book. And there were a ton of good parts, so that’s saying something.

He and Oliver were a lot alike—just like Libby and Mabena had more similarities than differences—which is probably the main reason why they butted heads all the time. And then they contrasted in other ways, of course, so it was fun to see both guys. Even if Casek didn’t get the POV he deserved.

Speaking of Benna...she was an awesome character as well! Actually, there wasn’t a single character I disliked even the slightest bit in this entire book—except for the bad guys, of course. Surprisingly, I didn’t like her quite as much as Libby, but her relationship with Caz? Perfection!

To wrap up my gushing over the characters...Sheridan was fabulous. I had him enlisted for a story from the moment I met him, so I am beyond excited to see him in a future book! And Bram was just as amazing—though not quite as humorous. The two of them together, however? Priceless! Honestly, if I were Libby, I would’ve married Sher just because of how stinkin’ funny he is! What a guy. What a guy.

Oh, wait. I haven’t even gotten started on Mamm-wynn. Here, let me make this short.

I want a grandma like Mamm-wynn (no offense to my actual grandmothers, I assure you). Scratch that—I want to be a grandma like Mamm-wynn. On top of that, she is now one of my two favorite fictional grannies (which is a thing, yes). The other is Bernia from Tamara Leigh’s Merciless. That woman stole my heart, let me tell you!

And even though Mamm-wynn is slightly different, she is hands-down one of the best grandmas and definitely one of the best characters in history.

So there’s that.

Speaking of Mamm-wynn, I absolutely loved the spiritual content White included. Ever since reading A Soft Breath of Wind, I’ve been on the edge of my seat waiting for that novel including both her signature historical style and the Holy Ghost power in her biblical fiction…

For a time, I thought the book would never be written…

But then! The Nature of a Lady.

#greatestroseannamwhitebookever

Yes, the little vignettes of Holy Spirit were so beautiful! I got the chills multiple times. The wisdom and discernment—dare I say prophetic aspects—that Mamm-wynn and even Oliver possessed made the story so much richer. With my Pentecostal beliefs, it’s guaranteed that I’ll be a hundred kinds of excited when I see authors pouring the power of the Spirit of God into their stories.

Plus, the addition of the spiritual world made Libby’s arc so much more amazing.

Here, I’ll just let Mamm-wynn explain it for y’all:

“He can whisper the future to His prophets. He can send and heal plagues. He can raise the dead.”

“We see only in part. But there is more. More to this physical world that your magnifying lenses can show you. And more still beyond it that we need a spiritual lens to see.”

So, yeah. That was just the cherry on top.

And I haven’t even gotten started on how lovely the setting was. I am seriously moving to the Scillies.

So, um, yeah. I think I’ll quit while I’m ahead. If you skipped all the crazy stream-of-consciousness, I don’t blame you.

I’ll just sum things up for y’all with one simple sentence: GO BUY THIS BOOK.

The End.


Disclaimer: A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Enchanted and intrigued.... I was hooked from the moment I opened The Nature of a Lady. Enchanted by the unique ecosystems and customs of the Isles of Scilly and intrigued by the mystery that greeted Libby the moment she met her summer landlady "Another Elizabeth is it?...May you be more dependable than the last." I can always count on Rosanna M. White to deliver characters of depth, historically accurate details and a well planned storyline that is not predictable. She infuses all with her strong Christian faith. I cannot wait for the next book in this series. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and I am willingly offering this review.

When I was asked to join the launch team for The Nature of a Lady I was thrilled, but I also did not know what to expect. I have never read one of Roseanna M. White’s stories, but this story was instantly captivating! I loved how unexpectedly fun it was. I loved the idea of so many girls being named Elizabeth. That was a plot that I have not read before which was wonderful. This story is different from others because it takes the idea of mistaken identity to a whole new level. It combines mistaken identity with adventure and romance which is just an amazing combination. I am always looking for wholesome books and this story definitely fits into that category. The romance is delightful and uplifting! If you love adventure, pirates, nature, romance, and mistaken identities this is the story for you. I highly recommend this story because it is captivating the whole time and uplifting. As one of the main characters is a reverend religion is to be expected, but the religion aspects were uplifting and hopeful rather than forceful. If you want a delightful and intriguing read this is the story for you!

Lady Elizabeth Sinclair and her ladies’ maid, Mabena Moon, escape on holiday to the Isles of Scilly. It’s 1906, and Libby doesn’t fit in. She’d rather look through a microscope than flirt over her fan. But her brother has declared she’ll marry his best friend, Lord Sheridan. Libby abhors the thought of marrying a man who ruins nature to dig for artifacts.

When Moon suggests spending the summer on St. Mary, Libby hopes Lord Sheridan will drop the idea of a wedding. As long as her brother doesn’t find out her whereabouts, she should have a carefree summer to categorize, paint, and study.

Upon arriving at the tiny cottage by the sea, Libby realizes the former occupant, also named Elizabeth, has left in a hurry. The next day, a mysterious man leaves her a cannonball. Later the same day, a different man delivers a letter addressed to Elizabeth to the cottage.

Oliver Tremayne—gentleman and vicar on the Island of Tresco in the Scillies, can’t understand why his sister, Beth, has failed to keep her promise of writing twice a week. Fearing something has happened to her, he goes to her cottage on nearby St. Mary, only to discover his sister missing and a different Elizabeth in residence.

An Elizabeth he met briefly two years ago who shares his love for botany, Latin, and categorizing nature. A woman he’s never forgotten.

Can Libby, Mabena, and Oliver find the missing Elizabeth before something horrible happens to her? And how can a vicar fall in love with a scientific woman who has big questions about God?

What I Love About this Book

While not a scientist, I can relate to Libby’s aversion to polite society and love of nature. She struggles to reconcile a personal God who cares with the order science claims comes from evolution.
White has created a charming cast of characters fully of whimsy who balance out the scientists. She includes intrigue, mystery, family feuds, and charming details of life on a small group of islands off the coast of Cornwall. Readers will fall in love with both the setting and the characters. I couldn’t put the book down and felt sad when it ended because now, I’ll have to wait for the next book in The Secrets of the Isle series.

Fans of Sarah E. Ladd, Michele Griep, and Kristi Ann Hunter will enjoy this book

In The Nature of a Lady, we follow the story of Libby, short for Elizabeth, as she feels stifled by society and her family, and decided to take a break to the Scilly Islands, where she can pursue her biology studies without hindrance. Or at least, that’s what she thought, because soon she discovers that another Elizabeth who stayed in the cottage before her has gone missing, and weird things are happening when some people think she is the missing girl...

A trope that never tires is the mistaken identity trope, it’s just so much fun! And very intruiging, as you try to find out what’s going on alongside Libby. It seems everyone has secrets, including her maid who she is actually friends with, and a kind vicar that is the other Elizabeth’s brother, who helps her but seems to hold something back.

But it’s not just an adventure, there is much depth in this book. All the characters are fleshed out with their own wants and personalities (and there are quite a lot!) and the feel of this island is just truly magical. You might even begin to believe in pirate treasure... there are spiritual lessons too, as Libby slowly starts to believe and trust in God. And Oliver has so much kindness and love for everyone, it’s amazing to witness. Her fiery stubborn maid Mabena is very much fun, and plays a big role in the story - her heated arguments with her nemesis Casek make me chuckle. Oh, and Mamm-wyn is the sweetest person, she deserves her own novel. I love how Roseanna M. White uses what we think of as disability and shows how she is so much more than her dementia.

All in all, I really liked the story. The mystery was really good, the pacing and writing too. I have to admit, I personally liked the Shadows over England series better, those books really spoke to me, where this one feels more like entertainment all in all. Nothing wrong with that though, and I liked it very much!

I received a free e-copy from Netgalley but this hasn’t influenced my opinion.

Exciting new series by this author, this one starts us off with a brief prologue set in the 1600’s then starts the regular story off in 1900. We meet Libby (Elizabeth) Sinclair, her mother and her maid Moon (Mabena Moon) as they embark on a boat ride to the Scillies Isles, where they will be staying on the one named St. Mary. There they discover another Elizabeth had been staying in the same cottage but had up and left. We also meet Ollie Tremayne (Oliie), his grandmother (Mann-wyn), grandfather (Tas-gwyn), Casek Wearne, Enyon, Lord Sinclair, Bram Telford (Elizabeth’s brother), Charlotte Wight, (Lottie), Emily Scofield, Oliver’s sister Elizabeth (Beth) and a few others island residents. This story draws you right in with Libby’s interest in flora and fauna and being excited to draw and study specimens on the Isles. Oliver is the Vicar of the island Tresco, where Moon is from. We are quickly brought into the mystery of the cabin that was left, though the person’s belongings are still there. Looking forward to what mysteries the rest of this series bring us.
A complimentary copy was provided by Bethany House. A review was not required and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

In the first installment of her newest series, The Secrets of the Isles, Roseanna M. White transports her readers to the fascinating history, culture, and geography of the Scilly Isles off the southwestern tip of England. The Nature of a Lady's heroine, Lady Elizabeth "Libby" Sinclair, hasn't ever felt that she belongs among London's society and decides to spend an idyllic summer in the Isles with her maid. When she arrives at her cottage, however, she discovers its former occupant has mysteriously vanished. Libby and her maid, who hails from the Isles, join with the missing girl's brother, the dashing Oliver Tremayne, to find her. The team wade through ancient legends, treasure maps, and forbidding caves and castles as the search becomes more fascinating and dangerous. What will they discover about the nature of science, history, faith and love?
The Nature of a Lady is nothing short of White at her finest. I adored her Ladies of the Manor series (A Lady Unrivaled, The Reluctant Duchess, The Lost Heiress), liked her Shadows over England series, and tolerated her Codebreakers series, but if this first installment is any indication, I may soon have a new favorite. The characters were believable and dynamic, the plot was fast paced and full of adventure, and her overarching theme of finding the difficult balance between faith and science was compelling. I'll be anxiously awaiting the next novel and a return trip to the Scilly Isles!

I received a free copy from the publisher. No review was required, and all opinions are my own.

The Nature of a Lady by Susanna White was another great read. I thoroughly enjoy how she makes her characters different and quirky. Libby has a love for nature that makes her not fit in. I enjoyed that her family loved her and wanted to protect her in their own way. Some of my favorite scenes where with her and Oliver’s grandma. Don’t you want to feel that the place knows your name?

Oliver was so accepting of her quirks and they seemed perfect for each other. Oliver is trying to find his sister and realizes that Libby has been mistaken for her.

White has a unique ability to draw you into the story and care about the characters.

My favorite part of the book was when the author shared that their would be more books about the characters and how she came about the story.

I received this book from Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review.
You can see my full review at More Than a Review dot com where I rate the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use in books.

ABSOLUTELY ENTHRALLED WITH THIS STORY

Having 4 Elizabeths noted in the story was such a fun concept (especially if one's middle name happens to be that as well -smile). As the layers of the mystery developed and eventually unfolded, getting to know the characters was something I truly enjoyed. What made them more interesting was my initial judgment of some of them changed later on as I came to understand them better; they were not predictable. Oliver's 95-year-old grandmother is something special. And his grandfather, filled with kindness and tall tales was just what you'd want. I also liked Darling, the kitten. Libby and Oliver truly seem to "fit" without even having to try which made the reading of their story all the more pleasant.

Favorite Quote: "Everyone in the Scillies knew that when Oliver Tremayne took hold of your arm and looked deep into your eyes, he saw right down to your soul."

Tea Quote: "...his hands accepted by rote the mug of piping hot tea someone passed him. Old Mrs. Gillis always had it ready for the racers when they got back."

I give this a hearty 5 stars and am happy to recommend it, with thanks to the publisher and author for a gifted copy. All opinions are my own without compensation or expectation.

The author has shared some lovely descriptions and photos of The Abbey Gardens that are featured in the book here: https://www.roseannamwhite.com/2021/04/a-tour-of-the-abbey-gardens.html which can only add to the overall impression of the story.

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Roseanna M White is an author I have enjoyed and appreciated for a few years. She writes romance with a spot of intrigue thrown in for good measure. That is why I chose to read The Nature of a Lady, assuming I would enjoy this book as much as I have enjoyed some of her others. There are three characters whose names are some variant of Elizabeth--Lizza, Beth, and Lady Elizabeth or Libby. All three have something to do with one cottage on one of the Scilly Islands. Lizza is the wife of a pirate long since dead, Beth is the sister of the vicar who took to the cottage for a vacation and then disappeared, and Libby takes over the cottage while trying to escape her brother's match-making machinations.

Roseanna has populated the book with heroes, villains, and people masquerading as something other than they truly are. While there are parts of the book that are truly enjoyable, I found that the time it took her to set up the plot was a bit long and sluggish. Part of the reason I didn't appreciate this book as much as her others may simply be a matter of taste. It just didn't grab my interest the way other of her books have. Other readers will be drawn into the plot quite easily, it just wasn't the book for me.

If it weren't for the sluggishness in the beginning, the book would be worth more stars, but I can only give it three.

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

The first thing that came to my mind after finishing Roseanna M. White's The Nature of a Lady was that I was so glad that this is going to be a series. I was nowhere near ready to say goodbye to these characters by the end of the story, and I'm only sorry that it's taken me this long to finally pick up a novel by this extremely talented storyteller.

Roseanna's newest release is set on the Isles of Scilly in 1906, and the atmosphere is beautifully described and built up to almost be a character in its own right. We follow the plight of Lady Elizabeth Sinclair, who struggles to meet the expectations that her family and society have of her, and instead is more comfortable being known as Libby and studying the earth and all of its secrets around her. When her and her lady's maid Mabena vacation on the Isles of Scilly for the summer, a case of mistaken identity causes a whirlwind of events to come their way that neither could have ever been prepared for. Lost treasure, budding romance and historical legends and stories all become a vibrant part of this beautiful story as Libby must learn how to come to terms with who God desires her to be, and attempt to follow the longings of her heart, despite her family's opinions on the matter.

Libby and Oliver's relationship is probably one of the sweetest romances I've ever read, and I loved each and every second of it. Oliver's character adds so much extra dimension to the story, and I love how his faith journey is tied up in needing to learn to truly love his enemies and trust what God is telling him to do. Libby is such an inspirational leading lady, and I found myself rooting for her right from the very first few pages. And as if the main characters themselves weren't enough, the cast of secondary characters all soon endeared themselves to me, and I'm looking forward to reading more about each and every one of them in the books to come.

I truly think this one has something for everyone, and I loved how deeply the faith element is wound throughout the entire story, and each character's individual journey. Roseanna M. White has hit it out of the ballpark with this beautiful historical romance, and I can't wait to see where she chooses to take the story in the upcoming books in the series. Part adventure novel, part Christian romance and part tales of pirates and legends, The Nature of a Lady is unlike anything I've ever read before, and I highly recommend checking it out.

Final Rating: 5/5.

Thanks so much to Bethany House for allowing me to advance read and review this!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am a huge fan of Roseanna M. White's writings and I have only recently come to realize how many of her books are in my collection of favorites. There is not a book of Ms. White's that I have read and not thoroughly enjoyed. The Nature of a Lady maintains that high standard.  I appreciate how Ms. White's works are full of adventure, intrigue, and romance without the plot feeling rushed. Ms. White has excellently developed characters, and I believe the way she slowly leads her characters along the storyline allows the readers to appreciate them more.  I don't think that there are many authors in the Christian fiction genre that have the same skillful writing abilities that Ms. White has. I thoroughly appreciate her writings and I absolutely enjoyed The Nature of a Lady by Roseanna M. White and would highly recommend it.
The Nature of a Lady weaves a tale of mystery, romance, adventure, and sweet whimsicalness that is hard to describe in just a few words.  I will try at the very least to share some reasons that I enjoyed The Nature of a Lady as well as a brief summary.  The main focus of the book is on an unusual young woman, Lady Elizabeth Sinclair, who is not the typical high society lady of the early 1900s.  Lady Elizabeth, or Libby as she prefers to be known, loves the exploration of nature and every aspect of science.  I personally related to Libby and thoroughly enjoyed how Ms. White created such a unique, but relatable heroine. Libby is often found with her eyes behind her microscope, examining the world in the only way she knows how. 
After Libby is faced with the well-meaning, but unwanted pressure from her family to marry, she escapes to summer in the Isles of Scilly. While there, Libby is quickly entangled into a mysterious hunt for pirate treasure due to a case of mistaken identity. Libby wonders who the other Elizabeth is, where she disappeared to, and what kind of danger she is now neck-deep in. 
The mysterious disappearance of the "other Elizabeth" prods Libby's insatiable curiosity and leads her to discover some great adventure, danger, true friendships, and possibly even genuine love.  While I truly appreciate and relate to the characters in this book, another aspect of The Nature of a Lady that I loved was the way Ms. White brought her characters to have faith in God. Some authors include faith into the plot as more of an afterthought, while others add more spiritual references than normal to the storyline. I appreciated how Ms. White brought a balance between the two extremes. She excellently led her readers along with the main character's dilemmas and realizations of faith, without the circumstances and struggles seeming overdone or implausible.
I also appreciated the supporting characters that Ms. White brought to Libby's life and how they accepted her and helped Libby find her place in life. I particularly enjoyed the surprisingly perfect counterpart to Libby found in the heroic gentleman and pastor, Oliver Tremayne. What an interesting pairing of the scientist and the spiritual leader as Oliver and Libby join in the search for the missing Elizabeth as well as pirate gold. It was a very unique and unexpected pairing of characters, but the result was very sweet and added to the complexity of the plot. I also appreciated Ms. White's attention to her context and setting for the story. The island setting and historic time was well developed and accentuated the intrigue and sense of adventure present throughout this work. Overall, The Nature of a Lady was an excellent book with wonderfully developed characters, a fascinating setting, as well as enough adventures and suspense to keep the reader always guessing. I highly recommend this work and hope that you have the chance to enjoy it as much as I do. Happy readings!
Disclaimer: Bethany House Publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and part of an unbiased review.

This book is a pleasant and enjoyable read. It is a sweet, Christian HR, which is not something I typically choose to read. I was lured by the promise of a Sicilian setting, which turned out was an Isles of Scilly (off the coast of Cornwall) setting, during the early 1900’s. Though it wasn’t Sicily, as I anticipated, it was a fun and interesting setting.

There was a bit of mystery and intrigue to this story, and the romance was smoothly integrated. I liked both the leads, Elizabeth and Oliver. I thought they were fairly well drawn, with human flaws rather than too-good-to-be-true, boring leads. Elizabeth is a lady with an interest in Botany. Her brother is pressuring her to marry, so she convinces her family to let her take a holiday on the Isles of Scillies, where her maid is from, before deciding. Oliver is the Vicar on one of the bigger islands and cousin to Elizabeth’s maid. There was a good cast of secondary characters.

The mystery involved a case of mistaken identity, missing persons, possibility of a ghost and the possibility of buried pirate treasure. It was an engaging story, and the narrative was strong. I would read more in this series or by this author. I recommend if looking for a kisses-only HR with some intrigue in the plot.

<I>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book. Views are my own.

I am ecstatic about this new series by Roseanna White, with a refreshing new setting and new friends (characters) that I look forward to knowing better over the next few books.

Libby is a wonderful character. She's honest about who she is (and who she isn't) and how she looks at life, and she has a kind heart. She can be shy, but she longs for true friends and is stressed out by superficial conversation and conflict. She is a classic introvert and it was so refreshing to read an introverted character who didn't hate people, but longs for a true friend. I could appreciate her and Benna's friendship subplot from two different angles, both as someone who has longed for friendship and someone who has had her heartbroken and thus closed herself off to friendships. It was interesting watching that story unfold.

I loved the way they navigated topics of science vs faith and the fact that they don't have to be in opposition to each other. YES! This is not talked about enough in the Christian realm.
I am ecstatic about this new series by Roseanna White, with a refreshing new setting and new friends (characters) that I look forward to knowing better over the next few books.

Libby is a wonderful character. She's honest about who she is (and who she isn't) and how she looks at life, and she has a kind heart. She can be shy, but she longs for true friends and is stressed out by superficial conversation and conflict. She is a classic introvert and it was so refreshing to read an introverted character who didn't hate people, but longs for a true friend. I could appreciate her and Benna's friendship subplot from two different angles, both as someone who has longed for friendship and someone who has had her heartbroken and thus closed herself off to friendships. It was interesting watching that story unfold.

I loved the way they navigated topics of science vs faith and the fact that they don't have to be in opposition to each other. YES! This is not talked about enough in the Christian realm.

The importance of names and how God knows us completely. I loved this because of the way the author explained God in a way the scientifically minded heroine would relate to.

Between the new characters and setting, the mystery, the treasure hunting, the romance, and the history this made for a super fun read and I am very excited to read the supporting characters' stories in the upcoming books.

I received an advanced copy of this book for the purpose of reviewing it. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I loved the main characters, Oliver and Libby. Their quirks, how White described their appearances so vividly, Libby’s dislike for society’s expectations and Oliver, the clergyman. Not your typical clergyman. And the setting was just beautiful—the Isles of Scilly. I found White’s note at the end fascinating. While at times I found things a bit farfetched (which I actually don’t mind in fiction) I was surprised and intrigued by what White revealed as fact and fiction in her author’s note. So don’t skip that!

I did find the story to be a bit slow moving to start, for me anyway. It took quite a while for the tension to grip me.

However, I fully enjoyed White’s way of developing her characters. Not only does White have a fabulous voice as an author, but her characters, in their own POV’s are so distinct.

Of course, I did miss spies, secret identities and code breaking from the Shadows Over England series and The Code Breakers series. But there was an identity twist in The Nature of a Lady that was quite fun, and I enjoyed the change from WW1 to earlier in the century.

My favorite things about this novel: the sweet love story and the faith thread. When you have a vicar as a main character, you expect a strong faith thread. White always delivers a well thought out (and not preachy, in my opinion) faith thread in her novels and I enjoyed the journey of this one.

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher for my honest thoughts.

"The Nature of a Lady" was an enjoyable read - not precisely as I expected, but it was a good surprise nonetheless!

The story takes place in 1906, but it nearly has a more ancient feel as it is based in the Scillies islands (near Cornwall), which is a rather isolated place.

Lady Elizabeth "Libby" Sinclair, a young women more at ease in the middle of nature than among the upper class, decides to spend the summer in the Scillies with her maid Mabena (who I am surprised in not mentioned in the summary, for she plays a rather important role). Libby moves into a small cottage who was previously rented by her namesake, Elizabeth "Beth", and soon starts receiving mysterious packages in their name. It quickly appears that "Beth", the sister of Reverend Oliver, has disappeared while looking for a long-lost treasured while a young man is found dead. On her quest to resolve Beth's mystery, Libby gets to know the island and its inhabitants to whom she quickly feels attached - and reciprocally. But back home, her brother doesn't know that she left for the summer, and he will soon come to bring her back and try to marry her off to his friend...

Something I especially enjoyed in the book was the description of the islands - I really want to visit them, now! As I am a little curious, I had a look online at the Abbey Garden mentioned in the book, and I am very impressed by their beauty - I understand why Libby and Oliver love this place. I wish they would have spend more time there, though, and that Libby's interest in nature was a bit deeper. I felt it was more of an excuse to give a background (and/or a very nice pun in the title) than a really important part of the story. And although I liked Libby, I felt her character could have also been a bit more intricate - she's rather "flat", apart from her growing interest in religion - which happens rather fast and which is not something I'm personally interested in. Oliver and Mabena were on the contrary interesting protagonists with more interesting personalities. The secondary characters, such as Mamm-wynn, were also nicely developed, although I would have like to know a bit more about Beth. I guess we will get to know her better in the following books of the "Secrets of the Isles" series, which I am looking forward to discovering hopefully soon!

The plot was interesting; there wasn't too heavy a mystery but still it gave something to follow all along and made the story a bit more intriguing. I liked that, in spite of the old treasure, there was no alternance between two times in history (apart from the very beginning - I didn't really get why a prologue was included, but why not).

Overall, this was an enjoyable read which I recommend.

*I received an eARC of this book and this is my honest opinion*

An enchanting story from Roseanna M. White! The Nature of a Lady is inspirational, soul-stirring, and wonderfully romantic. I absolutely loved the charming, intriguing setting, and I can’t wait to continue reading about these characters!

I’ll admit, it took a little while for the story to grab me, but once it did I was completely hooked. There were times I didn’t feel like I knew Libby and Oliver as well as I could have, but I grew to love their inspiring personalities and eccentricities. White has an incredible knack for creating intensely relatable characters; I adored the side stories and am so eager to learn more about these people I feel like I know in real life.

The Nature of a Lady is not to be missed. Readers will be captured by White’s exquisite prose and impeccable talent for crafting a riveting tale. This is a wonderful beginning to a series I cannot wait to continue. 4.5/5 stars

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

This is one of my favorite authors and this read sure does not disappoint. Quaint island cottages, pirates, treasure, and a free summer before her life is supposed to change forever. This is the freedom that Lady Elizabeth "Libby" Sinclair is offered and approved of by her mother, and the suggestion comes from her maid Mabena Moon [love the name], and we find out why. What an ideal place for this young woman who loves nothing better than to study the fauna in this subtropical climate.

We are given a bit of everything here, including a Love of God, and a love of family, along with danger, and a bit of romance thrown in.

In the end, I loved the decisions made and how things worked out, and now I can't wait to return!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Bethany House, and was not required to give a positive review.