With her three closest friends, Lydia Wooding longs for independence and to be seen as an intelligent woman. Spencer Hayes has a promising business venture and in need of investors. A whirlwind romance blossoms as this pair try to make their way in a new era.

I have never read this author before, so I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. It definitely feels like it is meant to kick-start a series with Lydia and her "Wendy League." Four quirky best friends anxious to flout tradition and do what their hearts' desire! In their interactions with each other, they behaved very much like teenagers. It was difficult to believe that Lydia was almost twenty-one.

"Do not mistake this attraction between us for love." This has to be the one sensible thing Spencer said in the whole book. It was a shame it came about halfway through the story and he let himself be persuaded otherwise soon after. He is at Briarwall for a week and thinks he is in love? It was just too fast for me to take seriously. 

It wasn't an awful read, but I did find myself bored often. The author describes it as a rom-com, and I didn't find anything amusing in the plot. I would recommend it to readers looking for a sweet romance set in the Edwardian period and extreme feminist discussions.

If you're looking for a fun clean, historical romance in a period of time that isn't regency - this is a good one. It reads like a romantic comedy of the early 1900s. The characters are run, the story is engaging and you'll find a smile on your face as you read your way to another happily ever after.

I love historical romance stories where the heroine is forward thinking and moves beyond what society dictates as appropriate for her. It is my favorite kind of heroine and Lydia was just that. She refused to be cowed into what others wanted her to be. It was delightful. As frustrated as she was with her brother, Andrew, I was encouraged that through her tutelage, he would eventually be able to accept the advances for women that were coming.
As for Spencer, our hero, I was never quite sure if he was truly that forward thinking. He was always very careful with what to say in order to avoid offense. Sometimes I thought he was mostly just charmed by Lydia's ways rather than having the belief himself. But maybe he did and was just careful because he needed his business to work.
I loved the Wendy League group of friends. They were perfect in their support of each other and I love books with friend support groups. I hope each of them get their own book.

No Sex, language or violence
*I received a complimentary ARC through NetGalley and voluntarily chose to review it.

Charming, witty, humorous and full of heart! I loved this story from Krista Jensen. The characters just sparkle! There is so much personality from these delightful characters that the story truly leaps off of the page as your read it. I loved the time period! You can just feel the turning of the tide through the pages as the author highlights the suffragettes, motor cars, and a woman wearing breeches! The romantic chemistry is off the charts between Spencer and Lydia! Him denying his attraction and her pushing for his affections was entertaining and kept me turning the pages. The supporting characters also really enriched this story and left me wanting a book for each one! Please, pretty please? Witty and full of dry humor Lydia’s friends and her brother Andrew were great additions to this story and I would gladly read more! This was just an overall enjoyable read and I loved it so much!

I really enjoyed this well-written romance. The suffragettes were appropriately frustrated without being too man-hatery and the story was well-paced and kept my interest. Lovely story, would definitely recommend.

I loved this delightful, funny, and sweetly romantic book! Lydia is a free spirit, living outside of London with her older brother, Andrew. Lydia has three delightful friends who meet weekly for a "book club". They talk politics, men, and anything else that strikes their fancy. Andrew's friend, Spencer, from school, comes to stay and discuss a new business venture. It is quickly apparent that Lydia is turning his head and he needs to stay focused on what he came for.
This is a darling story that kept me laughing, smiling, and even crying as you experience all the fun and trials of Lydia, Spencer, Andrew, and her friends. Learning as you go how Lydia and Andrew's parents died and the effect it has had on her and her brother. It explores the sibling's relationship and how they work out their differences. It also explores the movement to give women the right to vote and suffragette activities that Lydia is involved with. It has plenty of romance to enjoy throughout the story. I highly recommend this story and hope future books by this author will tell the stories of the other 3 friends.

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

Krista Jensen has done a wonderful job sending us into the Edwardian Era. I loved the chance to see England and cars as they were before Henry Ford made them easier to buy. Seeing the world through this time period was a joy, and of course if you add a clean love story it is that much better.

I initially wasn’t going to pick this book, but I’ve liked books by Krista Jensen, so I decided to give it a try. This book is set during the Edwardian era and it was so fun to see how innovation and Women’s rights were changing the world. I loved all the women in the Wendy League. I loved their femininity, their individuality, and their role in women’s rights. I can’t wait for their future stories.

Lydia was such a fun heroine and one I really admired. She was smart, kind, and knew how to stand up for herself, while also being feminine. I loved her speech about breeches to her brother Andrew. I wanted to clap for her!

Spencer was a dynamic character and I loved the person he became despite his upbringing and disappointments. He was perfect for Lydia. I love how he respected her and pointed out her strengths to her brother Andrew.

Andrew was such a complex character. He was written perfectly and while I disliked him at times, I like how his experiences really shaped him and made his choices make sense. I’m really really hoping he ends up with one of the girls from the Wendy league that he has great banter with and who I know will push him to become his best self.

The chemistry between Spencer and Lydia was so good! I just want to re-read this one right away and enjoy it again.

Very interesting book this was how How women were perceived in the Edward era of England. LY DIA WOO DIR Y was a young woman with a lot of money. She grew up on this estate Called BRI AUI L Man You are O r. Her brother came to the house with Spencer Hayes. He was interested in buying a motor company but he did not have the money so we asked Andrew if he could get some money. And this book you can see how they fell in love with each other. Her brother was skeptical because he didn't want her money to go to this man because he had a background and and he was nervous. Was when you married all the money went over to the man. And she had friends and stuff like that who were very radical in thoughts and she was very free spirit and very outspoken. She really wanted to be with this man but she had to think of her options and what they would lead to. And she tried to have some kind of remance with this man named Spencer but she was kind of skittish at 1st and then she kind of fell in with him in love but eventually her brother put a stop to that.

Yes -read it!

Loved the period and location story settings. The characters were interesting and fun. The storyline kept my interest and enjoyed it.

I thought all the ladies of the Wendy group were fun. I hope this means more stories about each of them as well.

I received an ARC from Netgalley to help me prepare my honest review.

Are you looking for a historical romance that’s refreshing, empowering, and different in the best ways? Look no further than Hearts of Briarwall! My goodness I loved this book!!

Set in Edwardian England you get glimpses of the amazing changes that were taking place at this time. Even more amazing though you get Lydia Woodhouse. A heroine that I admired so much throughout the whole book. She’s bold, energetic, full of fire and life and not scared to go after what she wants. She wears trousers, rides astride, dreams of driving a motorcar and yet is still beautifully feminine. I want her as a BFF. Her and her Wendy Leauge of friends are the best kind of women… at the forefront of the suffragette movement. Embracing their womanhood, yet standing up for their rights. Not scared of owning who they are. I wanted to applaud them at so many moments!! I CANNOT wait for their stories!!

Spencer Hayes is a childhood friend of Lydia’s older brother, Andrew. Trying to overcome his humble background, he comes to Briarwall with the hope of gaining financial backing for his innovative business venture. He finds himself drawn to Lydia at every turn despite his best efforts at keeping his space. Their chemistry was palpable from the get-go!

Lydia‘s older brother Andrew was a fantastic character! His depth and story arc was superbly written. I loved the effect that Spencer had on him in helping him grow and realize where he needed to improve in his relationship with Lydia. I am going to keep my fingers crossed that his story is coming soon!

I have been a big fan of Krista Lynn Jensen for a while now and I cannot tell you how happy I am that she has delved into the world of historical romance. If this book is any indication we have some amazing stories coming up from her!

This book was so much fun to read!! I absolutely loved the ladies in the Wendy League. The Wendy League were a group of friends—Lydia included—who have a passion for women’s suffrage and innovation. Their addition to the story was super entertaining. Even when they had stubborn Andrew to deal with.

Pretty much, all the characters were fabulous. I especially liked Lydia and Spencer. They understood each other and respected one another for their brilliant minds. I loved reading their quirks and boy did they have chemistry. Krista Jensen sure knows how to write romance that make you want to devour the story in one sitting.

I loved everything about this book. It was a light spirited romance and the characters jumped off the page for me from the start. I loved our main character Lydia Wooding and her group of friends. They had the best chemistry together. It reminded me of the toned down, virgin, old English version of Sex in the City type of female friendships. They loved and supported each other, but the author never lost that sense of ease and light spirited way of moving the story along. I never felt like any part of the story dragged on.
I enjoyed how she portrayed her older brother and how they as siblings adjusted in life after experiencing tragedy. Although I felt frustrated with her brother at times, it was very clear he wanted what was best for his sister.
The chemistry between Lydia and Spencer was so great. It was romantic, yet done just right.
I also thought the touch of how Spencer came about for a business opportunity was built into the story. The way that played out for each character was once again, engaging enough, yet did not overly tone down the ease of this book.
This book was the perfect romance to curl up with for an easy breezy yet engaging good story.

This was a fun romance story! It has some Peter Pan nods, while staying in era. I loved the group of young ladies and their efforts to live life to its fullest. Spencer and Lydia were both alluring characters with depth and draw. This book will make an awesome addition to the other Proper Romance novels on my shelf!

Lydia longs for adventure, is part of the suffrage movement, and is fascinated by motorcars. She would really like to learn to drive one. Her brother, Andrew, won’t ever let that happen, as their parents were killed in an auto accident, and he is very protective of his little sister. Andrew’s childhood friend, Spencer, is visiting to discuss a business venture, and he discovers little Lydia has grown up into a wonderful lady. But Spencer doesn’t think he stands a chance when Sir Lawrence is vying for her hand.

This is the first Edwardian Era Proper Romance novel, and it’s so good! It’s an interesting time period because you have some of the rules of propriety from the Regency and Victorian Eras, but you also have cars and telephones. I loved Lydia and her friends in the Wendy League, and I was happy to read in the acknowledgments that she has plans to tell more of their stories! And Lydia and Spencer are so good together! I’m really looking forward to more books with these characters!

Read it for the:
- unique plot
- Brother’s best friend / Best friend’s younger sister trope
- flirt, Wit, and Humor
- strong female lead
- motor cars
- women’s suffrage movement

Final rating: 4.5.
Trigger warnings: talk of car accidents
Heat level: sweet, kissing only.

Set an age of rapid change and innovation. Lydia Wooding and Spencer Hayes try to carve out a place for themselves in the world, while also trying to navigate their growing feelings for each other.

Lydia was a refreshing and witty lead. I enjoyed reading her views and laughed several times at her antics and interactions with others. Spencer was her perfect match, letting her be herself, while pushing forward with his business.

The friendships and sibling relationships in the novel were one of my favorite aspects. They added complexity, humor, and a certain realistic touch to the plot.

The connection between Lydia and Spencer was there from their first meeting. The chemistry between the two was great. While many of the historical elements were present, I enjoyed the fact the romance came through and was at the front of the plot. However, historical readers will not disappointed. I have not found other stories that are set during England’s second industrial revolution, so the talk of important events like the woman’s suffrage movement and motorcar innovation was both interesting and welcomed.

Overall, I enjoyed this read and would recommend it to historical romance readers everywhere.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgallery for allowing me to read and review this wonderful book ahead of publication date. Although an ARC was provided to me, this unbiased review is my own and will be shared on other platforms.

3 1/2 rounded up.

Lydia is living with her older brother, Andrew. Their parents were killed in a motor car when she was young, so she has few memories of them. But she is fascinated with motor cars. And she does remember the young man, Spencer, that has come to stay with them- a school chum of her brother.

Spencer has come with a proposal for a new venture for Andrew to join him in. Not realizing how agonizing it is, he wants to go into the motor car repair business, a new idea for the time, as cars are a brand new item. Andrew is adamantly agains cars, and soon is fighting against Spencer in all things- to include his growing affection for Lydia.

This is just a cute story. I loved Lydia's friends and wish we could have had more scenes with them- they are the perfect group of girlfriends and I want them for my own! They provided some great comedic relief in the story and I really enjoyed them a lot. I'll let my teens read this one for sure.

Thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was eager to read a romance set outside if the era I typically read. In 1906, Lydia Wooding is fond of the motor car, a luxury that fuels her longing for independence. Her older brother and guardian, Andrew, has been protective of Lydia after their parents were killed in a motor car accident. Lydia and her three best friends anticipate they'll marry someday, but for now have formed the Wendy League, inspired by Peter Pan’s Wendy, to seize the day and engage in meaningful causes like women's suffrage.

Spencer Hayes is a man of purpose and innovation, and certainly not romance, but he lacks financial backing for his plans. When he contacts his friend, Andrew Wooding, about a business venture, he is happy to be invited to Briarwall to discuss it. Once there, he is surprised to find that Andrew’s younger sister has grown up and shared his passion for motor cars.

I found the main characters flat and predictable. Most of the dialogue was trite and there was a lot of telling. There’s no depth to either of them and their romance was just as dull. Since I didn’t care about them, their respective secrets and challenges didn’t interest me either. The historical setting was surface level, but not every reader hoped for more from an Edwardian setting like I did. The supporting characters might have their own stories, but this one didn’t draw me in enough to give those a try.

I received an arc from NetGalley

This book was so much fun! It was the first Edwardian romance that I have ever read and I can tell that this is going to be a new favorite genre of mine. I have read so many regency romances, and it was fun to change the time period to be a little more modern, and Downton Abbey-esque, while maintaining all the gorgeous romance. I absolutely adored the Wendy League, and I hope that there will be books about those girls, and possibly Lydia's brother Andrew, in the future. I loved that they were all budding feminists, suffragettes advocating for women's right to vote. I also loved the added elements with cars and the new automobile industry. Such a sweet book filled with so many tenacious characters. I would highly recommend this book.

It is a little more difficult to find romances written about the early Edwardian period - most are either Victorian, Regency, or Medieval. Luckily <i>Hearts of Briarwall</i> exists to help fill in the gap, and it beautifully captures the struggle between traditional 19th century ways and the rapid changes of the modern world. Jensen uses J. M. Barrie's play <i>Peter Pan</i> as metaphor for how Lydia, the heroine, feels trapped between two worlds - her brother (and traditional society) want to keep her a little girl, while Lydia wants to grow into not just a woman, but a <i>person</i> who can drive, vote, and control her own future. She and her friends (whom I dearly hope get their own books) determine to be each other's pixie dust, enabling each other to fly.

This is blended with a fairly grounded romance between Lydia and Spencer, whose father's past informs his own present in ways that aren't necessarily helpful. This feels like an extension of the <i>Peter Pan</i> metaphor that Jensen is working with in terms of past versus future and how we should all get to make our own choices and not be trapped by someone else's. Peter and Wendy were both free to chose whether to grow up or not; Lydia and Spencer both need to learn that they, too, can be free to decide on their futures, with Lydia's brother Andrew as the person who most needs to hear what they have to say.

A bit spicier than other Proper Romance titles I've read (but still perfectly proper!), this is a well-written story with solid characters and a light, deft touch with the metaphor of choice and growing up. It slows down a bit much in places, but overall this is simply a charmer of a romance, and I look forward to the author's next works.