London - 1813

Graham Everett is considering a large investment opportunity and is planning on getting with Mr. Lane with whom he has partnering on other occasions making both of them good money.

Arriving at the Lane home, Graham knows he will probably encounter Mr. Lane’s daughter, Anna. While a beautiful young lady, she is also known to be a shrew. Having been nearly duped by a suitor, she is anxious for her father to take her to the seaside town of Lyme for a fortnight to have him to herself. Her mother died when she was born so she has always been sheltered by her father. When she learns that Graham is talking business with her father, she is furious because she has planned a special dinner to hopefully get her father to agree to going away for a while. Mr. Lane had promised Anna that he would never remarry until she herself had married and was settled. However, there is a woman with whom he has become enamored and he wants to spend time with her. As the business proposition Graham has presented to Mr. Lane is in Brighton where Graham lives in Highcliffe House with his mother and sisters, it is agreed that Anna will travel to Brighton with Graham to his home and stay for a week checking out the town to see what she thinks of it. Privately, she is determined to give the place a no simply because she doesn’t care for Graham. After a week, Mr. Lane will join them and he has promised to take Anna to Lyme for a fortnight of quiet for the two of them.

Anna soon finds herself taken in by Graham’s loving family and enjoys spending time with them. In addition, Graham and his family show Anna around Brighton where she discovers so many interesting things to see and do. But, it’s not only the town that has captured her. Spending time together, she and Graham soon spark an attraction that cannot be denied.

A lovely book about strong people who find that they can do what they want in life to achieve the happiness that is out there. I thoroughly enjoyed this lovely, clean novel and I know that readers will love it as well.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Loved! Goodness, me! I stepped into this book having zero idea what it was about except knowing that I loved Megan Walker’s other books.
There were way too many scenes that had my heart. I loved how Graham and Anna spending time together allowed them to open up and be their true personalities without any facade. And the chemistry between them!!!
Super cute and a fun regency read! Megan is talented and has a way at storytelling that makes you forget you’re reading a book. 💕

Absolutely loved this book!! Megan Walker writes some of the best regency romances I've ever read!! Anna and Graham were absolutely amazing!! I loved their enemies to lovers romance!!

“Graham Everett. He wasn’t supposed to feel this way . . . this exciting.”

If I could give this book 10 stars I would! I loved Highcliffe House! Enemies to lovers is my absolute favorite trope and this book delivers all the passion, underlying tension, and swoon worthy romance this trope engenders.

From the very first, Graham Everett & Anna Lane can’t stand each other. Anna’s the spoiled, demanding, entitled, only child of a successful businessman. Graham’s ambitious, hardworking, and needs Anna’s father to invest in his latest project in Brighton. But, Mr. Lane is going out of town and suggests that Anna accompany Graham to Brighton to determine whether he should invest. Though Anna doesn’t want to go, she needs to escape an entanglement with an unwanted suitor. Both she and Graham reluctantly agree and that’s when the sparks fly. In Brighton, Graham tries to show Anna all the best and most charming aspects. Though she makes things difficult at first, she soon falls under the spell of the gorgeous seaside town, Graham’s family, and Graham himself.

I adored both Graham & Anna! Anna comes off as a bit spoiled at first, but I loved how she quickly warmed to Graham’s family and came to appreciate how hard Graham works to support them. Graham is definitely attracted to Anna, but her utter dislike for him makes her his worthy enemy. As he does his best to be a charming host, he soon finds himself falling for her, especially when he sees how she’s befriended his youngest, mischievous sister Tabitha.

I loved all the places they visited and watching how their relationship changed as they really got to know each other. Graham’s determination to do things on his own and how hard he worked to support his mother and sisters is definitely praiseworthy, but I loved the twist at the end. I loved the dunking in the sea, fishing, chopping wood, the alphabet game, waltz, and the stair kiss. I honestly couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I also loved Graham’s family especially his little eight year old sister Tabitha. Her first meeting with Anna had me laughing out loud.

Highest of recommendations! This is a must read for all Regency romance fans. I’d love to see future books with Graham’s sisters. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the author and publisher. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬 ♡
•Tabs
•the beach day
•early morning stalking
•lending library
•surprising and brave
•prawns
•“Red as roses, black at the heart.”
•the spectacles
•”You are my thoughts.”
•goat cheese
•fishing

“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥, 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘮.”
“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡, 𝘼𝙣𝙣𝙖.”

UTTERLY BESOTTED! This is my new favorite Megan Walker book. I loved absolutely everything about this. I loved the true enemies to lovers start with all the banter and sharp barbs. The chemistry was THERE. But my oh my, the discovery phase is where this book absolutely shines. As Anne and Graham are forced to spend a week together, we see the walls come down as they truly get to know each other and my heart was absolutely giddy over every special moment they shared. This story brings all the FEELS and it’s the sweetest slow burn.

“𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝙄 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧? 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙛 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙬𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙛𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧?”

The communication is just so beautiful and heartfelt. Graham is such a swoony hero. Such a man, but also has the most tender heart when it comes to the women in his life. The lengths he will go for them is absolutely darling! And I loved Anne so so much! Her relationship with Tabs - oh my heart!! How she let Tabs in and encouraged her curiosity and how Anne just became a natural part of the Everett family - I adored it all so so much. The romance completely swept me off my feet and gave me all the butterflies. I can’t recommend this enough for historical romance lovers!

Content: kisses

Thank you to Shadow Mountain for the gifted copy. My thoughts are my own.

I absolutely loved this book! It's got everything I look for in a regency romance-- charm, swoony romance, and a setting that makes you feel like you're actually there.

The enemies-to-lovers vibes in this book were so good! The tension just about killed me at times and I was cheering JUST KISS ALREADY at my Kindle.

I loved that the two characters actually grow and change throughout the story. Their dislike of each other is based on misconceptions and I love that Graham and Anna were both willing to forgive and grow instead of dragging out their bitterness about past hurts. Both characters are amazing and I just adore them. I also adore the wonderful cast of side characters, especially Tabs. I can't help but hope that we get a Ginny book and a Tabs book in the future.

“She drove me absolutely mad. One minute, she was still and quiet and beautiful, then the next she was irking me to no end.”

🐚Dual points-of-view
🐚Regency romance
🐚Seaside location of Brighton
🐚Enemies-to-love
🐚Found family
🐚Swoon

There is so much to love within these pages. Headstrong and beautiful Anna is the jewel of her father’s eye and she’s not so keen on sharing his attentions with friend and business associate Graham. There is more than meets the eye with his handsome man, but the way these two irritate one another is almost a game and it’s easy to see underlying zings of attraction. A week in Brighton with Graham’s mother and two adorable sisters, Ginny and the precocious Tabs, combined with salty sea air brings about some enlightening surprises and I was there for every single interaction.

There’s something about witty and barbed banter that pierces my heart and I loved the way Megan Walker develops these characters throughout the book. As the sea air peels back the layers, a beautiful story unfolds and it’s pure magic. This is an enchanting tale for all who enjoy these tropes.

Content: mild moments of peril; talk of cheating/parental abandonment; mild romance

I adored this book so much! With amazing character growth, a great setting, a well-written story, and swoony romance, this book is a must-read, in my opinion.

Enemies to more is my favorite trope and it is fantastic in this book. I loved how Anna and Graham have understandable reasons for their perceptions of the other person, while the dual perspective of the story allows the reader to see who the character actually is. It was masterfully balanced! The plot kept me turning pages as quickly as I could to find out what would happen next!

The side characters are great, and I loved the various family relationships. I enjoyed every moment spent reading this book, and I will eagerly wait for whatever Megan Walker publishes next!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book wasn't what I was hoping for. I found it rather bland and I expected better after reading such great reviews on Goodreads.

I usually love a good enemy-to-lovers story, but only when there's chemistry between both characters and you can understand where their anger comes from and see that they kinda have fun bantering. But here, Anna's hatred of Graham was childish — she didn't like that he had her father's attention — and she was plain mean and hurtful to him. Then she became friends with him for no reason; there wasn't really a turning point. After just a couple of days together, they were already in love — on Graham's part, I really don't understand why he liked Anna (except for her prettiness and because she was good friends with his sisters), indeed there was rarely a heroine I disliked more. I've know other despicable heroines, who behave nastily for a reason — but once it's explained, you start liking the heroine. Here, I just didn't like her or relate to her at all, and she didn't have any redeemable quality.

Sadly, I was disappointed by this book, but I loved other books from the same author so I remain open to trying other ones!
2.5 stars

*I received an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion*

I was intrigued from the very beginning. The animosity between Graham and Anna Is volatile and their passion makes you realize that if they could come to an agreement sparks would fly. Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and the story did not disappoint. I really enjoyed the storyline. It held my attention throughout the book, and the characters are so engaging. It really is a delightful, clean and wholesome regency romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Another lovely time to be had thanks to Megan Walker! Lovers of the author’s previous work, as well as the regency romance in general, should check out her latest novel.

Anna and Graham actively despise each other. They go out of their way to grate on each other’s nerves. Anna can’t stand Graham because he diverts her father’s attention away from her. Graham believes Anna disdains him because of his socioeconomic background. Thrown together for a week, they learn to see beyond their preconceived notions to discover that they don’t actually dislike each other after all.

I really loved the seaside setting of this book. Over the weekend that I read this, I begged my husband to take me to the English seaside several times so I could breathe the restorative air. ;) Generally, this genre can be very predictable, but I found this book had me really contemplating how the main characters would get past their obstacles.

Highlights:
-True rivals to lovers
-Picturesque English seaside
-Clean romance

🌟ARC REVIEW🌊
Highcliffe House
By, Megan Walker
Pub Date: 5/7/2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️-Five Stars!

After reading Lakeshire Park and Miss Newbury’s List by Megan Walker last year and loving them both I was so excited to receive this ARC.

Graham and Anna have always seen each other as enemies but a little forced proximity causes them so see each other from a new perspective. This is a perfect summer read with the cozy small town seaside setting!

Graham is an underdog working hard to provide a better life for his family. He bears a heavy burden for his age but Anna brings out the best in him and becomes an ally over time. They are both stubborn and have a lot of pride but they learn to let their guard down for each other.

I appreciated their healthy communication. Once they let their walls down they are open and honest with each other and respect each other as equals. This book made me smile and feel so happy. Such a lovely swoony regency romance.

Things I loved:
-sassy banter
-playfulness/teasing
-exploring the cozy beach town
-library visit
-the most abordable game of “words”
-playing on the beach
-the most tension filled waltz
-us against the world
-“can I keep you forever?”🥹

ARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you @netgalley and @shadowmountain

This was a sizzling fantastic enemies to lovers romance. The rotating first person POV worked well here, too. And while Graham and Anna shine, the supporting characters (such as Tabitha) add to it. Loved this delightful story.

Thank you to Shadow Mountain for the ARC.

Graham and Anna were both well-developed characters, with totally valid reasons for why they did the things they did and had the insecurities they did. I did find Graham to be a bit more likable than Anna initially (I mean, I get that she was upset that her father was busy spending time with Graham ...but that's not entirely Graham's fault; why wasn't she more upset with her father for choosing to spend that time with him instead of her?) , but once they were in Brighton and started to see Graham for who he truly was, then I liked her more. I thought the ending was really sweet as well.

I read an ARC provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Highcliffe House, you have my heart! I couldn’t stop smiling while I turned the pages. Like Megan Walker’s fantastic Miss Newbury’s List, this book features some of my favorite story traits wrapped up in one swoony read: clever banter, great romantic chemistry, colorful side characters, heartfelt emotions, strong family bonds, and a cozy wish-fulfillment setting (a Regency era seaside house in Brighton).

The enemies-to-lovers romance is perfection! Anna and Graham can’t stand each other, but are forced to spend a week together with his family at Highcliffe House. Graham is determined to prove his business plan is a worthy investment for her father, but Anna is eager to ensure her father stops spending all his time with her least favorite person (a.k.a. Graham). The journey from hate-to-love unfolds with Megan Walker’s signature blend of fun and emotional depth. I was so invested in the characters, I honestly didn’t want the story to end.

I loved Anna’s bold personality and stubborn, sassy determination. Her funny comments and verbal sparring often made me laugh out loud. She’s fiercely caring, too, and her personality made a great counterpart to Graham’s nurturing, protective side—a side hidden behind an equal amount of stubbornness and clever banter. Graham’s love for his mother and sisters is just the SWEETEST. His backstory was surprisingly moving and complex. And, speaking of Graham’s sisters…Megan Walker writes the BEST side characters! Graham’s little sister, Tabatha (better known as Tabs), is my new favorite. Her precocious, quirky personality is absolutely hilarious and endearing. I adored the way Tabs brought out Anna’s playful inner child and it was too cute watching them bond.

Highcliffe House is a definite must read for anyone who wants to curl up and feel swept away by the magic and comfort of a sweet Regency romance!

***Thank you to Megan Walker and Shadow Mountain Publishing for providing an early copy of Highcliffe House to review.

Another well-written book by Megan Walker. It is a story that has deep connections with family and overcoming preconceived ideas.

Graham is a hardworking gentleman that is very conscious of his responsibilities toward his mother and sisters.

Anna is a daddy's girl struggling to navigate society, especially after an unfortunate incident.

The two main characters are rivals of a sort that must figure out how to work together.

I really enjoyed the character development and the way that everyone learned and grew to be better. There is humor and quick banter along with deeper connections as well. A well rounded book indeed!

4.5 stars rounded up.

Sincere thanks to Shadow Moutain Publishing and Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of this book. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Megan Walker has done it again! I loved every single second of this book!!! It had me smiling and squealing the entire time. I adored every moment with Graham and Anna together.

Their enemies-to-lovers banter was stellar and their chemistry was off the charts! It was really a true ENEMIES to lovers and I appreciated how well my favorite trope was executed.

I loved how everyone communicated well with each other and avoided misunderstandings and miscommunication. It was just so witty and fun with an entertaining plot that kept me smiling.

Megan is so good at adding realistic conversations, relatable characters, and hilarious dialogue. I laughed so much and highlighted entire pages at a time. Megan Walker has never let me down with her incredible writing. Highcliffe House is a new favorite, for sure!

🔥: Kissing

4.5* I loved the vivid descriptions of the sounds, sights, smells, and tastes of the seaside at Brighton in this story. The enemies-to-lovers trope is well explored and I appreciated the themes of rising above poverty and challenges, disregarding gossip and finding someone to love who will not fundamentally change who you are.

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

Megan Walker is one of my favorites when it comes to clean regency / historical romances. I've only been a fan of hers for a couple of years, but every time she releases a book I get excited and I have to read it.

I'd love to thank NetGalley and the publisher for granting me my wish! I was so involved in this story that I finished it within a day.

Our female lead is a single child, and is doted heavily on by her father. Her season has come and gone (she's twenty-one and at the tail end of it), and due to her father constantly traveling and what not, she feels a bit neglected and miss her dad.

Her father has been traveling and making money on land he has purchased, thanks to the help of a gentleman he has raised over the last couple years like a son. Enters our ML, who is poor, but with help of FL's father, he has become wealthy and is able to provide for his single mom and his two sisters. The FL has no idea of his backstory, just that this man is robbing her of her time with her dad and she wants it back.

We already know by chapter one she dislikes him and they are rivals for his attention. ML has brought to her father a new investment in property that if bought could see them with fortune in the returns. Problem is, they have to act now on it (within the week). FL would like to go with her father out of the city due to a disasterous falling out with a man who lead her on (he was engaged and after her money). Father has been dating a woman on the side and hasn't come clean to FL about it yet and he has been asked to visit his lady. Sooooo. Dad comes up with a plan to have his daughter go in his stead with the ML and find out if he should invest in the property and he will meet up with them and give an answer given her observations over a week.

Cue: forced proximity, barbs flung at one another, navigating the family / trying not to have the family embarrass him, new perceptions of one another, soft understanding, love, kisses, gallantry, and a problem or two that arise.

I love that the problem that does arise at the end isn't due to either of them falling out of love or hating one another due to a misconception. They are fantastic supporters of one another, and their love for each other is pretty evident by the end of the week. Though, it can be said that a strong love / relationship doesn't really come about in one week, but this is a feel good romance and fiction.

I liked it enough to give 5 stars because it was enjoyable, the leads were level headed / intelligent, and the love story was sweet.
5 likes

Anna Lane is a force to be reckoned with, and everyone who knows her knows it as well, even Graham Everett.

Graham and Anna detest each other but through circumstances beyond their control, Mr. Lane has Anna travel with Graham to Brighton to look for some land for her father before he can meet them there in a week.

Graham wants to provide for his mother and sisters and securing this investment with Mr. Lane is integral to that but Anna isn’t something he expected he would have to contend with and she isn’t going to make the next week easy for either of them.

It is in Brighton that Anna gets to know Graham in a way that she hasn’t before, and it is the same way for Graham regarding Anna. He learns that she is brave and she learns that he is surprising. She delights in his family especially Tabs, who speaks her mind.

This was just delightful in so many ways, and I couldn’t get enough of Highcliffe House. Highly recommended.

My gratitude to Netgalley and Shadow Mountain. All opinions are honest and mine.

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