The Governess of Penwythe Hall by Sarah Ladd

MY REVIEW:

The Governess of Penwythe Hall is Sarah E. Ladd’s most recent offering for fans of her Regency era novels. Its steady pace with touches of danger and suspense as well as the expected romance offered a pleasant reading experience for me during yet another round of seasonal allergies.

As always, Ladd’s settings are exquisitely vivid and her characters well-rounded and mostly likeable. I enjoyed her portrayal of Delia and the children under her supervision. I also liked Jac and appreciated his change of attitude as he grew to love his brother’s children who suddenly became his responsibility. Family secrets and other surprises kept things interesting with a few plot twists along the way.

A lovely story about overcoming and standing firm in the face of tragedy, The Governess of Penwythe Hall kept me happily reading until its end. I look forward to the upcoming books in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Celebrate Lit. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Book: The Governess of Penwythe Hall

Author: Sarah Ladd

Genre: Historical Romance

Release Date: April 16, 2019

In the first of a new series from beloved Regency romance author, Sarah Ladd, Delia, a governess to five recently orphaned children, would risk anything to protect them . . . even her heart.

Cornwall was in her blood, and Delia feared she’d never escape its hold.

Cornwall, England, 1811

Blamed for her husband’s death, Cordelia Greythorne fled Cornwall and accepted a governess position to begin a new life. Years later her employer’s unexpected death and his last request to watch over his five children force her to reevaluate. She can’t abandon the children now that they’ve lost both parents, but their new guardian lives at the timeworn Penwythe Hall . . . back on the Cornish coast she tries desperately to forget.

Jac Trethewey is determined to revive Penwythe Hall’s once-flourishing apple orchards, and he’ll stop at nothing to see his struggling estate profitable again. He hasn’t heard from his brother in years, so when his nieces, nephews, and their governess arrive unannounced at Penwythe Hall, he battles both grief of this brother’s death and bewilderment over this sudden responsibility. Jac’s priorities shift as the children take up residence in the ancient halls, but their secretive governess—and the mystery shrouding her past—proves to be a disruption to his carefully laid plans.

Rich with family secrets, lingering danger, and the captivating allure of new love, this first book in the Cornwall Novels series introduces us to the Twethewey family and their search for peace, justice, and love on the Cornish coast.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sarah E. Ladd received the 2011 Genesis Award in historical romance for The Heiress of Winterwood. She is a graduate of Ball State University and has more than ten years of marketing experience. Sarah lives in Indiana with her amazing family and spunky golden retriever. Visit her online at SarahLadd.com; Facebook: SarahLaddAuthor; Twitter: @SarahLaddAuthor.

MORE ABOUT THE GOVERNESS OF PENWYTHE HALL:

5 things to know about Cornwall, England:

Throughout its early history, Cornwall’s inhabitants called the country Kernow.
Early inhabitants largely spoke their own language known as “Cornish,” which became nearly extinct in the 1800s
The country has a long and rugged coastline and there were frequent shipwrecks.
Fishing was a major industry, with herring, mackerel, and sardines being common catches.
In 1870, novelist and poet Thomas Hardy called Cornwall “the region of dream and mystery.”

Imagine yourself in The Governess of Penwythe Hall with these pictures of 19^th Century life in Cornwall

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/gallery/2016/may/19/everyday-life-in-cornwall-captured-in-the-19th-century-in-pictures

Sources:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/cornish_nation_01.shtml

https://www.maritimeheritage.org/ports/Cornwall.html

http://www.cornwallgoodseafoodguide.org.uk/cornish-fishing/history-of-the-cornish-fishing-industry.php