Welcome! I've been really enjoying the historical romances I've been reading,
and this is another one to definitely add to your list! See my full review below...
and this is another one to definitely add to your list! See my full review below...
Lakeshire ParkBy Megan Walker
Adult Historical Romance
Paperback & ebook, 320 Pages
April 7th 2020 by Shadow Mountain
Summary
Brighton, England 1820
Amelia Moore wants only one thing—to secure the future happiness of her younger sister, Clara. With their stepfather’s looming death, the two sisters will soon be on their own—without family, a home, or a penny to their names. When an invitation arrives to join a house party at Lakeshire Park, Amelia grasps at the chance. If she can encourage a match between Clara and their host, Sir Ronald, then at least her sister will be taken care of.
Little does she know that another guest, the arrogant and overconfident Mr. Peter Wood, is after the same goal for his own sister. Amelia and Peter begin a rivalry that Amelia has no choice but to win. But competing against Peter—and eventually playing by his rules—makes Amelia vulnerable to losing the only thing she has left to claim: her heart.
Advanced Praise:
“Charming, beautifully written, and hopelessly romantic. Sure to be a new favorite.” - Julianne Donaldson, best-selling author of Edenbrooke
“This gentle love story is a treat.” - Publishers Weekly
“Walker effortlessly amplifies the decorum of Regency England with chic wit and delightful characters who will stop at nothing to reach their nuptial goals.” - Booklist
My Review
LAKESHIRE PARK is a story of struggle, family loyalty, and romance set during a house party. The characters are easy to like, the romantic chemistry and banter fully entertaining, and the story itself pulls on the reader's heart. This is a heartfelt and enjoyable story from beginning to end and one highly recommended to historical romance fans!
This story! Oh, my heart! First off, these sisters are looking at destitution as soon as their father-in-law dies since he plans to leave them nothing. Their last chance is a house party where they hope the younger sister, Clara, will make a match and be provided for. However, nothing seems to go as they hope from the start. The older sister, Amelia, becomes more and more desperate, but tries to find happiness while coming to terms with what her future will be and trying to still ensure Clara is taken care of. There is such loyalty between these sisters and also between Peter and his sister.
The first impression Peter gives it a bit of a spoiled, silly, flirt. However, the chemistry and attraction (Amelia can deny it all she wants!) is palpable. You can feel it immediately between these two and anticipate fun ahead on that front. The romance is this great back and forth pull of Amelia trying to dislike Peter and remain aloof while he tries to charm her as they get to know each other. It is such a delight to read as their relationship develops and grows! I wasn't too sure about Peter at first, but he definitely grew on me. I would have liked to have seen what happens afterwards with Peter's mother since she's alluded to and nothing really comes of it.
One thing I appreciated about this story versus some others in the genre, is that there is a bit of mystery and uncertainty. The sisters don't know how they got invited to the house party. The lady of the manor references she's looking for a wife for a gentleman, but who that gentleman is isn't disclosed until later on. The girls don't know when they will lose their father-in-law. Then there's the back and forth over who will win the young lord's heart that Clara is vying for, as well as Peter possibly wanting to win Amelia's heart (but there is always a question of if he's genuine or just playing with her affections). All these uncertainties make the story not too predictable and wanting to turn the pages to find out what will happen. And I loved that there were twists I didn't quite see coming.
My only complaint, and it's very minor, would be that I really disliked Peter's sister and wished that he had seen her poor behavior and tried to correct it instead of seeming completely oblivious. I think that the fact that they're connected made it harder to completely love Peter at first.
In the end, was it what I wished for? I thoroughly enjoyed reading this! It's a delightful read, but one that contrasts hardship and heartbreak against family, friendship and love. Highly recommended!
Content: Clean
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.
About the Author
Other Proper Romance Books
(Books linked to my review or an Amazon affiliate link.)
What did you think of my review? Will you be reading this one?
No comments
Post a Comment
I love comments! I try to read and reply to them all. Feel free to agree or disagree and generally share your thoughts with me.