Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway: The Governess of Penwythe Hall by Sarah E. Ladd

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.  

Click here to purchase your copy.

My Thoughts:

If you are looking for a little trip to Cornwall and its cliffs, then this story is the next best thing to going there. I am a huge fan of Poldark so when I hear about a book written in that place and preferably a historical, I am hooked. This was an exceptionally good story anyway dealing with family secrets, family drama, smugglers, and a slow burn romance. 

We have a governess, Delia Greythorne, who is a widow with an in-law family that seems very controlling and ruthless. Leaving her late husband’s home and the sadness experienced there, she becomes a governess to five children of the Tretheway family. Unfortunately tragedy strikes them and they are removed from their home in Yorkshire to their Uncle Jac’s home in Cornwall. Not a place that Delia really ever wanted to return to. However, she is a loyal caregiver and mother like figure for these children and will not let them down. 

There is quite a bit of adjusting to a new normal for these children and we see how much care they receive from both Jac and Delia. These characters circumstances were treated very realistically and the supporting cast- some good, some bad- really made for a riveting read with a hint of danger and mystery. Looking forward to the next Cornwall novel. 

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

 

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:

1. Throughout its early history, Cornwall’s inhabitants called the country Kernow.
2. Early inhabitants largely spoke their own language known as “Cornish,” which became nearly extinct in the 1800s
3. The country has a long and rugged coastline and there were frequent shipwrecks.
4. Fishing was a major industry, with herring, mackerel, and sardines being common catches.
5. 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  

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Giveaway

 

To celebrate her tour, Sarah is giving away a grand prize of a finished paperback copy of The Governess of Penwythe Hall!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/de80/the-governess-of-penwythe-hall-celebration-tour-giveaway