My Thoughts on Storm at Nottingham Castle by Ann Elizabeth Fryer

 

About:

Three sisters are thrust into an uncertain future when their wealthy stepfather dies, leaving them with a small annuity to live upon. They find refuge with an aged uncle who convinces them to live in the apartments at Nottingham Castle, whose halls are shrouded in history and secrets, and whose residents watch the sisters with unsettling interest. Chief among them is the handsome property manager, Charles Rushforth, whose quiet authority conceals more than estate affairs and a brooding lodgekeeper who seems to know every hidden passage and whispered rumor…

Charlotte Fieldstone received a parting gift from her late stepfather—a set of valuable pilgrimage badges meant to safeguard them from want. But hidden hands seek the relics, and in the caves beneath the castle, a restless hunger stirs among those who trade in sacred things. At the center stands her uncle, whose charm deceives, and a Duchess, whose influence can tip scales on a whim.

As Charlotte’s uncle is swept into a dangerous quest, tensions rise. Charlotte must depend upon a stranger to shield her from a society whose motives aren’t as they appear. Will Charlotte be able to keep her sisters together as the tempest threatens to tear them apart?

Surrounded by deceit and danger, Charlotte must cling to faith and to one whose protection feels perilously like love...

My Thoughts:

So, this was a fun and unexpected read with a touch of gothic mystery and Robin Hood vibes. Three sisters, who share the same mother, have just lost their remaining parent, their beloved stepfather. I found their stepbrother's actions towards them most abominable. I often wondered why inheritances could not have been different in that time, especially for the protection of females. However, the author did explain that the stepfather was bound by the law in what he could give them. Basically, they were left to the mercy of the brother, who had none.

However, they are given a second chance at Nottingham Castle, which is now owned by Charlotte's estranged uncle's estate. Where apparently there is much more than history haunting those halls. 

Charles Rushforth is the estate manager and doing a bit of sleuthing about the caves underneath the castle. Are there wrongdoings going on? Pirates and smugglers? What Charles did not expect was to fall in love basically at first and second sight of Charlotte. 

This is just the beginning for these sisters. We still have Faith and Moira's stories yet to come and more secrets. I enjoyed the whole ambience of this story and the author's spin on all the historical places.

I was provided a copy of this novel by the author. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.