REVIEW: Flora by Linda O'Byrne

Flora (Cousins of Pemberley #7) by Linda O'Byrne

Genre: Historical fiction, Regency romance

Read: 21st October 2025

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Amazon

Published: 30th September 2025

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

In 1837 it is not considered desirable for a young lady of good family to have views and opinions that are different to those of society.

When scandal surrounds Flora McGregor, Mr Darcy’s niece is sent from her home in Scotland to Pemberley in order to learn refinement and ladylike behaviour.

But insisting on speaking her mind and following her heart means that trouble follows Flora, no matter how hard this Scottish wildcat tries to avoid it - and falling in love only complicates matters!

MY THOUGHTS:

In 1837 it is not considered desirable for a young lady of good family to have views and opinions that are different to those of society...

But that has never stopped Flora McGregor, niece to Mr Darcy of Pemberley. She spends her days roaming barefoot the lochs and moors of her highland home in Scotland whilst her mother, Mr Darcy's sister Georgiana McGregor, wants to see her settled and wed before she and Flora's father Rodrie set sail to the new world in Canada. But Flora loathes the man her parents have chosen, Gordon Erskine who promises to purchase her home of Tawny Keep in exchange for her hand. But it's not her hand he's wanting as Flora well knows from the lascivious look of lust she sees burning in his eyes. He wants her and he'll stop at nothing to get her. Flora however has other ideas and spares not a thought for the man when unleashing her displeasure at a dinner he is hosting.

And so Flora finds herself packed off to Pemberley where she is to learn manners and decorum, as any young lady should. Her journey is broken at Courtney Castle in Northumberland where she gets into merry mischief with young Matilda, daughter to Sir Robert Courtney and husband to Flora's cousin Catherine. It is there she meets the acquaintance of a man she met previously at her home in Scotland on the banks of the loch and later again at the fiasco that was Gordon Erskine's humiliating dinner party. 

Daniel Kincaid is on his way home from Scotland when he comes across the redheaded wildcat berating a villager over his poor treatment of his dog, which she then implores Daniel to take charge of the animal. He is a man of means but by no means wealthy, having inherited the neighbouring estate to Courtney Castle, Brenchley. The estate had run into disrepair and he means to restore it to its former glory. His journey north had proven productive where he had acquired a healthy herd of highland sheep that he intends to farm.

Between them, the young couple are thrown together in all sorts of circumstances and each time Flora fails to curb her tongue, unleashing her every thought the moment she has them. And then immediately regretting them...mostly. 

But when beautiful Arianne Richmond returns to Courtney in need of filling her fast depleting coffers, she can't decide whom to set her cap to. Martin Courtney, brother to the earl of Courtney Castle? Or the silent and brooding but dashing Daniel Kincaid?

Flora had meant to be only stopping at Courtney for a few days but her stay has turned into weeks. Which is no small pleasure with the dashing but infuriating Daniel Kincaid always seeming to appear at every turn. But when Flora makes a shocking discovery, she is sworn to secrecy lest her reputation be in tatters. All the while, she continues to fight the growing attraction between her and Daniel. After all, falling in love will only complicate matters.

Told in the style of Jane Austen reimagined, this is the seventh in the delightfully entrancing Cousins of Pemberley series. I have devoured every one of them, my only complaint being I have to wait so long for the next one! And the next one is one worth waiting for...I have long been waiting and hoping for the youngest Darcy daughter, Bennetta, and her story to be told. We have watched her grow from a teenager to a young woman of 21 in this book, and far more mature than she has been in previous ones. I eagerly await her story...

1. Cassandra

2. Catherine

3. Miriam

4. Jane

5. Merryn

6. Beth

7. Flora

8. Bennetta

I would like to thank #LindaOByrne, #SpellboundBooks and #ZooloosBookTours for an ARC of #Flora in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Fiction has always been my go-to world, a place of entertainment, excitement and imagination - I am told that I wrote my first story when I was four about a lady who had twenty children!   Sadly it has been lost for posterity.

I have been writing all my life in the time I could spare from having a “proper job”, mostly for children under the name of Linda Blake, stories of ballet dancers, pony riding and talking animals!  Not all in the same book!

But my love of romance, a great tendency to say “What if..?” and the endearing characters of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice have now resulted in a series of books that will take the reader forward to the next generation of heroines.

I am retired, live in Kent and am a keen member of my local drama group.  Directing and acting take up a lot of my time - I have been given the onerous task of writing the Christmas pantomimes - but I still need to cope with a large garden, doing daily battle with the heron who thinks my pond is his own breakfast buffet and keeping in touch with friends and family scattered all over the world.  

Social Media links:

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

    

REVIEW: A Castaway in Cornwall by Julie Klassen

A Castaway in Cornwall by Julie Klassen

Genre: Historical fiction, Regency romance, Christian fiction

Read: 18th October 2024

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Amazon

Published: 1st December 2020

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Set adrift on the tides of fate by the deaths of her parents and left wanting answers, Laura Callaway now lives with her uncle and his disapproving wife in North Cornwall. There she feels like a castaway, always viewed as an outsider even as she yearns to belong.

While wreckers search for valuables along the windswept Cornwall coast--known for its many shipwrecks but few survivors--Laura searches for clues to the lives lost so she can write letters to next of kin and return keepsakes to rightful owners. When a man is washed ashore after a wreck, Laura acts quickly to protect him from a local smuggler determined to destroy him.

As Laura and a neighbor care for the survivor, they discover he has curious wounds and, although he speaks in careful, educated English, his accent seems odd. Other clues wash ashore, and Laura soon realizes he is not who he seems to be. Despite the evidence against him, the mysterious man might provide her only chance to discover the truth about her parents' fate. With danger pursuing them from every side, and an unexpected attraction growing between them, will Laura ever find the answers she seeks?

MY THOUGHTS:

A touch of Poldark with a hint of du Maurier, this sweeping tale of one castaway to another is both atmospheric and captivating. It is largely set in my most favourite of settings - Cornwall. Though never having set foot on UK soil, let alone the rugged coastline of the nation's south westernmost county, I adore stories that are set amidst its rugged beauty.

Laura Callaway has lived with her parson uncle Matthew and his wife and daughter for near on ten years, ever since her parents left her for Jersey and never returned. But having not been born or bred in Cornwall, natives see her as an outsider of up-country lass, owing to her feeling somewhat a castaway in what should be her home. Uncle Matthew has always been welcoming but his wife, his second Mrs Bray, has not been. Her daughter Esela is like a cousin to her, if not related by blood, and yet Laura still feels as if she is just passing through.

Most days she walks the coastline and beaches in search of valuables that have drifted ashore from shipwrecks, collecting them and keeping them safe in the hope that she can reunite them with their owners or their kin. When one day a man is washed ashore, she collects him too before he comes to any harm from wrecker Tom Parsons or any preventative men, should he be a free-trader or on the run.

Laura takes him back to the house where she nurses him back to health and yet the mystery surrounding him grows. When he finally does wake, he is wary and does not speak, yet watchful of her every move. But as more items wash ashore and other news reaches her, Laura begins to wonder as to who the man really is.

As the mystery deepens, so does too their attraction for each other. And while she longs to see him return to his rightful home, evidence against him mounts and the militia come knocking on their door seeking his whereabouts. There is only one who could have betrayed them. And yet with danger pursuing them, Laura remains by his side and wondering will she ever find the answers she seeks and the love she desires?

This is my first read by Julie Klassen and I am surprised to discover she is not British, though has penned such a sweeping tale of heroism and love against the backdrop of the rugged Cornish coast and the Napoleonic war. I'm always a sucker for historical fiction in these parts with mystery, intrigue and love on the horizon. I like how she has incorporated the Christian faith into the story in subtle ways to make you stop and reflect on something similar in your own life.

A handful of scriptures are quoted throughout as is the reminder of a faithful and loving God, gratitude and blessings and silent prayer and praise to God for his faithfulness despite whatever trial one is faced with. The concept that God indeed listened and heard Laura's prayer, as well as Alexander's, and that the trials they each experienced were in preparation for something greater. Had their prayers been answered in the way they had hoped for in the beginning, they would have missed out on the greater reward God had in store for each of them. The same can be said for us. We think God doesn't hear us or answer our prayers because He doesn't answer them in the way we want Him to. That's because he has bigger plans for us. He is faithful and will answer our prayers...just not how we expect Him to.

A delightful historical fiction that will warm the hearts of historical romance fans and those who love stories set in Cornwall.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Julie Klassen loves all things Jane — Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. A graduate of the University of Illinois, she worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full time. Three of her books, The Silent Governess, The Girl in the Gatehouse, and The Maid of Fairbourne Hall, won the Christy Award for Historical Romance. The Secret of Pembrooke Park also won the Minnesota Book Award, and The Silent Governess was a finalist in Romance Writers of America’s RITA awards. 

Julie has also been honoured with the Midwest Book Award and Christian Retailing’s BEST Award. She enjoys travel, research, BBC period dramas, long hikes, short naps, and coffee with friends. 

Julie and her husband have two sons and live near St. Paul, Minnesota.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: Beth by Linda O'Byrne

Beth (Cousins of Pemberley #6) by Linda O'Byrne

Genre: Historical fiction, Regency romance

Read: 5th February 2024

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 26th January 2024

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Many years have passed since the dramatic events of Pride and Prejudice. In The Cousins of Pemberley series we follow a new generation of heroines - cousins with lives as different and interesting as those enjoyed by their mothers.

Beth Bingley: twenty-one, kind and beautiful, dedicated to a life of duty until Fate decrees otherwise.

She must find a new path to follow, but first she has a sister’s reputation to protect, at the expense of her own!

Book 7 in the series coming Autumn 2024.

MY THOUGHTS:

I have loved this Cousins of Pemberley series since I first read "Miriam" and then went back to read the first two "Cassandra" and "Catherine" before venturing onto "Jane" and then "Merryn". I have eagerly awaited BETH's arrival which ended with the promise of "Flora" coming in the second half of the year.

Every journey undertaken alongside whatever cousin whose story is being told has been a pleasure to be a part of. And through it all Pemberley remains the central focus as each branch of the family always comes back to the Darcys and their Derbyshire estate. But even more invigorating, with each tale of each cousin, is the inclusion of the Darcys' youngest daughter Bennetta who is a delightful charm to behold. I love her vigor for life and while we met her when she was just 15 years old when Cassandra turned up one rainy night seeking refuge, she is now on the cusp of womanhood at 20. I've said with every review I have penned on each book how I long for Bennetta's story, so enchanting as she is.

But the story this time around is of 21 year old Beth Bingley (named Elizabeth for her Aunt Darcy), eldest daughter to Jane (nee Bennet). She has remained in the shadows as she cared for her ailing mother who never quite recovered from the birth of her youngest sister Aletha, now four. But with the untimely death of their family physician, Jane's care was thus passed over to her niece, Cassandra's husband Dr Richard Courtenay. And surprisingly she has rallied well. Seems modern medicine has triumphed where the old remedies given by the late doctor had failed.

With her mother's surprisingly remarkable return to good health Beth, who had tendered to her mother's every need, is now made redundant. When the sudden death of their grandmother, the rather silly Mrs Bennet, put paid to Beth's 21st birthday celebrations, Jane and her husband along with Elizabeth and Mr Darcy made the journey to Bath after attending the funeral in Hertfordshire. Beth, who had accompanied them stayed on at Longbourn to instill some order in the house and that of the idle servants.

Upon her return to Clifton Park, Beth was feeling rather at a loose end with no one to tend to or care for. She entertained the notion that maybe she would be required to care for her four year old sister until such time she required a governess but then her parents summoned both little Aletha and 16 year old Sophia to Bath. But not before she was given the task of breaking off an engagement Sophia had somehow managed to get herself into.

Enter the rambling old Tudor cottage Maze House, just a few miles from their estate. Beth called on the master of the house to put an end to the somewhat hasty engagement. But not before ex-naval Captain Taylor Lennox mistook her for the young Sophia and gave her a piece of his mind. Angered on behalf of her frivolous sister, Beth chose not to correct him and thus keep Sophia's reputation in tact. Needless to say, Beth had never met a more unfriendly gentleman (he was not!) in her life and decided to avoid any further contact with the horrid man.

Of course that is not how these tales go. Having put Captain Lennox firmly to the back of her mind, Beth accepted an invitation from her cousin Bennetta to stay at Pemberley until her parents' return from Bath. And there she meets a most agreeable man, Sir John Carlyle. A little older perhaps but handsome and kind and Beth, who doesn't believe in the love or romance of fairy tales, is content to settle for a marriage of friendship and tending where she is most needed. Having been at a loose end since her mother's return to good health, Beth feels the need to be needed again. And Sir John offers her that chance in the form of his own ailing mother who adores Beth from the moment she meets her.

However, when chance puts Taylor Lennox in her path once more, Beth discovers she has a choice to make. Passion or friendship? Excitement or contentment? But then Beth finds that the decision may be taken out of her hands with the return of brother and sister duo Stephen and Elinor Blaine - the pair who tried robbing Lady Merryn of her fortune. While both Sophia and Beth are charmed by the siblings, neither know of their true intentions. And it seems Elinor is to be a rival while Stephen has his eyes firmly on the young Sophia. Can Beth save her sister from another disastrous choice before it's too late? Or is Sophia wiser than her years?

A truly magnificent addition to this delightful series. I have loved each and every tale, however frusrating each woman can be at times. And I eagerly await "Flora" a cousin we have yet to meet and have not yet heard about. I'm sure Bennetta Darcy will be on hand yet again to impart her vivacious anecdotes. I can't wait to meet up with her again.

I thoroughly enjoyed BETH, as I have all the others, and yet there is so much more to this tale, I have barely touched the surface. You will have to read it for yourself. Each book can be read as a standalone but to enjoy it completely, I do recommend you start from the beginning. You won't be sorry. They are each of them addictive 5 star reads.

1. Cassandra

2. Catherine

3. Miriam

4. Jane

5. Merryn

6. Beth

7. Flora

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Fiction has always been my go-to world, a place of entertainment, excitement and imagination - I am told that I wrote my first story when I was four about a lady who had twenty children!   Sadly it has been lost for posterity.

I have been writing all my life in the time I could spare from having a “proper job”, mostly for children under the name of Linda Blake, stories of ballet dancers, pony riding and talking animals!  Not all in the same book!

But my love of romance, a great tendency to say “What if..?” and the endearing characters of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice have now resulted in a series of books that will take the reader forward to the next generation of heroines.

I am retired, live in Kent and am a keen member of my local drama group.  Directing and acting take up a lot of my time - I have been given the onerous task of writing the Christmas pantomimes - but I still need to cope with a large garden, doing daily battle with the heron who thinks my pond is his own breakfast buffet and keeping in touch with friends and family scattered all over the world.  

Social Media links:

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

    

REVIEW: Some Day My Prince Will Come by Natalie Kleinman

Some Day My Prince Will Come by Natalie Kleinman

Genre: Historical fiction, Regency Romance

Read: 15th December 2023

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Amazon

Published: 14th July 2023

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Will Rebecca ever find her happy ending?

England, 1819

Having suffered at the hands of an unscrupulous suitor during her first season in London, twenty-one-year-old Rebecca Ware has vowed to leave her ordeal in the past and is now embarking on her second season.

Though she is wary of opening her heart, Rebecca soon finds herself drawn to Comte Hugo du Berge, a handsome French nobleman who has recently arrived in London.

As the season progresses and Rebecca and Hugo find themselves thrown into closer proximity, their warm and easy friendship deepens.

However, with a long-buried family mystery to unravel, it seems that Hugo is not in a position to settle down. And when he prepares to return to France in search of answers, Rebecca begins to worry that she has lost her heart to a man she may never see again…

SOME DAY MY PRINCE WILL COME is a historical romantic tale set in Regency England, with a spirited female lead and an intriguing mystery at its heart.

MY THOUGHTS:

Another delightful regency romance by Natalie Kleinman that is steadily paced and entertaining. The characters are likeable making for a refreshing and enjoyable read.

After being tricked by a previous suitor which almost ruined her reputation and a first season which didn't go too well, all Rebecca wants to do is put the past behind her and enjoy the upcoming season. There she meets Comte Hugo de Berge who is as handsome as he is wealthy, a Frenchman who is a friend of her brother's and recently arrived in London. Although she is drawn to him she is still very wary after her previous ordeal last Season.

Rebecca blossoms this season and though she is captivated by the charming Hugo, he cannot remain in London and must return to France where troubles of his own plague him. In light of certain family secrets coming to light, he needs to return home to deal with them. But will he return? And will Rebecca have her happy ending at last?

A delightfully easy read that was most enjoyable, this tale is also a quick read at just 221 pages. I raced through it rather quickly. This book has everything you love in a regency romance.

Thoroughly enjoyable.

I would like to thank #NatalieKleinman, #Netgalley and #SapereBooks for an ARC of #SomeDayMyPrinceWillCome in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Natalie’s passion for reading became a compulsion to write when she attended a ten-week course in creative writing some sixteen or so years ago. She takes delight in creating short stories of which more than forty have been published, but it was her lifelong love of Regency romance that led her to turn from contemporary romantic fiction to try her hand at her favourite genre. Raised on a diet of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer, she is never happier than when immersed in an age of etiquette and manners, fashion and intrigue, all combined into a romping good tale. She lives on the London/Kent border, close to the capital’s plethora of museums and galleries which she uses for research as well as pleasure. A perfect day though is when she heads out of town to enjoy lunch by a pub on the river, any river, in company with her husband and friends. 

Natalie is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association, the Society of Authors and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

 

REVIEW: The Wishing Well by Natalie Kleinman

The Wishing Well by Natalie Kleinman

Genre: Historical fiction, Regency romance

Read: 3rd August 2023

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Amazon

Published: 5th May 2023

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Is Harriet ready to face her future?

England 1818

Ever since the deaths of her fiancé and her father, Harriet Lambert has thrown herself into the management of her family’s estate to cope with her grief. Though time has eased her sorrow, she has had little opportunity to once again pursue romance.

But when she is called on to accompany her younger sister, Amabel, to London for her introduction into respectable society, Harriet finds herself caught in a flurry of social engagements. And when she meets Major Brew Ware at a soirée, the two form an immediate connection.

Having experienced tragedy at an early age, Brew understands the significance of Harriet’s loss. With their shared interests and honest approach, their friendship continues to flourish as the season wears on.

Though no man has turned her head since she lost her fiancé, Harriet is aware that her affection for Brew is growing stronger. And as she tentatively considers her future, she must now decide whether she is prepared to take another chance on love…

THE WISHING WELL is a historical romantic tale set in Regency England, with a spirited and courageous heroine at its heart.

MY THOUGHTS:

This is the third of Natalie Kleinman's regency romances I have read and once again it is a heartwarming tale that is an easy read, moving at a gentle pace. There really isn't a lot to say about the story because, while they are wholly enjoyable and a perfect way to while away a few hours, they are also predictable. But that isn't a bad thing. Sometimes you are comforted in knowing what's coming. That's the beauty of these gentle reads.

Harriet Lambert has had her season. She came out, met and became betrothed to John Downing after a short courtship in which both had fallen madly in love. Unfortunately, it was at the time of the Napoleonic War in France and no sooner had they become engaged than she had lost him on the battlefields at Waterloo. And then in the months after that lost also her beloved papa.

Now three years have since passed, the war has ended and the time has come for Harriet's younger sister Amabel (which I thought was a typo at first) to experience her first season and coming out ball. Along with their mother Louisa Lambert, the sisters make their way from their country estate in Kent to the capital where dresses are ordered, bonnets are purchased and arrangements are made for Amabel's coming out to society. 

At one of the first soirees, the sisters meet lifelong friends Major Brew Ware and Gil Carstairs, having returned from France after the former making his fortune after the war's end. It isn't long before Gil has won the heart of young Amabel and Brew finds himself a gentle companion in Harriet. Whilst Amabel and Gil are as obvious in their devotion, Brew and Harriet aren't at all sure of the other's feelings.

Added to this is Brew's family drama. He and his father have been estranged for some fifteen years and with his sister also in London to make her coming out debut, it seems he is to cross paths with his father once again. 

So while Amabel and Gil are love's young dream, neither Harriet nor Brew were seeking love. And yet they find it in each other.

A heartwarming read as regency romances always tend to be. The characters were well developed and interesting...especially the man with the vivid striped waistcoats...lol It was refreshing not to have someone plotting against anyone and aside from one bad apple that made a small appearance it was just a really satisfying read.

I must say, mail in those days (considering they had to go by horse mail coach) makes a far quicker journey than it does today going from one county to another, when I have trouble sending something two suburbs away!

I would like to thank #NatalieKleinman, #Netgalley and #SapereBooks for an ARC of #TheWishingWell in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Natalie’s passion for reading became a compulsion to write when she attended a ten-week course in creative writing some sixteen or so years ago. She takes delight in creating short stories of which more than forty have been published, but it was her lifelong love of Regency romance that led her to turn from contemporary romantic fiction to try her hand at her favourite genre. Raised on a diet of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer, she is never happier than when immersed in an age of etiquette and manners, fashion and intrigue, all combined into a romping good tale. She lives on the London/Kent border, close to the capital’s plethora of museums and galleries which she uses for research as well as pleasure. A perfect day though is when she heads out of town to enjoy lunch by a pub on the river, any river, in company with her husband and friends. 

Natalie is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association, the Society of Authors and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

 

REVIEW: Merryn by Linda O'Byrne

Merryn (Cousins of Pemberley #5) by Linda O'Byrne

Genre: Historical fiction, Regency romance, Victorian era

Read: 23rd June 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 22nd June 2023

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Many years have passed since the dramatic events of Pride and Prejudice. In The Cousins of Pemberley series we follow a new generation of heroines - cousins with lives as different and interesting as those enjoyed by their mothers.

When a young woman is the recipient of a great fortune, her life can become difficult.  

Lady Merryn Bowyer has many problems - learning how to behave in society, dealing with relatives who hate her and men who wish to marry her!  

Can she learn to trust, find a way to survive, to love?  

Luckily Merryn has two advantages - strength of character, inherited from her formidable grandmother, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and a reckless, dare-devil cousin, Bennetta Darcy.

MY THOUGHTS:

Having now read all five of the Cousins of Pemberley series, I have to say that I think MERRYN is my favourite. I love them all but this one is so far removed from the others in the sense that Merryn is not exactly a direct cousin but a distant one of Mr Darcy's and the storyline was straight out of the Bronte sisters' Gothic style in setting and some of its dastardly characters.

Lady Merryn is the orphaned daughter of Lady Anne de Bourgh, daughter of Lady Catherine de Bourgh who is the cousin of Mr Darcy, and Rex Bowyer. Her mother never recovered from her birth and thus died afterwhich her father got himself into gambling debt and was killed in a duel, leaving the very young Lady Merryn an orphan and in the charge of her irascible grandfather Lord Bowyer. But just looking at the child was like looking at his favourite son and so therefore he banished her to the other side of the Raindown estate to live with an elderly aunt in Wisteria House.

But the time has come when the old earl has passed and the new one, his younger son Ralph and wife Lady Eugenie, have taken his place in the sprawling Raindown Hall. Ralph has been in control of Lady Merryn's inheritance, left to her by her grandmother Lady Catherine, which has been held in trust for until she comes of age which is in just a few short weeks. However, Ralph and Eugenie have nefarious plans for their young niece whose fortune is at their fingertips. 

Lady Merryn has never known life beyond the sprawling Devonshire estate upon which she has lived for most of her life. She grew up climbing trees alongside her friend, Jacob Mallory, son of the Reverend Mallory and she had never been out in society. In fact, the late Earl had made it known that she was of a simple mind and a rather stupid girl and Lady Merryn played along with that notion in letting people think she was of feeble mind. But secretly she sat at the back of the Reverend Mallory's classes as he taught the local boys and she educated herself through those lessons and in reading books from her uncle's vast library. No, Lady Merryn was anything but simple.

Ryder Mallory is a writer and learned man who has the new Earl's permission to use the library for his research when a young woman climbs through the window, her feet in search of the ladder rung that is no longer there. Ryder is quick to catch her before she falls but Lady Merryn is far from grateful. In fact she is incensed that her ladder, which she keeps in place under that very window for that particular purpose, had been moved. This is the second time Ryder has caught the young Lady Merryn...the first being when she was ten and fell out of an apple tree, dressed in his nephew's breeches. But before him now stands a young woman far removed from that ten year old girl. 

As these stories go, it isn't long before Ryder develops feelings for the young Lady Merryn, and vice versa. But as these stories go, both deny their attraction and refuse to the bridge the gap between their classes which would be frowned upon in society...despite Lady Merryn never having been out in society. But then her aunt's cousins who come to stay, Stephen and Elinor, and keep a tight leash on Lady Merryn that she is unable to run free as she has always been used to. But it's when Elinor informs Lady Merryn of Ryder's dubious past as a fortune hunter, Lady Merryn wonders is she being taken for a fool. Is Ryder only after her inheritance?

Meanwhile, Lady Merryn's lady's maid Grace Frost (whom we have met in past books) is concerned that something isn't right and when she finds an envelope addressed to Merryn in Lady Eugenie's rooms, she is sure Lady Merryn had never received such a missive. She decides to pen a letter to Benetta Darcy outlining her concerns and asking for help. Things get a lot more interesting when Benetta, whom I adore and have loved seeing her in every book, turns up unannounced at Raindown Hall. And she arrives just in the nick of time, it seems. But alas, things go awry in keeping the two cousins from returning to London as is their plan. Is it just coincidence or is someone ensuring that they remain at Raindown?

MERRYN is so in depth it's like reading a Gothic novel complete with dastardly characters with sinister intentions whilst still maintaining that light easy style the series has. It goes without saying we all know where the story is headed and pretty much how it will end up but that's half the fun. The sweeping landscape of Devon is vastly different from that of Derbyshire, the busyness of London and even the cold climes of Northumberland. And I love how each of the stories tie in together, continuing seamlessly from one to the next. We get updates of the previous couples from the previous books but the main constant throughout is Elizabeth, Mr Darcy and Benetta Darcy. I admit, that every time Mr Darcy features I see Laurence Olivier and can even hear him in my head. Given that the first "Pride and Prejudice" I had seen (and one I've seen more than once) is the one featuring Laurence Olivier as Mr Darcy and Greer Garson as Elizabeth. 

However, that aside, the Darcys of Pemberley are the main constant of this series and while we have seen Jane married off, Anne is the next obvious choice but I would love to see Benetta's story. And what man would be a match for our delightful firecracker! But in saying that, I see "Beth" is the next book in the series. She is one we have not seen or heard from before, though she is briefly mentioned in this book in passing as coming of age later in the year. She is the daughter of Jane Bingley, the only Bennet daughter whose daughter has not featured in the series yet. Like all the books in this series, I look forward to reading "Beth" when it is out later this year but I long for Benetta's story to be told. And I'm guessing I'm not the only one.

A delightfully fun read as with all in the Cousins of Pemberley series, MERRYN is pure escapism at its best and has the easy gentle pace that I love of this type of book. A must for Austen fans and those of "Pride of Prejudice".

I would like to thank #LindaOByrne, #SpellboundBooks and #ZoolooTours for an ARC of #Merryn in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Fiction has always been my go-to world, a place of entertainment, excitement and imagination - I am told that I wrote my first story when I was four about a lady who had twenty children!   Sadly it has been lost for posterity.

I have been writing all my life in the time I could spare from having a “proper job”, mostly for children under the name of Linda Blake, stories of ballet dancers, pony riding and talking animals!  Not all in the same book!

But my love of romance, a great tendency to say “What if..?” and the endearing characters of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice have now resulted in a series of books that will take the reader forward to the next generation of heroines.

I am retired, live in Kent and am a keen member of my local drama group.  Directing and acting take up a lot of my time - I have been given the onerous task of writing the Christmas pantomimes - but I still need to cope with a large garden, doing daily battle with the heron who thinks my pond is his own breakfast buffet and keeping in touch with friends and family scattered all over the world.  

Social Media links:

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

    

REVIEW: Jane by Linda O'Byrne

Jane (Cousins of Pemberley #4) by Linda O'Byrne

Genre: Historical fiction, Regency romance, Victorian era

Read: 22nd June 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 10th December 2022

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Many years have passed since the dramatic events of Pride and Prejudice. In The Cousins of Pemberley series we follow a new generation of heroines - cousins with lives as different and interesting as those enjoyed by their mothers.

The Darcys have always worried about their daughter Jane. Gentle and delicate, she has been cosseted and protected from the world. But all the Darcy wealth and power cannot save Jane from heartbreak and betrayal.

Can she find a courage no one believes she has? Can she break free from the golden cage that imprisons her?

MY THOUGHTS:

The Cousins of Pemberley series is unique in that it is like a Regency romance yet set in early Victorian times that the two eras overlapped. The nuances and innuendos are what one would exepct from a Regency novel with its easy style and gentle pace. But what I have come to love about this series is that each of the leading ladies are different. Each has a different strength to draw on and yet their flaws are not dissimilar, I find.

JANE tells the story of the younger of the Darcy twins. She is the quieter more reserved of the two. She isn't outspoken or bold like her older twin Anne, and yet she has a gentle strength that even she didn't know she possessed. Jane is used to fading into the background, of being of no consequence, of remaining unnoticed. She has had someone take the lead for her all of her life having been the weaker of the twins, there was a danger that she may not survive at all. But she rallied although she was still the first to succumb to a cold or illness, her weakness being explained away as not being as strong as her sister.

The story begins in the wake of Miriam having left to sail the seas with her sea captain Nicholas Sullivan and hoping to marry at the first opportunity. That aside, Elizabeth Darcy's first concern is for that of her daughter Jane whose heart has been broken by the man she claims to have been in love with and him having proposed marriage to Anne instead! Heartbroken, Jane locks herself away in her room as Elizabeth worries about her constitution and how it would suffer such a heartbreak. Thus, it is decided that Jane will leave Pemberley for the confines of her beloved godfather's estate in Dorset, Deerwood Park. But still Elizabeth fears for her daughter and asks Susanna Courtney to accompany her. Jane is both annoyed and delighted. Annoyed that her family still see her as needing kid gloves and delighted that her friend will be joining her on the long journey south.

Their arrival in Dorset is met with a near accident and the irritating arrogance of Archer Maitland, who set Jane's teeth on edge almost from the first. If that wasn't all, upon arriving at Deerwood Park she finds that her god father Colonel Fitzwilliam is not alone but has a guest staying. Celeste is their distant Italian relative from Sicily, granddaughter to her father's disgraced younger sister Rose Fitzwilliam who eloped with an Italian groom at the tender age of 15...and without her father's consent. It seems Celeste is her granddaughter come to meet her English cousins after the death of her beloved grandmother. Jane, who normally has the Colonel's favour, finds that it is Celeste who now sits by his side and has taken her usual rooms. It seems her safehaven is hers no longer.

And just when things couldn't get any worse...Jane discovers that Archer Maitland and his friend Dr Andrew Moore are to be guests for dinner that night. Jane's knowledge of Archer is that he is a law man down in London and that her sister Anne has spoken favourably of him. It is therefore expected that he is to propose to Anne at any moment and Jane believes the couple to be perfectly suited. Both are stubborn and used to getting their own way. Anne loves the parties and high life of London, those which will come with being the wife of a man of law and aspiring politician. Jane, however, does not. She prefers a quiet life. 

So why, whenever she is in his presence, does her heart beat that little bit louder? Why do her hands perspire at the mere thought of him? And why does she tremble at his touch?

So why does Archer look at her so intently? Why does he say things to her that surely cannot mean what he says? And why is he dragging his heels at proposing to Anne?

We are transported back in time to 1834 as we revisit the cousins of Pemberley once again. Although Pemberley features only a little in this tale, it lingers there in the background that is home to everyone. We spend most of the time in Dorset and in London this time as we follow Jane as her story entwines with the expected beau of her twin sister Anne. At first when I met Archer I thought "please no". He was arrogant and irritating but I knew from past experience that this nature would be turned about to reveal a more favourable one. And by the time I was halfway through I was hoping the two of them would quit dancing around what was clearly obvious. But of course in these times, it was not proper to behave so openly.

At any rate, JANE is a wonderful addition to the Cousins of Pemberley series that I would have gotten through a lot quicker had real life not gotten in the way. It has that easy style and gentle place and, unlike the old style of Austen, it is easy to read. It doesn't need full descriptions or to be too wordy to build the picture that readers can clearly see.

A delightfully fun read as with all in the Cousins of Pemberley series, JANE has the easy gentle pace that I love of this type of book. A must for Austen fans and those of "Pride of Prejudice".

I would like to thank #LindaOByrne, #SpellboundBooks and #ZoolooTours for an ARC of #Jane in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Fiction has always been my go-to world, a place of entertainment, excitement and imagination - I am told that I wrote my first story when I was four about a lady who had twenty children!   Sadly it has been lost for posterity.

I have been writing all my life in the time I could spare from having a “proper job”, mostly for children under the name of Linda Blake, stories of ballet dancers, pony riding and talking animals!  Not all in the same book!

But my love of romance, a great tendency to say “What if..?” and the endearing characters of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice have now resulted in a series of books that will take the reader forward to the next generation of heroines.

I am retired, live in Kent and am a keen member of my local drama group.  Directing and acting take up a lot of my time - I have been given the onerous task of writing the Christmas pantomimes - but I still need to cope with a large garden, doing daily battle with the heron who thinks my pond is his own breakfast buffet and keeping in touch with friends and family scattered all over the world.  

Social Media links:

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

   

REVIEW: Catherine by Linda O'Byrne

Catherine (Cousins of Pemberley #2) by Linda O'Byrne

Genre: Historical fiction, Regency romance

Read: 18th June 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 7th March 2023

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Many years have passed since the dramatic events of Pride and Prejudice.

In The Cousins of Pemberley series we follow a new generation of heroines - cousins with lives as different and interesting as those enjoyed by their mothers.

Catherine Collins, a very ordinary young woman - plain, quiet, often over-looked but possessing a reputation for having great common-sense. Or so her distant cousin Elizabeth Darcy believes and so recommends her as governess for little Matilda Courtney.

Catherine travels to Northumberland, full of good intentions to do her best and be a credit to the family.

But appearances and reputations can be deceptive - Robert and Martin Courtney will soon learn exactly what type of girl Elizabeth has sent them.

MY THOUGHTS:

I have to wonder where I was when these books came up for tour as they only came to my attention when I read "Miriam" which is book three in this delightful series. I would have loved to have toured for both "Cassandra" and this one CATHERINE but...better late than never! I do so love a Regency romance and, while these are technically in the new Victorian era, they do reflect that same easy style and temperance of a Regency read.

CATHERINE begins almost exactly where "Cassandra" left off as they are all in a cloud of wedding celebrations and its wake after the delayed nuptials of Dr Richard Courtney and Cassandra Bennet (formerly Wickham). The family travels from far and wide for the wedding with Catherine Collins arriving with her stepmother Kitty and half sister Harriet from Longbourn, the Bennet family estate passed on to Catherine's father the Reverand Collins after the death of Mr Bennet, much to Mrs Bennet's distress...though she remains in residence with her daughter Kitty and the Reverand Collins. Also arriving from the north is Richard's family from Courtney Castle - Sir Robert Courtney, the new heir to the estate since their father's passing earlier in the year, and their Aunt Honoria, their father's sister. And in a flash, the couple are married and making their home in Wyvern Lodge not far from Pemberley.

Catherine Collins is the plain unattractive daughter of Elizabeth Darcy's oldest friend, Charlotte Lucas. But after her death, her husband remarried Elizabeth's sister Kitty and produced a daughter of their own whom Catherine now finds herself in charge of. She dresses more as a governess in plain greys and browns rather than something more becoming. But since her stepmother has thrust the child in her direction at every turn, Catherine has little else to say or do in the matter. So when she is seen dancing in the gardens of Pemberley barefoot and carefree by the two remaining Courtney brothers - Sir Robert and Martin - it is easy to mistake her for a servant.

But Catherine dreams of more than just a life of servitude at her stepmother's behest, though she cares for her little sister at four she is most precocious. So when she is approached by her godmother Elizabeth Darcy with the request that she travel north as Sir Robert Courtney's guest to act as a governess to his six year old daughter Matilda who has remained mute since the sudden death of her mother a year or two before. But after a long and tiring journey from Derbyshire to Northumberland, she is shocked to recognise Sir Robert as one of the men who had seen her so carefree in the gardens of Pemberley! Just as he is as surprised to learn that the young woman he mistook for a servant girl is actually the distant cousin of the Darcys. Much to the amusement of little brother Martin, who is often at Courtney Castle when his cashflow runs low and he is in need of an injection of funds.

Upon arriving at Courtney Castle, Catherine falls into a routine with her young charge and finds that the girl is actually quite bright. The fact she has remained mute since her mother's tragic death is nothing short of a mystery since there is no medical reason for her to do so. And after spending time with Matilda she firmly believes that the little girl will find her voice once again when she chooses to.

Catherine's position as governess is only temporary until Sir Robert marries again and there seems to be an understanding that he will do so very soon to an old family friend, Miss Abigail Richmond, who can bring breeding and money to the union. And Abigail certainly expects Sir Robert to propose at any moment. But Abigail also harbours plans of her own...none of which include Matilda, Catherine or Courtney Castle.

Meanwhile, Catherine and Sir Robert have formed a strained friendship of sorts as they clash over Matilda on occasion. Catherine knows he loves his daughter but he doesn't really know her. Matilda adores her father, that much is clear. And while Catherine loves Matilda, she didn't expect to develop feelings for Sir Robert. But social differences divide them as Abigail is quick to point out. The woman is a patronising snob quick to put Catherine in her place and make disparaging remarks about her dress or appearance...or even a reference to her familiarity with hovels, since she must have come from one herself.

I grew to like Catherine who is somewhat free-spirited though duty constrains her. I did find her thoughts frustrating at times though I guess that's because as the reader we are also privy to Sir Robert's. Martin is a terrible flirt and he did inject some humour with his flirtatious innuendo, as did Honoria with her keen eye and knowledge. I was thrilled to see Bennetta make an appearance and do so hope there will be a story in which she can shine promimently. But Abigail. It goes without saying that she is the fly in the ointment. She is patronising, condescending and I just was dying to see Sir Robert put her in her place...but he was too gentlemanly to do so. 

I thoroughly enjoyed CATHERINE, as I have done with all the Cousins of Pemberley series. I have already read book 3 "Miriam" so I will be moving onto book 4 "Jane" next, followed by "Merryn". And then...I will have to await which of the cousins come next!

A delightfully fun read as with all in the Cousins of Pemberley series, CATHERINE has the easy gentle pace that I love of this type of book. A must for Austen fans and those of "Pride of Prejudice".

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Fiction has always been my go-to world, a place of entertainment, excitement and imagination - I am told that I wrote my first story when I was four about a lady who had twenty children!   Sadly it has been lost for posterity.

I have been writing all my life in the time I could spare from having a “proper job”, mostly for children under the name of Linda Blake, stories of ballet dancers, pony riding and talking animals!  Not all in the same book!

But my love of romance, a great tendency to say “What if..?” and the endearing characters of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice have now resulted in a series of books that will take the reader forward to the next generation of heroines.

I am retired, live in Kent and am a keen member of my local drama group.  Directing and acting take up a lot of my time - I have been given the onerous task of writing the Christmas pantomimes - but I still need to cope with a large garden, doing daily battle with the heron who thinks my pond is his own breakfast buffet and keeping in touch with friends and family scattered all over the world.  

Social Media links:

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads