3.24.2017

The Elusive Miss Ellison ~ Review

The Elusive Miss Ellison
Regency Brides: A Legacy of Grace #1
By Carolyn Miller

If you are looking for a delightful way to pass the day as you enjoy a spot of tea you've found it in The Elusive Miss Ellison.

Lavinia Ellison has no use for the nobility of England who live off the toil and suffering of those who are under their "care". And unfortunately for Nicholas Stamford, the newest Earl of Hawkesbury, he already has a strike against him in the opinion of Livvie, one from which he may never raise in her estimation.

Lavinia, as the local minister's daughter, offers a helping hand to those within the village of St. Hampton Heath and she's determined to see that Lord Hawkesbury do his duty by the villagers and his tenants. But a quiet country life caring for the needs of others isn't what Nicholas seeks. He's searching for a way to heal from the horrors of war and from the guilt he's been carrying for far too long. Lavinia's wit and intelligence might prove to be a distraction to that will make a permanent change in his life, but the daughter of a country reverend could never tempt his heart, or could she?

But when Lavinia and Nicholas have a chance to get to know one another they come to realize that first impressions are not necessarily a true likeness of who a person truly is. But a long-held family secret is lurking in the past, one that could change everything. And it could end any thought of friendship or something more before it ever begins.

This book is a delightful blend of a unique story with a subtle nod to the talent of Jane Austen.  Fans of Regency and historical fiction can enjoy this newest offering that promises a meeting of personages that will rival that of Elizabeth Bennett and Mister Darcy.  Even better this is but the first book in a new series.

I was provided a review copy of this book by the publisher with no expectation of a positive review ~ all expressed opinions are my own.


About the Book:
"Handsome appearance counts for naught unless matched by good character and actions." That's the firm opinion of not-so-meek minister's daughter Lavinia Ellison. So even though all the other villagers of St. Hampton Heath are swooning over the newly returned seventh Earl of Hawkesbury, she is not impressed. If a man won't take his responsibilities seriously and help those who are supposed to be able to depend on him, he deserves no respect from her. In Lavinia's pretty, gray eyes, Nicholas Stamford is just as arrogant and reckless as his brother--who stole the most important person in Livvie's world.

Nicholas is weighed down by his own guilt and responsibility, by the pain his careless brother caused, and by the legacy of war he's just left. This quick visit home to St. Hampton Heath will be just long enough to ease a small part of that burden. Asking him to bother with the lives of the villagers when there's already a bailiff on the job is simply too much to expect. That is, until the hoydenish, intelligent, and very opinionated Miss Ellison challenges him to see past his pain and pride. With her angelic voice in his head, he may even be beginning to care. But his isn't the only heart that needs to change.

These two lonely hearts may each have something the other needs. But with society's opposition, ancestral obligations, and a shocking family secret, there may be too many obstacles in their way.

Fans of Georgette Heyer, Lori Wick, and Julie Klassen will enjoy the spirited exchanges between the bluestocking minister's daughter and the bruised war hero as they move past pride and presumption to a humbled appreciation of God's grace and the true strength of love. 

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~ Blooming with Books