Book Review + Series Giveaway: A Lady At Willowgrove Hall by Sarah Ladd
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A Lady at Willowgrove Hall by Sarah E. Ladd
Book Review
Synopsis from the Back of the Book:
Cecily Faire carries the shame of her past wherever she treads, knowing one slip of the tongue could expose her disgrace. But soon after becoming a lady’s companion at Willowgrove Hall, Cecily finds herself face-to-face with a man well-acquainted with the past she’s desperately hidden for years.
Nathaniel Stanton has a secret of his own—one that has haunted him for years and tied him to his father’s position as steward of Willowgrove Hall. To protect his family, Nathaniel dares not breath a word of the truth. But as long as the shadow looms over him, he’ll never be free to find his own way in the world. He’ll never be free to fall in love.
When the secrets swirling within Willowgrove Hall come to light, Cecily and Nathaniel must confront a painful choice: Will they continue running from the past . . . or will they stand together and fight for a future without the suffocating weight of secrets long suffered?
My review:
This was a nice story of two people with secrets learning to love while coming out from their shadowed pasts.
I enjoy the regency period and Sarah Ladd pens very nice stories. I liked Cecily and Nathan’s story which I found to be a nice read. Cecily made a mistake in her past as an impetuous young lady. This mistake takes her away from her family to live at the Rosemere school (which is the focus of the second book in this series). I liked that Cecily had learned from her mistakes and I understood her struggle in being referred to as a lady when she did not feel she was one.
Nathan also has a secret past that he is struggling with, but his struggle is with the fact that he is not made aware of the secret until his father reveals it upon his deathbed. I liked that he was an honorable man who took his responsibilities toward his family seriously.
What I enjoyed most about this book:
That it was a nice, clean regency romance with forgiveness as a main theme.
What I didn’t like about this book:
This was a nice story, but after the action in the first two books, I was looking for action in this last one. I liked the main characters, but I didn’t love them.
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Would I recommend this book to others?
Yes, because it was a nice story. This book is the third in the series, but it is a standalone story.
Where can I learn more about this author and their books?
Note: This is one of the books that I won in a book giveaway – the opinions are my own.
Tweet ThisGiveaway
Good books are meant to be passed on and so I am passing along my copies of the Whispers on the Moors series books by Sarah E. Ladd, which include The Heiress of Winterwood, The Headmistress of Rosemere, and A Lady at Willowgrove Hall. They are gently read copies very good condition. To enter the giveaway, just fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Open to readers with USA mailing addresses only. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. The winner will be notified via email and will have one week to respond back to me with their info. Good Luck and Thank You for stopping by!
The comment question for this giveaway is: What do you think of the covers on this series where we only see the back of our heroine? Do you like that way or would you prefer to see her face and/or the hero?
Share this with others so that we can support these wonderful authors.The Whispers on the Moors series
49 Comments
Deanna S
I like the covers. I feel like I’m following them into the story 🙂
dkstevensneAToutlookD OtCo M
Loraine
That is such a neat way of looking at it Deanna! Good luck.
Carol Kelley
I like the covers – very pretty. Would love to read these. Really enjoy Sarah Ladds books.
Loraine
This was a very nice series. Don’t forget to check out my reviews on the first two books. Good luck Carol!
Gail Hollingsworth
I like the mystery of not knowing the faces of the main characters. That way I can form my own opinion from the authors description of what they look like.
Loraine
That is a very good point Gail. Plus you don’t see many pics of the backs of the beautiful dresses. Good luck!
anne rightler
I don’t mind seeing the backs of the heroines…it adds a little mystery and let’s the reader imagine the faces.
Loraine
I agree Anne. I think these covers, in particular, do set the stage for wondering… Good luck!
Heidi Robbins
I love this set of covers! I often like not seeing the faces of the models so I can imagine my own vision of what the characters look like. The colors and textures and mood of these covers are especially well done! Thanks for the generous giveaway!
Loraine
Hi Heidi! Yes, I agree with you about the colors. They are really lovely covers. Good luck!
anne rightler
For the contest, I also shared a post on FB, Twitter, and Google+ as well as the Pinterest URL that I listed.
Loraine
Thanks so much Anne!
kim amundsen
Cool Cover.
Loraine
Aren’t they? Good luck Kim!
Lucy
I love the covers. The backs of the models give you a sense of mystery that make you want to open the cover. Thank you for a chance to win.
Loraine
You’re welcome Lucy. They made me want to read them and I’m glad I did!
Joan Arning
I love the covers so guess I don’t need to see their faces!
Loraine
LOL. That says it all. Good luck Joan.
debra
Oh, I would love to win theses books. Thanks for sharing.
Loraine
You’re welcome. Good luck Debra!
debra
Oh, I love the covers.
Susan Stitch
I love these covers! I like to create the face of a character in my mind, and this gives me that perfect opportunity. Then there’s the added benefit of seeing the back of these beautiful gowns, something we don’t see very often.
Loraine
I know. Is is strange to say that I love the backs of these gowns? Thanks for stopping by Susan!
Trixi
I love these covers! To me, it adds a dimension of mystery to the book, you don’t know what the heroine is going to face. I also like what Deanna says, it’s like you are following them into the story 🙂
Thank you for this wonderful book giveaway! I just recently discovered Sarah’s writing & loved it so much, I literally couldn’t put the book down!!
Loraine
So glad you stopped by Trixi! I certainly wondered what was going to happen when I opened each of these books. Good luck!
Abby Breuklander
I really like just seeing the back of the dress, it gives it a little more mystery since we can’t see what exactly she’s looking at!
Loraine
Each dress is unique and so is each heroine. I like that. Thanks for stopping by Abby and good luck!
Amanda T
I definitely like NOT seeing the character on the cover–that way my imagination can draw up its own variation of the character(s).
Loraine
I agree that there are just some books that I want to be able to picture the faces on my own. Thanks Amanda and good luck!
Madonna
I like that we can’t see the faces. I prefer the mystery of finding out what she looks like and imaging my own version of her looks.
Loraine
Our imaginations give us the best pictures many times, don’t they Madonna? Thanks for visiting and good luck!
Kathy Anderson
I like not seeing their face. Since Lady at Willow grove Hall is about secrets it is fitting the woman’s face is hidden on the cover.
Loraine
Even the backs of the gowns fit the mystery. Thanks Kathy and good luck!
Patty
The covers are lovely, I don’t mind not seeing the heroine’s face…
Loraine
Agreed. I think they did a wonderful job on these covers. Thanks for visiting Patty and good luck!
Sydney Anderson
I love this author and this series. I would love to win a copy of these books. Thanks for the post and the giveaway! 🙂
Loraine
You are very welcome Sydney. Thanks for stopping by and good luck!
Brenda Murphree
I love the covers! I love to see their face but it’s different and that’s good for a change.
Loraine
They are such beautiful covers aren’t they Brenda? Thanks for visiting and good luck!
Kathleen Clark
I’ve not yer read any books by Sarah Ladd. I love the covers on all three of the books.
Loraine
You are in for a treat Kathleen. Sarah is such a wonderful writer. I have the first book in her next series coming in the mail and I am so excited! Good luck!
Kelly Blackwell
I like the covers. They allow me to really form my own vision of the character based on description rather than a model. The covers are also so beautiful, it wasn’t until now that I even noticed the trend.
Loraine
I agree, Kelly, that is a trend right now. I like that our imaginations are stirred by these covers. Thanks for visiting and good luck!
Meagan
I actually really do like the covers. They are beautiful.
Loraine
Yes they are. Thanks for visiting Meagan and good luck!
Terrill Rosado
All of Sarah Ladd’s book covers are gorgeous. I prefer not seeing faces on covers. Many times the cover’s are designed by the publishers. In those cases, they may differ slightly or even more than what the author has tried to create. I think it is important to give the reader the freedom of their own imagination.
Loraine
Book covers go through fads just like anything else don’t they? Thanks for commenting Terrill and good luck!
Lisa F
I like that it gives the reader the opportunity to create their own image based off of the descriptions in the book, rather than giving another’s interpretation of what the character looks like.
Loraine
Thanks for commenting Lisa and good luck!