A Lady at Willowgrove Hall Review

A Lady at Willowgove Hall by Sarah E. Ladd
Visit the Author's website HERE
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publishing Date: October 7, 2014
Goodreads Summary:

Willowgrove Hall is full of secrets, but soon everything hidden is brought to light.

Cecily Faire has a secret—and she intends to keep it. But when she arrives at Willowgrove Hall to serve as a lady’s companion, she comes face-to-face with the only person who knows the truth about her past.

As the steward of Willowgrove Hall, Nathaniel Stanton is dedicated to serving those around him. Nothing escapes his notice—including the beautiful new lady’s companion. He is certain the lovely Miss Faire is hiding something, and he determines to uncover it. But Nathaniel has a secret of his own: he is the illegitimate son of Willowgrove’s former master. Falling in love was not part of his plans . . . until he meets Cecily Faire.

When Willowgrove’s mistress dies, everything changes. Fear of exposure forces Cecily to leave under the cover of darkness, embarking on a journey to finally find her long-lost sister. When the will is read, Nathaniel’s inheritance makes him question his future plans. Cecily and Nathaniel are forced to make decisions that will change the course of their lives. Is their love strong enough to survive?

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Buy the book from Book Depository today!

My Thoughts:
I can confidently say that 'Willowgrove' is very much so in the vein of the great Austen and even the more recent Alexander. I am so glad I picked this title out from amidst Anne's Twitterature because it was a incredibly well written book.

Unfortunately for you I don't have much to say about this book! Which seems to happen to me when I really like a book. 'Willowgrove' is a great story. There was just the right amount of tension between our main characters, Cecily and Nathaniel. And when I say 'right amount', I truly mean it. There were some heavy pasts for both characters, but the book wasn't about secrets and non-conversations. They both found each other attractive, but not overly so. It wasn't instalove!

And the length! The paperback sits at 343 pages which may sound too long, but was really the perfect length. Ladd had time and space to fully develop the characters and the story into something believable and real. I found the pace to be just right, rather comfortable. I wrote in my notes 'comfortable like cuddling in front of the fire drinking wine'. And this is still the impression I remember after reading this book over a month ago!

With Ladd's attention to detail and in depth regency research, 'Willowgrove Hall' is a beautiful story. Easy to read, easy to love 'Willowgrove' is a must read for those in love with Christian Regency novels. I can also recommend it to those who are looking for a well written, well paced, and well developed novel. I rate this one with 5 stars.