WINDSONG MANOR (Proper Romance Regency), by Julie Wright, Shadow Mountain, Oct. 3, 2023, Paperback, $16.99 (young adult/ new adult/ adult fiction)
A young widow turns to a stable master for help raising her children in Windsong Manor a new Proper Romance Regency novel by Julie Wright.
The London Countryside, 1820
Eleanora Coventry comes from a life of title and privilege, but even that isn’t enough to prevent her from being wed at sixteen to a controlling and dismissive husband. So when she finds herself a widow at only twenty-seven, the idea of choosing her own path forward both thrills and terrifies her. She knows how to be a daughter and a wife and mother, but she has no idea how to be Eleanora.
She moves her son and daughter to her late husband’s country estate, where she meets Ridley, the young stable master. He is ruggedly handsome, but also kind, and Eleanora finds herself drawn to him. There is only one problem: Eleanora has a title, and Ridley does not.
Ridley Ellis has a way with horses. Even the most spirited stallions trust his soft voice and gentle touch. He has the same effect on people, and when he first lays eyes on Eleanora, he is smitten by her beauty. But he quickly discovers it will take more than soft words to gain her trust―Lord Coventry had been cruel to people and animals alike. But the closer he gets to Eleanora, the more he is willing to share his heart, and more importantly, his secret.
In a world where title and privilege mean everything, will Eleanora and Ridley risk it all to find happiness? Or will the shadows of their pasts destroy everything they hope to build together? —Synopsis provided by Shadow Mountain
When you step into author Julie Wright’s writing, you feel like you’re home. Wright’s comfortable prose immediately draws you in with its warmth and ease of style.
Windsong Manor is a fast-moving, somewhat predictable romance that is more about the journey than the outcome.
At the center of the story are Eleanora and Ridley, tow seemingly disparate characters that have more in common than how it first appears. It’s nice to follow a genuine relationship kindle and grow. Though not particularly dynamic, they’re likeable and you want them to succeed.
Windsong Manor is Wright’s fifth Proper Romance novel — A Captain for Caroline Gray, Lies Jane Austen Told Me,Glass Slippers, Ever After, and Me, and Lies, Love & Breakfast at Tiffany’s — through Shadow Mountain. While some of her books have a strong crossover appeal for young adults, Windsong Manor features some older characters that may not hold as strong appeal for teens. There is nothing objectionable content-wise in this chaste romance.
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