Winning Miss Winthrop (2018) by Carolyn Miller is the first book in her brand new series, Regency Brides: A Promise of Hope. This novel comes in all forms including eBook, and is 356 pages in length. With a full-time job, a very busy five-year old at home, and some news that took me away from my reading time this week, Winning Miss Winthrop took me four days to read. I received a copy of this novel in paperback form from Kregel Publications. In no way has this influenced my opinion of the story. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. I give Winning Miss Winthrop 5+++++++++++++++ STARS. This story is a Christian Historical Romance set in England in 1816.

About the Book

Catherine Winthrop has cried out to God too many times to count. Years ago, the man who stole her heart rejected her–and she’s never recovered. Now tragedy has brought him back into her life. This time it isn’t her heart he’s taking, it’s her home and her family’s good name–and she has no one to share her grief.

Jonathan Carlew’s life may look enviable from the outside–wealthy, handsome, landed–but the mystery surrounding his birth has shadowed his entire life. Now as he ascends to the barony, fresh challenges await, including a scheming mama who wants him to embrace power, even at the cost of losing love. How can he remain the kind, honorable man he strives to be and still meet the demands of his new society responsibilities?

These two broken hearts must decide whether their painful past and bitter present will be all they can share, or if forgiveness can provide a path to freedom for the future.

Set in the sumptuous salons of Bath, Regency England’s royal breeding ground for gossip, Winning Miss Winthrop is the first volume in Carolyn Miller’s new series. Fans of the wholesome and richly drawn first series won’t want to miss this new set of characters.

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My Thoughts

Carolyn Miller has done it again! Winning Miss Winthrop is an excellent story. The characters are beautifully written, the depth of emotion is exquisite, the moments of wit are pure perfection, and the romantic tension is pretty palpable. I loved every minute of this story and hated when I had to put the book down.

The main characters, Catherine and Jonathan, struggle with one another on many levels because of a misunderstanding three years prior to the start of this story. This leads to some serious romantic tension. My heart broke for Catherine time and time again. What I really loved about Catherine is her willingness to go to her Bible daily, but especially in times of distress. Catherine has a pretty tough go of it in this story. Her father dies, she’s removed from her home, her mother is insufferable most of the time, her reputation gets put through the ringer, she is lonely, she is sad, and she has to be responsible for so much. At times, I was stressed for Catherine. Catherine is a very realistic character in that she would get frustrated, she would cry herself to sleep, she would get angry, BUT she constantly turns to God. And, she is always reminding herself of Bible verses and trying to put them into practice. I loved that so much!!! It has been a source of comfort and a great reminder to me this week. My family and I received notice from our landlord that we have to move in 60 days. It’s a little scary, and it has come at a rather inconvenient time — it’s the end of my school year when I’m deep into AP test prep and study with my Seniors, finishing up Romeo and Juliet with my Freshmen, and working with Bella to end her Kindergarten year successfully. No 5 year old understands being removed from her house. So there has been a bit of fear and tension in my house this week. BUT, Catherine has been a great example to me. Instead of living in my fear, I have turned to my Bible. And, I am also trying to live the verses that God has put in front of me this week. God’s got us and I have to trust that just as Catherine does in Winning Miss Winthrop.

Jonathan is an excellent hero. He is handsome. He is kind-hearted. He is thoughtful of others and wants to do what is right at all times. But, he is stubborn and prideful. These two qualities are his one downfall. Three years prior to the story, Jonathan’s pride was hurt and he ran away. What frustrated me about Jonathan is that he doesn’t talk. As soon as someone says something he doesn’t want to discuss he walks out of the room. He makes assumptions based on what he thinks he sees, but he never confirms with the person if what he saw is the truth. He is such a MAN! This all sounds frustrating and bad, but it’s what makes this novel so good. It’s what causes the delicious tension in the story line. It truly felt like reading Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, and Jane Eyre all at the same time. I love when a novel has me talking to the characters, wishing I could slap some of them upside their heads for their stupid stubbornness, or wanting to hug them because they need some friendly comfort.

There is so much more to discuss with this book! I love the settings. The reader is in Gloucestershire at the formidable Winthrop residence, then London at Jonathan’s fancy club, then in Bath with the elderly upper class. The secondary characters are excellent — Lady Milton and her double chins and nose she sticks into everyone’s supposed business, General Whitby and his sweet, grandfatherly heart, Aunt Drusilla and her unwillingness to sugar coat anything, and Lavinia from The Elusive Miss Ellison is back with her gumption and spunk!!! And, the set-ups for the next two books in this series are wonderfully done. I cannot wait to read Serena’s story next. Serena, Catherine’s younger sister, reminds me of Catherine Hepburn and I cannot wait to see how she interacts with Lord Carmichael. And, I’m eager to see how things go with Julia, Jonathan’s younger half-sister.

Winning Miss Winthrop is an EXCELLENT story. I cannot recommend it enough. It is a beautifully written, engaging page-turner. I loved every minute of this story and I am sad that my time with it is over. If you are looking for a superior Regency-era novel that will steal your breath, break your heart, and leave you wanting more, then I say run to your nearest bookstore and purchase a copy of this book. You will be so happy that you did!

Giveaway

I am giving away ONE (1) paperback copy of Winning Miss Winthrop by Carolyn Miller. The giveaway begins today, 3-31-18 at 9:00 am (PST) and ends on Wednesday, 4-4-18 at 12:00 pm (PST). To enter, click on the Rafflecopter link below. Good luck!

Congrats to Heidi M.!

You have won this giveaway. Thank you for your participation. It is greatly appreciated.

***Please Note: Open to Continental U.S. mailing addresses only.*** One winner will be notified via email at the end of the giveaway, and will be announced here on this page.