The Jewels of Halstead Manor (2020)

About the Book

Book:  The Jewels of Halstead Manor

Series: Ladies of Devon #1

Author: Kasey Stockton

Genre: Sweet Regency Romance

Release Date: March 22, 2020

She can only stay as long as the invalid needs her… so he makes it his business to need her forever.

When a cryptic invitation brings Giulia Pepper to her uncle’s remote estate in Devon, she arrives in dire need of a benefactor, only to discover that her uncle never sent her any invitation—nor does he want her there. Forced into a corner, Giulia must contrive a way to convince him to allow her to remain, just long enough to figure out where to go next.

Nicholas never asked for an earldom, but when an aged lord arrives at his door and tells Nicholas that he is next in line for the title, he willingly goes to Halstead Manor to learn the role. But someone isn’t pleased with the heir, and after a gunshot wound in the arm, Nicholas must discover who is out to get him.

When Giulia stumbles—literally—over a fallen man on the lane to Halstead, she has her answer: she can stay at Halstead and nurse her uncle’s heir back to health. But as mystery builds and danger mounts, will Giulia and Nicholas be able to solve the puzzle before the Earl forces Giulia to leave for good? And furthermore, can they manage to work together without losing their hearts in the process?

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My Thoughts

I have just discovered a new-to-me writer and I must voraciously read all her books! For all those interested, the author is Kasey Stockton. If you have not heard of her, I HIGHLY recommend checking out all of her novels. The other night I just happened to see an ad for The Lady of Larkspur Vale on one of my social media platforms. The cover intrigued me so I immediately went to Goodreads to check it out. The premise sounds pretty good, but I saw it is book 2 in a series. Naturally, I had to check out book 1, The Jewels of Halstead Manor, because I cannot knowingly begin a series in the middle. That just doesn’t work for me. The Jewels of Halstead Manor sounded so good to me that I bought it right then and there from Amazon and devoured the story in three days. If it were not for my full-time job there is a good possibility I would have had this book finished in one 24-hour period, it’s that excellent a read!

There really is so much to love about The Jewels of Halstead Manor. It’s a Sweet Regency Romance, which means the reader gets to escape into a unique historical time period and the romance is swoony and filled with passion, but there is none of that bedroom stuff happening. I’m all for realism in my books, but I am definitely not into voyeurism. I found the characters well crafted. I adore Guilia’s character. She is independent, strong-willed, and highly intelligent, but she is also incredibly self-aware and can be vulnerable when she needs to be. Nicholas is one of my favorite types of heroes and he pairs very well with Guila’s wit, verve, and sense of adventure. Nicholas is handsome, charming, and intelligent, but what I love the most about his character is his ability to truly see Guilia. He pays attention, he listens, and he isn’t afraid to ask her the probing questions she needs to answer for herself. In addition to the hero and heroine, The Jewels of Halstead Manor boasts a lively cast of secondary characters who bring spunk or friendship or mystery to the storyline, and make the story all the more rich. I also appreciate the topic of self-reliance. Guilia is beholden to no one. She is a woman who can stand on her own two feet. She asks when she needs help, but she never takes advantage. And when life brings her surprises that scare her a little, she runs to no man. She stands tall and takes the next right step. This illustration of self-reliance is my most favorite aspect to this superb Regency Romance.

I could go on and on about The Jewels of Halstead Manor, there really is that much to love about this book. It’s highly engaging and hard to put down. If you are a fan of well-written Sweet Regency Romances then I highly recommend The Jewels of Halstead Manor. For now, I’m going to go check out all of Ms. Stockton’s novels and may purchase one or two or all of them! LOL!

I purchased a review copy of this novel in eBook form from Amazon on August 13, 2020, in order to review. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.