"The Heiress of Winterwood" by Sarah Ladd {Book Review}

From Bronte and Austen to Downton Abbey, I love a good dramatic romance set in the moors of England. Complete with dashing Englishmen, beautiful estates and a good measure of intrigue, The Heiress of Winterwood was a wonderfully engaging read I couldn't put down!

About the book:

Amelia Barrett gave her word. Keeping it could cost her everything.
Darbury, England, 1814

Amelia Barrett, heiress to an estate nestled in the English moors, defies family expectations and promises to raise her dying friend's baby. She'll risk everything to keep her word-even to the point of proposing to the child's father-a sea captain she's never met.

When the child vanishes with little more than an ominous ransom note hinting at her whereabouts, Amelia and Graham are driven to test the boundaries of their love for this little one.

Amelia's detailed plans would normally see her through any trial, but now, desperate and shaken, she's forced to examine her soul and face her one weakness: pride.

Graham's strength and self-control have served him well and earned him much respect, but chasing perfection has kept him a prisoner of his own discipline. And away from the family he has sworn to love and protect.

Both must learn to have faith and relinquish control so they can embrace the future ahead of them.

My thoughts:
Not often do I have the problem of dying to finish a book, yet not wanting it to end. Reading The Heiress of Winterwood was excruciating in this way! I loved it so much, I couldn't put it down, but I didn't want to read it, because I didn't want it to end! 

The story is so well written, it will keep you on the edge of your seat. Throughout the entire book, my heart was in my throat and my heart was racing. It was such an amazing book! Sarah Ladd has a wonderful gift and I really enjoyed her style.

Amelia, Graham and - even little Lucy - are wonderful characters. You will fall in love with all of them. From Amelia's proposal to Lucy's kidnapping to the very last page of the book, I was spellbound. I can't wait for the next one!  

About the author:
Sarah E. Ladd has more than ten years of marketing experience. She is a graduate of Ball State University and holds degrees in public relations and marketing. Heiress of Winterwood was the recipient of the 2011 Genesis Award for historical romance. Sarah lives in Indiana with her amazing husband, sweet daughter, and spunky Golden Retriever.

Find out more about Sarah at http://www.sarahladd.com.

Read what others are saying about The Heiress of Winterwood here. 
  
The giveaway:  

Sarah Ladd is celebrating the release of The Heiress of Winterwood with a Downton Abbey Kindle Prize Pack Giveaway!

 One winner will receive:

• A brand new Kindle Fire
• Downton Abbey, seasons 1-3

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 30th. Winner will be announced on 5/2/13 {HERE}.

Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and 

increase your chances of winning.

The fine print: 
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. The opinions expressed are all mine and I was not required to give a positive review.

 

"Love at Any Cost" by Julie Lessman {Book Review}

There are only a few authors that can make me buy a book without even reading the back cover. Julie Lessman is one of them. I know, before I even read the first chapter, I am about to go on a magical journey into an amazing story...

About the book :
He's Looking to take care of his family. She's looking to take care of her heart. Trouble is... love's looking to take care of them both.

The Gilded Age is brought to life in the new Heart of San Francisco Series. Fans of bestselling author, Julie Lessman, will join her on a journey to the West Coast for romance, passion, and surprising revelations found in Love at Any Cost.  

Jilted by a fortune hunter, cowgirl Cassidy McClare is a spunky Texas oil heiress without a fortune who would just as soon hogtie a man as look at him. Hoping a summer visit with her wealthy cousins in San Francisco will help her forget her heartache, Cassidy travels west. But no sooner is she settled in beautiful California than Jamie McKenna, a handsome pauper looking to marry well, captures her heart. When Jamie discovers the woman he loves is poorer than he is, Cassidy finds herself cheated by love a second time.

Will Jamie discover that money can't buy love after all?

And can Cassidy ever learn to fully trust her heart to a man?



My thoughts: 
I still don't know how she does it, but Julie Lessman has written yet another amazing story!
 
From the moment Jamie McKenna knocked Cassidy McClare off her feet, I was swept away! Set in the heart of San Francisco in 1902, it is a wonderful, heart warming story that you won't be able to put down. The characters so real, the setting so detailed and the story so sweet, it will tug your heartstrings until the very end. 

One of my very favorite things about any Julie Lessman book is that she writes female characters who can stand on their own two feet and who don't need a man to rescue them... Cassidy is a wonderful woman, with a faith in God, who - even if she may fall for the wrong man on occasion - isn't about to let them ruin her life. 

Cassidy find that Jamie is irresistible at the same time he finds out she isn't an heiress... Can love find the both before it is too late? You won't believe the twists and curves thrown in their way! 

And if you think the story with Jamie and Cassidy is the only one going on in this book, you are mistaken! Julie Lessman is a pro and you will be waiting impatiently (like me!) for the next book in the series to see what happens to Cassidy's Uncle Logan and Aunt Cait. At least I hope it is in the next book :)  

Don't miss Love at Any Cost, every time Jamie calls Cassidy 'Cowgirl', you will leave your heart in San Francisco, too!
 
About the author: 
Julie Lessman is an award-winning author whose tagline of "Passion with a Purpose" underscores her intense passion for both God and romance. Winner of the 2009 ACFW Debut Author of the Year and Holt Medallion Awards of Merit for Best First Book and Long Inspirational, Julie is also the recipient of 14 Romance Writers of America awards. Chosen as the #1 Romance Fiction Author of the Year in the Family Fiction magazine 2011 Readers' Choice Awards, Julie was also awarded #1 Series of the Year in that same poll. She resides in Missouri with her family and is the author of The Daughters of Boston series and the Winds of Change series whose first book, A Hope Undaunted, ranked #5 on Booklist's Top 10 Inspirational Fiction for 2010.  

The extras: 
Visit Julie's website for lots more - including excerpts from her books!
Want more? Currently, Julie's book A Hope Undaunted, is free for Kindle on Amazon and her book A Light in the Window is only $3.99 (both for a limited time).
Check out my past reviews of Julie's books: 
A Love Surrendered
A Heart Revealed 
and
A Light in the Window 

The fine print: 
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. The opinions expressed are all mine and I was not required to give a positive review.