Years ago, the man who stole Catherine Winthrop’s heart rejected her–and she’s never recovered from the grief. 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.
Jonathan Carlew’s serious demeanor and connection to trade, not to mention the rumors surrounding his birth, have kept him from being a favorite of the ladies, or their parents. Now, suddenly landed and titled, he finds himself with plenty of prospects. But his demanding society responsibilities keep pressing him into service to the one woman who captured his heart long ago–and then ran off with it.
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 the Regency Brides: A Promise of Hope series. Fans of the wholesome and richly drawn first series won’t want to miss this new set of characters–or appearances by their old favorites.
My Thoughts: This was a perfect read for my Spring Break. It was light, romantic, and had strong Austen vibes. It reminded me a great deal of Persuasion although I don’t think the author was attempting a retelling. But it carried a lot of the same great elements in an original format.
There were areas where I felt like the story lagged a bit for me, but overall I found it highly entertaining and read the bulk of the book in one day because I refused to put it down. Miller gave us a peek at the two upcoming stories in the series and I can’t wait to see what happens next for both of these ladies.
There was a sound spiritual message here on forgiveness and kind service to your neighbors. . . . And yet, I found some of their biting comments to antagonists a bit off-putting. They seemed to take great pleasure in putting someone in their place when they were in the “right.” There could have been a bit more humility in some of those scenes. I think it was meant to be entertaining, but I found it a little vindictive.
At the end of the day, this was a sound Regency novel complete with all the parlor drama, romance, and a trip to Bath.
Rating and Recommendation: I’m giving Winning Miss Winthrop 4.5 stars and recommending it to those who enjoy Christian Fiction or Christian Regency.
~ I received a copy from Kregel through Net Galley. All thoughts are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
Christian Author: A.M. Heath 