(Live and) Dream a Little Dream: The Heiress of Winterwood, Book review & GIVEAWAY

Publisher: Thomas Nelson (April 9, 2013)

ISBN-13: 978-1401688356

Synopsis:

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

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:

Regency style novels owes their popularity to a basic scenario, so well known by readers of the genre, they can often predict the outcome of the lines.
The distinction in the good, sometime very good novel of any particular genre encompasses in my opinion the locale, the lesser known historical details allowing us to perceive if only for a brief moment, this period life in all its glory, the unexpected twist of the story and most importantly, charismatic characters, all unfortunately lacking in this story.
Authors such as Charles Dickens, Jane Austen for i.e. are still remembered for their astute study of a Society they often depicted with no small amount of sarcasm and the myriad of details they showcased for our pleasure.

This Christian novel's heroine is Amelia whom we discover has promised to care for a dying woman's child. Her nefarious intended has no wish to saddle himself with another man's daughter and Amelia will not abandon the little girl she has come to love as her own.
When the child's father, a sea Captain, arrives to claim the baby he has never met, Amelia offers her extensive estate and her hand in exchange for matrimony. Married, she will come into a substantial inheritance and will provide for the child whilst the Captain will return to ship and crew and sail the seven seas.
Into the plot comes the friendly vicar's wife, the reliable estate manager, the jealous cousin, the cold and calculated uncle, the reprobate brother and the trusted seafaring friend of our young Captain to name a few characters.

I will not spoil this first novel by revealing the entire plot but let's just say 'The Heiress of Winterwood' was a pleasurable light Christian read, which but for one or two thematic contents more appropriate to adults, is aimed mostly at the young adult audience.
In retrospective it might have in fact been more attractive as a sequel!
'The Heiress of Winterwood', Book 1 of Whispers of the Moors series, hinted at potential but with its Philistine title and cover, it failed to hold my attention.

I gave it 3 1/2 stars.

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.

Visit her website (HERE)

Landing page:

http://litfusegroup.com/author/sladd