"Because it's by naming a thing, knowing a thing, that you come to
understand it. Only when you see its unique traits can you truly
appreciate what it is, and what it isn't." - Oliver Tremayne
Description:
1906
Lady Elizabeth "Libby" Sinclair, with her love of microscopes and nature, isn't favored in society. She flees to the beautiful Isles of Scilly for the summer and stumbles into the dangerous secrets left behind by her holiday cottage's former occupant, also named Elizabeth, who mysteriously vanished.
Oliver Tremayne--gentleman and clergyman--is determined to discover what happened to his sister, and he's happy to accept the help of the girl now living in what should have been Beth's summer cottage . . . especially when he realizes it's the curious young lady he met briefly two years ago, who shares his love of botany and biology. But the hunt for his sister involves far more than nature walks, and he can't quite believe all the secrets Beth had been keeping from him.
As Libby and Oliver work together, they find ancient legends, pirate wrecks, betrayal, and the most mysterious phenomenon of all: love.
About the Author:
Roseanna M. White pens her novels beneath her Betsy Ross flag, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When not writing fiction, she's homeschooling her two children, editing and designing, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of numerous novels, ranging from biblical fiction to American-set romances to Edwardian British series. Roseanna lives with her family in West Virginia. Learn more at www.roseannamwhite.com.
My Thoughts:
What can I say about another excellent book from one of my very favorite authors? Probably just that, it was wonderful! I loved this story! It's probably one of my favorite reads of the year, so far. So rich in history with characters I adore, it doesn’t get much better for this reader than one of Roseanna M. White’s books.
One of the things I greatly enjoyed about this book was the beautiful setting! Ms. White has such a marvelous way of adding details until it’s almost as though I can smell the flowers blooming and feel the spray of the surf. I loved getting to experience the Isles of Scilly through newcomer Libby, as well as through the eyes of Oliver and Mabena, natives to the islands. The islands almost seemed a character in and of themselves, at times. I also enjoyed Libby’s love of nature and science and how Ms. White used her perspective to show us a different way to see the world.
There are some quirky characters who add colorful life to the island, including Fitzwilliam Gibson and Oliver’s Mamm-wynn, whom I fell in love with. Being that this is the first book in a series, I’m hoping they might make a special appearance in the future stories, as well.
The mystery was intriguing and kept me guessing. It’s always interesting to me, reading about investigations prior to the “connected generation” where we have everything at our fingertips. I love the old ways of problem solving and sleuthing, reminiscent of some of the stories I grew up with.
I’ve said before that my favorite Roseanna M. White novel is whichever I read most recently, and I’d say that’s true of this one, too. If you’ve never given her books a go, I would highly recommend this one! (or any of them, really. But the beginning of a series is always a nice place to start.)
*My thanks to the author for my copy of this book! I was not required to write a review, positive or otherwise, and have not been compensated for it in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
Thank you so much for stopping by! Thankfully, with a functioning computer, I'll hopefully be able to post a little more frequently. I also have a backlog of reviews awaiting my spare time (which isn't as often, with a 14 month old roaming around), so you'll probably see several pop up for a couple weeks.
As always, purchase links are below! I so wanted to include more quotes from the book, but I also don't want to spoil anything. Does anyone else like the Kindle specifically because you can highlight things?
Have a lovely day!
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