Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Christian Historical Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Hannah Linder
Publisher: Barbour Fiction
Release Date: April 1st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

They Waited Their Whole Lives for Their Papa to Return

Nan and Heath Duncan, siblings abandoned by their papa and abused by their guardian, have no choice but to survive on the London streets. When a kind gentleman rescues Nan from such a life, the siblings are separated and raised in two vastly different social worlds. Just when both are beginning to flourish and years have healed some of their wounds, their long-awaited papa returns and reunites them—bringing demands with him. Nan is expected to marry a rich suitor she’s never liked, and Heath is expected to forsake his gentle spirit and become the hardened man his father always was.

Dangers unfold, secret love develops, fights ensue, and murder upsets the worlds Heath and Nan have built for themselves.

They’ve waited their whole lives for their papa to return, for tomorrow to come—but now that it has, will they be able to see through to the truth and end this whirlwind of a nightmare before it costs one of their lives?   

Thank you to Barbour Books and Austenprose PR for the eARC.

HAUNTING.

I got so very wrapped up into this I could not put the last 30% down. I loved the way this built and built. I personally hadn’t realized it had a suspense element to it and it was GREAT. Consider me officially invested in all future Hannah Linder books.

I love multiple POV books and having four here worked into this plotline so well. Seeing everyone’s perspective on different matters made the book feel whole and that I could catch all of the angst and longing and desire to be wanted and cared for. Heath and Temperance’s romance was suuuper sweet. I wish there was a little more development there, but I did love them together and the journey they took as a couple.

And childhood friends to lovers is always a great trope. Nan and Gilbert had some great tension and I liked the romantic development here too. What I struggled with was Nan. I wish she was a little more dynamic? I kept expecting her to step up or realize what was happening and instead she mostly spent time as a damsel trying to please someone who didn’t deserve an ounce of her time. One of the antagonists just held too much sway that didn’t completely make sense for me.

I loved the setting and friendships. The Stanhope’s were incredible. I kept expecting something poor to happen there and I loved that it never did. It was a wonderful balance to the darker sides of this story. There is a heavy faith element throughout (for those who like to know!).

Overall audience notes:

• Historical Romance
• Language: none
• Romance: kisses
• Violence: high
• Trigger/Content Warnings; loss of a parent (off page), multiple murders, house fires, physical altercations, near death experiences, child homelessness, alcoholic parent, emotionally manipulative parent

AUTHOR BIO

Hannah Linder resides in the beautiful mountains of central West Virginia. Represented by Books & Such, she writes Regency romantic suspense novels. She is a double 2021 Selah Award winner, a 2022 Selah Award finalist, and a member of
American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). Hannah is a Graphic Design associate degree graduate who specializes in professional book cover design. She designs for both traditional publishing houses and individual authors, including New York Times, USA Today, and international bestsellers. She is also a local photographer and a self-portrait photographer. When Hannah is not writing, she enjoys playing her instruments– piano, guitar, and ukulele–songwriting, painting still life, walking in the rain, and sitting on the front porch of her 1800s farmhouse.

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