Hazel Mae Hollingsworth is devastated following the unexpected death of her father, and she can’t shake a sense of foreboding when the family solicitor arrives at the estate. Her intuition turns out to be well founded, for her father’s will reveals a long-held family secret—Hazel’s entire life has been a lie. Within hours of receiving the news, she is turned out by the man she once called her … brother, dispossessed with little more than her mother’s instruction to seek refuge with her father’s sister.
Refuge she finds and so much more. Hazel is overwhelmed by the kind welcome she receives from Aunt Madge and her family, who warmly invite her into their fold. With the loving support of family, Hazel begins to untangle the mysterious circumstances surrounding her birth. She finds a renewed sense of peace as she rebuilds the puzzle of her life and embarks on a romance she never expected. But when the shocking truth of her heritage is revealed, Hazel is forced to reconcile her painful past with the future she envisions.
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This story of how life can be both a struggle and a blessing is well written.
Hazel has a life altering event after her father’s death. As she struggles to deal with the repercussions of this news she is blessed with family and love.
The plot on the story keeps twisting and turning and is not as expected.
I enjoyed the book but have to admit that the self processing that Hazel goes through was at times a bit much and felt it dragged the story a bit. But I don’t feel that it takes away from the plot line at all.
Home to Somersby by Anita Stansfield is my favorite of the novels she has released lately. I was glued throughout the whole book. The plot, characters, the twist ending are reasons I love this book. I highly recommend this book.
Hazel Hollingsworth just lost her father suddenly and is just starting to come to terms with that fact when it’s time to go over her father’s will. She learns a secret kept from her by her parents, and her older brother throws her out unexpectedly. She is lost and has nowhere to go until her mother tells her to go to her aunt at Somersby.
After being thrown out by her brother she is unsure how she will be received at Somersby but finds hope through prayer.
Throughout the story Hazel continues to ask who am I and where did I come from? After learning the truth behind her birth.
She works through her grief with the help of her aunt and cousins. She continues to be uplifted by the few notes from her mother and the chats she has with her cousins. She also finds signs that her father is also looking out for her from heaven.
This book explores the nature vs nurture concept and leaves the reader asking: Is family who you are born into our who you choose?
I love the symbolism of the dragon fly on the cover and how it ties into the story.
This book is a quick read and uplifting. It also helps the reader ask questions and gives them something to think about.
I’ve long enjoyed Anita Stansfield books. Naturally there are some I’ve enjoyed more than others. Home to Somersby is one that I enjoyed immensely. Hazel, as a character, was easy to sympathize with as she gets thrown out of her home in the very first chapter. After that shocking beginning, I found myself rooting for Hazel to find a home. And she does, as the title of the book implies, find a home, in more than one way. As she struggles to come to terms with not only the loss of the man she knew as her father, but also questions about her biological parents, she wonders if she will ever find a home again. Thankfully, her ‘aunt’ and ‘cousins’ welcome her to their home wholeheartedly. And as she works through her many difficult emotions, she finds a man who loves her despite her parentage, and is willing to offer her a real and lasting home. But can she come to terms with the additional shocking news headed her way, or will it put a damper on her plans for the future?
I found it very easy to empathize with Hazel in her distress. And the romance was a sweet one, I enjoyed reading about it’s development and how he helped her work through her struggles. I especially enjoyed some of their conversations. With her typical gentle, but honest touch, Stansfield shows how secrets and lies can cause havoc in people’s lives. Another winning read from a skilled writer.
Another winner for Anita Stansfield. I was so happy when she moved into writing Regency Romances, though she has kept much of her contemporary voice. This story like her others is filled with emotional upheaval and healing. Hazel was dealt a bad hand by her brother, but through her Father’s family, she found peace and truth about her origins.
I love these books that take me on an emotional journey, especially when it is sometimes easier to process someone else’s emotions.
Anita Stansfield remains one of my must reads and favorite authors. This story is no different and I will continue to collect her books and read them with relish.
I can’t imagine being in the position of the heroine; overcoming a knowledge and feeling of being unwanted. Trying to figure out who you are and where you belong is hard. When the hero steps up and helps her to recognize feelings and truth, it’s no wonder that a HEA comes out of it. I appreciated the thoughts of the characters and the way they were more realistic. Great story.
Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists,
and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive
reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this
in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
I would give this book 3.5 stars, but rounding up to 4. The love story is sweet and clean and really quite wonderful, but it took so long to get there. I was about 50% through the book before I got to it. And I’m really not a huge fan of reading about the main character’s emotional distress over and over and over again. I thought the ending was great with some very unexpected twists. I would have definitely given it a 5 without the excessive repetition.
I received a complimentary copy of the book. All opinions are my own and are expressed voluntarily.
All in all this was a good book. I had a bit of a hard time with it because the pace was so slow. Not enough interaction between the characters and too much inner conflict described in major details. It took me awhile to get very interested in it after the initial start with the reading of the will. Also I thought surely there would a reason given for Clarence’s action but that wasn’t explained satisfactorily. I have to say though that it had a very satisfying ending. I did end up enjoying the book. It is a clean romance and I feel good about recommending it. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.