She can only stay as long as the invalid needs her… so he makes it his business to need her forever.
When a cryptic invitation brings Giulia Pepper to her uncle’s remote estate in Devon, she arrives in dire need of a benefactor, only to discover that her uncle never sent her any invitation—nor does he want her there. Forced into a corner, Giulia must contrive a way to convince him to allow her … way to convince him to allow her to remain, just long enough to figure out where to go next.
Nicholas never asked for an earldom, but when an aged lord arrives at his door and tells Nicholas that he is next in line for the title, he willingly goes to Halstead Manor to learn the role. But someone isn’t pleased with the heir, and after a gunshot wound in the arm, Nicholas must discover who is out to get him.
When Giulia stumbles—literally—over a fallen man on the lane to Halstead, she has her answer: she can stay at Halstead and nurse her uncle’s heir back to health. But as mystery builds and danger mounts, will Giulia and Nicholas be able to solve the puzzle before the Earl forces Giulia to leave for good? And furthermore, can they manage to work together without losing their hearts in the process?
more
This was a good book. I enjoyed it, especially after the mystery was introduced. Jules was a great character. I loved how she was strong but vulnerable. The author did so well writing her. It took me a bit to like Nate. It was part of the mystery to figure him out. I’m not much of a mystery writer they either give me anxiety or they are not believable. This one was good and believable and didn’t get so crazy and didn’t have me on edge. This is a proper romance with a bit of mystery. No religion.
Kasey Stockton I love this story! It had me intrigued from start to finish and I am already looking forward to the next book in the series. I loved the lively interactions between the two main characters. I also quite enjoyed their individual character development. The plot to the story itself I also thoroughly enjoyed. I don’t want to give away any spoilers though so I’ll just say that, although I guessed a few things correctly, there was plenty that I didn’t expect and even for the parts I suspected I was surprised by how it developed.
I received an ARC of this book, with no obligation to leave a review.
For anyone who likes to read wholesome and clean regency era romances, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it too.
Another great book and a wonderful start to a new series!
Giulia (Jules) Pepper was invited to visit her uncle’s estate, Halstead Manor. Upon her arrival, she literally trips over a man lying in the road who has been shot and is close to death. She cares for him as best she can and then runs to the manor for help. It turns out that her uncle had not invited her to his estate, but she has some nursing skills so she is kept on to care for Nicholas Pepper, the heir to the earldom, and a very distant cousin of hers.
There is intrigue, suspense, romance, secret passageways, jewels to be discovered and so much more in this wonderful book. Mrs. Stockton is fairly new to the writing gig but she always does a wonderful job of crafting a great story that keeps the reader engaged through the entire book.
Jules is a strong woman who is determined to make her way in the world. She is a world traveler and now, alone in the world, she is not afraid to find her own way. At the end, the secrets are uncovered, a happy ending is had and Jules even learns to dance. (c:
This book is a clean regency romance with no foul language or descriptive sexual scenes. It is appropriate for almost any age to read and tells a wonderful story.
I was given an arc of this book and I willingly offer my honest review.
I loved the mystery of Kasey Stockton’s new book, The Jewels of Halstead Manor. There were so many pieces of the puzzle to put together. And the characters were so strong and well-written. I enjoyed seeing their strengths and weaknesses unfold as the story progressed. I have to say that the culprit was a true surprise to me. The love story was sweet, clean, and lovely with a wonderful ending. Loved it!
I received a complimentary copy of the book. All opinions are my own and are expressed voluntarily.
I thought this was original way to write a Regency romance. The main focus was on the H & h and their growing romance and it’s challenges. That was written well with a fabulous H. I kind of wish I was able to have learned more about the women the h befriended and the H’s family and former life. I guess more back story to round out the book. I don’t know if it would’ve worked. I am no author. It had good mystery but I think I would still consider it as a relaxing & fun read because it wasn’t a heavy story or too intense.
Kasey Stockton is a new to me author but I will be looking for more books by her. This one has well developed characters, a mystery, conflict and romance. I will have to admit I did not see the ending coming. That doesn’t happen very often. I recommend this book.
Rating: 4.5 stars
My thoughts about this book:
• I enjoyed the mystery, suspense, and romance of this book. The author skillfully penned this read.
• There were a lot of twists and turns in this plot that made it unpredictable and added to the novelty of this read.
• There were many secondary players in this novel. They were varied, well developed, and interesting. They added depth to the storyline.
• The descriptions of locations and emotions were well done, easy to visualize, and to feel. I felt a part of the scenes.
• This was a clean read and I appreciated that fact.
I was given an advance copy of this book. My review was voluntary and my opinions were my own. This was another great book by Kasey Stockton. I highly recommend this book to romance fans who like a touch of action and suspense.
Fun start to a new series. The mystery and suspense throughout the story was perfect and kept you wanting more as the answers always seemed just out of your grasp. I loved Giulia and Nick. They were great characters and the chemistry between them was strong. I also loved the secondary characters and am excited to read the rest of the series.
Book one in the Ladies of Devon series a well written story that kept me turning pages. Giulia Pepper gets invited to her uncles estate but he did not send the invitation. She meets Nicholas her uncles heir but someone wants him dead. There is suspense, drama, danger, twists, turns, villains, and romance. I enjoyed reading and want to read the next book. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Captivating, intrigue, romance, family mystery – add these to a castle and regency setting and you have a great story. Giulia has lost everything and is looking forward to reaching her Uncle’s Manor house. Nick is his heir and suffers a severe accident on the road to the Manor when he is found by Giulia. She is given the job of nursing him back to health and time spent together builds a friendship and maybe more?
I can definitely recommend this book and eagerly look forward to the next in the series.
Wonderful story!
Once again Ms Stockton wrote interesting characters and a great storyline.
This one has a mystery that keeps you guessing until the end even though there were clues to follow. The men of Halstead Manor were proud, stubborn, and protective.
The ladies we met in the neighborhood became fast friends.
The romance was sweetly and slowly developed.
I loved it all!
Fast paced historical.
Giulia (Julia) comes across an injured man.
Nick has just been shot.
She’s going to help heal him. I found that I was more interested in Ames and Giulia, but it’s Nick, the heir to an earldom.
They have a mystery to solve.
I really got into most of the story. Characters are like able and down to earth.
Every time I thought I “knew” or solved 1 mystery, only to read on and find out I was off base for the majority. I knew guilty party but not how I thought of why. It keeps you/me thinking and guessing at who, what, when and why, (the where was pretty well stated). Little bit of everything, friendship, crush, greed, regret, acceptance, hope, love and much more!
So well-written.
Riding on the top of a stagecoach is one interesting way to start a story. Giulia is going to her uncle’s estate then she gets there she finds that her uncle had not invited her in fact he did not want her there. Nicholas finds out his an heir to Giulia’s uncle so off he goes to Halstead Manor but things do not go well. Fate seems to step in helping Giulia, perhaps now she has time to figure out what she is going to do. On the other hand, Nicholas is attracted to Giulia and welcomes her to becoming his nurse. I loved all the characters they were so well-written. The mystery and intrigue made for a splendid tale to enjoy. I found this book was so engaging and a wonderful piece to read I highly recommend. I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
I really loved this book. Giulia was such a fun character! She said what she thought and didn’t shrink away when people didn’t like how she acted. This was such a different plot line from other books I’ve read in the regency genre and it was refreshing. I can honestly say I didn’t guess the ending (only a few parts of it). I only wish there had been another 100 pages or so – I hope there will be a sequel. Well done Kasey! This one is definitely worth reading!
4.5 stars The Jewels of Halstead Manor is a great start to a new series by author Kasey Stockton. Full of mystery and romance, I definitely found myself interested in the story line and anxious to find out what would happen next. I would have given this five stars if the buildup surrounding the mystery was just a little bit more, but overall, I was satisfied by this book and enjoyed myself while reading it. The romance between Nick and Giulia was fun to read as I watched the undeniable chemistry and bond they had with one another. The picnic on the tower…yep that was a fun scene and good kiss. I like that their relationship wasn’t merely surface level, but ran deeply and by telling the story in both of their perspectives, I really believed how meant to be they were for one another. A great clean read.
I look forward to the next installment in this series. I definitely recommend this book and look forward to rereading it again.
I enjoyed Kasey Stockton’s first entry into her new Ladies of Devon series. I appreciated the intriguing secondary characters, and look forward to their stories being told, but the focus of this book was solidly on the main characters and it stands alone. Guilia and Nick have good chemistry, and the conflicts they deal with in the narrative are original and puzzling – a mystery asking to be solved (which it was, satisfactorily, by the end).
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.