Miss Amelia Stalwood may live in London at her absent guardian’s townhouse, but she’s never actually met any nobility, and instead of aristocrats, her closest friends are servants. Quite by happenstance, she’s introduced to the Hawthorne family and their close family friend, Anthony, the reformed Marquis of Raebourne . They welcome her into their world, but just as she’s beginning to gain some … confidence and even suspect she may have caught Anthony’s eye, she’s blindsided by an unexpected twist in her situation accompanied by nasty rumors. Will she lose her reputation when the world that has only just accepted her turns its back on her, or will she rest in the support of the friends who’ve become like family and the man who’s shared his faith and captured her heart?
A Lady of Esteem is an e-only novella that gives an exciting introduction to Kristi Ann Hunter’s new Regency romance series about the aristocratic Hawthorne family! Includes an extended excerpt of Kristi’s debut full-length novel, A Noble Masquerade.
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Short and sweet, A Lady of Esteem is a fun and romantic beginning to the Hawthorne House series!
Though the ward of a man of wealth, Amelia grows up mostly alone. She feels more at home amongst servants, and not just those of her own household, than the aristocracy. This provides for some awkward moments when she catches the eye of a marquis with a bad reputation. As Amelia heads toward the age where she will no longer be anyone’s ward, her circumstances change in a way that leaves her with no idea where her future will take her, or if she’ll be able to see any of her friends anymore.
I got this book for free on Amazon, and at this point, I’m really glad the book and its following series were put on my radar. This book itself is a short read, but gave me a good feel for this writer, who was new to me. I liked the characters and enjoyed the short, sweet story of Amelia finding a home.
Amelia herself is a good example of a Christian woman, keeping to her morals and being a good example for others. The marquis, Anthony, is a recent convert, and while he struggles with knowing that his old reputation will follow him no matter how he acts now, he also has moments of contemplating going back to his old ways. These two complement each other very well.
There was one glaring coincidence that brought the story down for me a little, and a few points where I was just confused about what was going on in the moment. And I have no idea in the end if Amelia turned 21 during the story or not. It was approaching and was something she was really concerned about, and then…nothing really happened involving that.
Overall, I enjoyed this short read set in the Regency period. If you think you might be interested, it’s still free on Amazon as of the time of me writing this review. It also includes the first chapter or so of the first full novel in the series that follows. I have to admit, I got completely hooked with just what I read there. I’m really looking forward to reading the book that follows this one!
This is a delightful introduction into the world of the Hawthorne House. An embarrassing first meet is always a lot of fun and with Amelia feeling more comfortable with the servants and Anthony being a reformed rake, this encounter was highly entertaining.
There is a Christian element to this story, which added to the story, but of course, it was the natural progression of the relationship that really stole my heart. This story was endearing, funny, and sweet and really sets the reader up for the series.
Content: mild romance; mild religion
A step back into the 1800s when propriety was the way of life. Nevertheless, certain women of status didn’t always “follow the rules” when pursuing the man she wanted.
4.5 Stars
I quick, fun, and sweet introduction to the Hawthorne House series. I started reading this author’s Haven Manor series and after learning that there was some character crossover from HH, I wanted to immediately backtrack. Being a novella, it lacks some of the details I enjoy reading, but it was still a great introduction and has me excited to continue on.
Feeling most insecure, orphaned Amelia Stalwood is thrust into London’s upper society through a series of unusual circumstances. How does she end up in the arms of Anthony Pendleton, Marquis of Raebourne, as a secure and lovely lady? Delight in her transformational escapades in this charming and well written story.
I loved the humor. Hunter’s dialogue had me literally laughing out loud at times. The gentle way Anthony teases Amelia warmed my heart, as did Amelia’s gentle innocence. And seeing Amelia’s interactions with the servants, plus their obvious matchmaking scheme, made it even more enjoyable to watch her grow and come into her own. But my favorite part of this novella was the lesson that sin is sin, and none of us are better than the other, no matter our social status.
For my review of the entire Hawthorne House series, visit my blog at https://justjenniferpurcell.com/2019/04/26/just-read-hawthorne-house-series/.
Great book
I have a new author to love!! Amelia has spent her life being passed over by her family, but it hasn’t stopped her from building a loving network of London servants who claim her as one of their own. When Anthony finds her filing in for one of his maids cleaning his library he is instantly smitten with this mystery lady. I loved watching their relationship bloom as they both find a new understanding of the grace God offers. I can’t wait for more!
I wished I would have read this prequel before reading the Hawthorne House series because it sets up the premise nicely! But you don’t have to of course, I just think it enhances it more and gives you some background to the characters.
So going backwards, this answers some questions I had about who Amelia & Anthony were and how their relationship started. I loved seeing these two fall in love! It also reminded me in a way of a rags to riches kind of story for Amelia. Having been elevated in class the day she became a Dukes ward….and this is where we first meet Griffin; Mr. swoon worthy himself! We are also introduced to the rest of the Hawthorne clan. I loved getting to know more about Amelia and Anthony and how they found their happily-ever-after. A fun prequel with plenty of depth & characterization!