When a shocking scandal involving her father spreads through London society, Elaine Cardinham and her parents are forced to retreat to their country home in Cornwall for refuge. But Havencross is no sanctuary for Elaine. She is haunted by the mysterious disappearance of her brother—and the heartbreak she left in her wake all those years ago. It has been five long years since Gareth Kemp last saw … saw Elaine—when she rejected his marriage proposal. Her reappearance convinces him of one thing: he has never stopped loving her. To put his feelings for her aside, he focuses his attention on the dangerous smuggling plaguing the Cornish coast. As Elaine attempts to run from her past, she ventures ever closer to a dangerous truth—and Gareth may be the only one who can save her from a deadly finish.
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I absolutely loved this book! The writing was incredible with the setting so real, I felt like I’d been pulled back in time to Cornwall, England. The main character, Elaine has essentially been banished from London society because of a scandal with her father. I found it interesting how each person dealt with their new place in Cornwall after being gone for so long. I loved how Elaine connected with her surroundings, while at the same time wishing herself back in London. The developing romance with Gareth was well-done surrounded by several different mystery aspects. I love a great mystery and even though this novel is a regency romance, the mystery intertwined in the story is strong enough to delight mystery readers as well.
And of course, who wouldn’t love the references to King Arthur of old as Elaine walked through the ruins of what might have been his castle. The little hint of magic around King Arthur and Gwenevere added another layer to the story that kept me reading. I look forward to reading more by Julie Daines.
This is a straight up 10 star story, if there was such thing as 10 stars! Julie Daines is an absolute master, and I was sucked hook line and sinker into this Cornish tale of murder, smuggling, legends, scandal, mystery & lost love. Cornwall is such a beautiful county, with such rich history – it’s one of my favourite places. I first went to Tintagel, Jamaica Inn & Bodmin Moor as a teenager, and I totally fell in love.
Imagine Poldark, Regency & the legends of Merlin & Camelot all rolled into one, and you have Havencross. Many attempt to write this era, and most do a fantastic job. This one however was the cream of the crop. There was zero predictability in the plot, I was constantly being surprised and I had no idea who would live or die!
Julie deserves a lot more national attention as a writer of this genre, with her classical style of story telling. This is my top pick for historical fiction for 2017. Absolutely stunning read that you will not put down, and curse the mundane life around you that gets in the way!
Thank you to Covenant & Netgalley for the eARC. This is my honest review.
I loved this book! It had romance, scandal, mystery and danger. And I loved the connections to the legend of King Arthur!
Elaine and Gareth were great characters. I was rooting for them and wanted them to get their happy ending. Especially Gareth. He was everything a hero should be!
The mystery and suspense part of the story was intriguing. The pieces just kept coming. Even though I had some ideas about what was going on, everything played out in ways I didn’t expect. It kept me glued to the page.
This is the first full-length novel I’ve read by Julie Daines. I can’t wait to read another! She is quickly becoming a must-read author for me!
I liked this one! While it was pretty evident who the villain would turn out to be, there were a few twists and turns that weren’t expected. And while it is a regency romance/mystery, it was also a story of letting go of guilt and trusting your heart. The heroine grows to appreciate that what she’s fled her beloved home to find was right in front of her the entire time. Well-written, nice imagery. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.