Set in 1820s Cornwall, this Regency romance evokes the captivating worlds and delicious dramas of Jane Austen, Daphne DuMaurier, and Winston Graham. Raised on the sprawling and rugged Wyndcliff Estate near the dangerous coast of South Cornwall, Evelyn Bray lives with her grandfather, a once-wealthy man reduced to the post of steward. Evelyn is still grieving her father’s death and her mother’s … mother’s abandonment when a passing ship is dashed against the rocks. The only survivors, a little girl and her injured mother, are rescued and brought to Wyndcliff Hall.
Liam Twethewey is just twenty-two when he inherits Wyndcliff Estate from his great uncle. His optimistic plans to open a china clay pit to employ the estate’s tenants meets unexpected resistance, and the rumors of smuggling and illegal activity challenge his new-found authority. Though wise beyond his years, young Liam quickly finds himself out of his depth in this land where long-held secrets and high-stakes agendas make no room for newcomers.
Brought together by troubling questions surrounding the shipwreck, Evelyn and Liam uncover even darker mysteries shrouding the estate. But as they untangle truths from deceptions, their loyalties separate them–and their budding love might not be strong enough to overcome the distance.
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The Light at Wyndcliff is book three in The Cornwall Novels series by Sarah E. Ladd. I must say after reading this book and the second in the series, The Thief of Lanwyn Manor, I have a fondness for Cornwall, its coastal beauty, and its open, gloomy moors. The setting of this novel played perfectly into the mysterious and ominous feel of the story and will leave you longing for a visit of your own.
I enjoyed the mystery surrounding the coastal property of Wyndcliff. The dangerous cove, suspicious lights, and heartbreaking shipwrecks made for a page-turning adventure. Danger, it seemed, loomed closer and closer with each twist in the plot. It drew me in completely until the very end.
Evelyn Bray is a complicated creature. I admired her bravery and kind heart, and I could truly feel the pain and anguish caused by the strained relationships with her family. I found her growth through her journey inspirational and encouraging. She is a lady in her heart even if not in her title.
Liam Twethewey is an honorable and ambitious man. His quest to improve his land and the lives of the people who lived there was noble, and I loved his steadfastness in keeping his honor above all else.
The romance in The Light at Wyndcliff is gentle and sweet. And while it may not be at the forefront of the story at all times, it still has an important impact. I loved the respect and admiration between Evelyn and Liam. So sweet!
I would recommend The Light at Wyndcliff to anyone who enjoys Regency-era romance–especially if you like the mystery/gothic feel to your Regency stories.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher with no expectation of a positive review. All opinions are my own.
In her third Cornwall novel, Sarah E. Ladd sets a moody atmosphere as she tells a story of expectation and anticipation.
When Liam Trethewey journeys to take hold of the inheritance he has waited ten years to claim, he meets Evelyn Bray on the moors of the Wyndcliff Estate. Granddaughter to the estate’s steward, Evelyn has begun to doubt her newly remarried mother’s intention to send for her.
As Liam works towards making the estate profitable again, the harsher realities of being a landholder on the Cornish coast intrude on his plans. And as Evelyn helps Liam to care for the survivors of a local shipwreck, she begins to discover that there is much she does not understand.
With crumbling estates, changes of fortune, insular communities, shipwrecks, eminent danger, and a slow burning chaste romance, this is a not to be missed story for Regency Romance fans. As is this series that features men who receive an inheritance but have to strive to make a living out of it, women who must work within their circumstances to find their place in the world, and the challenges and responsibilities that they meet with courage and integrity. Highly recommended.
This review refers to an Advance Reading Copy I voluntarily read, courtesy of the publisher. A positive review was not required and these are only my own honest opinions.
The Light at Wyndcliff is my second Sarah E. Ladd book. I have to say, I liked it more than The Thief of Lanwyn Manor.
The Light at Wyndcliff provides romance, mystery, and an engaging tale from start to finish. Liam is a relatable hero from the beginning with his eagerness to begin a new life. Evelyn’s devotion to her grandfather is well-explained. That helped me still relate to her when I began to dislike her grandfather.
The romance between Liam and Evelyn was well-developed. I loved their interactions and the slow build of their romance.
The mystery presents itself fairly early in the story, with bits and pieces appearing until the major problem arises. I loved the hints Ladd dropped throughout the story. The stakes keep rising as Liam and Evelyn both try to figure out what’s going on.
I have to say, the story never got boring. I stayed up way too late reading. But I don’t regret it. It was worth finishing the story and seeing if my hunch was correct.
Overall, The Light at Wyndcliff is a great story romance and mystery lovers alike will enjoy.
(Note: I received a complimentary copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.)
Another wonderful trip into the rich history of Cornwall. Sarah Ladd is thorough in her research of the area. This story is about a young man, that was set to inherit the coastal estate, Wyndcliff Hall, at the young age of 22. I was impressed how well he handled all of the obstacles that came at him. Liam was a kind, hardworking young man and he wanted only the best for his Tenants and surrounding area. He had a plan to use the moors for mining China Clay. It was interesting learning about China Clay and what it was used for. But what he walked into was, a manor in disrepair, shipwrecks, angry townspeople, a steward that was reluctant to turn his power over,, and a beautiful young women living on his property. Evelyn was always waiting on her mother or grandfather, for her next chapter in her life. Could she take control of what would happen next? She was honest and had a heart of gold, always thinking of others. The story is full of intrigue, suspense, deceit, and sweet romance. The characters are well defined. The story is one, you don’t want to stop reading, but not ready for it to end.
Thank you to the Publisher and Net galley for a copy of this book. This review is my own honest review.
In The Light at Wyndcliff, Sarah E. Ladd sweeps readers to the Cornwall coast where something strange is going on in the small village of Pevlyn.
Liam is excited to gain his inheritance and start making plans, but the caretaker at Wyndcliff seems to have some secrets. Add to it the intriguing and beautiful granddaughter of said caretaker, strange happenings that are going on at the shore, and a mysterious woman with no memory, and this book is hard to put down.
Evelyn is a strong woman but somewhat heartsick when it comes to her mother, but Liam’s integrity and kindness draw her out despite their different circumstances.
I would have liked a few more scenes with the smuggling and the culprits are made fairly clear from early on, but overall, this story is about relationships. As Ladd explores the different dynamics, the depth of the book grows.
Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed this book. It had a lot of interesting information about shipwrecks and how the people who owned the shores could profit from them.
My only complaint is that it was hard to get into it in the beginning but then it picked up and held my interest.
The main characters were great but I had a hard time loving the last name Twethewey (although it’s probably a historically accurate name).. That being said I enjoyed reading it so I will give it 4 stars.
(4.5 stars) – Best yet…
… and my new favorite!
Book 3 in the Cornwall Novels is Liam’s story. There are some mentions of characters from the previous books & a guest appearance by his brother, John, but the story stands alone readily.
Liam arrives at Wyndcliff to take charge of the estate he inherited from his great-uncle. The story, set along misty moors & a rocky shoreline, has a moody atmosphere. Many little odd things build the suspense. Something’s clearly going on, but we’re not sure what.
There are ships that frequently wreck along the coast of the estate, and they rescue a woman & child from the wreckage of one such casualty. Evelyn is aware that things are shifting around her, but not quite certain why. She helps tend the two survivors, and things begin to take to take some frightening turns.
The story immediately grabbed me & pulled me in. The tension was done well – not too much, with a natural sort of ebb & flow. The denouement managed to be exciting but still believable.
The relationship development between Liam and Evelyn could have used a little more build up to the romance, but it was still quite good & I really enjoyed it. The ending is happily satisfying!
*Romance level: sweet kisses, nothing graphic
The Light at Wyndcliff by Sarah E. Ladd is the 3rd installment in The Cornwall Novels. Each book in the series can be read as a standalone. I thought The Light at Wyndcliff was well-written with developed characters. The main characters as well as the major secondary characters have depth. I appreciated that the author took the time to do this. There are vivid descriptions of the estate, the moorland, town, and coastline. It allowed me to visualize the scenes. Liam Twethewey is a strong, male character. He was eager to take over the Wyndcliff Estate and make changes that would benefit the estate as well as the tenants. He may have made some unpopular decisions, but Liam knew they were the right ones to make. Evelyn Bray grew up in a discordant household with her mother unhappy and at odds with her grandfather, Rupert Bray. The mother liked the lavish lifestyle, and she was never going to be content until she got it back. I found myself yelling at Evelyn to stand up for herself and make her own decisions. It was interesting to learn about the china clay pits and how they extracted the clay from the ground. I also found it fascinating to learn about the shipwrecks and the laws regarding the recovery of cargo. I could tell the author did her research for this story. I was shocked at how people would rush to grab the goods without concern for the crew floundering in the water. I like how the story wrapped up and the epilogue that provided a complete ending. The Cornwall Novels was a wonderful series with a great conclusion. The Light at Wyndcliff is a unique Regency tale with the rocky Cornish coastline, suspicious shipwrecks, the clay pit project, shocking secrets, a gallant gentleman, a guarded grandfather, and the striking steward’s granddaughter.
This was a captivating read with a number of interesting characters. Oh my! what had Liam got himself into when he becomes master of Wyndcliffe Hall. So much happened in his first week. There was his surly steward, Rupert Bray, ( a man who still liked to think he was in charge ), a shipwreck and all that entailed, survivors to care for and the excise men to talk to. As he got to know Evelyn Bray, so he became attracted to her. Evelyn was also attracted to Liam but her loyalties to her family tore her in two ways. Evelyn was grateful to her grandfather for his care but she began to resent being told what to do and being treated as a child. This just had me engrossed from beginning to end. I enjoyed this author’s style of writing and I will look for more in this series. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This book is very well-written, with so much depth to it. You can feel the tension as Liam is trying to figure out what is really happening on his property and who he can trust. Liam was very endearing and I really liked him. I thought Evelyn was well-developed, with her strained relationship with her mother and her conflicting feelings about her grandfather. At the same time, I found her to be a bit bland and liked her more toward the end of the book when she started to stand up for herself more. This isn’t your typical Regency, with balls and such, and I appreciated the originality. I will say that it was a bit hard for me to get through, but I think that’s due to the heaviness in the real world right now; at another time, I think I would adore this book. So, if you need something lighter to read, set this one aside for now–but come back to it when you can because it’s definitely worth reading.
4 stars.
I read an ARC provided by the publisher via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
With excellent historical detail and compelling characters, The Light at Wyndcliff is not to be missed! Sarah E. Ladd weaves an entrancing story of love, danger, and intrigue, perfect for fans of Masterpiece’s Poldark. 3.5/5 stars
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
“Things are only as complicated as you let them be.”
–Liam Twethewey
Once again writing with her elegant Regency style, Sarah Ladd takes us back to the coast of Cornwall. Meet Liam Twethewey, twenty-two years old now and eager to make his mark on his new world, the recently inherited estate of Wyndcliff which sits along the rugged Cornish coast. Liam is a straightforward, handsome young man eager to get to work and put his plans for his rather run down estate into action. The first complexity he must learn to deal with is his steward, the rather elderly and difficult Rupert Bray, who is quite uninterested in having anyone tell him what to do.
Bray’s beautiful young granddaughter, Evelyn, lives just across the courtyard in Wyndcliff Cottage. Abandoned by her mother two years previously, the lovely and compassionate Evelyn wanders around the estate not quite fitting in anywhere, neither servant nor mistress. Evelyn, however, finds a task to keep her days busy after a horrific shipwreck on the rocks brings ashore a young girl and her mother suffering from injuries.
As Liam investigates the uncanny number of shipwrecks along his shores, he quickly finds that life along the quiet shores of Cornwall is not quite what it seems. Who can he trust? Is his steward working for him or against him? Life becomes increasingly complicated for Liam as he struggles to settle in to his estate and life at Wyndcliff.
I loved the intrigue the drama, and the light romance in this story. Once again the author draws on the issues of the times to fully develop the story; poverty, difficulties of the working man, societal class, and the difficulties of being a young woman of marriageable age without prospects. This story drew me quickly into its pages and I couldn’t wait to finish it. Great read for those who love Regency fiction or historical fiction during this time period!
This ARC copy was received from Thomas Nelson and Netgalley.com. The above thoughts and opinions are wholly my own.
The Light at Wyndcliff by Sarah E. Ladd is a Christian regency romance.
At twenty-two, when Liam is finally able to inherit the Wyndcliff estate, he arrives to find the steward’s beautiful granddaughter living there and discovers that shipwrecks can bring more than cargo ashore.
The Light at Wyndcliff was an engaging regency romance set in Corwall, Great Britain. I loved the characters and enjoyed watching them overcome personal struggles, grow, face some danger, and fall in love. It was a great follow-up to the previous books in the series as well since it featured familiar characters and further delved into the mysteries of shipwrecks and illegal free trade.
It was interesting to me to learn more about shipwrecks and what happens to cargo and people that crash ashore. Two important characters in the story are a little girl and her mother who barely survive a shipwreck and are slow to recover memories of what happened previously.
I recommend this book to those who enjoy clean regency romance with a touch of danger.
I received a complementary copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
I have thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Ladd’s Cornwall series. The Light at Wyndcliff will sweep readers away to the wind-swept cliffs of the Cornish coast. The setting plays a significant role, providing an atmospheric backdrop for the shipwrecks and smuggling that haunt the coast of Wyndcliff Hall. Ladd pens a sweet romance that slowly blossoms amidst the mystery and secrets that have had a grip on Wyndcliff Hall. Can the new lord of the manor uncover the truth and provide a legacy for the tenants and villagers of Wyndcliff and Pevlyn? While this is the third in the series, it can easily be read and enjoyed as a standalone.Fans of Poldark will be swept away by this story of miners, shipwrecks and smugglers.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers through Net Galley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Sarah Ladd has given us a riveting conclusion to her Cornwall series in A Light at Wyndcliff, I read this book with-out having experienced the previous 2 in the series, but in no way did that take away from my enjoyment. It only increased my desire to backtrack and grab on to the rest of the series!
This book was exceptional. As I watched the hero and heroine – Liam and Evelyn – struggle to uncover the mystery of the shipwrecks along the Pevlyn coast and come to grips with deceit and greed amongst the community, I was swept away by the constant action and suspense. This, combined with a tender love story, fully took my imagination. With attention to detail, vivid descriptions, and a depth of character, Ladd made sure this book would resound with her readers.
Lovers of the Regency period will want to delve into this series. A Light at Wyndcliff is a beautiful story not to be missed.
I received this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
‘How long would she have to endure this battle warring within her?’
Sarah E. Ladd purely knows her way around a good Regency. This time she takes us back to the coasts of Cornwall where the new owner of Wyndcliff encounters much suspicious activity. Be prepared to be carried along as Ladd sweeps us across the dark beaches and wild seas as we try to discover the truth in this perfectly wonderful Regency.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers through Net Galley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I enjoyed this third in the Cornwall series (as I did the previous two).
Evelyn is a young woman caught between a mother who has all but deserted her and a gruff, controlling grandfather, the steward of Wyndcliff Hall. When Liam, the new heir takes ownership he must deal with smugglers and possible villainous villagers while also trying to start a new business venture. The two become friends and each other’s only trusted ally as they try to untangle a decade-old criminal conspiracy.
Ladd is a good go-to writer when you want a sweet, “clean” story with a little romance and a little bit of mystery.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #ThomasNelson for providing me the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.
Wow! This book is just incredible! It is full of adventure, intrigue, mystery, romance, suspense, and heart. Whenever I picked up “The Light at Wyndcliff” I was whisked back in time to Regency Era Cornwall, and could not put this book down!
This is the first book I have read in Sarah E. Ladd’s “The Cornwall Novels” series, and I can’t wait to go back and read the first two. I hope there will be many more in the future as well! Her writing is incredibly descriptive, visceral, and I could really hear the waves crashing on the beach. She truly knows how to bring the past to life, and each and every scene and moment is so well-thought out to progress the plot. Her characters all feel like such real people, and their fears, desires, and secrets are brilliantly written.
Evelyn is such a sweet, caring, and strong woman. When her circumstances change as a young girl, she is thrust into a very different life than she has ever known. However, she does not allow it to change her, and she remains as kind-hearted as ever.
Liam is also strong, tender, and good-natured. When he becomes owner of Wyndcliff Estate, he finds out that there is possibly some illegal smuggling and wrecking going on on his lands, and must decide what to do.
(Possible Spoilers!)
I found myself rooting for Evelyn and Liam from the very beginning. They are both such incredible people who want to do the right thing, even if, at times, it is hard to do so. They bring out the best in one another, and their romance is just so sweet. Their compassion for others in need is beautiful to read, and they always try to help when and where they can. Also, I absolutely love Mrs. Williams and Mary. I hope we see many of the characters from this book in future novels!
If you enjoy historical romance and / or historical fiction novels, I highly recommend this book. I read it into the early hours of the morning to see what would happen. I was gripped from the first page to the last, and was kept guessing what was really going on until the very end. Some people and things are not who or what they seem, and (no spoilers!), my mouth dropped quite a few times.
Also, how stunning is this cover? It is just gorgeous!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson-Fiction for the ARC of this novel, I just loved it. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
This was such a good book! The characters and story was interesting. It was action packed with a touch of romance.
I really enjoyed it and definitely recommend all this author’s books!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy
I have not read the other books in this series, but I was able to delve into this story and not feel lost. Liam Twethewey has inherited Wyndcliff Hall in Pevlyn, Cornwall, and he plans to make the estate profitable by following his great uncle’s plan and develop the china clay pits. What he doesn’t expect is to run into a sinister plot revolving around shipwrecks in his cove. He also didn’t expect to meet blonde beauty Evelyn Bray, the granddaughter of the current stewart. Evelyn experiences an undeniable attraction when she meets Liam, but never expects her grandfather to oppose the match.
This story had all the elements for a suspenseful and exciting story. While the plot involving the shipwrecks and the rescue of a young woman and her daughter kept my interest, the budding romance between Liam and Evelyn fell flat for me. There was not enough interactions or dialogue between them to convey their growing feelings for each other. While I enjoy a slow build up of romance, this story had virtually none before the final chapters. The book would easily have been 4 stars if the romance between Liam and Evelyn had been more compelling.
I voluntarily read the advanced reader copy and all opinions are my own.