Over twenty years after their mother left the seaside resort of Aycliffe on the English coast, Elizabeth and Francis Edwards, visit on holiday. They are invited by long-time friends of their mother, who are saddened to hear of her death. Upon arrival, the siblings soon discover that the sleepy seaside town is plagued by family drama and plots of self-preservation. Gossip, greed, deceit, and lust … deceit, and lust are the vices hidden under the sands of time. As Elizabeth and Francis unearth the truth about their mother’s life at the resort, a shocking revelation comes to the surface. In the end, lovers find the courage to embark on adventures, while others accept change and new lives.
(Historical fiction, set in 1840, with romantic and family saga elements.)
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The Seaside Affair
The Venturous Hearts Book 1
Vicki Hopkins
I have been waiting for this book for quite a while and was very happy to get the opportunity to read it before its publication. I love Vicki Hopkins’s writing because she beautifully combines romance with an edginess that make her stories more realistic and less predictable than many HF books.
The setting of the book is a small seaside town of Aycliffe and although the characters are not all from the same levels of society, they are connected by a secret that was delectable.
I couldn’t stand the suspense and cheated by reading ahead to discover the secret, but it did not diminish my enjoyment, because the plot had enough interesting events (and characters) to keep me reading until the end.
The character I loved the most was Alexander. He was a man worthy of admiration. Francis was also admirable in the selfless protection of his younger sister, Beth. I enjoyed their interactions and the frequently funny dialogue between the characters.
Although I enjoyed the book a lot, I felt that VH writing could have used a little more internal dialogue to get to know the characters better. Every bit of her writing was either relaying actions or dialogue, so I could not differentiate the characters by hearing their own unique “voice.” Many authors provide way more “thinking” than is necessary, so I appreciate the fact that VH characters can be understood from their actions.
Another thing that stuck out was the formality of speech by all the characters. Example: “Francis’s nostrils flared. ‘Take your hands off my sister’s arm, sir, or I shall respond physically,’…”
I read that there will be two more books in this series, and I will definitely be reading them because I want to know how the relationships/love life of the other young people in this first book turn out.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Slow, Not Much Happening
When I first started reading this book, I liked it, but as the book progressed, I found myself getting annoyed by several factors. I first liked the slow introduction, where we meet siblings who are just coming out of mourning and are heading off to a seaside town to visit some friends of their mothers for two weeks. Even when they first met the Wilsons, you could tell that there was something going on beneath the surface, some secret that was long buried. The problem was that the book felt like it stayed on introductory material for half the book! We met a lot of characters and got some insights into them; the book used many viewpoint characters—not only the siblings, but also the Wilsons and their daughter, some Davenports, Lord Howard, and probably a few I’m forgetting. Literally, the first half of the book felt like a set-up of all these people and their interrelationships, motivations, strengths, and weaknesses. We mostly see characters going to dinner parties and balls, having tea, and taking walks on the beach or in town—no real action of interest. I felt like the characters also acted strangely at times, not consistent with themselves, either statically or as a part of a growth Ark. For instance, the heroine was often timid to the point of having panic attacks and an inability to speak or eat, yet she was also bold and brash at times—no character consistency. There seems to be a lot of yelling for no reason. Perhaps the author just likes that verb. Some characters acted very bizarrely with no explanation of why. In this first half, I swear I didn’t know what this book was trying to be. Romance? Suspense? Romantic suspense? Historical fiction? At about a third of the way through, I actually looked at the book’s description to see if I could get a clue, but the author was not forthcoming there either. The pace did pick up a little in the second half, but not nearly enough. There really wasn’t much tension or conflict—or at least it was not dramatically displayed. A story needs those elements. I’m not quite sure why I kept reading it, to be honest. It was that slow and uninteresting most of the time. I wish I could recommend this book, but I cannot.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
Ms. Hopkins is a new to me author so I didn’t know what to expect when I picked this up. I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised. I read the description of the book and was intrigued. This story was very captivating and I found myself engaged in the story right from the beginning till the very end. Beth and her brother visit a seaside resort, Aycliffe, after coming out of mourning from losing their parents. Upon their arrival, they realize there are many secrets to discover in this tight-knit town. I enjoyed the mystery and intrigue woven throughout and the story had me guessing with every turn of the page. This was a very well-written story with wonderful characters and I enjoyed it very much. I look forward to reading more by this author.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The first book in the Venturous Hearts Series what a story I was not putting this book down until I finished reading it. Elizabeth and Francis Edwards will find out alot about their deceased Mother. I enjoyed reading this story and seeing Beth fall in love, and the protectiveness of her brother. I want to read more in this series. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Secrets, secrets, and more secrets.
This small seaside town of Aycliffe does have its mysteries. After their year of mourning Beth and Francis set out for Aycliffe to visit an old friend of their mother’s and there they are faced with some information about their mother that could change their lives. I loved the setup and the characters Beth and Alexander. Francis was a character I admired for his selfless protection of his younger sister Beth. They were all strong characters. The interactions and dialogue between the characters were grand. Oh, almost forgot cannot forget Celia she will play a big part in Francis’s life. This book is so well-written. Now where I agree with some of the reviewers that it did drag a bit at the beginning the author’s talent made up for that in spades. I was very impressed and happy to recommend this book. I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
What happened at seaside didn’t stay at seaside
I have a conflicted viewpoint about The Seaside Affair by Vicki Hopkins. I didn’t dislike it, but I was glad to get through it. I wish I could give it 3.5 stars, but it just didn’t rise to my 4-stars like level. The writing was pretty good, but my overall impression of the era was sketchy. It felt like a time period closer to 1900. The characters had individual personalities and were interesting. I liked both Beth and Alexander, but I wondered if they would ever stand up to their respective family members. The story had promise, but the lengthy descriptions and redundant thoughts made the flow drag. Thankfully the moments of tangible plot action propelled me towards the finish, which was sweet and satisfying.
Content 411: This is a very clean (no swearing or sex) read that is suitable for any age reader of romantic literature.
Disclosure: I received this book for free from BookSirens. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.