Although the characters were engaging it had a very contrived and unsubstantiated ending.

This book cover was very attractive and lured me into selecting it to read. It’s like an art piece with the story about the art within its pages. However, alot of times the story of adventure is not quite what you expect to find within the pages.

Annabelle Thorley is in the care of her brother and he is determined to marry her off to a rich, much older man. Afraid that she is going to be stuck in a marriage not of her choosing, she runs off with her maid Crosley, hoping for a new beginning in the home of her mother’s brother.

At her uncle’s home, she finds that her uncle has allowed her to stay, but with the understanding that she must work for her uncle at the school in Fellsworth. In turn, her maid takes a position with the took and together they share a room with two others.

There is drama when poachers are using young boys from the school and they are caught up in a situation out of their control. There is also the story of Owen Locke, who’s wife was murdered many years ago and his daughter attends the school, to whom Annabelle teaches painting. And of course, there is the developing love story.

I have read another story of Sarah E. Ladd called “Dawn at Emberwilde” and had absolutely loved it, yet on the same token, her book the “Heiress at Winterwood” I came away from it disappointed. In which category was this book? Sadly for me it was not a positive experience. I found myself struggling to read it and never really enjoying any of the characters.

There was definitely a lot of adventure in the pages, but not a lot of development. It had so much potential, and yet in so many areas just fell flat. I completely understand the weaving of the situations in and out and how they came about, but I felt that they could have been woven together more tightly and maybe some story lines left out and focused on the main story line. Instead, I found myself wanting to know more, to really get to know Annabelle, to like her a little more than I did.

Despite my not really enjoying this particular book, I do look forward to reading other books by her and hoping that it was merely a fluke my disconnect with the story.

I did receive this book from the publisher Thomas Nelson via Netgalley. The review is my own and I was not required to leave a positive review.

A Stranger at Fellsworth might be classified as a Regency suspense book, but what it really does is explore the emotions that accompany betrayal. Betrayal by a spouse, a friend, or a family member. Once again, Sarah E. Ladd has crafted a book filled with rich locations, intriguing situations, and characters who struggle to understand their relationship with God in the midst of life's storms.

When Annabelle's brother pressures her brother to marry a man that she cannot abide, Annabelle is trapped in her London society life. With the assistance of the widowed gamekeeper Owen Locke, Annabelle runs to her uncle's house where she becomes a teacher. Annabelle and Owen grown in affection for each other as they discover a deep-rooted poaching plot.

Annabelle and Owen have had a lot of difficulties in their lives. They work hard to make the best choices that they possibly can. Annabelle's physical, spiritual, and emotional journeys were entirely believable. She wasn't looking for love, but she found it anyway. I especially enjoyed this story.