Unfortunately I had to DNF this one. I really struggled to get into it and struggled with the format.

A wonderful emotional book for fans of historical fiction. Set right after WWI, it's more than a love story- it's a tale of personal growth. A good read.

Good book. Good author. Loved the characters and the plot. Look forward to reading more of her work.

This is the first novel that I read by this author...hopefully not the last. Enjoyed this story from page one to the last chapter. Thank you for sharing it w/ me.

An independent woman wasnt as good as Anna's other books, but it was an enjoyable read.

Oh what a story! I could have placed my hands around Ernest Fleming's neck and squeezed hard.
What a vile horrible man. He had other vile men willing to do his dirty work for him while placing himself as a pillar of the community. Thankfully the book is more about his daughter Serena and her bid to escape from her tyrant of a father who was out to keep her money from her.
Serena had to wait until the age of thirty to legally do what she wanted. I was astonished at that and how far we have come from those bad old days when men ruled over woman. Women are also allowed to vote but only if they are over thirty. I wonder who made up that magical age?

Marcus is the hero,a lovely man who has been damaged by war. I feared for both him and Serena's lives at times throughout the book as Ernest tried to get the better of them.
I couldn't put this book down. It was one of those books that you want to reach the end but you don't want it to end either.
I think this is the first book I've read by Anna Jacobs but I will be reading more of them in the future.

This is a good old fashioned historical drama with strong threads of power, love and friendship running through it. Some of the storyline was rather predictable and there is a major coincidence at the centre of the plot. However, this book was very readable and a true page-turner.

Thanks Netgalley. I really like Anna Jacobs and have read a few of her books and this one did not disappoint. It is set in 1918 right are the Great War and it has a bit of everything in it.

Brilliant book. Excellent main characters and plot. I would recommend this book.

I really enjoyed reading “An Independent Woman”, written by Anna Jacobs. The story is set in 1918 right after the end of the Great War in England. Ernest Fleming is a slum lord, gambler, womanizer and all around pitiful person. It begins with Serena Fleming, his daughter, caring for her dying mother. Serena knows that the end is near and before she dies, her mother reveals a secret that she has been harboring – the fact that Ernest Fleming is not Serena’s real father.

Serena has spent her life cowering under the hateful and vicious actions of her father and she is overwhelmed with gratitude that she is not descended from this madman. Serena’s brother Frank has been listed as missing in action and presumed dead and she has no reason to stay under Ernest’s thumb. She is to come into her inheritance from her aunt when she turns thirty which is in a few weeks. She plans her escape from the Fleming house carefully so that Ernest has no clue that she is planning on leaving and fighting for her inheritance.

Meanwhile, Marcus Graye has come home from the war wounded in body and spirit. The Hall
Has been his family’s home for years, but the dissolute actions of his uncle and cousins have left the manor house in more ruin than grandeur. He and his family have been conned and cheated by Ernest Fleming too and the family lawyer is attempting to find out the true condition of the estate. Marcus and Serena are thrown together by the viciousness of Ernest Fleming and they determine to outsmart him and his hooligans.

I thought that this book was a wonderful read. First of all I always enjoy books written about this time period and I especially enjoy novels about Britain and its lords and ladies. Women’s suffrage is becoming a rallying cry for women at this time and this plays a role in what transpires as the story continues. I highly recommend this book.

I received a Kindle copy of this book from NetGalley.com in return for my honest review.