Intrigue, mystery, and even a bit of action, Havencross is not your typical romance novel. Elaine is a woman who has been uprooted from her home and sucked into the mystery surrounding her brother's disappearance. Gareth dealing with the smuggling ring that has him busy, finds his love for Elaine has not waned in the last years he saw her. Both are headed for a dangerous curve of lies and secrets.
For those who need more than just romance for their stories, this is a great one to read. I enjoyed the mystery as well as the danger than kept you on the edge of your seat. Nicely done!!

Oooh this book is exciting and will keep you reading to the last page. Elaine had faced many hardships in her life. Can she over come them? Will she end up with the man who has never stopped loving her? Such a great regency!

his was another title which I used an audible credit on because I forgot/neglected to download it from Netgalley.

It was a decent short Regency set in Devon. Unlike some other such titles, there was quite a strong 'sense of place' in this one, with the landscape providing an essential element to a lot of the story.
The American audio-book narrator really struggled with the Cornish accents though, bless her.

There was romance, mystery, smuggling, and some interesting nods to the Arthurian Legends based in Tintagel and some of the surrounding regions. For those unfamiliar, Tintagel was the birthplace of Arthur, according to legend and Merlin is supposed to have lived in a cave on the cliffs below.
This could be dismissed as myth, since the castle dates from the 13th century, but recent archeological expeditions have uncovered evidence of a settlement there before the castle, possibly dating from as early as the 5th century. So you never know.

Moving on, the story was jarred by a few Americanisms and some inconsistencies: especially involving the 'scandal' which brought Elaine's family back to their Cornish estate. In the glossary at the end, there was the assumption that Brits/Cornish people call blackberries 'brambles'. Nope, we call them blackberries. Brambles are the prickly thorny shrubs that they grow on.
At times, it was a little hard to connect to the characters, and they were a little simplistically 'black and white': the perfect guy who everyone loved except the hero is bad, for example.

Overall though, it was an enjoyable once I got onto the story, despite some darker content, and a reliance on danger involving the smuggling ring to move the story along. So some parts might have been a bit predictable, but it was still interesting.
I would call this more of a clean read than overtly inspirational, and some readers might wish to note that it comes from a Mormon publisher rather than one of the well-known Christian ones.

Elaine has returned home to Havencross from London with her parents because of an alleged scandal involving her father. Several years earlier, she refused the proposal of her best friend Gareth, and then her brother John disappeared under suspicious circumstances. The smuggling has become worse, and several people have been killed, including Gareth's father. It's a difficult homecoming for her family, so when Elaine's suitor from London comes to propose marriage, she accepts in order to leave the past behind. Little does she know that she has put herself and her loved ones in extreme danger...
I enjoyed this book, even though parts of it were sad and difficult to read. One particular plot point made me feel ill, and I thought it was a little too specific. I also guessed the villain pretty early in the book, but there was plenty of suspense at the end. I liked learning more about smuggling in Cornwall and Tintagel Castle, and I thought the little touch of Arthurian legend added interest to the story. Overall, I enjoyed the book and recommend it to anyone who enjoys Regency romance.
I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Havencross is a pretty good read. I recommend it. 4 stars

I absolutely loved this book. It had romance, scandal, intrigue, criminals, suspense and so much more.

Elaine's family had been ruined by a scandal involving her father and a married woman. They had left London in shame and returned to their family home, Havencross. It was located in Cornwall on the moors. Elaine couldn't understand all that had happened and how quickly they had been forced to leave. In returning to Havencross, she was forced to face her brother's mysterious disappearance five years earlier and the part she had played in his disappearance. She also had to face Gareth Kemp, her once dear friend, whom she had run away from when he had proposed marriage to her. He had become a successful mine owner during her absence but had still never married.

Lord Chiverton had come to Havencross and proposed to Elaine. He had caught her eye while in London and she was surprised at his proposal after her family's ruin but she was sure that their love would grow and this would be a very advantageous match. As it got closer to the time of their marriage, there were things that happened that began to occur that called in to question the integrity and honor of some of the people in her community. Smuggling was alive and well and several people in her small community had been killed at the hands of the smugglers. As she began to uncover secrets, her life was in danger. Would she be able to find answers to the questions surrounding the unusual circumstances surrounding the smugglers and was it linked to the death of her brother? Would Gareth be implicated in the smuggler's ring? Would Elaine be able to find her true love in Lord Chiverton or was there someone else destined to be her one true love?

This book was a clean romance with no sex or foul language. There was plenty of suspense and romance and made for a wonderful story.

I was gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Romance, clean,
This was by far the best book of Julie Daines I have read. Not perfect, but it was very engaging, intense, and still had the magic of the two main characters falling all over again for each other and finding the truth of the past. Elaine and Gareth's past and the mystery with regard to the smugglers and her brother's death, the long held secret made for an engaging and lovely read.
Interesting premise, and a lovely fall.

This was a great clean read. The characters were believable and relatable. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a light, enjoyable read. If you enjoy Poldark but wish it were cleaner, this would be a good read for you.

Elaine has fled from London with her family, who is still reeling from the death of her brother years before. Now new scandal follows them. Without much hope to find a proper match now, Elaine returns home desperate to leave but sure she’s trapped with old memories and guilt.

Smuggling is still going strong at home. Her childhood friend Garrett recently suffered a very personal loss. He and Elaine cross paths but events keep them from rekindling what might have been. When lives continue to be in danger Gareth vows to find the head of the smuggling ring. will they survive to find the leader?

Loved this story! The characters were wonderful and realistic. While the basic storyline seemed a little predictable, there were enough little surprised to keep it enjoyable! Would definitely look for another book by this author.

Elaine has been carrying the weight of her brother's disappearance for years and she hopes the recent disgrace of her father will not ruin her chances of a secure future. Quickly she learns that the past can threaten the present.

This is set at a time when every level of society had ties to smuggling and keeping that work secret meant anything could happen. Elaine's entry into this environment as someone who didn't have a part to this business was believable. She was a rather difficult character to like at first, but she does progress through the story.

Gareth was even harder to enjoy, so the romance aspect of the story suffers. The mystery was rather predictable, making the suspense what I took from the story.

There was also hints of supernatural with the hinted appearance of a ghost to lead Elaine to what she needs to find.

Overall, it is an interesting novel and one I would recommend to readers who like suspense in their historical fiction.

Gareth Kemp has loved Elaine all his life. He asked her five years ago to become his wife, she refused. Since then, her family has moved to London and have returned to Cornwall following a rumor that her father was caught with another woman other than his wife. Elaine wants to leave Cornwall and the memories there, can she?

I enjoyed reading this novel very much, I look forward to reading more from this author. Great job!

This was a delightful clean romance. I loved how the main character, Elaine, made choices that led to unfavorable outcomes but was able to eventually get to the point of happiness.

Secondary characters of Aunt Rose and her husband were excellent additions.

I would recommend this novel to any who like regancy romances.

Mystery, a scandal, death, smugglers, King Arthur and true love. Havencross has everything I love in a Historical Romance. There is not a whole lot I can say about Havencross, other than I really enjoyed it. If you are looking for a quick escape, filled with excitement and a little romance, I think you will really enjoy Havencross as well. 3.5 stars

I have only read one other of Julie Daines books and have now enjoyed both that one and this one. I guess I have found a new author to follow.

Havencross was a suspenseful novel. I think it was easy to see who the bad guy was but watching the story unfold and the mysteries come to light was very entertaining. My only wish was a little more Gareth and Elaine. I would have liked a little more of their relationship and how they interact. Their relationship was already established when the story began and we only got to see a tiny fraction of their interactions and feelings. I liked both characters but felt like I was left wanting more. The story line and the setting were really what drove this story rather than the characters. Good thing I have watched a lot of Poldark so I know what Cornwall looks like.

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.

This one is excellent! I loved the historical aspect of the story, since I didn't know just how far spread the problem of smuggling was in England in the early 1800's. I also loved the characters and enjoyed getting to know Elaine and Gareth as they solve several mysteries. I highly recommend this one!
I received this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review.

Mystery, ruination, a scandal, death, smugglers, King Arthur, childhood friend, the seaside, broken hearts, true love, castle ruins, horses, secret letters, deception, peril, stolen glances, soft touches of the hand, windblown hair, mindnight walks, caves and secret rendezvous...and much, much more.

I laid down to rest yesterday afternoon because I hadn't been feeling well, and opened up this book to enjoy while resting. Let me just say I couldn't put it down until I had finished it. Thank heavens for a quiet day. I had a lot of down time due to not feeling well over the weekend that I finished 3 books! Yes, 3! >.< I must say it was absolutely fabulous to rest and read, the not feeling well part was most definitely NOT fabulous. :-P I didn't like it one bit, my body hurt and wouldn't stop aching everywhere. So what do you do when that happens? Why snuggle in bed with lots of warm comfy blankets and read your heart out. Hee Hee! It helped distract me from the pain, and my mind was very happy with me.

Elaine escaped her home to London 5 years prior due to the disappearance of her dear brother. Now, her parents and her are racing back home to Havencross, escaping disgrace and ruin caused by her father. How will she ever find someone to save her from the pain and memories of home now? There is no one who will offer for her hand in marriage now. Her life will now consist of roaming the halls of her home, never talking with her father, being her mother's sole companion and comforter, avoiding the gossips of the area, long walks on the moors, walking to the castle ruins, walking the beach, encountering memories of her childhood, memories of her brother and their best friend Gareth, and doing all she can to avoid Gareth (the neighbor she also fled from years ago). Unfortunately fate has different plans for Elaine. All expectations she had for her imprisonment at Havencross will be thwarted by fate!

A mystery and a gentle romance that will sweep you into the pages as you wander the cliffs and ruins of this seaside town. You'll be racing through the night trying to escape the peril and danger with Elaine and Gareth. Can they uncover the clues and truths fast enough to save their friends and family or will all secrets remain hidden and their lives forever altered and changed from one decision?

I always enjoy a good story with plenty of mystery, intrigue and secrets. Julie Daines does a great job as an author adding those elements into her novels. The characters are very well written as well as the relationships and interactions between all characters. I loved the beginning, the ending, but most especially, the journey I experienced while reading this novel.

Content: Clean. Moments of peril, gun and swords used, murder, smuggling, kidnapping. Nothing graphic. And a handful of stolen kisses.

I received a copy from the publisher, Covenant Communications, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

Although I had the mystery figured out WAY before the characters, I enjoyed this book. I liked the love triangle...or square, I guess. Both characters had someone chasing them-despite their attraction to each other! i liked that the mystery was an integral part of the story. A fun read I will happily suggest to others.

I love this author's writing style, so I was so excited to read her new book! And it did not disappoint. I felt transported to the setting and loved the rich historical details and descriptions of the landscape. Elaine and Gareth are easy to like, and I loved how their relationship developed as they grew close again. The danger and tension of the plot kept the pace moving steadily along and I felt like there was a good balance between the various aspects of the story. This is definitely a book I plan to read again and highly recommend!

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

Havencross by author Julie Daines.

Elaine was ruined. Forced to flee London in disgrace at the point of a General’s gun, because of rumors of infidelity with the General’s wife, Elaine’s father takes his wife and daughter home to Havencross.

It’s been five years since she had left Havencross. Five years since she had refused the offer from Gareth Kemp. While in London, she had thought she might receive an offer from Lord Chilverton, but that won’t happen now. They were disgraced. No one would be offering for her now.

But of course this is ultimately not her father’s fault. Elaine knows that this all stems from the one mistake she made years ago. The mistake that killed her beloved brother John.

It is at this point that we enter Elaine’s world. You can almost hear the clack of her mother’s nervous knitting needles and smell the imminent rain on the clouds as they passed through the village before reaching home, Havencross.

An Excellent Sample Of The Genre

I found Havencross to be an excellent sample of Regency Romance novels, compelling, and very well written. I will definitely be on the lookout for more from Julie Daines.

This review is of a complimentary copy of the book sent to me by the publishers in hopes of an honest review.