This one was probably my least favorite of the seven I read. The underlying story of Meri and her children escaping her cold in-law family is good. Of course, the in-law family is over-the-top bad. One of the things that bothers me here is that, since Meri’s four-year-old son is the heir to his father’s estate and title, she is made the custodian of all of that. That role would definitely have gone to her husband’s (evil) younger brother. Instead, Meri just takes her kids and leaves to her aunt and uncle’s home far away. And the in-laws never seem to follow-up or communicate with her or demand that she return in any way until the climax of the story. And her son is never referred to by anyone by his title.
As Meri is traveling to her aunt and uncle’s home, we’re told that she never felt especially close to any of her cousins. Later, we hear multiple times that she loves them all as sisters.

And oh my goodness, this book has more sobbing than all the other ones combined. That woman sobs multiple times a day.

In the end, when Meri marries again, it is a full church wedding, with a veil (rare in that time period), walking up the aisle, flower girl, etc. A woman’s second marriage was not treated like a first marriage in that time period.

On the good side: I like how Stansfield takes on both physical and emotional abuse and the terrible effects both of those have.

There’s a big plot twist in this one as well, but the reason behind it is much more purposeful and believable.

Possible objectionable material:
Physical and emotional abuse, unwed pregnancy, suicide, eating disorder, perilous situations.
This book is also reviewed at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2023/08/author-focus-anita-stansfield.html
Thank you to Covenant Communications and NetGalley for providing advanced reader copies in exchange for my honest opinion.

The story of Meri, who leaves her husband's estate after his sudden death and returns home to her aunt's family, to her sanctuary, took me ages to actually finish. It was too slow for my taste, too much telling, too little showing.

I think the main reason I disliked this book was because of how much rambling there was in the first half. Meri has dealt with severe domestic abuse and has now been suddenly widowed, leaving her with an unexpected inheritance and greedy, controlling in-laws. This much is interesting--what isn't, is the pages and pages in which she thinks and thinks and remembers and rehashes. Very rarely do I find a book with this sheer number of unnecessary words, and I read vintage stuff all the time.

At 50%, though, Drama entered. Wow. Everything we know about the family gets overturned and Drama takes the stage. Drama that's not just page-noise: it's a family earthquake. <spoiler>Drama that isn't really even dealt with at the end of the book, making me wonder if there's a sequel in the works.</spoiler>

I would have enjoyed a bit more focused narrative and a bit more historical detail (as it was, I kept thinking at different times that I was anywhere from pre-Regency to mid-Victorian in time period.) I liked the splashes of suspense at the end and I loved the scenes where Meri learned to bond with her children. And that cover is exquisite!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free copy to read. A favorable review was not required.

Over the course of the last 20 years, I have had opportunity to read many books by Anita Stansfield. (I have a friend that is a huge fan of hers). Initially, I enjoyed reading her books but somewhere along the way either I or Anita have changed. I noticed a few years ago when I read a couple books of hers that it felt like everything was "just so" and characters felt very one-dimensional, so I gave her a rest. But I saw this beautiful cover and thought I would give her another chance. Unfortunately, the book did not live up to the artwork. Anita is known for tackling difficult subjects in her books, and this one is no exception. But I felt it wasn't executed in such a way to do it justice, though. Everything always seems to work out just so and things are all bad or all good etc. I don't like to give unfavorable reviews, but I can't recommend this across the board. I'm sure previous fan's of Anita Stansfield will enjoy, though. If this is your first reading of her books, don't let this totally taint you on her writing - try her earlier series, which I quite enjoyed.

**Thanks to NetGalley & Covenant Communications for a copy to read and honestly review!**

This book reminded me a lot of the stories I would sign out from our church library between the morning and the evening services and wile an afternoon with by a rain-spattered window. I don't mean to infer that as something negative or immature, rather than there is a simplicity to the tale with its straight morals and slow-burning love that has a resonance of the inspirational fiction of generations ago.

The narrative voice is lovely and the story unspools at a soft pace. While some readers find it might tip on the saccharine or melodramatic in terms of its content, I think there is something traditionally worth preserving in this use of fiction to spin moral truths.

A competent writer in the tradition of Judith Miller, Janette Oke, or Grace Livingston Hill.


With thanks to Netgalley.

Let me start out by saying I love Anita Stansfield. I started reading her books over 20 years ago and she was my go-to for a long time. About 9 years ago I discovered other LDS authors and didn't read her books as much. Now I've kind of rediscovered her.

If you cry easily you may want to have a box of tissue handy while reading this book. It does have a happy ending but it seems everyone in the book has a trial in their life to overcome.

The book opens at the funeral of Lord Sturgess. His widow, Meri (Meriweather) Sturgess puts on a good show of being the grieving widow for his family, but all she feels is relief that her emotional and abusive husband is dead. After the funeral she and her 2 young children move to Northumberland to live with her Aunt Annabel, Uncle Angus and their 5 daughters (none of whom have married) that she hasn't seen in years. Shortly after her arrival Elliott Rosewell, a childhood friend, comes to visit his Uncle Angus. It doesn't take long for Meri and Elliott's deep feelings for each other to return. He tries to help Meri heal from years of abuse at the hands of her husband but she finds it difficult to tell him everything.

A few months later Uncle Angus dies and we find out that everyone living at the house in Northumberland has a life-altering secret. Turns out Uncle Angus was a controlling man and that's why his wife and daughters shared nothing but idle chit chat, and why none of the ever married. One by one the family's secrets are shared and dealt with. Just when we think Meri and Elliott are about to get their happy ending the Sturgess family rears its ugly head (so to speak) and Meri and Elliott are thrust in to a nightmare. There's a reveal that I never saw coming, and can't say anything about without spoiling it.

I love Meri and Elliott together. He's so patient with her and the way he interacts with her children is wonderful. The chapters alternate between Meri and Elliott's point of view which I liked. I liked how the family member's secrets are told one by one and everyone is supportive of each other.

Some of my favorite quotes from the book is "Love cannot grow when it has been continually choked by so much hurt."

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Lady Meriwether's story in The Stars Above Northumberland was just okay to me. I would give it three stars.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. So much grief. This is a rather sad book, but it didn't leave me feeling sad at the end. I felt hopeful. It's one big catharsis not only for our heroine, but everyone around her, as well. Everyone has issues; everyone has struggled. This book shows us how dealing with our grief can release a burden on our souls.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Stars Above Northumberland has one of the more beautiful covers I've seen in a while. It is what initially drew me to the book. Unfortunately the positive reaction I had to the cover didn't last long into actually reading the book. The description really seemed promising but it just didn't hook me. I didn't connect to any of the characters and just didn't really care what happened to them.

Meri is recovering from a bad marriage and returns to live with her aunt and uncle with their daughters. Will she be able to overcome fears from her past and move forward?

It was a good storyline. I felt it went a little slow.

Great plot! The twists and turns were great. I love that the characters are believable & flawed. That said, I will not be recommending this book to friends. It is one thing to see a character overcome a challenge. It is entirely unnecessary for the character to rehash over and over the same sentiments. I skipped paragraphs (sometimes pages) as the characters had the same conversations repeatedly. I would have liked to read less whining about forgiveness & being broken and seen more positive outcome for the secondary characters.

If I ever was grateful I didn’t buy a book based on its cover, this was it. Probably one of the most stunning covers I’ve seen on a book from Covenant. The minute I saw this I knew I had to read it. Almost bought it. After all, we judge books by their cover.

I’ve not read anything by this author before surprisingly. She came recommended by a work colleague years ago in the bookstore and I’d always thought I’d give one a try. My TBR pile always so large that it took this stunning cover to break the cycle.

What can I say? I’ll start with the good. Often, the books written for this era are so cheery and light, despite the conflicts that are thrown in to stir up the trouble. That’s ok. I’m pretty cool with that. However, the main challenge throughout this book for Meri Sturgess, is domestic abuse. I actually believe the scenario to be very realistic. I’m glad when we get taken there as a reader and we explore the consequences of women’s rights in that era.

That’s where it ends. Here we go with everything I found issue with. The style of writing jumps so often to a small portion of dialogue, with the majority of the text being the author telling you what’s happening. There is zero room in this scenario to make any kind of emotional connection to the characters. That’s huge. If you remain aloof as a reader, the book is tedious. Second, the romance is settled at barely 20% of the way into the book. Third, Meri tells us how amazing it will be to go home to this place of safety, security - emotional as well as physical and yet it turns out to be anything but. As all these issues arise with the cousins, and everyone gets an one... as if we must cover all the bases. None of it gets tackled directly because there’s too much of it. Meri & Elliot discuss them all as ‘drama’ and I never truly understood the point of it.

Lastly there was very little attention to detail to historical facts.

Overall, there are so so many other authors that do this better. If you kind of liked the overall theme of the story and location, pick up Roseanna White’s - ‘The Lost Heiress’. Fantastic.

Thank you to Covenant & Netgalley for the complimentary eARC. This is my honest review.

I received an ARC copy from netgalley for my honest review,  so thank you netgalley and publishers for offering me this book! ♡
The cover, and description is what originally drew me to this book.
This was my first book by this author, It was okay. It was slow paced but it was alltogether an easy read. ♡ I give this book a
3.5 star rating!

When Lady Meri Sturgess's husband she feels nothing but relief that she is now free from his mental and physical abuse. Packing up she takes her children to her aunt's house Roswell Manor where she is welcomed and also renews her friendship with Elliot..... can she at last find love and happiness or are there too many secrets to stand in their way?

A good story with believable characters and a good storyline

Relief and release is what Lady Meriwether Sturgess feels upon the death of her husband . Her husband abused her mentally and physically and though the servants knew about it in this Regency time place romance no help was forthcoming. The young widow wants nothing to do with inheritance monies or keeping the house. Mourning her last child a baby she had a few months ago that she was told had been born dead she takes her two surviving children and sets off for her Aunt, Uncle and cousins home. She hasn't seen them in sometime but her Aunt says she is always welcome. Her and the children settle into life at her Aunt's manor and she renews her friendship with her 5 cousins all of whom are women. They prattle on incessantly in their uncles presence but we find out why after his death. He is a mean and uncaring man who never let the women speak freely about consequential things. Consequentially they don't know how to express themselves except with nonsensical prattle. Meri finds friendship with Elliot that blossoms into romance. Meri helps the women speak their mind and deep secrets are revealed that are cleansing to all as they get the emotional help they need. There is a reveal almost at the end that that I wasn't expecting at all! This is my first read by this author and I'll be looking for more of her books.
Pub Date 14 Mar 2018
I was given a complimentary copy of this book by Covenant Communications. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

Her husband Lord Sturgess is dead however Lady Meriwether Sturgess feels nothing but relief and release. After enduring years of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her cruel husband, Meri is drawn to the comfort of the one place sure to offer healing both for her and her children: Rosewell Manor. The home of her beloved Aunt Annibel is the site of her happiest childhood memories, and it promises the new beginning for which she longs. Just as she settles into life at the manor, Meri is granted a delightful surprise. Elliott Rosewell has come to stay, as he often has since childhood. Meri and Elliott had once been close friends, and each concealed long-harboured feelings for one another.
This wasn’t the most enjoyable read every single character had suffered some sort of angst, however the more I read the moree I needed to find out exactly what ha happened to each of the characters
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read. Meri for most of the book was a watering pot but on reflection I think this was a reaction to the years of abuse & humiliation. This is the first book I’ve read by the author & whilst it was certainly well written I don’t know if I want to be hauled over the wringers so much.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read