When a mysterious man becomes the tenant of Chesdyne Manor, Diana Chalfont is both relieved and delighted. Though the estate is owned by a cousin, the income will help support herself and her family. She goes to London with a friend, frequently encounters Mr. Christopher Richmond, and finds herself being pursued by the very cousin who inherited the title and estate at her father’s death.

I’ve begun to think of this author as a definite favorite of mine, ranking with Georgette Heyer. In this novel, we have Diana, who is a lively, practical young woman, who has seen her family’s fortune decline steadily. She knows her own mind and heart and does not encourage men’s attention just to make a good match.

The plot moves at a good pace. There is a secondary plot, a growing romance that is sweet and pleasant to read along with Diana’s story. It is easy to see through the twists of the plot, but it does not detrimental to the story.

I would recommend this to readers who enjoy classic stories.

Excellent book with a great storyline. Characters that are so well written. I would highly recommend this book to anyone!

There's classic and then there's Alice Chetwynd Ley, whose detailed prose, complicated plots and lovely bits of Regency make her books a refreshing change from overheated romances and angsty heroes and heroines. In this book, we meet Diana Chalfont, who has to use her good sense to keep her mother and herself floating above eater after her ne'er do well father dies. Diana decides to let Chesdene Manor, the home her father's heir allows the two women to live in (not out of the goodness of his heart but because he hates the country). Enter the mysterious tenant, one Kit Richmond, and a sudden trip to London for Diana with her close friend and neighbor. The story unfolds beautifully from there, with plenty of twists and turns. We aren't too surprised at the twists, but, oh, do we enjoy the journey. For lovers of classic Regencies, Alice Chetwyn Ley is a joy. (I received a copy on NetGalley, but this is my honest opinion.)

A clean read. and an interesting story.

I tend to like a bit more passion but its good that these books are being republished for a modern audience as I think many people will enjoy reading this authors back catalog.

I'd recommend this book. It's good on descriptions the hero and heroine are engaging and there's a lovely happy ending.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book by NetGallery in exchange for my honest review

First published in 1974 and set in the Regency era, “Tenant of Chesdene Manor” is a sweet and fluffy romance.

Diana Chalfont and her mother are left penniless at the death of her father. The new heir of Chesdene Manor permits them to stay as he has no interest in moving to their country estate, so they confine themselves to a small suite of comfortable rooms. Diana, being the clever and plucky girl that she is, asks their lawyer to find a tenant for the rest of the crumbling manor house, which will provide rental income as well as prevent further decay.

A tall and handsome man comes to Chesdene Manor to see the house, but Diana quickly picks up on the fact that her lawyer didn’t arrange for this visit. Who is this strange man? How did he find out she is seeking a tenant for Chesdene?

Usually, I don’t figure out mysteries until the author gives me the solution in the “big reveal” at the end of the book, but this novel was an exception. I figured out who the new tenant was from the very beginning, and I’m not certain if the author intended to give so many clues, or if she unintentionally got too heavy with foreshadowing. Either way, it didn’t ruin the book for me, because the characters are well-drawn and the writing is good.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sapere Books for this Kindle advance review copy.

I throughly enjoyed this novel and am eagerly looking forward to reading more by the author!

The main characters are very likable and well-written. I also appreciated that the author didn't try too hard to show off her knowledge of the time period. For example, even though there were descriptions of clothing and life in London it never felt tedious or unnecessary. While the plot twists and couple pairings are fairly obvious, that in no way diminished the story for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Sapere books for providing a digital review copy.

This was a fun Regency romance that kept me reading so that I finished it within about a day.
Diana Chalfont and her mother live in one wing of a grand old house. The old house, most of which is in a state of utter neglect, is about the only thing left of their family fortunes. Fortunately, the latest heir, Sir Sidney Chalfont, says they can keep living in the house and even rent off some of it to a tenant if that will help ends meet.
But who would want to rent a broken-down, empty house? There are no takers, until one day the mysterious Christopher Richmond knocks on their door and asks to be shown the property.
The novel is split between this country estate and the social life of London. Diana is a competent young woman who is by no means sure she'll ever want to marry. She's sort of a cross between Lizzie Bennett and a very mild Emma Woodhouse. The adventures of her and her friends are fairly predictable, but I found this a pleasant, well-written excursion into Regency rom-com.

Diana's father gambled away almost all of his non-entailed possessions before he died, leaving his wife and daughter at the mercy of a distant cousin who inherits the entailed manor house. The manor is in very poor condition except for the wing in which they have been living, so the cousin allows them to stay there, and even gives them permission to get a tenant for the rest if they can. When finally a tenant appears, though, he turns out to be a rather mysterious young man with plenty of secrets - not least of which is his uncanny knowledge of Chesdene Manor. He and Diana get to know each other in town, but will anything come of it? When the owner of the manor receives a secret piece of news, the stakes are raised and Diana is the key in a game she doesn't understand...

As with other books I've read by the author, this was a fun clean Regency romance, with some mystery thrown in as well. Enjoyable and well-written, I recommend it.

Characters: an interesting mix of personalities, all felt reasonably realistic.
Storyline: quite a bit was fairly predictable, but some surprises along the way, and well enough written to keep me interested.
Content and language: clean, no issues noted.
Rating: 4.5 stars.

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.