I can always count on a good book if Roseanna M. White writes it. The Nature of a Lady, the first in the Secrets of the Isles series, introduces us to strong female characters, a mystery, romance and a sweet faith element that will speak to many.

I was quite intrigued to discover the Isles of Scilly. I had never heard of them, and I feel like I've been on vacation with Lady Elizabeth "Libby" Sinclair. The vivid descriptions of the beach, the gardens, and even the caves make me wish I could visit this enchanting tourist spot.

I loved Libby's quest for independence, and more than once, I pictured myself in her place. Sadly, I wouldn't have had as much restraint as she did and would have told my brother to shove off and bopped him in the nose. I like reading historical fiction, but I'm so glad I wasn't born then. Unfortunately for Libby, she had to run away on a "vacation" to avoid the fiancé her brother picked out for her. And when she arrives in Scilly, it isn't too long before she stumbles upon a mystery. Or rather, the mystery comes to her and lots of danger along with it.

I loved the cast of characters in this one. Each had a powerful story to tell, and each grew to make this historical romance stay with you long after reading the last page. I highly recommend it.

The Nature of a Lady by Roseanna M. White

A young gentlewoman with a passion for botany in the early 1900’s, sets off to spend the summer in Sicily, cataloging plants and animals on the beautiful island.
Such an interesting setting and story premise. The writing and pacing however, could have been a bit neater in places.
Overall an interesting historical novel with a beautiful setting.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Bethany House and NetGalley

In The Nature of a Lady, Roseanna M. White takes a detour from her beloved World War I series settings. Instead, she welcomes readers to the Isles of Scilly off the Cornwall Coast of England.

There is a good amount of setup in this one (which can be expected for a brand-new series set in a brand-new place in a new time period) and characters (who all seemed to have at least one additional name they went by) took me a little while to get straight. But stick with it, and the pace most definitely picks up.

Mistaken identity, hidden treasure, the beauty of the Isles, and a hero and heroine who are well-developed throughout the course of the book all make up for the slower start to The Nature of a Lady, a novel which carries the theme of discovering your identity and where you belong—with God as well as with friends and family.


Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

First, let me just say I love Roseanna White’s books. Her Codebreakers series and her Shadows Over England series are both excellent and contain some of my favorite characters! These stories shouldn’t be missed!

As for The Nature of a Lady, I was immediately interested in this story and the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Oliver’s sister. Speaking of Oliver, I immediately took a liking to him and couldn’t wait for his story to develop. On the other hand, Libby was a little harder for me to connect with. I wanted her to have a little bit more of a personality, but I was interested in where this mystery was headed and their development as a couple.

Unfortunately, I felt like the story started to drag a bit about a third of the way through. It took too long for the story to be set up and it made it hard to keep my interest.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I loved Libby and Oliver. I loved the descriptions of the Isles of Scilly. This has romance and some intrigue. I always love when books bring in some ancient treasures especially with pirates. I love the twists and turns. I hope there are more books in this series. I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Lady Elizabeth Sinclair and her maid, Mabena Moon, are off to the Isles of Scilly near the coast of England to escape Elizabeth's brother, Bram, who is determined to marry her off to "stick-in-the-mud," Lord Sinclair. Elizabeth has never fit the mold of the cultured society of which her family is a part. "Libby" as she is called loves all things of nature, how they grow and function, and especially drawing them. But little does she know that her trip will lead her into mystery, suspense, and an interesting gentleman.

This book first caught my attention because of the absolutely incredible cover. It is definitely an eyecatcher. And, of course, any historical fiction by Roseanna White is a must read for me; and White definitely does not disappoint with the first book in her new series. The three main characters, Libby, Mabena, and Oliver were so well done with their varying personalities and problems; yet they worked together as a wonderful team to unearth the mystery taking place on the Isles of Scilly. I especially enjoyed that the romances took place as part of the background.

Highly recommend and can't wait for the next book in the series.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.

This book was as historically rich and wonderfully complex as every Roseanna M. White novel. (The funny thing is, almost every single time she releases a new book, I finish it and immediately want to go back and reread her other books...which I did once again this time.) She has this fantastic way of creating out-of-the-box heroes and heroines who aren't only unique, but also layered and relatable and flawed in the best of ways. I enjoyed the mystery in this one, the abundance of side characters with journeys of their own, and, of course (as always!) the romance. Another five-star read from one of my faves!

I never knew about the Scilly islands and now thanks to this book, I do! The islands sounds amazing and the author described them well. Lady Elizabeth is needing time away from her brother, who is pushing her towards marrying a friend of his, who she can’t get along with at all. Her maid Mabena suggests going to her home, the Islands of Scilly. Adventure begins when Lady Elizabeth is mistaken for another Elizabeth on the island. Oliver is searching for his sister who wanted space for a bit and is a Vicar on the islands. Mystery, treasure, pirates, danger await them. I really enjoyed reading this one and am so glad it’s the first of a series. I look forward to more adventures on the islands! I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All views stated here are my own.

The Nature of A Lady is a book that has it all! The setting, the mystery, the character development, all of it was absolutely brilliant. There are books that are difficult to put down and books that you can’t stop thinking about even when you have to walk away. This was the latter. Roseanna White is an excellent author, but this is probably my favorite of her novels and has a much more enjoyable tone than the last couple of novels she released, which were well done, but quite heavy in subject matter. This is one of those series where I really wish I could pick up the next novel and just keep reading. Write fast Roseanna…I’m waiting.

I received a free digital galley of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

It's always cause for a party in my house when Roseanna White releases a new book! I have yet to find one I didn't love, and I frequently recommend them and loan them to others. She has a unique voice for historical fiction, and I absolutely love it! One thing I particularly enjoy is the fact that she has a number of heroines who are mathematicians and scientists in the early 1900s! I think they provide such great heroines for my daughters, and I personally really enjoy reading about them.

Elizabeth in this book is a naturalist. Her love of nature was infectious, and I enjoyed getting to know her character as well as that of Oliver. But I have to admit that their story and romance was overshadowed for me by Mabena and Casek, who I found far more interesting and entertaining. I felt they rather stole the show, and I was thrilled about it!

Mamm-Wynn, another secondary character, was also delightful, and her exploits with Oliver's grandfather reminded me a bit of Jennifer Beckstrand's Huckleberry Hill characters Anna and Felty, who I absolutely adore!

I enjoyed the themes of faith and science, as well as family and forgiveness. And while I personally found the "secondary" characters and storylines in this book more fascinating and inspiring than those on the cover and in the book blurb, that didn't take away from my enjoyment of this book in any way, and I am thoroughly looking forward to the next books in this series!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

Having read Roseanna's books I was excited to start a new series with her.

This was SO different than I'm used to with her writing. I say this in a good way. It's not at all what I was expecting. I'm so used to her stories being set in a city and the parameters that come with those kinds of stories, no matter the time period. With The Nature of a Lady, it was similar, but being on a set of small islands, gave her writing such a different spin. There are also several different POVs which I thoroughly enjoyed.

First we meet Libby. She's headed to the Scillies for the summer with her lady's maid to escape her brother pushing her into a betrothal with a man she has no desire to marry. The mysteries begin almost right away. They're staying in a home that still has the previous renter's items there. Very curious.

Then we begin to meet more and more characters of the story and the islands start to come to life. Mabena Moon is Libby's maid, but she also harbors some secrets. Being on the Scillies doesn't leave much room for secrets though! I enjoyed her storyline and all that she wrestles with.

And then there's Oliver. I just love the male characters the author creates. They're always so easy to be drawn to, which makes sense when Libby feels a connection to him. The way Oliver connects with people seems to be handed down from his grandma Mamm-wynn. She is absolutely one of my favorite characters in this story!! I want to be a granny like her!

The storyline was rather intriguing. I love a good pirate tale and this one did not disappoint. There's certainly mystery and intrigue that surround the pirate story of this book. Oliver's sister, Beth, is missing and no one is sure what's going on. But strange things begin to happen with Libby and being mistaken for Beth, and then the mystery begins to unfold!

There's a strong faith element in the story and the gospel message is given in a way that makes sense with the story and the characters. It doesn't feel forced, but I love how it's explained. Watching Libby try to understand how God and science can blend together is wonderful, especially with me being a fan of flora and fauna. This story, and specifically Libby's storyline, really resonated with me. You don't have to have a love of plants and wildlife to enjoy the story, but if you do, then you'll enjoy it even more!

I already can't wait for book 2!!

What a fantastically beautiful story! Roseanna M. White knocked it out of the park with The Nature of a Lady. This outstanding story has it all: a murder mystery, tons of intrigue, two sweet romances, character self-discovery and self-reflection, and an illustration of properly wrestling with God and His Truths in order to come to a better, stronger relationship with Him. This is a book that definitely had me turning pages well into the night. The Nature of a Lady is an absolute MUST-READ!

One of the things I love so much about White’s novels is how good she is at crafting characters who always manage to worm their way into my heart. I always feel deeply for White’s characters, and often find that I relate to their issues. I love White’s novels cause when I read them I don’t feel as alone as I usually do because if she can describe how I feel so adeptly through her characters I’m clearly not the only one who feels all the feels I feel on the regular. Take being the black sheep in your family for instance. Libby is her family’s black sheep. She isn’t like anyone else she knows and it hurts her that she’s different. It’s not the difference that bugs her so much as it is the constant state of being a disappointment to others and being so constantly disappointed that others won’t accept her for who she is. There’s this tiny moment in the novel where Libby says she thinks it’s time to give up. Oliver gives her a look and she tells him, “I’m not like them. And I don’t enjoy trying to be.” The “them” in this moment are two socially adept, beautiful young women who come from Libby’s upper-crust society who always know what to do and say. They always want the things Society tells them to want and they never question their families, their peers, or their social structures. This moment broke my heart. Libby’s resignation, her utter sense of defeat, her total acceptance of her black-sheep status — it all just hurt me. I was so glad that Oliver was there in that moment to set her straight cause I wanted to jump into the book, hug her, then inform her that she is perfect exactly as God made her. And that’s what hurts so much about being a black sheep — we feel like a disappointing mistake. But, honestly, that’s garbage. The black sheep of this world are unique and special. We’re no mistake, we’re just often surrounded by people who are blind to how cool and amazing we truly are. It’s a matter of finding those who can see us for who we are, who can see us as God does. And I’m thrilled Libby found her special, perfect-for-her place in life among people who genuinely love her and accept her as one of their own.

I love The Nature of a Lady. This book is amazing and I could gush non-stop about its greatness. I’ll simply end this review by saying that this story is magical and wonderful. It’s a definite MUST-READ and I highly recommend it.

I received a review copy of this novel in eBook form from the publisher, Bethany House Publishers, via NetGalley in order to review. I also received a paperback review copy of this novel from Bethany House Publishers as well. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Title: The Nature of a Lady
Author: Roseanna M White

Ch: 27

Pg: 384

Series: The Secrets of the Isles

Genre: Christian Historical fiction, Christian Historical Romance

Rating: 4.5 stars

Publisher: Behtany House



The Nature of a Lady is different from Roseanna’s previous books but I still enjoyed it. Though I have to say it did start out a little slow, but by the fourth chapter I was hooked. I loved the character of Lady Elizabeth Sinclair but then I’ve always been a sucker for heroines who aren’t exactly society’s normal and Roseanna never fells to deliver those heroines. And the hero Oliver what can I say I love slightly nerdy hero. They are the best. And enjoyed seeing a clergyman as a hero as you don’t see that that often.


But more importantly I loved the threads of friendship in the book. Of the friendships forged in unlikely places.


As with all of Roseanna’s novels the faith element it woven through the story from beginning to end. The mystery element of the story kept me on my toes and turning pages to find out what happened.


I loved the ending and I look forward to the next book in the series.

I received a complimentary copy from the publishers. I was not required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

This was very enjoyable and the setting (the Scilly Isles in 1906) was strong. The romances (there were two) were sweet and well-developed. The mystery elements started off quite intriguing, but I gradually lost interest in them, and got a little bogged down in the array of characters introduced towards the end. The 'Christian' elements were all tacked on towards the end too - for most of the novel I kept forgetting Oliver was a vicar - and his grandmother's visions, which were supposed to be from God I think, made her seem more like a psychic to me (although she was a loveable character).

Overall a good read though.

The Nature of a Lady begins a new series, The Secrets of the Isles, by Roseanna White. Set in the Isles of Scilly it tells the story of two Elizabeth's.

Lady Elizabeth just wants an escape from the expectations of home so she rents a summer cottage. What she finds instead is a missing boarder also named Elizabeth, a treasure hunt, and love.

The Nature of a Lady starts out slow as books sometimes do when they're laying the foundation for future books. What was immediately clear was that Lady Elizabeth wasn't like other women of her class and desperately needed a friend.

I like how the mystery unfolded slowly while being intertwined with the coming alive of Lady Elizabeth. Libby bloomed on the Scillies. She learned more about who she was and what was her purpose. She also learned more about God. It's interesting to note that like many of us, Libby initially had a one-dimensional view of God--a God so like us, He could be kept in a box. Under Oliver's tutelage she learned more about her Creator and how big He is.

The romance between Libby and Oliver began as a friendship and was strengthened by common interests.  Oliver saw Libby in  a way others didn't. I would have liked to see more of their relationship played out on the pages but what was portrayed shows what could become a strong marriage.

There were a number of secondary characters that were introduced in this book whose stories I'd love to hear so I look forward to the next book in the series.

The major theme in The Nature of a Lady is that God knows your name. He created us and we are His. Even when the circumstances of our lives aren't ideal, God sees us and has a plan for us.

The Nature of a Lady is a complete story but there are some issues that were not resolved in this book and will be continued in future books. I received an advanced reader's copy from the publishers through NetGalley; a positive review was not required.

Roseanna M. White’s newest release, The Nature of a Lady, has all the elements I love in a good book. Intelligent woman, science, islands, overbearing family, beloved underdog who captures the heroine’s heart, mystery, and intrigue. Libby is someone I can wholly relate to as a science minded person. There are multiple lines and quotes that reverberated with me because they approach the experience of God from someone with a mind that is more logically oriented. Oliver does an excellent job of using science to help point her towards God and uses her own reasoning and logic to help her see things. I love intelligent conversations! Beyond all this, there is the tender romance that Roseanna is known for, in addition to the mayhem and mystery created by there being two Elizabeths. I highlighted multiple lines and plan to reread many sections. I love the descriptions of the island and the way of life in the Scillies. I learned a lot about the area and customs as well. I cannot recommend this one highly enough. I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own, freely given.

The characters were fantastic! This may be my favorite book by Roseanne White. This story took me on quite the journey, secrets, mystery, pirates, treasure and murder all keep the reader in a whirl wind. There is a sweet romance that is a added bonus to the story. I loved watching Lady Elizabeth mature over the summer. God was woven so beautifully into the story and flowed nicely with the story, not overbearing but a beautiful growth. Forgiveness from hurt whether friend or foe, truth and learning to let go of the past and find that place you belong is wrapped in a story that is filled with excitement and energy leaving any reader truly captivated.
Was given a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

The Nature of a Lady is the first book in Roseanna M. White’s new series The Secrets of the Isles. Mistaken identity, pirate treasure, and budding love, this book has it all.

If you’ve followed me for long, you’ll likely already know I’m a big fan of Roseanna M. White’s work. The Nature of a Lady is another wonderful addition to her collection (or my collection of her books!) I loved this story. The spiritual truths, the science, the pirate lore, the sweet, sweet romance – it was so good!

It’s also a story I’m happy to have on my shelves because it’s one I know I will reread. The characters were endearing and made me excited for the rest of the series. None of the characters are from previous series, so if you’re new to Roseanna M. White’s stories, this is a perfect place to start. And I hope you will pick up a copy. It’s a lovely story in every way.

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC guidelines.

Love, Love, Love!!! I was totally swept away to the islands off the coast of Cornwall in The Nature of a Lady! I have loved Roseanna White's previous books but I think this may be my new favorite! I was so enchanted by Libby, Oliver and the islands. I can see how one could fall in love with this place and not only want to visit but have a peaceful, happy life there.

There is romance and intrigue, beautiful gardens and rugged men racing boats...what more could I want?! I'm quite excited that there is more to come of The Secrets of the Isles!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

I am a confirmed fan of Roseanna M. White’s novels and must read each of her latest as soon as they are released. The Nature of a Lady has just hit bookstore shelves and I encourage all readers to grab a copy soon, even if the author is unknown to you. Unless I miss my guess, she will soon be a favorite.

Like many other readers I had never heard of the Isles of Scilly off the coast of Cornwall. This book has brought them to my attention and although I will probably never be able to travel there I have already enjoyed browsing through photos of them. What a beautiful place filled with history that includes pirates, smuggling, hidden caves, and all manner of beautiful flowering gardens.

Although this story is not set during a war as so many of White’s books are, it has its share of mystery and suspense woven into a delightfully romantic tale of mistaken identity. What better hero than clergyman Oliver whose gentle touch of one’s elbow tends to make all things right with a person’s world. I like to think that it was the Holy Spirit working through him. And Libby, a pampered daughter pulling at the bit of her parents’ expectations, takes matters into her own hands and escapes for a relaxing summer in a cottage by the sea with her maid where she can sketch native plants to her heart’s content. Secrets abound and Libby finds herself right in the middle of a mystery that includes a missing young woman and even the possibility of hidden treasure.

I absolutely loved this wonderful tale filled with so many quotable passages. A story of finding one’s perfect place in the world and a message of the power of forgiveness, The Nature of a Lady is a keeper and I already want to read it again.