The Wayward Son. My fellow readers. I love love this story and how it started out. Major Robert Benson certainly was blessed with his blended family that stretched from Ashmead on Afon to London. How the story is written was definitely fitting for a true reader to kick back and enjoy.
You will find that there are a number of characters within the story. What I did to keep track of them is that I kept a journal of whose and who they’re related to. The romance the shines between Rob and Lucy is an unforgettable one. Anytime you meet your soulmate with a musket is a relationship that will last forever. I truly am impressed by the plot and how it comes to the conclusion with Rob thrown into the mix of it.
The interesting entertainment comes on the heals of little Miss Lucy. She fans the flames of Rob’s physical emotions as well as his mental. I love the come home feeling of the story. This is such great writing. I give this book two snaps and a twist.
Until next time my fellow readers. Read on!
#carolinewarfield #goodreads #bookbub #dragonbladepublishing #booktok #netgally #TheWaywardSon

This book wasn't for me. I didn't like the whole backstory. The H and h had little chemistry together. It just didn't keep me interested.

Clean, well-written and engaging romance. The story had lots of plot twists and keeps you engaged until the end. Looking forward to the next stories in the series.

Lucy Whitaker has been taking care of Willowbrook knowing it would never be hers but she guards if the loss heir. Sir Robert Benson left Ashmead the day he found out that he was the earl's bastard and not the father he though was his but as his sister's request he come back Can they work together and find a way to both be owners of willowbrook this was a great bood’

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

When Sir Robert Benson uncovered the truth about his parentage, and the fact that the girl he was in love with was in fact his half sister, he fled his home in Ashmead, and never returned. But now knighted for his service in the military, he is informed that his birth father, the late Earl of Clarion, has passed, and left him Willowbrook, one of the family estates neighbouring Ashmead. When he arrives, wishing to sell it quickly, and left without being noticed, he meets Lucy Whitaker. Lucy is the sister in law of the current Earl, and custodian of Willowbrook. She's made the estate her home, and she loves it wholly and completely. She's wished that the long lost heir never returned, especially when the chemistry between her and Rob becomes too much. But soon, it's clear that someone wants both Rob and Lucy gone, and they're willing to do anything for that, even orchestrate a bridge collapse, and attempt murder. Will the people of Ashmead, and Rob and Lucy, be able to overcome it all?

I'll admit I requested this on NG as a bit of an impulse request, but I was pleasantly surprised by it. I loved Lucy, and though it took me a while to warm to Rob, soon I wanted them to be together, happy, and for the whole town to be healed from the rifts of the past. There's so much history here in the storyline, and it was slowly revealed, again and again, which really helped the reader to connect with the plot. I also liked that it was wholly a romance, that there was a mystery interwoven in the plot, which kept readers on their toes. I guessed a few of the mysteries early, though that didn't detract from enjoying the discoveries the characters made, or the conclusion to the story. I'm really glad that I have a copy of book 2, The Defiant Daughter, ready to read, because Brynn and Maddy's chemistry was immense in book 1.

Romance, Suspense, and Secrets

Rob finds himself inheriting land he does not want, and it comes with an enigma of a woman. He cannot throw her out on her ear, nor does he wish to do so. He finds himself rapidly falling in love with the vexing woman, a feat he resists with all his being. He wants to sell the land, but someone is causing mayhem. People are getting hurt, and Rob finds himself unable simply to walk away from the land with which he was saddled. There are family secrets, mysteries to solve, danger that stalks Rob and his loved ones, and love that cannot be denied. I enjoyed the story and would recommend it to those who like historical romance with suspense and secrets.

Lucy Whitaker was a strong willed woman and Sir Robert Benson was a proud man and the two were about to butt heads! Would they become adversaries or join forces against unknown foes?

I liked the book because it had sidebars of unknowns thrown in and it kept the flow of the book moving.
I loved the characters and I loved the description of the areas because it truly sounded like a real place.
I felt the author tied the storyline together and the mystery was just enough to want me to keep turning the pages.

I would recommend this book.

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

A wonderful birthday read.

Sir Robert Benson, has made the best of his lot, an illegitimate son of a wastrel earl, he has worked his way through the ranks as a soldier, and been knighted for his bravery, and is busty making a name for himself by working for the intelligence and security arm of the government.

His memories of Ashmead and home are bitter ones, his happy childhood as the son of the local innkeeper and his wife soured by the revelation that he was the half brother to his playmate and first love Margery, and his childhood foe the current Earl, David.

Dragged back to Ashmead to have a look at his inheritance, Willowbrook, he resents every minute he spends there, burning up with injustice that his stepfather never told him he was sired by the Earl. The previous earl changed his will to distribute cash bequests and unentailed properties to many connections, in order to sour his legitimate heir's legacy, by giving him the title and entailed properties without the money to run them.

So misunderstandings, hard feelings, mysteries and anger abound. When he rides up to Willowbrook, he is greeted by Lucy Whitaker, complete with musket. The Earl's sister in law, Lucy has been settled at Willowbrook by the Earl, (which is a relief so she can avoid the poisonous dowager), and she has taken on the responsibility of stewarding the estate. She has had to chase off lots of false heirs trying to claim the house, and she is dreading the real heir, as he will take her home from her.

When Rob meets her is intrigued and impressed by the way she stands up to him. As they try and unravel the damage and accidents that start to happen, and Rob gets to know Lucy, and reconnect himself with his family at the inn, Rob slowly and surely begins to rediscover his ties to Ashmead, and to fall in love with Lucy.

This was very refreshing, as it is set in a village, not the ballrooms of the ton. The village and its inhabitants were very well drawn, I suspect that we will see the stories of Lord David the widowed Earl, and maybe his sister, paired with Captain Morgan?

This was such a well written book. Rob is not perfect, eaten up with bitterness, and unable to talk things through. he is also very blinkered, and determined that his life is not at Ashmead, his slow unbending and maturing was a delight to read. Lucy as well, although admirable, was a real person, who makes mistakes and can make silly decisions, to salve her pride.

The mystery was interesting, the side characters well drawn and delightful, and the slow burn romance between Lucy and Rob, very satisfying.

I loved it.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader copy of this book and all opinions are my own.

This first book in The Ashmead Heirs series introduces a few of the family members involved in the complex web that is the family of Lucy Whitaker. This delightful read allows you into lives, not ballrooms, for a refreshing break, as Lucy meets the new heir and owner of the place she calls home. Major Sir Robert Benson has been called home to receive his inheritance, which is a tangled mess of property and people, and requires much work to straighten out. As he and Lucy cross paths and swords, their chemistry sparks, and it’s clear they must end up together but the way there looks impossible. This was a quick, enjoyable read and I look forward to the next in the series!

This was such an enjoyable read and a great start to a new series. Sir Robert Benson fled Ashmead because of the deception of the man he called his father. When he returns many years later we learn that there are secrets and mysteries still to be revealed.
I enjoyed the village of Ashmead, and there were many interesting characters.
I can't wait to read the next book in the Series. I highly recommend this story!

Wow--this story had so many rich pockets of life. Lucy is our heroine--independent and running an estate that is not hers. But... she knows one day the owner will show up and she'll most likely be out. She's done such a good job that we are rooting for her! Rob--we just love him. Poor thing finds out he's the unclaimed offspring of some rich guy and has been lied to all his life. As a hot-blooded male, he storms off to fight abroad never to return. Until his half-sis summons him home. Guess what? He has inherited Lucy's "home" against his will. I was deeply moved to see these 2 find love in each other. Wonderful and heart-warming!

This story is so well written! The characters develop to the point that they touch your heart. Rob is a man who feels he doesn't belong. Lucy has made a life for herself but it looks like it will be taken from her. The story is about family, so touch in its honesty. I hope you love it as much as I did!

Sir Robert Benson left Ashmead behind when he realised that his life, as he had known it, was a lie. When his half-sister pleads for him to return, he finds that he has landed an inheritance. Yet, his feelings for Willowbrook and the locals of Ashmead begin to change as he spends time there, and in particular, Lucy Whitaker. Lucy Whitaker’s life is Willowbrook and yet when Robert arrives, she cannot deny him his property but wishes he could love it as she does.
A sweet romance between Sir Robert and Lucy, that builds slowly but is one born out of respect and friendship. I found their relationship, quite enjoyable to read, and their interactions with each other and their family, an interesting read. This book was more than just a romance, as it has a hint of suspense with several secrets being gradually revealed about Robert’s family, throughout.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Wayward Son’ and look forward to reading more in this series. I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I was drawn into this drama from the opening chapter and it held my attention to the conclusion. Sir Robert Benson has proved himself repeatedly on the battlefield and has the respect of his peers. However, his training did not prepare him for the unexpected sight of a lady holding a musket and threatening him on what he discovers is his own property. Rob is related in one way or another to most of the main characters in this novel, but it gives him very little joy. As siblings are brought together to stand against a common enemy, they discover that they have more in common than they would have thought. Lucy Whitaker is an independent woman, who took up the mantle of estate steward, making Willowbrook Estate profitable. Discovering that he has been bequeathed the property, hardly fills Rob with joy, but rather leaves him with problems to solve and people to be protected. When it becomes clear that the estate is being sabotaged, all Rob's military training kicks into gear as he seeks out the perpetrators and their motives. The romance that develops between Lucy and Rob is fairly low-key, although they do finally get their happy ending. I enjoyed this well-written novel, a copy of which I received and as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

The Wayward Son introduces a new series, The Ashmead Heirs. The series will revolve round the children, legitimate and illegitimate, of the former Earl of Clarion. This first story is an entertaining and enjoyable look at the village of Ashmead and the interesting people who live there. I love the interaction between Rob and Lucy. There are secrets and mysteries, and together with members of the Benson and Caulfield families, they will work to solve them. An HEA? Yes, and a hint of good things to come. A great beginning to what promises to be a captivating series.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

This was fine. I have no big complaints or things I found terrible about this book. It was fine. And I think that is my biggest problem, there was no real excitement or stakes and the two main characters were fairly solid but just not very interesting. I wasn't invested in their arcs or their relationship at all and I hate to admit that I was bored for the vast majority of the book.

It was well written and had some lovely descriptive language, it just wasn't for me at all.

Thanks to Netgalley for an Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Wayward Son is a wholesome, dual perspective romance between a dashing war hero and a fiercely independent heroine. It's dramatic. It's human. It's romantic. If you are looking to branch into the romance genre, this book is a great choice.

My favorite part are the personalities of the main characters. Lucy is a bada** heroine - she's a lovely balance between taking care of herself and pursuing love. Rob is an undercover sweetheart - he tires, unsuccessfully, to distant himself from his roots. Both participate in gender bending behavior, which is something I love in a regency romance. Considering their gender expectations, it's refreshing to find a male partner that allows the heroine to be truly herself.

This is the first installment in a series, and I am interested to see where Warfield takes the rest of the books. She's left plenty of space to develop other characters and fill in holes in the story.

The Midlands, 1817

He had arrived. She knew the true heir would eventually show up but still....there was no hope for it. He'd come to claim her home.

She had lived at Willowbrook and with the old Earl of Clarion passing away, it seemed the new heir may never show up. So she took control of the estate and managed as the stewart. Many imposters tried to take over, but her future was uncertain.

He had fled the village of Ashmead when he found out his father was the Earl of Clarion, and not the man who had raised him. But with pleas from his family, he came back and learned he had inherited an estate, Willowbrook.

Oh yes, see how this is going? As always, Caroline has created a new world around this village and the characters that truly seem to step out of the pages! Mystery, secrets, strange happenings, deception and an enlightening journey to love, kept me captivated until the end!

I cannot wait to see what happens in the next story and can only say, it will be hard to top this one!

I didn’t know this author, but I must say that I enjoyed this book very, very much. I usually prefer steamy books and this is quite clean (just kissing and behind-the- door sex), but it’s so well-written that I didn’t miss the love scenes so much. Rob and Lucy are very interesting characters and Caroline has done a wonderful job in describing the inner torment of a man that has discovered the truth about his birth and is struggling to cope with it. And Lucy is a strong woman who’s making her own way in the world and doesn’t want to be treated like the poor relative. If you enjoy a good love story with a bit of mystery and a plot twist at the end, read this book. I recommend it even if you read only steamy (like me!). And I look forward to the stories of the side characters, who are really intriguing and captivating (especially the earl!)
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Wayward Son by Carolyn Warfield was an all-encompassing love story and so much more. Sir Major Robert Benson was the head of security for foreign ambassadors based in London. His sister, Emma, had enticed him back to the home of his youth in Ashmead by mention of a catastrophe with which she needed his help. In 1817, Ashmead was about as far from London as one could get, both geographically and culturally. Rob had fled his home there when he was 14 and discovered not only that his father was no his father, but that the girl he liked was his half-sister. He swore he would never return. Now, here he was. It turns out his birth father, lecherous old reprobate that he was, has left him property in is will and now it needed to be dealt with. Why, then, was he met at the front door with a woman aiming a musket at him? Lucy Whitaker did not suffer fools, and she was sick of driving away an increasing number of men claiming to he the heir and rightful owner of her estate. She knew he would arrive eventually, but why all these others?

Lucy is a fabulous character: a strong and independent woman when it was less than popular to be one. She had run Willowbrook for years, and made it profitable. She had taken care of all the necessary repairs and upkeep, learned about farming, nurtured her bees, and more. No one was going to take it from her. Then, he arrived. A man with more problems that one could imagine: first and foremost, Willowbrook. He didn't want it. He didn't want to visit, much less live there. He was strong and handsome, but carry a huge chip on his shoulder. Then things escalated beyond a new "heir" every few weeks. The end of the stable caved in, the bee's hives were destroyed, the bridge was scuttled, and a man was dead. This was a well thought-out storyline, with ins and outs at every turn. Everything that could go wrong, did, but many things went well, too. Criminals abound, and in many guises, just as gentlemen come in various disguises. It was a heart-wrenching story, full of misdirection, hate, greed, and deception. It was a fabulous story, one that bears a reread. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of the Wayward Son by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #thewaywardson