Another wonderful, clean Regency read by Sarah E. Ladd! I am so glad for authors like this, who write sweet historical reads. This is a delightful story to pick up and enjoy!

Ladd brings readers right into the story from chapter one. Her writing is simply one-of-a-kind. The Letter from Briarton Park is full of history, romance, and so much more.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

An engaging regency romance, full of mystery and intrigue.

Cassandra Hale comes to Briarton Park searching for answers about her mysterious parentage, following the clues in a letter from a Mr. Clark. Will she find the answers she seeks?

Cassandra is a likable heroine, she has a big heart and is great with children. She grew up an orphan knowing nothing of where she came from, and all she truly wants are answers to the lifelong questions she has. An engaging read, that builds to a exciting conclusion, with adorable children, friendship and romance along the way. I liked how she befriends Rachel, taking her under her wing and helping her out of a difficult situation.

Overall, a delightful, easy read for fans of regency and romance, with likable characters and a compelling plot.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Wonderful Regency mystery and sweet romance. I read and listened to this book and truly enjoyed it. The narrator did a great job.

This was my first book by Sarah E Ladd and won't be my last!

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

Publication date: 1 March 2022.

A Historical regency book yes please, It took a little to get into this one but when I did I really enjoyed it.

Due to a personal difference in beliefs (WITH THE PUBLISHER) I will not be reviewing this book outside of Netgalley nor do I plan to support Thomas Nelson in the future due to their decisions of late and the lack of fiction with good Biblical values.

This does not mean I do or do not like the book, it just means I will not be reviewing books for this publisher anymore as I do not care to support them when I do not agree with the way they have left their former standards.

Another beautiful trip into the past with a very relatable protagonist from Sarah Ladd. Orphaned Cassandra has left the school that she’s known her whole life in search of information about her family of origin. What she discovers once she gets there is dramatic, dangerous at times, unconventional, and in the end. hopeful. This clean historic fiction has lovely, gentle, romantic tones with Jane Eyre-esque intrigues, reconciliation, and a hopeful, satisfying future. I look forward to reading more from this author. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Ok Sarah E. Ladd, I see you!! This is my first book by the author and surely will not be my last!

The Letter from Briarton Park is a recency romance novel that knocked it out of the park. What a perfect story that was so very well-written, and with the most wonderful characters.

I absolutely loved coming alongside Cassandra here on her journey to discover her family’s history (parentage) having lived her whole life thus far as an orphan. She was a real, authentic character that I could get behind and her story had me invested and at the edge of my seat with the bit of mystery intertwined. Add in a widowed, handsome love interest, a lovely and rich historical setting with precise detail of the specific time period, and you have yourself a memorable story. I simply couldn’t put this one down until I had read it cover to cover! All the praise and a highly recommended stamp from me. Don’t let this book pass you by!

Many thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the gifted e-copy!

This book would easily be a favorite if it weren’t for two profanities and one expletive used. Those bad-language words were completely unnecessary and ruined an otherwise immersive reading experience for me.

Other than those three words, this story was completely charming, utterly delightful, and deliciously mysterious. I love stories like this one that pull me in and hardly ever let me catch my breath for how page-turning good they are. I especially enjoyed how the mystery was made better by the complex characters and intricate plot that held lots of sweet and spicy twists that kept me guessing throughout. It was fun to see this story include a murder mystery among it all! The charged familial drama and sweet romance were highlights I enjoyed as well.

Content: profanity, expletive, illegitimate child, marital affair (mentioned)

This book tried to do a lot in a short space of time. It was a worthy effort, and I liked it enough to appreciate the different angles of approach, but I still felt like one or two avenues could have been left alone for a more invested feeling.
The biggest advantage of the author's writing was that all the characters felt very three-dimensional. They each came with emotional hangups and responsibilities. Secrets were the currency and ran the entire story.
Our lead protagonist was an orphan brought up in a school where she later taught as an adult. With her dying breath, her guardian reveals that she not only knew her parents but withheld information that could have helped her. This is not something that can be lightly accepted by anyone. With a letter in her hand, she sets out to find out more about her past.
The story puts our leading lady in not-so-comfortable situations but also gives her glimmers of hope for her to find her way out.
This is one part of the story. The other section focuses on the romance between the widower and the current owner of Briarton Park. This was well done but strong enough to have been the focus of the book without the third aspect of murder thrown in since it also delved into the complications of relationships between everyone in the house.
Even though I am a fan of a large cast of characters in my plots, I am not a fan of too many things because I am unsure of where to focus. This is the only reason I did not rate this higher. I am not sure which group of people who read historical fiction I could recommend this to since it is part historical romance and part murder mystery.
I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

I enjoyed this book a great deal. There is a little bit of something for all readers who love the Regency era, including romance and mystery. I look forward to other books by Sarah Ladd.

A well done historical romance full of mystery and vivid imagery. Ladd's story telling flows as readers follow Cassandra Hale as she searches for the truth about her family and finds a love she never felt she would have. This kept me entertained from page one all the way through to the conclusion. I think
readers that enjoy the lighter side of romanace novels will certainly find this enjoyable, but those that enjoy the more risque will also find this a touching and enjoyable read.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the dARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.

I adore novels set in 19th century England and really enjoyed this engaging Regency era romantic suspense by Sarah E. Ladd. The opening premise hooked me right away: heroine Cassandra’s mentor, on her deathbed, shares a letter that sends Cassandra on a quest to find answers about her family heritage. Where did she come from? Why was she left at a boarding school alone with just a teacher for support? Adventure, mystery, and romance ensue! There are intriguing and sympathetic characters, a sweet romance, lots of secrets to be revealed and the perfect amount of suspense to keep me turning pages.

Book received for free through NetGalley

Read 57% of the way into this book but kept starting and stopping and ultimately forgot about it. Figured it was better to review as is. It was written well just not my cup of tea.

4.5 rounded up

All the mysteries in this book gave it a Gothic feel. For every secret Cassandra Hale discovers the answer to, it seems more questions arise. It was like she'd take one step forward, but two steps backward. I read this book pretty fast because I needed to know the answers to all of Cassandra's (and my) questions.

I can't imagine how it would feel to find out the person you thought of as a mother had lied to you the entire time they've known you. To learn that she wasn't an orphan as she'd always been told and that the woman she'd known for 19 years knew the entire time was quite the shock. I don't know what I would've done but Cassandra travels to Briarton Park in Yorkshire to find answers and gets more than she probably bargained for.

I really liked Cassandra's relationship with James' little girls and the slow-building romance with James, though I didn't much care for his mother-in-law. I loved the dual point of view as I really like knowing what both of the main characters are thinking and feeling. There were so many mysteries that didn't seem to fit together until a certain point and then everything fit together like pieces of a puzzle. I liked that this regency wasn't your typical young lady being courted during the London season. It was about a young woman who worked and a young widower trying to raise his young daughters. The characters were more relatable than members of Society at a ball, although I do enjoy reading those too. If you enjoy regency romances with some mystery, this is the book for you.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Thomas Nelson-Fiction via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Another enjoyable regency mystery from Sarah E. Ladd. Perfect for fans of clean romance and historical fiction.

The Letter from Briarton Park was an enjoyable read. The characters were so likeable with the exception of the mother in law. The plot was very predictable. But it was fun to see how the characters would figure everything out. It was a sweet tale which kept me reading until the end. I can always trust this author to provide

(Note: I received a complimentary copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.)

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

What a sweet book! Cassandra goes looking for her family and discovers secrets, mysteries and romance. Very enjoyable read.

Cassandra Hale just wanted to find out where she came from instead she stumbled into a whole mess of trouble...When the woman who was the closest thing to family she had presents her with a letter on her deathbed Cassandra’s neatly ordered life as a teacher is thrown into chaos. Feeling betrayed by this woman who kept the truth and a letter from her she sets out to find her truth. Except the man who wrote the letter years ago is dead and the truth is a difficult and dangerous thing. She meets James Warrington the man who currently lives at the address the letter came from. James is a windowed businessman trying to balance life with his two daughters, teenage sister and mother-in-law after his wife’s death. The last thing he needs is drama from a strange pretty teacher who showed up at his door. Cassandra has to sort through truth and lies and figure out who she can trust when it turns out that she has an inheritance. One that somebody doesn’t want her to have. Her search for the truth gets rather deadly.

It was a good story some parts were fairly predictable though not in a bad way. I was suspicious of certain people long before Cassandra was. I liked Cassandra and James and everybody. The end was a bit sickly sweet but that is how things like this tend to be. Another good story by the author can’t wait for the next.

When I read my first regency book years ago it was by Sarah Ladd, I was attracted by the beautiful cover of it and I haven't stopped reading them.
The Letter from Briarton Park is very intriguing, I simply could not stop reading it.
Elements of swoon worthy romance,mystery and romance combine to make this a do not pass up historical.
Letters today are not nearly as popular as they once were but an all important letter is life changing in this story.
A letter leads Cassandra on a trip to make a lot of self discoveries about herself and her family once she arrives at her destination.
The author does regency right, making for such an exciting read with clear descriptions of the time period from fashion and the division of social classes to the brilliant decor and landscapes.
Intrigue,danger,mystery and the depths of romance will keep you captivated within the pages of this book.

Pub Date 01 Mar 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.