What a splendid beginning to The Houses of Yorkshire series! Once again, Ms. Ladd demonstrates her impressive storytelling skill with this wonderful Regency read. I was drawn into the story immediately and remained riveted through the exciting ending. The well-structured, dramatic plot twists and turns unravelling a mystery fueled by deception and greed. Wrapped inside the mystery is a sweet romance. I love Cassandra and James as individuals and as a couple. All of the characters, main and secondary, are well-developed and believable. Some you love and some you are just not sure about until the very end! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it especially for fans of historical romance. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This wasn’t what I was expecting, but I ended up enjoying it quite a bit. Set in Regency England, Cassandra receives a letter that doesn’t give a lot of answers, but sets a course for her that will change her life. Cassandra has always wanted to know where she comes from and find family, and now that she nears the truth it isn’t quite what she imagined. This has a lot more mystery than romance but that didn’t bother me. I like the small village life and the characters enough that not having the romance was ok. I was curious for Cassandra and was rooting for her. I’ve already put more of this authors work on my TBR.

Sarah Ladd's new book, The Letter from Briarton Park, is a fine historical romance and mystery. Ladd is very adept at creating an intriguing story and maintaining the suspense through careful pacing.. The two main characters are from working backgrounds and have succeeded through their own efforts. The villains in the story are mostly from privileged backgrounds, This is a nice turnaround from the usual Regency romance and a satisfying read.
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'The one thing he did know was he would never cower to the demands of an ultimatum---from anyone.'
When Sarah Ladd's first book, The Heiress of Winterwood debuted in 2013, the cover convinced me to buy it. And I loved it and was so happy to find a new author to follow. By the way, her covers have always been great.

Ladd really does a Regency well, too. I love the depth she adds to her characters and the mystery she includes only adds to the book's appeal. This one was especially intriguing. Well done! Recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers through Net Galley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I thought this was another really good book by this author. She’s quickly becoming one of my favorites.
Cassandra just wants to know about the family she never knew. A letter takes her to Briarton Park. Along the way she meets two men, both find her intriguing. There’s a bit of a mystery and some light romance in the book. I enjoyed this book so much and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

I love that Sarah Ladd always weaves a little mystery into her regency romances. To be honest though this is not my favorite of all her books. I wanted a little more romance between the main couple and I found quite of bit of the storyline fairly predictable. Still overall a enjoyable and entertaining story with well written characters. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

In 1811, Catherine Hale is searching for clues to her past after she discovers a deathbed confession and letter leading to Briarton Park, where she’ll supposedly gets answers and an inheritance. However, there’s a new master of Briarton Park since that letter was written 2 years earlier, James Warrington. When Catherine comes knocking at the door, James has no idea what this secret is, but he joins her in her quest to discover her past and any secrets. Unfortunately, there’s a number of people who are mad about this letter Catherine has, so it’s not as straightforward as they would like. And as Catherine learns who she is, she has to start to navigate some situations that she didn’t expect.

I always like my historical romances to have a bit of a mystery, and this book didn’t disappoint. It was sweet while still intriguing, with characters who were well written and has me rooting for them to find happiness. There were no great surprises in this book, and the plot was fairly predictable but it was enjoyable all the same.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

"The Letter from Briarton Park" is a romance set in 1811 in England. The main characters were engaging, and the story of a gal seeking to find her family and gaining one through her kind, courageous, honorable actions is always fun. But the historical errors were very distracting for me. Cassandra discovered she was the daughter of a maid who was raped by a rich man. Sadly, in this time period, both the maid and the child would have been looked down on. I accept that James would have been willing to marry her, but it was unbelievable that no one wondered at the socially-arrogant vicar's obvious intent to marry her.

Next, Cassandra repeatedly removed her coat and gloves and laid them on a chair rather than the servants offering to take them. Also, Cassandra was constantly smoothing her hair and clothing while men were watching. I assume it's meant to be a nervous habit, but she's also meant to have refined manners. She several times smoothed the front of her gown starting from the high waist, which would draw attention to her...assets, pull her dress tight over her body, and end by drawing attention to baby-making territory. Not very modest. No wonder the men were crazy for her, though that wasn't the reason given in the story.

There was no sex or bad language. Though somewhat predictable, it's an enjoyable story if you aren't distracted by historical accuracy problems.

Enjoyed this book set in Regency Britain. A young girls sets off to discover the mystery of a letter handed to her by her dying boss. Her story takes her to a new life, with a few twists and turns, a gentle read

I have enjoyed Sarah Ladd's books and was excited when I was given the opportunity to read this one!

Cassandra Hale never knew where she came from and had accepted that fate. She was living and teaching at the girl's school where she grew up when a deathbed confession ended up providing her with a 2-year old letter asking her to make a trip to Briarton Park to explain her heritage, She sends a letter off to Mr. Clark to let him know she is on her way and takes off, not knowing that Mr. Clark as died.

James Warrington is the new master of Briarton Park and is surprised when Cassandra knocks on his door. He has no knowledge of what her letter is sharing, but joins her in the search to find her truth. Along with the local pastor and Mr. Clark's solicitor, all the puzzle pieces start to come together. None could know the sinister events her showing up would precipitate, but Cassandra's inheritance letter makes a lot of people mad- and there are great consequences because of it.

Lots of twists and turns in this one. You never knew who to trust and Ms. Ladd did a great job at keeping you guessing. I enjoy a good, clean mystery and this fit the bill!

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Letter From Briarton Park, by Sarah E. Ladd, tells the
tale of Cassandra Hale searching for a secret from her past. Mrs. Denton, the woman who had been her benefactor since she was five years old, has been keeping a secret from her. On her deathbed, this woman tells Cassandra that she actually knows Robert Clark, the man who holds the truth of the family lost to Cassandra!

Cassandra leaves the girls school, where she had teaching for several years, to venture to northern England to track down Robert Clark. She arrives at Briarton Park only to find that Mr. Clark is no longer living. Cassandra soon meets James Warrington, the new owner of Briarton Park and a local mill. Her life is definitely about to change. You wonder if it will
be for the better or for the worse!

After Cassandra learns that she is actually the illegitimate idaughter of Mr. Clark, you will not believe all the awkward situations she finds herself embroiled in. Soon James and Cassandra begin to work together to solve this mystery. Wait until you see how the pieces of this puzzle come together in the end!

I don't read a lot of Regency romance stories, but the description caught my attention. I enjoyed the fact that there was a bit of mystery, as that helped keep my attention. I did note a few historical inaccuracies, the story was an okay read overall. I did enjoy the main character.

Not my usual choice of genre, but interesting to read a 'regency romance' which I think it is what it is... Reminds me of being 12 again and reading Georgette Heyer! It seems rather light and frothy to me but I can see why many women (and I imagine teenagers) love these escapist books. My 3 star rating is more about my tastes than the quality of this novel.

Sarah E Ladd has once again written a fabulous read in her newest upcoming release, The Letter from Briarton Park. I can not wait to read the next installment from this new series, The Houses of Yorkshire. Five stars.

This was a wonderful read. Sarah Ladd does such a great job, and this one did not disappoint!

Cassandra was raised at a school, her parentage unknown to her. As the school mistress is dying, she shares a secret with Cassandra that spurs her search for her family.

James is a widower with his hands full. Their meeting is by chance, but he is there to help her put the pieces of the puzzle together.

There is intrigue, mystery, romance, this book has it all. I love the world that Sarah Ladd creates!

Beautifully done. I loved the bit of mystery mixed in with this regency romance. The story had me entertained from page 1.

This is a great read! The backdrop is well set for the story’s timeline.
There is mystery which I enjoy. There is crime. Unfortunately, I guessed the criminal long before the reveal.
I really appreciated the character of the characters. Meaning, first impressions can be deceiving. Certain attitudes can be projected to cover up an inadequacy inside a person. Other actions and words are manipulative and damaging. Discovery of secrets can be disappointing or even informative in ways you wish now, you didn’t know.
I highly recommend this read!
“I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

I was so excited to see this is the first of a new series The House Of Yorkshire, for Sarah E. Ladd. I love her writing, this is my favorite genre and I can't get enough. She never disappoints. Cassandra Hale is a strong, passionate woman who fines herself alone in the world. James Warrington is a widower and the new owner to Briarton Park. James has two small girls, a younger sister and a mother-in-law he is dealing with along with running the Briarton estate and a mill business. You might think you have read this story before, but you would be wrong. The mystery and twist that Ms. Ladd incorporates into the plot will keep you reading way into the night. I enjoyed The Letter from Briarton Park and I can not wait for the next book to come out.
I want to thank Thomas Nelson through NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book. The opinions in the review are my own.

I enjoyed this book. It had a unique premise full of mystery and multifaceted characters that drew me in from the very beginning. I would recommend this book and this author!

On her deathbed, the woman who raised Cassandra Hale reveals a letter, written two years ago, summoning the young woman to Briarton Park, and promising wanted information about her family. Cassandra leaves for Briarton, arriving after the death of the man who wrote the letter. The new owner of Briarton, James Warrington, knows nothing and sends her away. She ends up meeting and befriending the town Vicar, who seems sweet on her, and recommends that she stay at the local girls boarding house.

Plot contrives to drive Cassandra and James together many times, until James offers her the role of governess to his two young daughters. Cassandra is also looking for why she was summoned by the former owner of the property, who her parents are, and why the lawyer has spent years looking for her about the contents of the will. And then a man is murdered and his documents stolen. And life, already changing rapidly, will never be the same.

Some plot seem rather contrived, but this is a sweet novel. James' mother-in-law is frustrating, but she wants what's best for her grandchildren, whatever that might be. If you like regency romances with strong heroines looking to better themselves, this is for you. 3.5 stars

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGallery for the eARC.