*Happy Sigh*

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach when feeling out of sight." ~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

I thought that quote was very fitting for this beautiful book about love. My heart was so happy while I read this book. Hannah has finally returned to Summerhaven, in hopes of reuniting with her childhood friend Oliver whom she plans to marry. When he acts indifferent to her, she doesn't quite know what to do. Salvation comes in the form of his older brother, Damon. Pretend a courtship with Damon and Ollie won't help but be jealous and realize his mistake. But the problem is that Hannah remembers Damon very well for all his teasing. And he hasn't let the many years in between seeing him stop his teasing ways.

I smiled and giggled and swooned so much while enjoying reading this book. There are so many scenes I just want to tell you all about. But I don't want to spoil anything because you need to enjoy this one for yourself. All the little moments that build up are so well written.

Tiffany Odekirk writes charming characters with heart. They have struggles and hopes and dreams and sorrows. But they are caring and compassionate and loving. There are set backs in this sweet love story. Twists and turns, ups and downs. But true love between two hearts that care deeply for each other has a way of finding their way back together again and again.

This is definitely a book I'll be sharing with my teenage daughters and all of my reading friends!

Content: Clean.

I received a copy from the publisher, Covenant Communications, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

I do believe I've found my new favourite book. Summerhaven is such a wonderful, magical read that I can't wait to hold in my hands so I can ruin the pages with my tears. Because oh, this book made me cry enough to fill a pond.

Our story starts with Hannah, who goes to Summerhaven with the hopes of marrying her childhood friend Oliver. As fate would have it, nothing goes to plan and Hannah ends up in a pretend courtship with his older brother Damon. And-I won't tell you any more, you'll have to read for yourself. Trust me, it's worth it.

THIS BOOK. T H I S B O O K. If one could marry a book, I'd very much like to marry this one, please and thank you.

Jokes aside, I'm in awe. Every once in a while I find a book that reminds me why I love to read, and now Summerhaven has joined their ranks. I wouldn't mind 700 more pages, or a full series, it's way too good to end now.

I love everything about this, the writing, the story, the characters, the time period, the setting...it all comes together perfectly.

It was clear to me, while reading, that the author put a lot of love into this book, it absolutely shows. I don't think it would be as amazing as it is if that were not the case.

The love story in particular is a very good example. I felt it in my bones when the characters merely looked at each other, let alone interacted. THIS IS HOW YOU WRITE ENEMIES TO LOVERS PEOPLE, TAKE NOTES.

I didn't want to put this book down, but I also didn't want it to end. And now that it has I fear I will never recover. So I am, once again (not so subtly), asking for a continuation. Dear author, you don't want me to suffer, do you? Of course not. Sequel then? Yes yes.

God has given Mrs. Odekirk the gift of phenomenal storytelling and I'm ever so glad she decided to share it with us.

*Huge thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Summerhaven is kind of like Vampire Diaries (the TV show, not the books) where the main character is in love with one brother and comes to realize the other brother is a much better fit for her. And they both happen to be named Damon. Summerhaven has no vampires though.

On a more serious note, Hannah is oh so naive at the start of this story. Her mother died a couple of years ago and she never really had a proper come out. She preferred to stay with her father, and she wasn't too concerned since she all but had an understanding with her best childhood friend. The problem is that the two haven't spoken in years and they have grown up and apart. Not to mention that Oliver learns a bit more of the world and his place in it. If he is to remain in society with any standing, he must marry for money. And even though Hannah is considered a gentleman's daughter, her father has no significant dowry for her.

Hannah's mother and Oliver's were the best of friends and so Hannah cannot refuse an invitation to spend the summer at the home where her fondest memories were made. Here is her opportunity to reconnect with Oliver. Only, Damon--Oliver's older brother and once Hannah's tormentor--is there to greet her. He comes up with a plan to get Oliver to notice Hannah, but Hannah begins to notice Damon instead.

I thoroughly enjoyed Summerhaven. I read it quickly because I did not want to put it down. Hannah and Damon were such an easy couple to root for. I did find myself rolling my eyes over the major conflict, but all is well that ends well. Summerhaven gets 4 Stars. Have you read Summerhaven? What did you think? Let me know!

I loved this book so much! The only thing that would have made it better was to have Damon's POV as well, but I still loved it. Hannah is such a sweet character and a little naive. I loved her and cried for her several times throughout the story, but cheered her on as well. It is hard not to like her. I wasn't so sure about Damon in the beginning and really wanted to know what he was thinking, but I soon grew to love him as well. I loved this story and had a hard time putting it down. I kind of hope this will become a series so we can see what becomes of some of the secondary characters. So glad Mrs. Odekirk decided to branch out into historical romance, I think she nailed it.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Netgalley and this is my honest review.

Hannah Kent had been in love with Oliver Jennings since he proposed to her when they were twelve. After waiting for him for eight years, she finally gets an invitation from his mother to visit their estate. At last, Hannah will get her dream come true of marrying Ollie and spending a lifetime together. But, when she arrives at Summerhaven, things aren’t as she imagined.

Hannah’s perception of the past with Ollie and his older brother, Damon, was not really accurate. What she saw with Damon being mean and vindictive was proven to be untrue when Damon was able to explain his motives. As I learned more about him and what he does for Hannah, the more I was hoping Hannah would realize which was the better man for her. I loved the letter she receives from Damon where he shows her who he is and his feelings. I gave a happy sigh after reading it, and a “What are you waiting for? Go, Hannah, go!”

If you like Jane Austen’s stories or enemies to more, you will enjoy reading this book. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own, freely given.

I have loved Tiffany Odekirk’s contemporary romances. So when I heard she was writing a regency romance I jumped at the chance to read it. Well you say, how did she do? Amazing! I fell in love with Hannah from the beginning. She is spunky, adorable and humble. You want the world to be righted for her. So, when she is invited back to Summerhaven, where her childhood dreams began and a certain someone lives there… you are pulled into her dream world. I’m not even going to talk about her “love interest”. Because you might be surprised and you will be enamored with him, I’m sure. I thought the story was fresh and intriguing, so much so I read it in a day. Great characters, even the supporting characters were entertaining and engaging. Clean, wholesome romance at its best!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Excellent! I seriously hated when I had to put it down. I was captured from the first page and absolutely loved it! I loved that Hannah discovered the true feeling of love and was willing to fight for it. Love, respect, friendship, and forgiveness are found amongst the pages of this well written debut regency.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

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

Ever since she was young, Hannah Kent has known she would marry her neighbour and best friend, Oliver Jennings. She's been waiting to hear from him again, especially after her mother's death, so being invited for a summer house party at the Summerhaven estate, she expects he will soon make her an offer. But when she arrives, it's like he's completely forgotten about their pledge to one another, and his older brother Damon, who was always a little bit of a bully and prankster, has changed completely. As the heir to the estate, Damon wants to avoid the marriage mart as much as possible, so he makes Hannah an agreement - pretend to be madly in love with each other, to hopefully deter people from Damon, and make Oliver realise what he's missing. Soon, though, it's clear that it was a mistake, and the pretend feelings are becoming very much real. Hannah should be happy that Oliver seems to be falling for her, so why is she so focused on Damon instead?

I wasn't expecting a lot from this book - thought it would be a nice regency era romance - so was simply blown away by how hooked I was by the characters. Hannah truly believed she and best friend Oliver would marry one day, and decided that their drifting apart was mainly due to him heading to university, and the capital, but he would soon remember his pledge. So being invited back to Summerhaven, she thought it was time for them to reconnect and set a date. I really felt sorry for her when she realised that Oliver hadn't invited her, but rather his mother, and he didn't seem interested in spending much time with her either. Damon really saw her - and apparently he had been from their youth too - and so he came up with the plan, clearly doomed to fail from the start. I knew from the first description that Damon would be the love interest, and he was really right for Hannah, even if she didn't see it at first. They say the path to true love never did run smooth, and Hannah and Damon ran into difficulties from time to time, but came out right in the end. A romance that defied all expectations!

This was such a deliciously sweet read, loved, loved, loved it. And that’s from someone who isn’t really a huge reader of romances, but I think maybe Regency Romances might be my new thing.

Everyone knows I’m a lover of historical fiction so maybe that’s what hooked me in, I don’t know, but what I do know is that I absolutely fell in love with Summerhaven right from the first page.

The characters were full of life and the scene setting had me mesmerised. I felt transported to the 1800’s with it’s magical unspoilt scenery, grand homes, high-tea, gala balls and of course the romance.

Hannah lives with her recently widowed father a local pastor in London. She misses her mother terribly but clings to the fact that at least she doesn’t have to worry about her own future, she is promised in marriage to her childhood sweetheart Ollie. Hannah’s childhood is full of beautiful memories of her time at Summerhaven where she used to visit her mother’s best friend, Lady Margaret at their sprawling estate and play for hours on end with Ollie while tolerating his older brother Damon who seemed to love making her days miserable by his horrible taunts and teases.

When Hannah receives a note from Lady Margaret inviting her to come and spend some time at Summerhaven she jumps at the chance, it will also help her feel close to her mother again, and she can’t wait to see Ollie, surely an engagement is on the cards soon.

Yet when she arrives at Summerhaven, it’s not Ollie who greets her, but instead his insufferable older brother Damon, and as far as Hannah is concerned, nothing has changed.

What follows it a brilliantly, witty story that keeps you hooked the entire time. The brothers are both such vastly different characters and you can’t help but take sides, personally Damon was my absolute favourite, I would have run away with him in a heartbeat.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this beautiful book and a huge thank you to the author for introducing me to this wonderful genre that I can wait to dive into and discover more of.

Adored this Regency debut by Tiffany Odekirk! Summerhaven was incredibly hard to put down and I ended up finishing it in two days. It’s an enemies to lovers, childhood friends to lovers, fake relationship all combined into one. Set mainly on a country estate, this unique Regency offered something delightful and new to the genre. The characters, most especially Damon, really drew me in. I quickly became absorbed in the story and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

Living a rather mundane life after her mother’s death, Hannah’s thrilled when she receives an invitation to Summerhaven where she enjoyed spending time in her childhood. She’s hoping to rekindle her relationship with childhood friend Ollie and garner a marriage proposal. Unfortunately, the man there to greet her is Damon, Ollie’s older brother, whom she remembers tormented her as a child. But, two people can see the same incidents differently and as Hannah spends time with Damon, she realizes her perception of the past may be wrong.

Damon is definitely a favorite hero! He’s handsome, thoughtful and an incredible flirt. He offers Hannah a bargain, he’ll help her win Oliver by pretending to court her, and she’ll protect him from an unwanted marriage. But, there’s more to Damon than fun, witty banter. All those swoony moments where he rescues Hannah and shows his thoughtfulness towards her suggest he’s not indifferent to her. Whether it’s riding a stallion or wearing a red dress, I loved how Damon encourages Hannah to not be afraid to be herself. His attention to her needs was definitely romantic.

Told exclusively from Hannah’s perspective, I loved it when she finally recognizes the truth about both brothers. I liked how she encouraged Damon to be his best self and break away from the mold he’s being forced into. I enjoyed her intuitive insight into her own feelings and her unwillingness to go for the easy choice instead of her heart’s desire.

The side characters were charming including Amelia and Lady Margaret. Oliver for all his faults redeemed himself somewhat in the end. I can’t wait to see what happens next for him.

Ginger drops, the quadrille, the chess game, frog legs, the piano scene, skipping stones, the portrait hall, helping a tenant farmer, dancing in an empty ballroom, wiping tears away, a lock of hair, the gazebo scene, the letter, and a frantic horseback ride, these were some of my favorite moments in the story. Now, I can’t wait to go back and reread it! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review.

Alright Regency romance fans, this book is NOT to be missed! Damon Jennings is officially the new swoony hero in town and one of my favorite Regency heroes.
I had heard good things about this book before picking it up. Sometimes that's good and sometimes that can be a bad thing if it raises expectations too much. Let me tell you, THE. HYPE. IS. REAL. This book definitely lived up to the praise I'd been hearing and I highly recommend it.
Similar in vibe to Edenbrooke and Lakeshire Park, in fact I'd add similar in vibe to Otherwise Engaged to this list as well, the chemistry and just overall emotion of this book completely hooked me. Damon was THE best! Oh my gosh his flirtatiousness was like chocolate; addictive, satisfying, and yet leaving me wanting more and more, I just couldn't get enough. Everything that came out of his mouth had me melting and I was cheering from the start for him and Hannah to work out.
I also thought it was super cool the author thanks Esther Hatch for her help with the kiss. I can see that influence and trust me; it was one GOOD kiss.
This is a clean Regency romance. I have been a fan of this author's contemporary romances and I am a fan of her Regency now too. (Side note, these characters are the ancestors of her contemporary romance characters, if that isn't cool, I don't know what is. :) ) A definite must read and completely reread worthy.
I purchased a physical copy of this book after reading the ebook ARC.

Happy Saturday friends! We are only two days away from the release of this absolutely STELLAR regency romance, and I’m so excited to tell you all about it today!

This book had everything that I love about regency romance as a genre! Hannah was a great main character who I could identify with and root for throughout the story. The setting of Summerhaven was gorgeous and made me want to book a flight to the English countryside ASAP. The romance was swoony and emotional and I was wholeheartedly invested from the very beginning!

I personally have a very deep love for stories like this where the main character has to come to terms with the fact that the future she imagined for herself, and the person she imagined that future with, might not be what she actually wants after all. There were several elements of this story that felt very personal to me and I connected with Hannah in a very real way, and I loved that experience.

And oh my goodness can we talk about DAMON JENNINGS!!!! 😍 I fell in love with this man SO quickly, and I adored watching Hannah do the same! He was so swoony and caring and exactly what Hannah needed, even if it took her a while to figure that out. And the “I thought you hated me” “No I never did” vibes AHHHHH! 100% a new book boyfriend!

This was my first Tiffany Odekirk read, but I can guarantee it will not be my last! This story was so fun and beautiful and emotional, and I loved every single second of it! The ending especially was not necessarily what I was expecting, but I loved it all the same! If you’re looking for a sweet, swoony, childhood-frenemies-to-lovers story with beautiful writing and dons of heart, definitely check out Summerhaven when it comes out on February 14th!

Thank you so so much to the author and the publisher for an advanced copy of Summerhaven to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book Details
Title: Summerhaven
Author: Tiffany Odekirk
Genre: Regency Era Romance
Length: 272
Release Date: February 14, 2022
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟 (4.5/5 stars)
Content/romance: Clean but swoony

Left me at a struggle for words.
Synopsis:

1817

Hannah Kent has wallowed in noisome London with only her father, a clergyman, for company. They both have been morning the loss of her mother two years prior. When her late mothers best friend, a countess, invites her to her family estate, Summerhaven, the one she used to spend countless blissful sojourns and became attached to the second son, Oliver Jennings, it will prove to be just the thing to break her rut.

Hannah is also filled with anticipation to be reunited with Oliver. She thinks she is set because 8 years ago, when she and Oliver were but 12, he vowed to one day marry her and she took it to heart.

Quickly it dawns on her Oliver is not of the same mind. Humiliated Hannah wishes to flee, but Damon, the eldest son and heir, begs her to stay and he will pretend to court her, so as to provoke Oliver's jealously.

But Hannah has never trusted Damon, he used to always play pranks on Hannah and she dislikes him. He claims his motive for helping her is to dissuade matchmaking mammas. She is apprehensive of colluding with him, and deceiving Oliver, but she fears she has no other chance.


What Fanned my Fondness:

♡Great humorous repartee. The leads had excellent chemistry.

♡The angst is the right amount and duration, teasing but never overwhelming.

♡Loved the prose.

♡Endearing leads. Damon in particular stole my heart- he is so sarcastic, so how could he not?


The Brass Tacks:

The most daunting reviews to write are those for books I really, really enjoyed. I finished this a month ago but I have been dreading writing this review, and had many false starts trying to do it. It seems paradoxical but when I like a book, I have less to complain about and have less fun than reviewing a book that provoked my wrath. Alas, Summerhaven did not indulge me with a fault I could scrutinize, it disobliged me and charmed me soundly.

It reminds me of that Jewish joke where the patient demands to be transferred to a different hospital; the punchline is that not because the hospital has anything wanting, but because they want to be at one with something to complain about. In short, to paraphrase Miss Austen, if I loved this book less, I could speak on it more.

I loved the hero and the protagonist, their enemies to lovers and the backstory was adorable. The pacing, the prose the dialogue was all excellent. The angst was goldilocks level. Its just what you look for, the gold standard for its genre. That this is Ms Odekirk's first HR made it even more impressive, I will be on the lookout for her next offering.

I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was not what I expected, and I really enjoyed that! Admittedly, I didn’t remember what the book synopsis said, so after the first chapter I thought it would be a friends to more story, but it turned out to have an enemies to more vibe, which I was excited to find out.

Some of the last part of the book did feel more like a love triangle, and I generally don’t care for that trope. But at that point I was completely invested in the story, and the characters were well-written, which made the conflict realistic and understandable. I thought it was all handled very well!

I enjoyed reading this story, and I am looking forward to reading more books by this author!

4/5 stars

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My favorite read of January! I had it on my kindle for a couple of week before reading because I had the feeling it would be a story I adore and didn’t want it to be over.
Dreamy, romantic, I never wanted to throw my book at the wall! It was everything I hoped for and more. I read it in one day and thought about it for many. I am already looking forward to reading it again just to soak it up more.
Thanks to Covenant Communications and Netgalley for sending me a copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I was drawn to the cover and the premise of Tiffany Odekirk’s new book, Summerhaven, along with my love of stories set in Regency England. Odekirk did a wonderful job of setting the stage for the story, and the characters were well-drawn and engaging. Hannah Kent is sweet and possibly a bit naïve when she travels to Summerhaven and expects her relationships with Oliver Jennings and his brother Damon to still be as they were years ago. When she arrives, she finds nothing seems to be the same.

This is a sweet, clean historical romance that was a treat to read. I did feel that it dragged a bit in places, but, overall, it’s an entertaining tale. I’m looking forward to more books by this author.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Covenant Communications through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I love finding new-to-me authors! I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I loved the characters, especially Damon, and appreciated the honest way they all went about overcoming obstacles.

I’ve been longing for a regency that is away from the hustle and bustle of London and this hit the spot.

As a guest in the house of old family friends, Hannah goes through quite the time of swirling feelings and situations. She has her sights set on Ollie, but Damon catches her off guard. Was Damon really the teasing older brother of Ollie? Has Ollie changed?

I enjoyed all the twist and turns, setting, and in a way… the love triangle. The voice of this book was done well and drags you into the story.

A good book is a book you can’t give away too much or you’ll ruin the book right?!? That’s true with this one for sure. I definitely recommend this book and I’ll now be going to add this author’s other books to my TBR.

Thank you to Covenant and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for a review. These opinions are my own.

Posting to Instagram within the week of 2/7 and 2/14

#Summerhaven #NetGalley

I know some disagree, but I loved this book. I like that it didn't have a typical ending, but it was so much more. I really liked the character development and how each person is put under a microscope and left to really examine themselves, the good and the bad. It is not your typical boy and girl romance, but in another way, it is.

Thank you to NetGalley and Covenant Communications for an advance reader copy of this wonderful book in exchange for a fair review.

I’ve seen so many advance raves for this book, and my expectations were high. Sadly, the book did not live up to them.

Oh, it’s romantic. There are lots of pretty words, and lots of feelings. It hit the mark in those goals.

Interestingly, it’s set in the same “year without a summer” that we saw in Jane and the Year Without a Summer. My reading lately has been full of interesting parallels like that.

But the protagonist, Hannah, was so disappointing. The whole book is about her wanting to be in love/have someone be in love with her. If she’s not thinking about that, she’s missing her deceased mother. She mentions, a few times, doing charity work for her father’s church, and how much she enjoys it. And we actually see her doing something charitable once. It’s a great scene, but it’s isolated, with no real effect on Hannah. As Damon tells her in the book, she is “In love with the idea of love”. She’s spunky, and wants to ride a stallion. (She insists on it being a stallion…more on this later.) She calls herself a bluestocking because she likes to read books and the newspaper, but she shows none of the real literary or intellectual life of a true bluestocking, just some opinions on how the world should work.

There is no real antagonist in the story. There are a couple of women who might keep Hannah from the man she wants. She even mentions how cruel one of them was to her—and I went back to that interaction and saw nothing cruel at all. I suppose you could call society an antagonist, because of the demands it places on people’s lives. But that’s a stretch, too. Maybe Damon and Oliver’s father, a little?

There are some editing issues that I hope are cleared up between the ARC I read and the publication version. First, Miss Diggs is mentioned as having honey-colored curls. Then, when Hannah sees her outside the dressmaker’s shop, she is raven-haired. At the picnic, she is blonde again.

And then there’s the bit that really brings out the Picky Vicky in me. You have to understand—horses are a big thing in my family. My mother was an equestrian and a riding mistress in the UK before she emigrated to the US, and continued to teach riding into my childhood. I had a pony growing up. My children love to ride, and the youngest takes riding lessons currently. So you could say I know some things. I’m not sure the writer or editor of this book do. Hannah is so insistent on riding a stallion. A stallion, for the non-horsey out there, is a male horse that has not been castrated. They can be a handful. Clearly, Hannah wants to ride a horse that has some spirit. But the insistence that it be a stallion is just silly. Mares can be a handful too. Second, the stirrups are constantly referred to as “footholds”. Every time. I did some googling and could not find any evidence that stirrups are referred to anywhere as “footholds”. I know these things might not be as bothersome to others, but for me, they were highly annoying and I really hope they were fixed.

And can we talk about the use of "okay"? In a fantasy book, I can let it slide, since the characters probably speak some other language that we've put into English equivalents. But this book is set in England in the early 1800s. Okay didn't enter the language until 1839.

It’s not a horrible book. It’s not as great as I was led to believe. Of all the characters, I think Damon was the best—his big “revelation” to Hannah was no surprise, but I liked that aspect of his character.
The character who grew the most was definitely Oliver. I really disliked him at first, as I believe we are meant to, but he shapes up beautifully by the end.

I don’t hate this book. I give it three stars. But I don’t love it either.

Possible Objectionable Material:
As with any book published by Covenant, this is squeaky clean. We witness some poverty. Some anger. Loss of a parent. A woman breastfeeds her baby.

Who Might Like this Book:
Romance fans, especially those who like romance that doesn’t have anything past kissing onscreen. Those who like family dynamics, and books set in the regency period.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review also available at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2022/02/romantic-release-for-valentines-day.html