This isn't a love story but a good time in the world.
London and the countryside of Albury, England, 1906
Lydia Wooding can hardly keep up with all the inventions the new century has brought. She’s particularly fond of the petrol motor car, a luxury that fuels her longing for independence. Her older brother and guardian, Andrew, however, refuses her frequent requests to learn to drive. He’s been extra protective of Lydia after their parents were killed in a motor car accident, and he’d prefer his sister focus her attention on finding a suitable husband.
Lydia and her three best friends anticipate they’ll all get married someday, and they certainly enjoy the attention they receive from their coterie of suitors. But settling down is hardly a priority for any of them when there is so much life to experience. Inspired by the play Peter Pan, which they all saw on the London stage, and its promise of everlasting fun and adventure, the young women vow to seize the day and pursue all that life has to offer, including engaging in meaningful causes like the upcoming, and controversial, women’s suffrage march.
Spencer Hayes is a man of practicality, purpose, and innovation, but he lacks the financial backing to make his dreams a reality. When he contacts his childhood friend, Andrew Wooding, about a promising business venture, he is happy to be invited to Briarwall Estate to discuss the terms. Once there, he is surprised to find that Andrew’s shy, younger sister, Lydia, has grown into a young woman of beauty, wit, and a bit of fire. Even better, the two share a passion for motor cars.
Torn between his dream for the future and pursuing a relationship with a passionate, free-spirited woman intent on creating her own future, Spencer must figure out how to protect his head and his heart from Lydia who is determined to live life to the fullest—and change the world in the process.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

To say that historical romance is my jam is an understatement. While I do prefer Regency era novels, I’m quite thrilled to come across a Victorian from time to time. It’s interesting to me, the biggest complaint most readers have with Regency era novels is the lack of women’s rights, the strict societal expectations, and the caste system in general. For these reasons alone, I’m always at a loss as to why there aren’t more novels set in the Victorian era. In 1882, England passed the Married Women’s Property Act, giving them vastly more autonomy and civil rights, in particular, in regard to owning property, businesses, and deeming that the husband and wife were two separate legal entities. All of that to say, I was optimistic about a novel set in 1905 England but kept my expectations low. Plus, I usually trend more toward the quintessential ‘bodice ripper’, so I wasn’t overly hyped.

I was absolutely pleasantly surprised with Krista Jensen's Hearts of Briarwall, which upon further research, looks to be her first published piece. The novel kept me engaged; moreover, so much so that I finished it in an evening.

A Little Bit of Plot
Lydia Wooding has an issue. While she knows she's an adult, in fact, within months of receiving her majority, her brother still insists that she’s a brash young girl with more spirit than sense. When her brother’s friend Spencer visits Briarwall with a business proposition, he appreciates Lydia for the woman she has become yet he is still harboring a wounded heart. The chemistry between the two is undeniable and with their mutual love of the motorcar, it seems to be a fated match, however, societal expectations and a long past scandal threaten to keep them apart.

The Compliment Sandwich
The Top Bun (The Pro)
The Wendy League

We are reminded throughout this book that we are at the absolute cusp of womens suffrage. Fifteen years from the events of this book, British women will receive the vote. Women's right’s issues are dealt with very deftly and with sensitivity here. A few characters describe suffrage as nothing more than harridans not knowing their place, but these individuals are portrayed as simple and elitist.
For Lydia and her small group of friends, they’ve spent their youth and formative years as spirited women with opinions and idealistic morals. Under the guise of a book club, the Wendy League meets weekly to banter ideas about autonomy, suffrage, and women’s rights.
They were not The Wordsworth Ladies, the name she’d used to convince Andrew to allow them to hold their official meetings in this seldom-used morning room. They were The Wendy League. ..Long ago, the girls had decided that Wendy’s brush with the boy who could fly changed her forever, for the better. She must’ve sought out adventure after soaring in the skies, must’ve been fearless after facing pirates, and must have had a better understanding of boys after finding homes for the Lost Boys.

Throughout the novel, we witness each member of the Wendy League individually interacting with Lydia’s brother Andrew (at times the villain of the novel) by protecting or supporting Lydia through verbal sparring, outwitting others, and often physical means. Each member exhibits different characteristics that when combined as a group, make them almost formidable. A Victorian era Captain Planet, if you will. As most of the women are older than Lydia, and as she has no family outside of Andrew, they have taken upon themselves to be her mentors, sisters, and confidantes. “Like Wendy Darling at the nursery window, we seize the opportunity to fly.”

The Meat (The Con)

The scandal that arises which leads to the 3rd act breakup seems to come out of nowhere. I find it hard to believe that while Andrew and Spencer have been out of touch for sometime, one party, in particular, would not have been cognizant of what has transpired. Additionally, the way in which the ‘offended’ party reacts doesn’t feel on brand with how they related to the offender previously. Additionally, the preening peacock of an antagonist needed to get more recompense than they received.

The Bottom Bun (The Pro)
The Love Story

While the entire novel takes place over a week, you feel as though the hero and heroine have built a solid foundation for a relationship. Instant attraction is evident, and obviously needed to further the plot, but both parties are cautious, Spencer in particular, not wanting to jump headfirst too quickly. While this is a shorter novel, the pacing worked well to bring about a natural and realistic love story. I did mention that clean romances were not my forte, I believe you can have a scintillating book if the chemistry is evident - and it’s definitely evident.
But then his hands slowly circled her waist, and then he tightened his arms around her back, his fingers grazing her bare shoulder blades. She sighed, and he growled low, moving his lips across hers and over her neck, then back to her mouth. Tingles raced through her body…they exchanged kiss after kiss until she became dizzy with the power of it.
Y’all, that’s way more action than Elizabeth got from Darcy before he put a ring on it, that’s for sure.
We don’t really have a grand gesture in this novel, but I interpret that as neither party is actually in the wrong for the 3rd act break up. The party that forces the breakup, has their own moment of penitence, and it’s absolutely lovely.

I would absolutely recommend this book and I’m excited to read about each member of the Wendy League as we move forward. Honestly, I’m really interested to see who captures the affection of Andrew, the Grecian God.

3.5 stars
I am not a big fan of this book. It started out very slowly and didn't keep my interest, but it did pick up about 1/3-1/2 way through. The characters were hard to rally behind and the writing was a bit choppy in places. I had high expectations because I've loved other books written by this author, but this one didn't do it for me.

Hello! When I read Hearts of Briarwall, I thought 'Downton Abbey' all the way. This book combines romance and modern-age development in such a wonderful way. As technology and the world has evolved, so have Lydia and Spencer; so have the Wendy girls; and so has the romance between Lydia and Spencer grown and matured. It is always an uncertainty when faced with change, but we soon learn to embrace it in all its forms. That is what we see in Hearts of Briarwall. The carriage was de rigeur, but enter the automobile...and enter an entirely new world... literally and figuratively. I loved this book and cannot wait to read it again! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC! :)

This entertaining historical romance is a great escape to another time and place.
Many thanks to Shadow Mountain Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I haven't read many Edwardian books. I think when I've hit turn of the century, it's usually taking place in America, so this was a fresh setting for me. I loved the time of progress. This book focused heavily on industrial progress in the form of automobiles, and social progress with the suffragist movement.

Lydia and her friends were readers, suffragists, and a little bold even for their time period. It led to some interesting challenges to one another, lots of amusing conversations, and a tight knit group. It seems like this book set up the world nicely to continue a series with Lydia's friends from the Wendy League. I'm really hoping that's the case.

I loved Lydia and her quest to be herself, and to fly. She and Spencer had great chemistry, and a relationship that built steadily. I loved all of the adventures they had. I also loved the depth and complexity of the relationships in this book. Lydia's brother was a dunderhead at times, but still had her interests at heart. I want to see the woman who knocks some sense into him.

Content: clean (some kissing, no language, no violence, talk of an automobile crash)

I loved the characters in this story! A good cast of side characters makes this story so fun and enjoyable. Our main characters are great, too. Lydia is spunky and kind, and Spencer is determined and encouraging. I hope there will be more books with this characters, because I feel like each of them had their own stories to tell. Lydia and Spencer’s interest in motorcars is a bit of a departure for typical historical romances, and it made for a great storyline.

Hearts of Briarwall was such a fun read. I love the turn of the century Era with all the excitement of new inventions. Lydia and Spencer are perfectly charactered and win love Andrews character and how he is a typical older brother who wants to protect and do what’s best for his sister. Well done!

Hearts of Briarwall by Krista Jensen hooked me from the very first page! Being able to learn about Lydia’s character from interacting with her sweet friends was refreshing.

You know it’s a good one when you’re not only invested in the male and female lead… but the brother…the friends… and the friends brothers! I want them all to find happiness one day!

Jensen wrote such amazing characters! I related so much with Lydia and Spencer. They were perfect! They were open yet guarded their hearts but ultimately fell so hard for each other. I am all here for falling for the brothers friend trope!

Hearts of Briarwall has the perfect amount of longing that won’t leave you disappointed with the ending. I smiled so big!

It is not only filled with love/romance but family, friendship, and loyalty.

Thank you to Netgalley, Shadow Mountain Publishing, and Krista Jensen for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I was completely sucked into this story by the girls of the "Wendy League." They are soooo much fun! I really hope they each get their own story. Poor Andrew, Lydia's older brother, didn't have a chance against them when they put their mind to something. Spencer is the perfect hero for this story. I loved watching him try to maneuver his feelings for Lydia. I really enjoyed this peek into the Edwardian era. We definitely need more stories written about this time period. These characters bring it to life in a most entertaining way.

I need more books in this era!! I loved it. Definitely gave me Downton Abbey vibes.

Lydia was a great character. She’s fun and “a bit of fire”, much to her older brother Andrew’s annoyance. Under his care, Lydia longs for independence, to be treated like an adult and to learn to drive a motorcar! I love how Lydia knows what she wants and goes for it. She is definitely an “ask for forgiveness instead of permission” type of gal! I also really enjoyed Lydia’s friends and their club, the “Wendy League”.

Spencer thinks he going to visit his childhood friend, Andrew, and talk about a business proposition. It never crosses his mind that Andrew’s little sister might be a grown woman now. A beautiful and witty one at that!! I loved Spencer’s practical personality. It made for great interactions between him and Lydia.

Lydia and Spencer hit it off at once. The chemistry between these two is fantastic! And there’s several “bone-melting” 😉 kiss scenes.

This is one of those books that had me smiling through the entire last 2 chapters. I thought the ending was perfect!

Thank you @netgalley and Shadow Mountain for this eARC! I thoroughly enjoyed it!!

Delightful! I smiled the whole time I was ready. It's just the right amount of funny, fluffy, and different to have made this a fantastic read. I haven't been exposed to many romances within this time period and it added the perfect backdrop for this sweet romance.
Lydia lives with her stern brother, Andrew, and enjoys a life of leisure and friendship with three other women interested in the benefits of the industrial revolution including motorcars and the suffragette movement. An unexpected friendship of her brother's with a Spencer Hayes gives Lydia another chance to open up her world to more including love.
I loved Krista's Miracle Creek Christmas a couple of years ago and knew that she'd be an author to watch. Switching to historical was an unexpected twist, but just as equally bingeable.
Thank you to Shadow Mountain and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

I couldn't help myself, I smiled and laughed and giggled and swooned and sighed while reading this book. It was just delightful and made me happy. There were a few moments of angst and uncertainty but overall it was just fun!

Lydia and Spencer had a pretty instant connection when meeting again as adults. It had been many years since they'd last seen each other and even then she was still very young and had limited memories of him. The same for him, there were some memories but nothing he'd dwelt on over the years. To discover the charming young woman she'd become was a shock for him. A good shock. Lol!

I loved the adventures and moments they were able to find together to kindle a friendship between them. Her group of lady friends were just the best! Especially in their covert and not so covert attempts at helping Lydia get to know Spencer to discover if she could truly care for him more than a friend.

The time period, turn of the century, was a great setting for this book and characters. I loved the more flexibility and freedom it allowed them in propriety. The motorcar aspect was very interesting and added some great scenes into the book. And I enjoyed learning more about it and thinking about aspects of the industry that I hadn't before done.

There are so many scenes that I'm smiling over. The clock and key, the musicale, the apple tree song, the temple on her property and the rain, the bicycles, horses, friends, family, kisses, smiles, inheritances, struggles, mistakes, apologies, forgiveness, sweet romance and much more!

Lydia's friends were such a fun addition in this story. I kept hoping while I was reading the book, that her friends would each be getting their own story. There's a lot of great potential for multiple stories here! I would be one happy reader if we were to see more of them from this author. Hint. Hint. ;-)

Content: Sweet and clean.

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

Happy Reading!!!

Hearts of Briarwall was such a wonderful story. Lydia is so lovable, as is her and her friends society, ‘The Wendy League’. Lydia is a forward thinking woman at a time when women are meant to be quiet and submissive. Two things Lydia is not! She is independent thinking, adventurous and a force to be reckoned with. She sees life as it could be, not just as it is. She is the type of person I would honestly love to know and be friends with.
Spencer is Lydia’s brothers friend, and he’s come for a visit. And he’s just as easy to love as Lydia.
The dynamic between the two is so sweet! I love that Spencer never tries to make Lydia change. He accepts and even adores her way of thinking and acting, never making her feel inadequate as herself. I mean, how could we not love him for that?! How could Lydia not?!! And that’s just the question. Lydia is determined to be an independent woman, not chained to a husband who will take all of her rights away and expect her to be a demure wife. But Spencer is different and seeing their relationship grow throughout the various twists and turns of the plot was so much fun. It was a true pleasure to read.

Thankyou NetGalley and Shadow Mountain for the complimentary e-arc, in exchange for my review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Content: clean
Romance: kissing
Violence: mild
Language: none.

Set in 1906 Edwardian England on the cusp of vehicular modernization and daring women's fashion (trousers!), delightful Hearts of Briarwall is chock full of wit, whimsy, banter and clean fun. The cover drew me immediately and the writing is humorous with a nod to beloved author P. G. Wodehouse. Other literary components are incorporated such as The Wendy League comprised of four young ladies who meet weekly under the guise of a book club. And what a book club it is! It is easy to envision them giggling hysterically and doling out wisdom from their short life experience. Every young girl ought to be part of such a group.

Not only are mores and fashions changing but so are attitudes about equality. Lydia Wooding is an intelligent spirited young lady who acts first, thinks second much to the chagrin of her steady older brother Andrew. Their parents were killed in a car accident years before so Andrew is very concerned about Lydia's predilection for cars. They inherited Briarwall Estate where they live with staff. Andrew's childhood friend Spencer Hayes returns and is shocked at how the little girl he once knew has changed...but time stands still in more ways than one. Sparks begin to fly and bantering follows. Not only that but secrets begin to come out.

If you enjoy light Historical Fiction and/or Romance, this refreshingly clean read should be next on your list. Sure, liberties have been taken with the era but I am besotted with this book and look forward to more by Krista Jensen.

My sincere thank you to Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this charming escapist read. Pure joy!

Hearts of Briarwall by Krista Jensen
This book comes out in August!

Such a fun read set at the turn of the century. I have never read a book set at this time and it was so cool to read about the time when motorcars are invented and are becoming more popular.

Lydia Wooding longs to be independent and wants a say in her future. Her brother Andrew can be a little overbearing after their parents died in a motorcar accident. Spencer Hayes, Andrew's old school chum, comes for a visit to talk about his business idea. Spencer and Lydia instantly feel an attraction but can they make a future together work?

I really enjoyed the characters and can see a lot more good reads coming from this series. I really love the Wendy League and hope to see more of them!

#HeartsofBriarwall #netgalley #ShadowMountain

I received a paperback ARC from the publisher as well. I loved this addition to the proper romance series. Sometimes I get bored with them and feel as if they are all the same but lately they’ve all been different which is nice. This one meets that criteria. I love reading this time period of history when petrol cars became more popular. The mischief was fun and the writing gave way to formidable characters who you grew attached to.

"My persistent desire to never grow up is at war with my suspicion that I already have, and I'm left wondering what to fight for."

After reading Miracle Creek Christmas by the same author, I was thrilled and a little nervous to see a historical by her. My nerves were absolutely unnecessary. I loved genuinely everything about this book. The time period, the setting, the characters, the story. It is all well-researched, completely believable, refreshing, and so relatable. The friends of The Wendy League are my new favorite. Lydia and Spencer's relationship is so sweet as they learn to trust and support each other's dreams. I 100% recommend this lighthearted and delightful love story!

Thank you NetGalley and Shadow Mountain for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions here are my own.

"Spencer recalled how much he'd enjoyed the quick—and unorthodox—banter of the ladies last evening. 'I found them delightful.'
George nearly spit out his food. 'That is because there were only two of them, <i>neither</i> was your own sister, and they were not bent on emasculation you where you stood.'
'Ah. I can see how that could be . . . not delightful.'"

<i>Hearts of Briarwall</i> is a charming turn-of-the century romance that was full of heart and fun and characters I felt connected to.

Lydia Wooding is amazed by the new technology surrounding her, especially motorcars. She wants nothing more than to be a part of the developing industry, but her overbearing brother and the expectations of women in society prevent her from pursuing her dream. Spencer Hayes is surprised to find that Lydia is no longer the young lady he remembers. However, he cannot allow himself to be distracted from his goal of acquiring financial backing from Andrew and his acquaintances—a necessary step toward achieving his dreams.

From the moment I saw Lydia sitting upside down reading a book, I knew I was going to love her. Meeting her friends and getting to know each of these delightful characters was an absolute joy from beginning to end. Lydia and her friends are strong, passionate, and caring. Their fight for independence and suffrage is inspiring and has so many ties to fights we experience today.

Spencer, sweet Spencer. He is the epitome of hard work and sincerity. I wanted to give him a hug then kick his shin when he was being dumb, then give him another hug.

I went through so many emotions while experiencing this story, and I was so sad when it ended. I can only hope the author plans to write the stories of the other Wendy League members because I fell so in love with them and their personalities.

The pacing at the beginning of the novel was a little slow, and it wasn't until about a quarter of the way through that I really felt compelled to continue reading. After that point, though, I never had another moment where I was tempted to skim or put down the book.

<i>Hearts of Briarwall</i> is a deep story with realistic characters, laugh-out-loud moments, and a league of suffragettes you will want to be best friends with. I thoroughly recommend this novel to any sweet historical romance fan.

Thank you to Shadow Mountain and NetGalley for the complimentary advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was my first Krista Jensen book and I am now a diehard fan after reading "Hearts of Briarwall."

I requested this book because I was interested in the description. The moment I knew I was going to love it was after reading the first paragraph. The entire first chapter was hilarious. I can see why Krista Jensen has won a Whitney award before; she's an incredibly talented writer.

The book is about Lydia, a spunky and determined suffragette, falling for one of her brother's closest friends, Spencer. The only problem is that domineering older brothers, complicated business ventures, motorcars, and meddling neighbors are all trying to get in the way.

Overall, "Hearts of Briarwall" was the perfect mix of swoon-worthy romance mixed with reality. Each character was so well constructed, especially Lydia's close group of friends, who call themselves the Wendy League. And being set in the Edwardian period? Absolutely loved it.

Nothing but good things to say about this book, it was definitely a five star read.