An Affair At Stonecliffe by Candace Camp and Anastasia Camp Hopcus

This was a fun read that kept my interest from page one to the end. In fact I read it in one sitting.

When Carlisle Thorne, a character I didn’t like very much tries to find out who is trying to kill Noelle’s son, brought to his attention when the father of her son passes away, the tension between them makes this a wonderful story. It's so realistic even though it's set in the 1800’s.

This is a mystery peppered with sexual tension written in a wonderful way that had me turning the pages to see what is going to happen next. I look forward to reading more works by this author as it's clear she knows romance.

Rating 4
Linda C

The battle for her son...

Noelle is widowed with a young son she needs to protect.
Carlisle is sent by her father in law to retrieve Gil, and that does NOT go well.
Noelle goes on the run for five years! Along the way, Gil is almost napped.
This keeps happening and Noelle is a runner.

Carlisle Thorne and Noelle Rutherford’s first meeting proves that first impressions can be wrong. Noelle is in France and mourning the death of her husband Adam and wondering how she is going to care for their infant son when Carlisle shows up and says he is a close friend of the Rutherford family, especially Adam’s father, the Earl of Drewsbury. Adam’s father didn’t approve of their marriage and it is clear that Carlisle doesn’t either, when he basically accuses Noelle of being a golddigger and seemingly implies he was going to pay her off and take her infant son, Gilbert back to England. Noelle bolts and is on the run for the next five years.

Carlisle realizes he botched things badly with Noelle and is determined to set things right, he hires a detective to find Noelle, and finally, after five years and several sightings, he finally pins her down. He explains that he never meant that he was going to take Gil away from her and that as the Earl’s only heir, Gil should be raised in England and learn of the estate and title. Carlisle also tells her that the Earl is dead, so Gil is now the Earl and Carlisle is his Guardian. Noelle isn’t sure what to believe, since several times over the years men have tried to abduct Gil, but she doesn’t want to rob him of his birthright and ultimately agrees to go to meet Adam’s mother. But when there is another attempt to abduct Gil, Noelle is sure that she has been duped and once again bolts. When Carlisle tracks her down, they realize that Gil is in danger, but not from Carlisle. As they work together to find out who is behind the attempts on Gil, they form a friendship that leads to deeper feelings. But examining those feelings will have to wait until they find the villain responsible for the attacks because if they don’t, any chance for their HEA will be over before it begins!

This was a well-written, fast-paced story with very likable characters. I enjoyed this story, but I was expecting more romance and instead found the romance taking a backseat to the mystery. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but there were aspects of their relationship that I felt were not addressed in lieu of the mystery, such as her relationship with Adam and how that impacted them as a couple. But as far as the mystery is concerned, it was very well done and kept me guessing until the end. So overall, this was a good read, that I would be happy to recommend and I do hope there will be more books in this series, as I would love to see Sloane and Nathan find their true loves, and I would enjoy seeing Noelle and Carlisle living their HEA.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

I adored Noelle and Carlisle's story! I loved that Noelle would do anything to keep her son safe from those that would harm him. Such a great start to Camp's new series!

I'm sorry. I can't. I didn't finish it. I almost never DNF a book. I live with OCD. I NEED conclusions. I just skipped to the last few pages. I find myself joining the group asking what the heck happened to Candace Camp? I LOVE Candace Camp. This book absolutely did not do it for me. Is this a ghost writer gone wrong situation? Is Candace just trying something new? What is happening!?

The story is impossible to get into. The characters are vapid. Their conflict does not make sense. Ugh. Such a disappointment.

Additionally, the format of the ARC was screwed up. When I couldn't finish it, I passed it to my sister to see if maybe she liked it. I thought, maybe it's just me and like, 70% of the GoodReads Reviews. She couldn't read it at all. She got like 2 pages in and got a mega migraine (dyslexia is a bitch - the font was italicized and we couldn't turn it off.) And it was shaded. Maybe it was just my copy, but it was unreadable. If the story had been worth it, I would have either powered through or reached out to Netgalley, but honestly, it just wasn't worth the effort.

An Affair at Stonecliffe was a delightful read. The characters’ innate attraction, even when they actively disliked each other, added to the anticipation of seeing these two actively misunderstanding couple finally see eye-to-eye. Noelle and Carlisle are the essential enemies to lovers couple with a common goal. I’m looking forward to other Stonecliffe stories!

This is my very first read by Candace Camp (I know, I know. It's like I've been living under a rock or something.) I'm so glad I decided to give this author a try because I really enjoyed her writing style and her attention to detail. The first half of the book I was so completely engrossed with what I was reading that I couldn't detach myself from the story long enough to make highlights and notes for the review. Not only was I laser focused and flipping through quickly, but I was able to connect to the book from page one. For those reasons, as well as my level of enjoyment, the first 50% was easily five stars. The second half of the book slowed down quite a bit for me personally because of the mystery heavily entering the forefront of the story. That's just my personal preference. I tend to get a little bored when characters are deeply entrenched in trying to solve a mystery. I find myself starting to skim through those sections to get to the action or character building scenes.

There were several things I loved about the couple's dynamic together. I liked that they came from completely different backgrounds. She was working class, and he is nobility. Although her late husband was nobility and marrying him gave her the title of "lady" she never put on airs or desired to be part of that world. Noelle is highly educated because of her scholar father and can hold her own in any intellectual conversation. She speaks multiple languages, she's well read, and well informed about art. Carlisle is equally well-educated, but unlike her, he's grossly snobbish and judgmental. There's also a degree of the forbidden love theme involved between Carlisle and Noelle because he views her as off-limits. She is his brother's widow and low-born which would cause scandal and gossip were they to get involved. Of course, in the beginning, there was no danger of a romance between them because he makes a disastrous first impression on her. Not only does he insult her character, but he thinks that he can offer her money and take her child Gil away to be raised at Stonecliffe manor. She instantly despises and fears him.

Carlisle Thorn was like a brother to her late husband but not a blood relation. He comes into the first meeting with Noelle being highly offensive, pushy, and condescending. He doesn't attempt to hide the fact that he thinks she's a social climbing, greedy, loose woman who brought ruin upon her husband. The man has zero tact, but you can't fault his honesty. You certainly know where you stand with him, that's for sure. The author did a great job creating friction and animosity between these characters that was so thick you could have cut it with a knife. It was so entertaining watching her outsmart and outmaneuver him time and again when takes her son and goes into hiding. After the smug way he treated her, I couldn't help but smirk at how she managed to keep slipping through his fingers. Noelle was a fierce mama bear when protecting her son Gil-she fought Carlisle savagely when backed into a corner. It made me absolutely adore this heroine.

It took quite a bit of effort to convince Noelle that she was safe at Stonecliffe, but eventually his sincerity and apologies broke through. He still had plenty of unfair preconceptions about her that he needed to let go of, but he was trying with everything he had to be accommodating and cordial. She began to see how protective he was of his family, and her son was no exception. Carlisle is Gil's guardian. If he wanted to, he could push her out of her son's life and take total control without any input from her. It's hard to believe there was a time when a mother was deemed inconsequential by law if a male of no relation was assigned to his care. Despite his legal power, he never once considers controlling her or taking her son away. He really redeems himself as they get to know one another. It doesn't take him long to discover how horribly he's wronged her and forced her to live a life of fear. An uncomfortable attraction begins to grow that neither is prepared for.

They had such great tension as they tried to ignore their growing feelings. Moving beyond their tenuous friendship was a bad idea for many reasons, particularly the possibility of it not working out. They would still be constantly in each other's company but things would be uncomfortable and awkward. If anyone found out, the family's reputation could be tarnished. As much as they tried to stay away from each other, it felt inevitable. These two seemed like an unlikely pair in the beginning, but by the end, they absolutely adored each other and they fit. It took overcoming misunderstandings, and having the courage to choose what their hearts needed the most over society's expectations.

The mystery of the book involved figuring out who was attempting to kidnap and harm Gil. It became quite long and involved with lots of possible suspects. Noelle and Carlisle go to visit several people looking for information. While some of it was interesting because it allowed them to have alone time away from the family to grow closer, I wish the investigation didn't take up so much page time. Not everyone feels as I do about that subjective issue. For me, it did drag the pace down somewhat.

My first Candace Camp book was a success. I'll be very happy to continue on with the series, hopefully with Annabeth's story next. If you're looking for a new HR series to follow, and you love an element of murder mystery, An Affair at Stonecliffe could be the one for you!

A young widow and her son are forced to run when her wealthy deceased husband's relatives decide she is not fit to raise her child and decide to try and take him. After years of hiding, she is found but if they think she is handing over her son without a fight, they have another thing coming.

I adore Candace Camp's romances and this enemies to lovers romance pushes all my buttons with its smart witty heroine, grumpy snobby hero, cast of delightfully lively secondary characters, slow burning romance, and meaty plotline. I'm hoping Ms. Camp will expand on this world and write a couple more romances from this story.

Candance Camp is a reliable writer of historical romance. An Affair at Stonecliffe is the story of widowed Noelle Rutherford who fearing her husband’s aristocratic family, takes her son and goes into hiding all over Europe. The characters were likable and the story line unique, but I found the premise a bit far-fetched, and it took me a little while to settle into the story. This is a good choice for fans of Candace Camp and readers of historical fiction. 3 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The lead characters were likable & even the secondary were fun. There's a crotchety old lady that you're going to love, she's a hoot. Candace Camp always comes through for me & this is no exception. There's more adventure and who done it than romance but what there is is kinda hot.

This book in a new series by Candace Camp was so wonderful to read, I ended up not being able to put it down and read the whole thing in one day. You instantly connect to the emotions of Noelle, a young widow trying to raise her infant son, cope with her grief at her husband's death, her fear of being destitute, and then in comes Carlisle Thorne, a friend of her husband's aristocratic family, wanting to buy her baby and take it away from her to her husband's family. She runs and is on the run for the next five years, avoiding attempts of kidnappers to take her son. When Noelle and Carlisle meet again her fear and his exasperation come across as if you are feeling them yourself, and the reader starts to wonder before the main characters if there is something else going on- because if Carlisle is not behind the kidnapping attempts, who is?

There are some excellent plot twists right up to the end to keep you guessing. Every secondary character is well done, and essential, and you instantly want to know more about them. I can't wait for characters like Nathan, Annabeth, and Sloane to have their own books to discover their secrets! Noelle and Carlisle shift from enemies to lovers with what felt like the right amount of timing and tension, and a delicious amount of chemistry and misunderstanding. Noelle may be one of the strongest characters I've read in awhile- she takes everything life throws at her and refuses to break under any of it.

Beautifully written, well paced, and delightful characters, this is an absolute must read for romance readers. Candace Camp fans will rejoice in the start of this new series!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

An Affair at Stonegate is an enemies to lovers story with a little mystery that begins a new series. This reader loves Candace Camp’s regency novels because she always features a strong heroine. In this book our heroine, Noelle, was married above her station according to her husband, Adam’s family. Now her husband is dead and his family wants Adam’s son. Noelle’s resourcefulness takes her on quite a journey before she recognizes Gil should know his father’s family. Turns out the family’s ward, Carlisle Thorne has been protecting Noelle and Gil during her running years, and finds he must continue to protect her after accompanying her and Gil to Stonegate, Adam’s family home. Can he also protect his heart? This is a good story that should delight period readers. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley. Highly recommend.

I totally enjoyed reading this book by one of my favorite authors. Ms. Camp has written a delightful regency and this one is fabulous. The characters were fully developed with thoughts and feelings of their own. It had me at first page and never let go. I adore Ms Camp's unique writing and it shows on every page.
Noelle Rutherford is a widow with a young son to raise and still misses her husband a lot. She will do anything for her son Gil. Even though her husband Adam was an artist, he was disowned when he married. Now that he is dead, Noelle hasn't a penny to her name and is wondering what to do. Enter Carlisle Thorne who has been sent by the Rutherford family to get their grandson and take him to his family in England. He offers Noelle money and nothing will get her to give over her baby.
When Carlisle leaves, he throws a bag of coins and says he will return the next day with more money.
Noelle gathers up her belongings along with her small son and leaves.
She uses the money and travels to start a new life and then the real adventure begins. But lives will be changed when they meet again.
I appreciate Net Galley for this title in which I gave an honest review.

I really enjoyed the set-up for this novel. Noelle is the widow of an earl’s son and also has a baby and no money because her husband’s family had cast her off. When Carlisle Thorne visits her and casts haughty aspersions on her character and offers her money for her baby, she flees into the night and spends five years dodging attempts to kidnap her son. Then suddenly, Thorne reenters her life and she decides to trust him, especially after meeting her son's grandmother and learning that her son is now the earl and Thorne is his guardian with all the legal privileges that a man has over the actual mother in 19th century England. As the romance grows between them, it turns out that someone different is threatening her son's life and Noelle and Carlisle have to team up to find a murderer.

I liked Noele as a heroine. She's poor and not upper class, but she is continually underestimated by other characters. She's smart and courageous and will do anything for her adorable son.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Historical romance legend Candace Camp dazzles with her latest Regency tale where two sworn enemies find themselves falling head over heels in love: An Affair at Stonecliffe.

As a widow, Noelle Rutherford’s entire life revolves around her young son, Gil. There is simply nothing Noelle will not do for her child and she would move mountains and fight tooth and nail for him. Noelle is determined to give Gil the world and to raise him alone which is no easy feat – especially given that her late husband had infuriated his aristocratic family by marrying her. Noelle wants to have her son by her side, but that’s a choice which might be taken out of her hands as the Rutherford family are circling around determined to lay their claim on Gil.

Carlisle Thorne had been sent by the Rutherford family to bring Gil to his rightful home and his rightful position in society. Carlisle is not given to sentiment and he is determined to restore the child back in the bosom of his family. He is sure that once he offers his mother money, then she will hand the child over without any fuss or complaint – so he is shocked to his very core when rather than surrender her son, Noelle Rutherford flees with her child!

Determined to pull out all the stops to find her, Carlisle will not rest until he sees Gil Rutherford walking up the drive of Stonecliffe, the family’s ancestral estate. However Noelle is not making it easy for him. Whenever he thinks he has located her, she pulls the rug out from her under his feet and the two engage in a cat and mouse game over the course of five years that ends up testing Carlisle like never before.

Yet, when danger strikes far too close to home, Noelle and Carlisle are left with no other choice but to put their trust in one another. Only, neither one of them had counted on a passion that simply will not be denied! Can these two enemies ever find a way to have a future together? Or are there simply far too many obstacles standing in their way?

I’ve been reading Candace Camp’s books for years and she is a writer I know I can always rely on to deliver an enthralling and enjoyable historical romance full of mystery, intrigue, passion and emotion – and An Affair at Stonecliffe is the latest in a long line of terrific tales that held me in thrall from start to finish.

An Affair at Stonecliffe is captivating historical romance that explores a mother’s love for her child, forbidden desire and falling in love at the most inconvenient moment that cannot fail to enchant readers everywhere.

A master storyteller at the height of her powers, Candace Camp gets it right yet again with her latest novel, An Affair at Stonecliffe.

Thank you to the publisher, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of An Affair at Stonecliffe in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Gist
Did somebody say historical fiction? Yes, please. Although I had some reservations, because An Affair at Stonecliffe is considered a romance novel, I was cautiously optimistic.

Now, I’m sitting at my desk with a slight headache starting between my eyes, wondering how much tea I can drink before I get the jitters. I have said it before, it looks like I’m not cut out for the romance genre. We just don’t mesh.

I nitpick. I ask too many questions. My analytical mind takes over and then it’s all downhill from there.

The Details
The protagonist. Is she rational? Does she understand what her situation is like? Does she know what she has to do? Probably. But we get so caught up in her thought process of making decisions that it’s hard to say for sure.

Every action, every decision, it seems needs at least five pages to describe her feelings, her thoughts etc. I swear, at one point I was almost shouting at the book for her to finally do something. The thing that is most obvious and she ended up doing, but we had to read how her mind came to the conclusion to act this way in very painstaking detail.

Why, oh why, is this book so longwinded?

It could have been so much better, if somebody had just cut out half of the telling part.

It’s never a good idea to tell rather than show in a story. Do not waste too much time going into mind-numbing details about how the character should run, or stay, or speak up. And do not repeat the same phrases over and over again to explain the character’s feelings/nerves.
Tell me once the character’s nerves are “jumping”. I get it. Let’s move the story along.

And what was the deal with the male character? He reminded me a little of a bad interpretation of Mr. Darcy, always sour, in a bad mood and grumbling.

I never got the dark, brooding type as sexy trope. It’s not sexy having a sourpuss to deal with.

Anyway, I’m on a roll and I should stop.

The Verdict
Overall, I must stay away from romance novels. We are not good for each other. I’m sorry, but this is another pass for me.

An Affair at Stonecliffe combines one of my favorite romance tropes - enemies to lovers - with tension and excitement as Noelle gives Carlisle a run for his money. To be honest, regency romance can be a hit or miss for me, and a lot of it depends on the characters, which I liked, and the author's ability to transport me to the time and place in the book Candace Camp certainly knows how to set a scene, so this one worked pretty well for me. I do feel like it's a little bit wordy, and I waffled a bit with Noelle's indecision. That said, I liked the excitement of the chase, and I think it worked well for these characters. This is my first time reading Candace Camp's work, and I found the story entertaining. I'll be watching for whatever comes next in the series.

**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

When the request for this review came across my email, I couldn’t wait to read it. It looked so interesting and the author was a popular one, even if it is one that I have never read before.

Noelle’s husband died suddenly, leaving her to raise their very young son alone. He was disowned by his family when he married Noelle. After his death, Noelle is under the impression that someone was after her son and trying to steal or buy him. That is not the case.

Full disclosure, I did not finish the book. I could not get past 21%. It literally put me to sleep. I could not read more than a few pages before I could no longer keep my eyes open. I thought the character of Noelle was a whiney woman who was constantly on the edge and over-thought every single thing. She always assumed the worse and never trusted anyone.

I honestly don’t know what it was about this book that made me not enjoy it. Honestly, it is totally something that I would normally read. It is Historical Fiction and it was Romance. The characters just seemed shallow and one-sided. I really wanted to like it. Carlisle was just an over the top brute that somehow was just a pussy cat underneath. He pursued her for five years but never once approached her to explain what he actually wanted. Take what I have said with a grain of salt and read the book for yourself before making a decision. I honestly don’t know if I will read another book by this author or not.

Noelle Rutherford has been on the run for years. Her husband Adam has died and her young son is in line for a Dukedom. Carlisle Thorne, a man who was much like her husband's brother has offered her money in exchange for taking her son Gil with him so that he can be raised at the Rutherford estate in Stonecliffe. This is the very reason that Noelle went on the run. She will not give up Gil to anyone for any reason.

Eventually Carlisle finds Noelle, and it couldn't have been a moment to soon, as it appears that someone else is after Noelle and she soon finds that she needs protection for her and Gil. Noelle finds out she needs protection of another matter entirely - and that involves her heart. The thing is, she hated Carlisle on sight, so it behooves her as to why her feelings for him begin to change. Noelle is not alone when it comes to growing feelings, Carlisle cannot help but be drawn to the gentle beauty.

Not only is this a warm engaging story, I am delighted that An Affair at Stonecliffe is the the first book in a new series. Candace Camp is a remarkable writer, one who draws the reader into her stories, delivering a wonderful read certain to capture a regency romance lover's attention.

Many thanks to HQN and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please also enjoy my YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/Qow_mv_k-nM

I'm going to be honest--I wasn't sure about this one at first. Not that I didn't enjoy the writing or I thought it would be a poorly written story; I just couldn't stomach Carlisle Thorne.

He was an arrogant ass for the first bit of the book--and he didn't have any clue.

But I kept at it, because I was really hopeful that it wouldn't take long for the story to pick up and for not to hate on one of the main characters.

I am so glad I did.

Noelle's husband died and she's left with their adorable son, Gil. Her husband, Adam's, family do not approve of her because she was poor. From the moment they married, Adam was mostly cut off from said family.

So as soon as he dies, Adam's family decides they should get custody of her boy, Gil. Well, no amount of money will be enough for Noelle to lose her son... Although, Carlisle Thorne--a sort of adopted brother to Adam--doesn't buy it. He believes right from the start that Noelle is a money-grubber. But before he can take Gil, Noelle manages to disappear with him.

Years later, Carlisle finds her. And this is where the story got interesting.

This novel was full of a sweet, enemies-to-lovers romance and some delicious intrigue.

I had no idea this was the start of a new series--but now that I know, I'll be sure to look out for the rest of these.

My review will be live, at the link given, on 5/28/22.