I love books with later-in-life love stories! Arthur, having lost his beloved wife, has no interest in another romance. Also having no interest in marrying, Juliana, an astronomer at heart, has reached the advance age of 37, happily with no marriage prospects. However, once met, the chemistry between the two is off the charts and they find themselves reevaluating their stances regarding marriage. Kudos! Definitely worth the read!
Thank you Sandra Sookoo, Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

Sandra Sookoo has outdone herself with this novel, she has given readers a book that is well-written, filled it with superb cast of characters and a strong plot that bring this read together perfectly! Her characters come to life as you find yourself drawn into their story, the scenes are so strikingly detailed it paints an incredible backdrop that you feel like you are one with the story. It's heart felt story filled with drama, sizzling passion, uncertainties, vortex of trials and tribulations, as Julianna and Arthur find reaching for the stars means finding happiness in Romancing Miss Quill.

Older and in Love

Our hero and heroine in this story are older than the ones you see in the typical historical romance. Could they be convinced that, just because they were older, it did not mean they could not fall in love or marry? Those who loved them would have a herculean task ahead of them. Juliana was a spinster who wanted to gaze at the stars. She thought she was far beneath the Earl of Ettesmere. Arthur thought that loving another meant that he would be betraying his late wife, a woman he loved very much. They were both wrong, for love knows no class, age, or size. The heart only grows larger to hold more love. Loving a new person does not mean you loved someone else any less.

This is a delightful story about two people who need to be pushed to embrace love. It is a story about how love can happen at any age and at any time. I enjoyed this story and would recommend it to those who like historical romance, and to those who believe that age is just a number that has no bearing on love.

What is not to like about a historical romance. I love those so much. the way they spoke and how they acted. This book was not disappointed. Will read more. this is why i like Historical Romance. They are super yummy. This was romancing me all the way.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and this is my freely given opinion.

This is the first of a new series by Sandra Sookoo, the Willful Winterbournes. I generally find I look forward to her books, but this one was exceptional.

There were themes of second chance at love, grief/loss of a loved one, mature love, differing classes.

Charles, the Earl of Ettesmere, is a man in his 40s, the father of two grown children, and a widower of several years, having lost his wife, the love of his life to consumption. He has no expectation or inclination of ever finding another love like that again, and wants to constantly carry the memory of his wife close to his heart always, and feels strong guilt in betraying her memory, even though he had promised her before her death that he would try to find happiness again. He wallows in his grief, and has socially isolated himself after his loss.

His mother, the Dowager Countess, writes to him, and her other children and grandchildren, entreating them to return to their family estate in Berkshire for a midsummer gathering to renew relationships, celebrate family, and to honour her lost husband too, with a masquerade on what would have been their anniversary. She is a contrast from Charles in that, despite her loss of a beloved spouse, she maintained her social connections and finds some happiness even after her loss, and it seems like she seeks the same for her children as well. Not just Charles, but his sister is also a widow, twice over.

Charles, and his children go to Berkshire to honour his mother's wishes. His children are adults now and almost flown from the nest, with his daughter coming out soon. They appear to worry about how lonely he may be when he is alone.

His daughter, Emily, runs into Miss Juliana Quill, and her rather rambunctious and rotund beagle one night, when Juliana is out stargazing. She is an amateur astronomer hoping to make a name for herself and honour her dead brother by discovering a heavenly body and naming it after him, and using that to join the astronomical society. She is a commoner, and a bluestocking spinster in her 30s, who is caring for her father who appears to be suffering dementia. He was bricklayer who did work for the Winterbournes and remembers the Earl from when he was a young boy. Emily develops a friendship with Juliana and determines she would be perfect as a future mate for her father and she and her brother play secret matchmakers.

Charles meets Juliana and is intrigued and revitalized by her and they share a mutual attraction and admiration. But Charles blows hot and cold because of his guilt over disrespecting the memory of his wife, and Juliana is anxious because of her lowborn status, but still falls in love with Charles, whereas Charles is too mired in his grief and guilt to recognize his love for her until he almost loses it.

OK, full disclosure - if you have read any of my other reviews, you have to know by now that I am a sucker for animals in stories and this one has a cute, playful, rambunctious, fat, mischievous beagle named Regent and that will automatically cause me to ramp up the rating. I love me some furry four legged love!

But I loved the relationship development between Juliana and Charles. He is so attracted to her and intrigued by her, and she seems so different from his wife. But he is stymied by his own grief. I did not love the hot/cold approach he had with Juliana, but I could understand that he was not purposefully playing with her emotions - he was too scared to open his heart up to hear because he was so fearful of letting go of his past with his wife, and fearful of dishonouring his past and forgetting her. I loved Juliana as the bluestocking spinster, who is also grieving the loss of her brother, so she can relate to Charles on that level, but she was overlooked as a woman by the local men, and is now in her 30s, and all-but given up on finding a husband, but she still opens herself up to finding love and experiencing carnal pleasure with Charles, despite knowing it could lead to heartbreak. Her openness and adventuresome spirit is part of her attraction to Charles as well.

I am intrigued by the other members of the Winterbourne family, such as his sister, Lady Sophia. She has lost two husbands, so can empathize with Charles in his grief, but on saying that, she did not wallow in the death of her first husband and found love again. But perhaps she thinks she would not be lucky a third time? I would like to see otherwise in the near future. I loved her frank and open relationship with her brother and how earthy she was. I am also curious about the married brother who was mentioned but does not show up - there seems to be something odd about his relationship with his wife, that is implied. That sounds like it would be an interesting story in the future....

Anyways, I really enjoyed this story of how Charles overcame his grief to find love again, with Juliana.

4.5 stars out of 5.

This is the first installment of a new series by Ms. Sookoo, Willful Winterbournes. It is always a pleasure to read one of her books and this one was no different. The story is a bit different than most Regencies in that it involves an older couple, Arthur, who is forty-four and a widower, and Juliana who is a thirty-seven year old spinster. Arthur's heart was broken when his wife died five years ago and no longer has any use for love or romance. Juliana doesn't have time for romance or suitors, she is too busy with self-learning astronomy. Astronomy is her passion, and she has no issues with being a spinster, until she meets Arthur. Arthur travels to his family's country estate at the request of his mother, whose main intention is to find a new match for her son. When Arthur meets Juliana, he is immediately attracted to her but promptly feels guilty about it. He had the love of his life with his late wife, how can he have such strong feelings for another and betray his wife that way? As Arthur struggles with his feelings, Juliana decides to let him sort out his feelings before surrendering her heart. His family, however, doesn't sit idly by and just watch, but take matters into their own hands. The story does not have villains, instead being a sweet and charming story of an older couple finding love when they had all but given up on it.
A truly engaging and enjoyable story, I am glad to have had the opportunity to read. This is a brilliant start to a new series and I am looking forward to reading more!

I received a complimentary copy from Dragonblade Publishing via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

The Heroine
Julianna Quill is a spinster who has a deep passion for astronomy. Her mother and brother died, so she is the sole caregiver of her aging, Alzheimer's father. She has always been content with her life and lack of romance or never being married. But when Arthur kisses her, she realizes that maybe she missed out on more than she knew and it sparks a desire in her she had long shut away. Julianna was a very well written character who saw the trouble Arthur was going through to overcome his grief and showed understanding and patience. She allowed herself to explore their relationship while he worked through his emotions, but also knew when she was getting to close to pull back and force him to face his fears before she was irreparably hurt. She was so sweet to his children and even put herself in uncomfortable situations to attend his society events.

The Hero
Arthur Winterbourne, Earl of Ettesmere was in love with his first wife who bore him two beautiful children before you passed away. For five years, he has lived in a fog of grief and mourning his wife. But, when he meets the interesting Julianna he is smitten and, for this first time since his wife's death, she stirs feelings in him he never thought to find again. He struggles with the guilt and betrayal that he feels when he is with Julianna and can't seem to get past the idea of finding love again. He is so very sweet to Julianna and I loved his honesty about how he was feeling about his deceased wife. Ms. Sookoo handled the grief and transition to a new love with care and I was able to see his struggle and feel his ability to love again.

The Plot
I was a little concerned that this story was not going to have enough of a plot to hold my attention which held true for the first few chapters. I feel that is true with any first book in a new series; the author is trying to set up the storyline and the families involved. However, I was quickly pulled into the angst of the romance between Arthur and Julianna and devoured the rest of the book. I was also left excited to see which characters book comes next and can't wait to see their happily ever after!

The Steam
There were a couple of steamy scenes, all of which took place outside! LOL! And I loved it!

Tropes
Historical Romance, Regency Romance, Country Life, Beta Hero, Single Dad, Titled Hero, Widowed Hero, Bluestocking Heroine, Independent Heroine, Scientist Heroine, Spinster Heroine, Virgin Heroine, Outdoor Steam, Angst Romance, Class Difference, Friends to Lovers

Romancing Miss Quill by Sandra Sookoo is the first book in the Willful Winterbournes series. Arthur Charles Winterbourne, the Earl of Ettesmere, has decided at the age of forty-four that he is done with romance. He was absolutely devastated when his wife died. During midsummer, Arthur and his siblings visit their mother. There will be celebrations, but Arthur plans to hide away. Miss Juliana Quill is thirty-seven years old and doesn’t have time for romance. She devotes her time to being a self-taught astronomer and looking after her father. Soon, these two find themselves fighting attraction to each other.

I liked this historical romance between an older couple. It is refreshing to see in this genre.

This was my first book by Sandra Sookoo, and I definitely enjoyed it. This regency details an older h, a commoner and a spinster, and a H who lost his first love and does not want to try and love again. I loved the h - she is self-aware, intelligent, and strong. I was less fond of the H. I disliked his constant wishy washy-ness and his dithering over the h's commoner status (which no one else in his sphere cared about at all) and how he could love another following the death of his first wife. I did, however, like his relationships with his children, sister, and mother. He cares deeply about them, and I love the candor in their interactions with each other. The h's relationship with her father was both beautiful, and as someone caring for a parent with dementia, heartbreaking for me to read. Sookoo did a great job of capturing the beauty and the pain that coexist in the moments of lucidity of a parent with dementia,

The love story between the h and H was both sweet and steamy. While the H wasn't my favorite (see above), I loved that the h wasn't willing to settle for less than what she wanted and deserved. I will definitely be following Ms. Sookoo in order to read the remaining books in this series.

Just what is a widower to do? Having lost his wife, Arthur Charles Winterbourne, the Earl of Ettesmere, has decided that he must just live with his loss. His children are older. They manage the loss of their mother well. But they are young and find that the world is full of adventure. His sister has lost two husbands and at times is not physically well but manages her life anyway. He wonders if she uses ill health to cover her feelings. His widowed mother has decided to hold a summer party at their country estate to celebrate what would have been his parents' wedding anniversary. Providing she can persuade her children to come and celebrate with her. He really does not want to go, but for the sake of his mother he makes the journey. As his youngest daughter is exploring the countryside, she discovers and becomes friends with Miss Quill. Miss Quill is exploring the heavens and authenticating a comet; something so uncommon for a woman. This plot is so familiar today as it was centuries ago. How to manage loss and continue living your life. I enjoyed reading and discovering how the family and Miss Quill oversee the problems of loss and make room for new adventures.

Arthur Charles Winterbourne, Earl of Ettesmere is heartbroken after his wife of 20 years dies. But perhaps its time for a new adventure.
Miss Juliana Quill was heart broken after her brother died but has continued her pursuits.
With a little push these wonderful characters find their happily ever after. A little intrigue and a little steam, make this a wonderful later in life tale of finding happiness.
I recieved a free copy so that I can tell you what I honestly think. Hope you enjoyed my review. Now go enjoy the book.

TW/CW: Family death, grief, Alzheimer’s disease, sex

REVIEW: Romancing Miss Quill is the story of Arthur, the Earl of Ettesmere and Julianna Quill, a commoner with a penchant for astronomy.

This was not my favorite book. It wasn’t terrible, but I found the prose clunky at times, and was several times taken aback by non-sequiters or simply things that didn’t make sense.

THINGS I DID LIKE ABOUT THIS BOOK:

1.The age of the main characters. It’s nice to read about characters who aren’t in their teens and twenties.
2. The fact that Julianna was not only 37, but also had something of her own and didn’t just whine about men.
3. The support of Ettesmere’s family for their relationship. This gave everything a good feeling.

THINGS I DID NOT LIKE ABOUT THIS BOOK:

1.There wasn’t much surprise. You knew what was going to happen from the beginning, and there was very little tension of any sort to keep a reader interested.
2.Arthur’s back and forth on loving again after losing his wife went on far too long. The part with the ‘ghost’ was extremely cheesy.
3.The fact that his mind was on sleeping with her and checking her out even when they were searching for her father, who could have been laying dead somewhere. Bad timing.

Like I said, this isn’t a terrible book, and I wouldn’t recommend against reading it, but it also is far from being my favorite book that I read this year.

I was enthralled with this second chance romance. It heightened the romance exponentially that Arthur mourned his wife, thinking her the love of his life. Having to come to grips with emotions that felt dishonourable allows him to realize that a heart has the great capacity to love and will make room for a second love, that it can even surpass that first love without taking anything from it. Julianna, having lived well into her thirties never having any hint of romance, left her as a wild conquest with fresh promise. Their love story is well written, with so many profound realizations and moments. I love the way Sandra Sookoo writes. The love within these families shines as they each encourage the romance, despite it being outside of the typical ‘ton’ restrictions. Being almost polar opposite’s was an intriguing element. He an Earl, she the daughter of a bricklayer. He a widow, her an innocent. These elements made for interesting emotional obstacles but it was obvious through Julianna’s interactions with each of his family, that she could easily blend into his world. A remarkably beautiful story that shines like her beloved stars!

Thank you NetGalley and Dragonblade publishing for my copy of Romancing Miss Quill.
Lord Arthur Charles Winterbourne, at the age of 44 is done romance been there done that. He is a widow and truly devoted to his late wife. Miss Julianna Quill at the age of 37 is truly confirmed spinster and has on only had one true love the stars. However, when they meet in village they soon find themselves thrown together by mysterious notes. Can love blossom where it has been long forgotten?
I love historical romances and just eat them up. Usually when I read a story with a widow it usually is that the widos's late spouse was horrible this was not the case. Which is so refreshing when I was reading. I loved the relationship Arthur and Julianna form and the understanding between them. I love the Winterbourne family and will love to pick up the other books to ensure each once gets the love they deserve.

4 stars

A good story with older hero and heroine.

The Earl is 44 and has two children. Juliana is 37 and an amateur astronomer. Her mother was posh but her father was apparently a bricklayer. Her brother had been educated and had passed on his knowledge to his sister. Arthur's relatives think he has mourned too long and they think he will benefit from another marriage. The son & daughter conspire to put the hero and heroine together.

It does have some passion and the heroine was very keen. Might be the start of a series?

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

An enjoyable pastoral romance, this romance finds the Earl of Ettesmere returning to his country estate for the summer at the request of his mother, who insists that she needs to have the companionship of her family. A lonely widower, Arthur Winterbourne, has no intention of ever marrying again, given that he has already had the perfect marriage with the perfect wife. However, his family gang up on him and will do whatever it takes to ensure that he finds a new match, even if it means that the lady they choose for him is opposite in every way to his late wife. Riddled with feelings of guilt over his attraction for Miss Juliana Quill, Arthur vacillates between his feelings for Juliana and his loyalty to his wife, leaving her frustrated with him. However, being a practical woman, Juliana immerses herself in her nightly quest to search out the comet that her late brother first spotted and decides to wait for Arthur to sort himself out before fully giving her heart. Fortunately, she has his family siding with her and despite employing mischievous tactics, they do manage to pull off the romance of the decade. This is the first book in a new series and it promises to bring all the romance and humor that we have come to expect from this author. I received a copy of this novel as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

Romancing Miss Quill is a great beginning to a new series! I loved all the characters, especially our two leading characters, and the story pacing is just right. I liked that the relationship was between older characters than we usually get in romances (because late 30s is considered old for this genre). I really liked that Julianna was not some pushover sad sack - she ended up going for what she wanted with Arthur but called him out when he was being wishy washy about his feelings for her. Despite that wishy washy-ness I did like Arthur and understood what was holding him back from going all out in his pursuit of Julianna. The character of Arthur's late wife was also really well crafted. She wasn't a perfect woman or an unlikable one either, she was just a normal woman who died young. The part toward the end involving Julianna's father wasn't a huge surprise as there are enough clues throughout to let you know what was going to happen. I think my favorite parts were those when Julianna realized she wasn't alone anymore and when Arthur came to terms with moving on with his life. Both are so well written. Following Julianna and Arthur's stories as they grew as people and a couple was really enjoyable. The pacing was good and the story so engaging that this was a really quick read. The supporting characters all add something to the story and no one is wasted. I am very much looking forward to the next book in the series.

Romancing Miss Quill by Sandra Sookoo is the first first of a new series, Willful Winterbournes. Sookoo always finds a way to add a quirk to her novels. This time it is the story of a widower who is convinced that he had his great love, she died, and therefore, he is not due another. Arthur Charles Winterbourne, the Earl of Ettesmere is mildly distressed that his mother has invited (read demanded) the presence of he and his children at their country estate for the summer, where she has retired. It is moments before his sister, Sophie, is walking in with an identical letter in her hand. They determine that attendance is the least they can do and travel to the estate. There is not a lot to do there, but since Ettesmere owns it he can occupy himself by visiting tenants and working with his steward. One day when he is walking he is accosted by a very exuberant dog, followed shortly thereafter by its owner, an attractive woman just a few years younger than he. She is nothing if not interesting. Shortly after, his daughter finds Miss Quill, as well, and solicits answers to questions normally addressed to ones’ mother, but since she has none, she asks Miss Quill. They are both enthralled with her. His attraction, is, however, more physical.

This is a regency romance that addresses problems we still see today: middle-aged romance and sex. This has the additional burden of class prejudice. Arthur is riddled with guilt for even speaking to her, let alone anything else he does, but he is helplessly drawn to her. The entire family thinks she is his perfect match and work to make it all happen. Charles is staid, but not dead, yet. He has missed having a woman but truthfully, his sexual relationship with his wife had not been very exciting. Julianna was a woman who had wanted a suitor but time got away from her and now it was too late. There would never be children. She was sad about that, but not about the way she spent her life. Since she was female, an education was out of the question, but she learned everything she could from her brother, Ned, who was availed of the finest education. She was an astronomer, a good one, with no reputation as she was a woman. She didn’t let that bother her, much. She was interesting and enticed Arthur with her conversation as much as her body. A good story with likable characters. I loved it!

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Romancing Miss Quill by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #dragonblade #sandrasookoo #romancingmissquill

This is a nice change for a historical romance as both are a mature couple of 44 and 37. A sensible down to earth heroine, with her head in the stars and a sentimental and conflicted hero. With a supportive and loving family to help things along. I did get a little frustrated with our hero moaning about betraying his dead wife but alls well that ends well. My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I like that the heroine does not need another person to validate herself but when she found her perfect mate, her life became so much more. Meanwhile it took a while for him to o let go of the past, even a special visit didn’t completely convince him. Thoroughly enjoyable read with wonderful characters.

I received an ARC of this book and leaving my review voluntarily