There are many nods to Jane Austen’s classic novels in this latest accomplishment from award winning author Julie Klassen. Delightful words of wonder grace the pages of The Sisters of Sea View in a gentle yet engrossing manner. There is a slow pace to this story that rings true to the time period while exerting just enough adventure to keep readers turning pages. If you’re a fan of historical fiction, perhaps this one will offer you several hours of diversion from life’s cares. I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in the lives and loves of The Sisters of Sea View.

I received an electronic copy from the publisher through Netgalley with no expectation of a favorable review.

There were so many Jane Austen parallels in this book...from the actual Eltons showing up at the Sea View Guest House, to all sorts of character parallels and Austen references! So Austen fans will have fun finding little nuggets in this book! The book was amazingly well researched, citing actual games and customs of the time, which was so fun!

The story is a slow unwinding, with a huge cast of characters! I found it a bit confusing at times (perhaps I just read too fast) because the story skips so abruptly from one character to another. I did love that there are no riviting or anxiety inducing plot lines in this story, making it easy to pick up and put down!

I really loved the story line of Viola, who starts the story resenting her facial scars and thinking herself unworthy of love. Sarah, the resident Elinor Dashwood, just wants her family safe and cared for, from her ailing mother to her youngest sister. The story of these sisters finding love for one another in their new home is heartwarming and utterly charming!

The Sisters of Sea View by Julie Klassen

Soon after their father’s death the four Summers sisters and their ailing mother find themselves destitute. They were from a very wealthy family in England but as it often was in 1819 after the man of the house died his estate gets inherited by the next male relative which in this case was not a close relative to the all-female household. The only thing left to Mrs Eugenia Summers was a large house on the coast of Devonshire they called Sea View along with a few elderly servants.

Twenty-six-year-old Sarah, as the oldest daughter still living at home, takes charge. They can no longer just continue as they are as it costs a lot to run a household and they have no money coming in so they all decide to open their house as a Guest House to paying guests who want to come stay by the sea.

“The situation was after all rather humbling for the once-proud daughters and wife of a gentleman. But what else could they do? Sarah desperately wanted to keep what was left of her family together. If the venture failed, she and her sisters would probably have to find far-off situations as companions or, worse yet, governesses as the solicitor had advised. And who would care for their ailing mother then?”

It was a challenge at first especially for twenty-one-year-old Viola who was born with a cleft lip and the superstition and people’s ignorance of that day were very cruel. All the girls needed to learn how to be submissive and not speak out when dealing with difficult guests but most of the time the guests were happy.

I found the book to be delightful and comical at times. I love the romance blooming between Viola and Major Hutton. I can not wait to see what happens next and what type of guests will be staying at Sea View.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Bethany House Publishers for a copy of this eBook in exchange for an honest review

Despite a slow start as Klassen set up the circumstances behind a family of gentlewomen starting a boardinghouse, the characters quickly pulled me in. I loved the deep bond of these sisters, even when they didn’t agree. Their love for their mother makes them easy to root for even when I didn’t like their choices.

I have to say, though, that the boarders almost stole the show. I loved the variety of characters from the Eltons to Mr. Hornbeam to Mr. Gwilt. Their interactions with the sisters and the bits of truth that come from the older gentleman provide such great fodder for thought. They also offer more than a few laughs. And then there were the flirtations with Mr. Stanley and Mr. Henshall. I hope these characters will return in later books.

What I loved the most, though, was the developing relationship between Viola and Mr. Hutton as well as Viola’s friendship with Mrs. Denby. But the romantic in me is still smiling when I think of Viola and her Jack, the way they both learn to see themselves as more than two scarred souls.

Overall, The Sisters of Sea View is a Regency tale that will delight historical romance fans and women’s fiction fans alike.

(Note: I received a complimentary copy via NetGalley for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.)

The Sisters of Sea View is a lovely and delightful story. It reminded me of Sense and Sensibility and Little Women—two favorites. I adored the subtle nods to Jane Austen throughout the book.

Soon after the death of their father, the Summer Sisters and their mother are displaced from their home and must move to a home on the coast of Devonshire. As their financial situation becomes more dire, they decide to open their home to lodgers.

The guests make a very enjoyable cast of characters with a variety of personalities and backstories. I loved each of the sisters with their unique and varying personalities. The family dynamic felt authentic and relatable. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series to see what happens with each one.

This is a character-driven story, with strong historical detail and a pitch perfect sense of time and place. The pace begins a bit slowly, but soon picks up and was hard to put down. I really enjoyed it!

I received an ARC copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are completely my own.

What a fun new series. A family of reduced means works to make the best of their situation. They own a home, but cannot maintain it, so they open a guest house in what happens to be a tourist destination. Each of the girls are unique with such different dreams and passions. It was so fun to get to know them, and I can't wait for more books to delve deeper into their lives.

These women are kind and caring, striving to help their family and their community. There a no airs in these women, they are genuine. There are a few surprise visitors and a bit of drama! I can't wait to see what is next!!

Miss Sarah Summers’ life takes a turn she never imagined when her father’s untimely death brings her family to the brink of disaster. Because of the entail, their country estate goes to a distant cousin, and her mother and sisters move into Sea View, a much smaller house in the ocean town of Sidmouth in Devonshire, England.

Even with economizing, their solicitor believes the sisters will need to hire out as ladies’ companions or governesses. Determined to avoid the horrors of either occupation, Sarah convinces her mother and sisters to turn Sea View into a guest lodge—a wholly respectable occupation for impoverished gentlewomen.

Because of her poor health, Mrs. Summers reluctantly agrees to Sarah’s plan. Sarah’s sisters, Emily, Georgina, and Viola all agree to help, although Viola refuses to have contact with the guests. Viola refuses to show her face in public and always wears a veil. When her twin, Emily, finds work for Viola reading to invalids, Viola realizes she must do her part. But she vows to keep her veil in place.

As the guests arrive, the Summers family deals with a potential thief, a snooty couple, a blind guest, and a man who talks to her (dead) parrot. Emily accidentally walks into a guest’s room, and Sarah learns to bake to help economize.

The family faces challenges, too. Some of Viola’s clients challenge her use of a veil. A handsome guest from Scotland challenges Sarah’s belief in only finding love once. A new doctor challenges Mrs. Summers's invalidism. And Emily’s understanding of their missing sister Claire gets challenged by a warning she hears at a dance.

Why I Loved this Book

Klassen weaves another beautiful story in the Regency Era in the first installment of the On Devonshire Shores series. Fans of Jane Austen will feel right at home when the Eltons walk into Sea View. The attention to historical detail will delight history buffs, and the epigraphs (many taken from Regency-era authors and books) add a note of authenticity.

This sweet story of sisterhood during adversity will settle around you like a soft shawl. And leave you wanting to read the next installment! Fans of Jan Karon’s Mitford series, Jane Austen, and Georgette Heyer will enjoy this book.

Not what I was expecting. The setting of a guest house in Devonshire with the sisters running the business was charming. I found the characters interesting but the story slow. I liked that Viola's character grew into a person that cared about others. She was too self serving in the beginning. Interesting to learn about the superstitions about cleft lip and how it was treated.

The characters, I love! And the story overall. However, though I love Jane Austen, I don't think the author should have used Jane's words. This is why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance e-copy of this book!! All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I have been a fan of Julie Klassen since I read her very first book, which remains on my shelves to this day, having been read twice. I love a good Regency, and Klassen does this genre incredibly well. She is so adept at forming bonds between her characters and digging deep into their lives and relationships.

This series started well and promises to be so very good. I really enjoyed spending time with this family and their lodgers. I can’t wait to see what happens with each sister. Well done!

My thanks to Bethany House Publishers for a copy of this book via Net Galley. The opinion here is my own.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The author brought forward many memories for the reader by including similarities to LITTLE WOMEN and the subtle nods to Jane Austen throughout the story. The stories of the sisters was brought to life with detailed descriptions and made you want to keep reading more. This is a book that will be loved by many.

In 1819 the 4 Summer sisters and their mother have moved into Sea View in the seaside town of Sidmouth. They have suffered a reversal of fortunes and in order to make ends meet are opening their home to paying guests.
The sisters are Sarah, the responsible organized one. Emily, a charming bookworm, Viola, shy and overly conscious of a physical scar, and free spirited Georgina. Their mother is an invalid but they hope she may regain her strength. This is the story of their first year as a guest house, the guests and their neighbors. It carries Austin overtones and is the first in a proposed series set in Devonshire. It is a nice beginning and I am looking forward to reading the next book.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced review eGalley.

Julie Klassen has done it again with the start of her newest On Devonshire Shores series, The Sisters of Sea View. This one is by far my favorite that I have the pleasure reading by her to date. I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy reading clean historical romance. Five plus stars.

Some guests have come for a holiday, others for hidden reasons of their own . . .

When their father's death leaves them impoverished, Sarah Summers and her genteel sisters fear they will be forced to sell the house and separate to earn livelihoods as governesses or companions. Determined to stay together, Sarah convinces them to open their seaside home to guests to make ends meet and provide for their ailing mother. Instead of the elderly invalids they expect to receive, however, they find themselves hosting eligible gentlemen. Sarah is soon torn between a growing attraction to a mysterious Scottish widower and duty to her family.

Viola Summers wears a veil to cover her scar. When forced to choose between helping in her family's new guest house and earning money to hire a maid to do her share, she chooses the latter. She reluctantly agrees to read to some of Sidmouth's many invalids, preferring the company of a few elders with failing eyesight to the fashionable guests staying in their home. But when her first client turns out to be a wounded officer in his thirties, Viola soon wishes she had chosen differently. Her new situation exposes her scars--both visible and those hidden deep within--and her cloistered heart will never be the same.

Join the Summers sisters on the Devonshire coast, where they discover the power of friendship, loyalty, love, and new beginnings.

The Sisters of Sea View is the latest work by Julie Klassen. The story of four sisters, trying to make a living after the death of their father, by opening their sea side home to paying guests. As the sisters begin this adventure, they expect elderly guests but find they are hosts to eligible gentlemen.

The story is reminiscent of Jane Austin and Little Women. The story is slow moving at first, with the development of the four characters. It was interesting how Ms Klassen introduced a deformity on one of the sisters. Not a usual subject of novels. The second half was a little more interesting and engaging.

I received a complimentary ebook copy from the publisher, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

If you love Downton Abbey or Little Women, you are in for a treat. This first book of Julie Klassen's Devonshire series is brimming with all the Downton and Alcott feels. Due to the death of their father, the Summers ladies are forced to turn their seaside home into a guest house. Before long, it is filled with a cast of interesting, diverse and sometimes quirky houseguests that will no doubt make you laugh and cause you to want to turn them out at the same time. The first half of the novel moves at a slow, relaxing almost languid pace. Like pleasantly strolling along the English countryside and leisurely taking in all the sights, sounds and smells. If you aren't the ambling type, don't worry, the pace picks up in the second half with mishaps, a sweet romance and some downright dangerous situations. My favorite characters (other than the Summers sisters) were the Huttons. I loved how they immediated embraced Viola and made her feel valued and like an important part of their family. Themes of not judging by outward appearances run throughout the story as the characters learn that who they are on the inside is far more important. The story ended with some loose ends, which has me looking forward to the rest of the series. I'm most interested in reading how Sarah and Emily's stories unfold.

The Sisters of Sea View is the perfect book to choose when you just want to curl up with a blanket, a pleasantly pleasing story and a cup of coffee. You won't regret it!

Thank you Bethany House, Julie Klassen and Net Galley for the free DRC The Sisters of Sea View. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Four of the five Summers sisters and their mother are displaced from the family home when the father passes and another male relative inherits the house. Fifth sister, Claire, has been banished from the family and I hope her story continues in the next books, too. However, the father has left them a large house on the coast. As they move in, they realize it's too expensive for them on their own and they decide to open their rooms as a boarding house. They host an eccentric group of travelers and it was fun learning all their stories and seeing the characters develop as the story goes on. It's a long story, a bit slow in parts but very entertaining. This seems to be Viola's main story - she's born with a cleft lip and has been super selfconscious of her scars since a botched surgery in her youth. She goes about in a veil hiding her face, until she meets Major Hutton. It's a sweet romance with an ending that will leave you wanting for the next story to come.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

A wonderful story with hints of Jane Austen and Elizabeth Gaskell throughout the pages! The Sisters of Sea View is the first book in the new On Devonshire Shores series by Julie Klassen. Sarah Summers is determined that she and her sisters stay together despite the death of their father and the family’s dwindling finances. To make sure they aren’t split apart, Sarah comes up with the idea of opening their beautiful seaside home as a guest house in order to bring in extra income. This is not met with enthusiasm by some of her sisters, including their mother. However, desperate times call for desperate measures and Sarah is on the verge of desperation. She cannot afford to keep the house, feed themselves, and provide the medical care that their ailing mother needs, so she proceeds with the plan. Hoping for an influx of aged or ailing customers wanting to take in the seaside air and waters, they are instead surprised by the number of handsome bachelors that come to stay at their establishment. A mysterious Scottish man and his daughter comes to stay at Seaview. His purpose for being there may not be just for rest. Sarah, despite her growing attraction to the handsome stranger, must figure out why is he really there and why does he seem very at home in her house?
Viola, one of Sarah’s sisters, is not at all happy about turning their home into an inn. She doesn’t want to be seen by any of the guests due to birth defect that has affected her face. She wears a veil all day, anywhere that she goes because of embarrassment over what she sees as a deformity. She is lonely and unsure of what the future holds for someone such as her. Instead of helping around the house and with the guests, Viola agrees to her sister’s plan of reading to invalids in order to earn her keep. What she wasn’t expecting was to start her new employment by reading to a handsome reclusive officer whose scars run just as deep, both physically and emotionally, as her own. Can they both allow each other into their lives and see past all the hurt and pain? Will they trust that God has a plan for both of them even if they go in separate directions? Mystery, hope, redemption, and love are scattered throughout this engaging novel. All the characters have depth of emotion and faith despite great hardships. Their perseverance in the midst of trial and tragedy shows their deep trust in God. I truly enjoy all of Julie Klassen’s books and this book is no exception. The historical detail of place and time were exquisite. I did find the novel to be a bit disconcerting in the fact that I thought that the storyline involving one of the sisters was going to go in a certain direction, but it seemed to switch mainly to a different sister halfway through the book. Despite that, the book was beautifully written, and I look forward to reading more of Julie Klassen’s books. I thank NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers for the ARC of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

I have loved reading Julie Klassen's books for a few years now. She writes regency that isn't always my favorite genre, but she has changed my mind a bit.
In The Sisters of Sea View Klassen reminds us that family is more important that anything else. She pens a story of 4 sisters who must join together to save their family, left with only a home by the sea when their father dies and their estate reverts to his nearest male heir. Once on bring a different talent to the table and they use them well.
I enjoy reading this book that harkens back to Little Women a bit with the sisters who love, squabble and act like normal sisters. Sisters of Sea View is just a delight to read and happily it is book #1 of a series so we can meet up again soon.