I didn’t plan to start and finish this one in a day but once I started it, I couldn’t put it down! It was so good. The writing, the characters, the plot. There was secrets, betrayal, danger, secret identity, faith, sweet romance… everything I want in a good regency. 🥰
My attention was captivated from start to finish.

The characters came alive for me. Ella, Henry, Peter… they all made their way into my heart. Ella was truly a great heroine. She was kind and strong. I loved watching her journey to finding God. And Henry was one of those characters you admire and are a little intimidated by but you also want to go up and give him a long hug. I loved them together. I loved watching them both grow, separately and together. Their story was beautiful.💗
And Peter was precious. I adore when children are involved in the plot and Peter was a sweetheart.🥰 It was the sweetest thing watching Peter make his way into Ella’s heart. Ahh! I truly love governess stories.

The faith was so good. I love a good redemption arc and this one really touched me. These characters are broken people just like the rest of us, and their journey to Jesus was inspiring.
I loved the writing style! It was definitely my cup of tea. Certain scenes hit hard just because of the way it was written. It was so good.

In conclusion, I loved this book! It had all of the elements of regency books that I love. It was also unique. It definitely gave me Jane Austen as well as Charlotte Brontë vibes. Like Pride and Prejudice meets Jane Eyre. If that doesn’t convince you to read it, I’m not sure what will. 💕
I recommend to anyone who loves a good Gothic regency with all of the intrigue, romance, and faith. I’m definitely looking forward to Hannah Linder’s future releases and so excited to see more regency romances like this in the Christian fiction genre!

*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed Beneath His Silence. As I was reading it I was getting the whole gothic Jane Eyre feel to it. Which I am totally in for! The heroine, Ella Pemberton is looking to expose the killer of her sister by pretending to be a governess. The hero, Henry is hiding secrets and is filled with guilt. The book has a slow burning romance, danger, intrigue and so much more. I couldn't believe this was a debut novel. Well done! I look forward to more books in the future by this author.
*I was given a copy of this book by Barbour Publishing and this is my honest opinion.
4.5 stars

This story has a great plot! It's a bit of a mystery as well as a romance. It will be a wonderful read for those of you who enjoy historical romance!!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advance e-copy! All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Four and a Half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒
Beneath His Silence by Hannah Linder is a gothic, and atmospheric historical romance set in the Regency England. It’s a beautiful story mostly set in a dericict castle on the Scotish coast.

Story Recap:
Ella Pemberton lives a life of comfort and luxury as the second daughter to a baron. But, when her sister is mysteriously killed, she belives her sister’s husband is the murderer and she wants answers. Lord Sedgewick has blood on his hands and is a pariah in his villiage. He hears the whispers from the villagers about the strange goings on at Wyckhorn Manor and he knows he’s the cause of them. But, he has to focus on his young son, Peter who he adores.

Ella is determined to get to the bottom of her sisters death and she knows she has to get to Wyckhorn Manor and find Lord Sedgewich and find out the truth. When she finds out he needs a governess for his young son, she realizes that is the best way to find out what happened to her sister. But what will she find at the remote and neglected Wyckhorn Manor, and can she live in the same home as a murderer?

My Thoughts:
I was surpised at how fast I read this book! Many times when I read historical novels, it takes a while to get into them as authors usually spend some time to set the scene, but not in this case, the action started right away and I was rooting for Ella all the way. I just could not put this book down until I found out all the secrets.

Ella is spirited, courageous and kindhearted. Her hatred toward Lord Sedgewick is justifiable and I admired the fact that she wanted to get to the bottom of her sisters death. Although she made the assumption that Lord Sedgewick was behind the murder, it was understandable as she never met him and didn’t know anything about his character.

This book has a lot of secrets and I couldn’t wait to find out the real story. Lord Sedgewick is a very mysterious person and I couldn’t figure out what he was hiding and if he was a murderer or not. The manor is also full of mystery and seems to be haunted too. One bright spot in the story is young Peter and the way he interacted with his father. They obviously loved each other and I also enjoyed the way Peter charmed Ella and their relationship was adorable.

Recommendation:
I highly recommend Beneath His Silence to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

Wow! This story is layered with intrigue and evokes such an gothic atmosphere! The characters are multi faceted and the plot has so many layers. This book really sucks you in and it’s one that really immerses you into it’s story. It definitely kept me guessing, and the danger was a threat right up until the end! I was so impressed with this debut novel! I really enjoyed how mysterious this plot was and I absolutely loved Henry! This one will keep you on the edge of your seat and will keep you asking questions until all is revealed!

If you are looking for a Gothic, Regency novel like Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre, Beneath His Silence is worth checking out. The haunting atmosphere is captured perfectly. Unfortunately, the continuing melodrama got to me and moved it down the list of books I would revisit.

What do you do when there are lingering questions about your sister's death that no one is willing to answer? You go looking for those answers yourself. That's Ella's plan anyway.

A lot of history is buried in Wyckhorn and in Henry, Lord Sedgewick's, heart. He is so used to the rumors and whispering that he refuses to answer any of the charges hurled at him. Instead, he works diligently to protect his son and the only spot of happiness in his life.

Ella is a refreshing breath of fresh air in the manor. I really like her spunk at the beginning. However, as things progress, she seems to lose her ability to speak her mind. Even as she and Henry get closer, they are less willing to talk things out, which is a big pet peeve of mine.

For those who love drama, this book is perfect. There is minimal downtime as different types of storms batter Wyckhorn. Thankfully, Peter is a cute little ray of sunshine through most of it and is the most cheerful character in the book. He is a source of joy for Henry and Ella as they slog through various trials.

There are elements that I enjoy in Beneath His Silence. Still, the continuing depressive atmosphere dragged on my enjoyment until I was glad to be finished. Those looking for a haunting, gothic read will likely enjoy this book more than I did.

I will publish this review on my blog, Goodreads, Instagram, and Twitter on Monday, October 17th.

https://rebeccasreadingcorner.blog/review-hannah-linder-beneath-his-silence/

Thank you Netgalley and Barbour Publishing for this arc.
Actual rating: 3.5
The spooky season comes with its spooky reads.
Ella is out for vengeance to get the murderer of her sister. So she enters his house under the pretense of being a governess. Thus, meeting her nephew and her sister's husband or may or may not have killed said sister. She proceeds into gradually changing her mind about him and accidently falling in love with him and discovering all of Wyckhorn Manor's secrets.
By the end of the book they find common ground in their love for Peter, religion, respect, admiration, and love for each other.

The author sets the premise of the book as mysterious and spooky from the very first chapter. However, the tone changes into thriller half way through it.
It doesn't leave you wondering for long since the mystery gets revealed early on in the story.

There are some things I didn't like in the story and were odd. For example, I know it was a different time back then but I find it super strange that Ella's never met her sister's husband. Also, it felt like the story stretched out for longer than it should have.

4.5 stars (5/10 hearts). I wasn’t sure what to expect of this book, but classic gothic is my guilty pleasure (aka the Brontës), I loved the cover, and I knew the author was very talented, so I was eager to read this. I wasn’t disappointed. 

The aesthetic was really enjoyable. Storm, rain, seashore, silent semi-abandoned mansion, a lonely lord cut off from the world, a fiery Lizzie Bennett type of heroine, a sweet and silly friend, an adorable little boy, gossip, dancing, a haughty love rival, and plenty of drama—plus a suspected murder and a haunting personage. Jane Eyre meets Pride & Prejudice with a twist. I admit I am very harsh on historical fiction, especially regency, and personally I was a little disappointed with what I felt was a slightly modern flavour, but that’s my own opinion. The dialogue was well done, and I enjoyed the different accents woven in! 

The characters were definitely interesting. Ella made me think of a couple Austen heroines mashed into one. I didn’t relate to her very much—our characters don’t mesh—but she was well done and very alive. I really liked Henry, though. I related to his struggles and his pain, and I loved his character arc, and how mysterious and hard to figure out he was, and what a strong, upright, loving man he was (and he was such a sweet father!). Peter was a doll, and all the side characters were so nice and living! E. was terrible, and I ended up heartily disliking L. by the end. 

The plot was quite the ride. I couldn’t figure out where it was going, and began to experience the “there’s only 10% left and so much to happen!!!” problem (avid readers will understand). I did get a little tired of the back and forth “he loves me, he loves me not” or “I love her, I love her not” and all the angst, but I couldn’t put the book down and I was so anxious to see how everything turned out. I liked the governess angle combined with the undercover investigating trope. 

I particularly love the beginning—Henry was so at odds with how everyone saw him, and I was desperate to discover if something had or hadn’t happened, and all the secrets and questions—it was awesome. I was a little less a fan of the ending because it seemed just a wee bit too far-fetched/modern/not regency, but it wrapped up everything satisfactorily. And the themes of the novel—learning to love & trust, learning to relinquish control to God, and learning to let go of guilt and self-hurt—were so well done. I look forwards to more by this author!

Content: adultery, an illegitimate child; accusation of murder; some violence + wounds; a mentally ill character in whose head we are (a little creepy); kidnapping; strong gothic feels. MASSIVE SPOILERS! A woman cheats on her husband with his brother and a child is born. END OF MASSIVE SPOILERS Some non detailed hugging/kissing/touching. Several uses of “bloody” + mild language (dash, etc). 

A Favourite Quote: “I have very little appreciation for assortments that will only die tomorrow. I should rather devote time and attention to things that never change.” 
“Flowers are not meant to last forever.... Yet for every one that dies, God supplies a new one.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: Mr. Fitzherbert’s comment on the weather could be heard from the hallway, followed by the vicar’s monotonous praise of the view from his church bell tower, from which point he could detect an upcoming storm. “Yes, yes, storms are much better borne when one is made aware,” answered Mr. Fitzherbert.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book for promotional purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.*

Though neither regency or gothic are my my first reading choice something about the description of this book intrigued me plus I enjoy reading new authors. I’m so glad I took the chance on this well written story. I truly had trouble putting the book down. The characters drew my interest immediately. Plenty of mystery and plot twists to keep me turning pages. The story is emotional, the heroine very likable and the themes of faith and forgiveness are well done. Beneath His Silence is a perfect title for this wonderfully captivating tale. I look forward to more titles by Hannah Linder.
Thank you to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for the opportunity to read and honestly review.

'He was weary of failing. He was weary of awakening sick and lying down with a thousand regrets.'

This was a seriously good book. Hannah Linder is a new author to me and this is her debut novel. If this is how she starts off, I am a forever fan! Well done!

I love a good Regency very much indeed and Linder does this genre quite well. It is a story of unforgiveness, bitterness, agony, but also a story of restoration and the mercies of God. It is gothic in tone, with more than a touch of intrigue, with danger thrown in, and it is also heart-soaring with a strong romance that is deeply felt. I was captivated the entire time. I quite simply loved everything about it. I can't wait to read more by this author.

My thanks to Barbour Publishing for a copy of this book. I was not required to leave a review. The opinion here is completely my own.

I enjoyed this book from a new author a great deal and was surprised by the unique storyline. I enjoyed the Gothic story filled with intrigue and mystery, with some nice romance sprinkled throughout. Out to get the truth about her sisters death, Ella applies to be a governess for her nephew in her brother-in-laws house. This home is dark, filled with sadness, grief, anger, and secrets. As Ella gets to know Henry, she does not understand all the dark rumors about him throughout the district. She sees his kindness and care for others, as well as his love for God. She has no faith in God and watches his efforts as she builds faith in God. Twists and turns, secrets revealed, make for a compelling novel that I could not put down. I highly recommend this clean historical romance.

I received a complimentary copy of this book by NetGalley from Barbour Publishing. Opinions expressed in this review are voluntary, unbiased, and are entirely my own.

Secrets and undercurrents--the aspects of a great Gothic novel. I loved the soul-searching of both Henry and Ella. Ella has great intentions in planning to expose her former brother-in-law as a murderer, but along the way she learns the truth. Henry feels betrayed by all the women in his life and finds it difficult to trust Ella. What really happened to Lucy Pemberton Sedgewick? As all is revealed Ella finds a faith she has been searching for.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Beneath His Silence is set in the early 1800's England countryside. Ella's father recently passed away. He spent his last few years trying to prove the truth about his daughter Lucy’s death. The family does not believe she died suddenly of illness and they believe her husband, Lord Sedgewick, was responsible or knows who was. Ella takes up the quest using an assumed name and not telling her family where she is. She becomes the new governess at Wychhorn Manor.
The story is very exciting and compelling read as Ella discovers the truth about Lord Sedgewick and his home. Many secrets need to be uncovered before the manor can be full of love and joy once more. The author does a wonderful job of unraveling the story piece by piece until all the pieces fall into place and the truth is revealed for all to see. Along the way new insights are revealed to Ella and the Lord that lead them to deeper understandings of each other. I loved this book and give it 5 of 5 stars.
I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

I didn’t realize when I requested this book that it’s a Christian regency romance. Not that it bothered me, really—I just didn’t know. It’s strange how I always find it somewhat odd when fictional characters are deeply religious and offer prayers. I mean, I do that, too. But for some reason, it always feels a little cheesy to read it.

However, I did really enjoy this book. It’s a clean romance with murder, mystery, abduction, and likable characters (even though they beat themselves up way too much). One of its major themes is the journey through forgiveness, which I always enjoy. (If you haven’t read Simon Wiesenthal’s <i>The Sunflower</i>, you should.) I have no idea how old Ella and Henry are, which is something that always drives me crazy. I would suspect, however, that she is likely in her early to mid-20s, and he’s like in his late 20s.

My biggest complaint about the book is probably the frequent use of sentence fragments. There were a lot of sentences that completely left off the subject (probably-made-up example: “Should have stayed away.”). And everything with Becker felt a little overdone, but maybe that’s just me.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and will keep my eye on this author to see what else she writes.

Note: Nothing bad.

Hannah’s talent for putting words together and writing stories is what first drew me to this book, and it did not disappoint. She has a way of pulling her readers into the story and making one feel deeply with each character. Sometimes I have a hard time connecting as a reader if their experience seems far removed from my own, however, Hannah Linder had me feeling sympathetic with even the least likable of the characters.

I loved the way Hannah Linder also brought in faith and Christianity when that is not very commonly done for regency period romances. She did not shy away from the truth, and I appreciated that. Seeing Mr. Sedgewick’s faith though he also struggled with guilt, and also seeing Ella slowly soften toward the truth as well were characteristics of this story I truly loved.

There was a certain aspect that reminded me of Jane Eyre and that I thought was slightly cliche, but it was still enjoyable and had its own twist to what you might expect, which kept me intrigued. There were also a few phrases that reminded me of Jane Austen’s writings and more particularly of Mr. Darcy, which made those certain pithy sayings less creative than they sounded.

The story itself was riveting and had me turning pages. I had a hard time putting it down. It left me intrigued and interested all the way to the end. The characters were also well developed.

All in all, if you enjoy the slightly gothic regency era romances with a good dose of mystery, I would definitely recommend this book.

*I would like to thank NetGalley and the author for a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

This book was a delightful surprise. The beautiful cover drew me in immediately and made me want to discover what story debut author, Hannah Linder, had written inside. I was not disappointed. This book had everything, a Gothic flair, Regency setting, a bit of romance, a faith based message and secrets galore! I was glued to the pages from start to finish. Themes of learning to forgive are prevalent thoughout the story I can hardly wait to read more from Hannah Linder.

Thank you Barbour books and Net Galley for the free DRC of this book. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This is a slow burn kind of mystery. You're not sure about any of the characters, but they grow on you and keep you reading.

Beneath His Silence is a wonderful debut for new author Hannah Linder. I was hooked from the start when I first met Ella. I found her story to be a beautiful one that is faith filled and inspiring that teaches the reader the power of forgiveness. She was so fun getting to know. She does find herself in some danger at times and I wanted to see what would become of her. It was quite intriguing really.

I am giving Beneath His Silence a very well deserved five plus stars. Clean historical romance fans will definitely want to read this one. I can not wait to see where else Hannah Linder’s imagination will take her readers to next. She has earned herself a new fan.

I received a digital copy of Beneath His Silence from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.

I love Regency books, and the plot of this is a Gothic frothy delight. There’s mystery, mistrust, deception, mistaken identity, a child in danger, a plucky heroine, the full range. The only thing that detracted from the story was the actual prose, which for my taste was just…too. Too breathy, too clouds-of-doom. I fully recognize that it’s a matter of personal taste, and again, if you love a good, over the top Gothic, there’s much to recommend here.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

Beneath His Silence is a gothic tale full of haunted estates, misty isolated seasides and unexplained murder shrouded in mystery. I loved how the main character seeks to avenge her sisters death but can't help but feel like something isn't quite right...especially when she starts to fall in love when her sisters alleged murderer. It made for a unique story that hooked me from the start.

I love taking a chance on debut authors and I'm so glad I did. I loved Hannah's voice within her writing. It felt very much steeped in historical undertones and accuracy with good dialogue and imagery as well.

I loved how this dual perspective novel gave me those Jane Eyre vibes I crave in Gothic romance and had you guessing the reveal at each chapter. I thought while it had its Bronte parallels it was fresh and took on a life of its own. It was fun and kept my attention with the added mystery/suspense plot.

This is Christian fiction romance and I believe Hannah did a great job adding God into her plot and creating an organic message of hope when all is lost and finding your faith in God when it seems the heavens have become silent.

I can't wait to see what Hannah does moving forward. I think Beneath His Silence is a great start to a very promising writing career. 4.5 stars