This debut novel was absolutely incredible! Reading the novel from Hannah’s point of view really allowed me to think about and feel what life would be like without my sight. Hannah’s character really drove the plot which made the book engaging and interesting the entire time.

The mother’s antics kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. And watching Jonathan fall for Hannah was the best romantic suspense I’ve read in a while.

“I thought back over the last few weeks of all the encounters I had had with Hannah. She exhibited independence and intelligence and a desire to help others. All of these memories served to strengthen my resolve. I intended to court Hannah Hadley. If she would let me.”

You need this book. Be sure to read it soon!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

As her debut novel Rachel did this story absolute justice. It was enchanting, fun, and the villainy was a perfect balance! Loved it so much I will be purchasing a copy for my home library.

This was such an enjoyable story! This is a new to me author and I can't wait to read more!

A heroine with a disability, that wasn't expected and took a while to understand; she's got a strong character. The storyline is well written and engrossing, I didn't want to put this one down. Not your typical ton storyline, this one had depth and feeling. The characters are likeable and engaging. Just a sweet story, easy read and enjoyable.

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

As a debut book from this author, I was not quite sure what to expect, but overall I felt like it was a good read, and had good potential. I will try this author again. Love Unseen, grabbed my interest right at the beginning. I always have a tender heart for those that are picked on and bullied for whatever reason. Finding out Hannah’s disability made me love her all the more. She was intelligent, and had learned to use her senses to her advantage. She was very strong willed, but I don’t know how you can be strong when you’re beat down at every turn. So I understood the moments when she would break down. She was surrounded by people that were very cruel and insensitive. Her mother… words cannot describe. Jonathan was another one of those people I had a hard time liking. I thought he was very wishy-washy, even after he realized he was smitten. I struggled with that part of the story, but that’s what makes stories interesting is the angst, drama, good, and the bad, this story had a good variety of each. There were a few times I thought the editing could’ve been better. At times I felt like it jumped into a situation without any explanation. I also noticed a few things that I think may be more research could’ve been helpful. I did like that there was an epilogue and overall, I truly enjoyed this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I found this book very hard to put down as the story moved along. This is an unusual Regency, in my opinion, as it is heavier than most that I have read, although it does have some of the frivolity mixed in with the plot and characters of the ton. We see the story from the viewpoint of Hannah and Jonathan. She is a young blind woman of much beauty, who lost her sight after having measles as a teenager. She and Jonathan Carter meet in a crowded ballroom, a very awkward meeting as he didn't realize that she couldn't see. His family has purchased the estate next to her family's and they do become friendly over time. What was so disturbing about this story and made me so angry was how she was treated because of her blindness, not just by others in the ton but her family. I pulled for Hannah throughout the story as she was able to overcome so many obstacles and found it interesting how she used her other senses to gather an idea of the scenes. Jonathan is not really accepted by the ton because of his family's new money that they made in the West Indies. I enjoyed this debut book and look forward to more by the author. The title is very appropriate for the book. I received a copy for the purpose of an honest review, and these are my thoughts.

I purposely didn't refresh my mind with the synopsis as I started to read this book. So the first chapter was a delicious jolt and it immediately drew me in. I couldn't read fast enough and there were times I was literally crying. There's a feeling of a cinderella-type story. But it goes so much deeper than that. The hero is not immediately likable, but you can understand why he is that way. The heroine has such a sweet attitude and spirit, in spite of her family and the way they treat her. I was emotionally invested in this book and loved the ending.

I can't wait to read more from this author!

I was given a copy to review, but all opinions and feelings are my own.

I have a confession: I absolutely adore watching Regency Era movies and TV shows but I just cannot get into a book set in the same time period. Until I read Love Unseen. "Hannah Hadley is a permanent fixture in London Society and well on her way to becoming a spinster. Despite her beauty and kind disposition, Hannah has accepted the harsh reality of her situation: she will never marry. Continually affected by an illness from her youth, Hannah acknowledges her chances of entertaining potential suitors, at least respectable ones, is slim."

I was blown away; I couldn't read it fast enough and I fell head over heels in love with Jonathan and Hannah. From the very beginning I was captivated and I didn't even know the twist of the story going into it, but once it was revealed, I was a goner. The conflict and resolution was intriguing and kept me on my toes. Fans of Downton Abbey would love this! I'd say Bridgerton too, but this is definitely closed door romance compared to Bridgerton which is what I loved about Love Unseen!

Thank you to Author Rachel Kelley Stones , Netgalley and Covenant Communications for this ARC!

What a delightful debut from this author! I really enjoyed this book. Hannah is such a genuine and kind soul and I was rooting for her the whole time. Her family is literally the worst and even though there's a tad of redemption at the end, I never did like them. I loved Jonathan, too, and how he didn't allow other's prejudice towards Hannah to cause him to develop any of his own. The story also has many side characters that I loved like Jonathan's mother, sister, and Tabitha (plus more). I am hoping that the author will write Isabella's story next!

My only problem with this story is that I felt there were parts towards the end that were too drawn out, mostly when Hannah and Jonathan were separated. I found myself skipping pages just to get to the happy ending, no longer engaged in the drama.

Other than that, I loved this story and will definitely be recommending it to others!

What an amazing debut from Rachel Kelley Stones! It’s rare to find a debut novel that’s so close to perfection, and Love Unseen is it. From the beginning, I was drawn into Hannah’s world where she carefully navigates her way after losing her sight. I loved her strength, depth, and full humanity on display. She’s not only loving and kind, but wields a sharp tongue when called for. Though she’s given up on finding a suitable match, this all changes when a handsome new neighbor purchases a nearby estate. Though their first meeting is disastrous by all accounts, their subsequent relationship is one to rival North and South’s Mr. Thornton and Margaret Hale.

Jonathan Carter has just arrived with his mother and sister from the West Indies. With his “new money” he’s able to purchase a sizable estate, but being accepted by the ton is another matter. With a huge chip on his shoulder, his first meeting with his new neighbor Miss Hannah Hadley is not his finest moment. As he stumbles his way through several apologies, he begins to recognize the amazing woman Hannah is. His respect and admiration grows as he sees all she’s capable of doing despite her disability. Just when Jon and Hannah might find happiness, Hannah’s life is upended by a cruel parent who should be the one championing her.

I loved this book. I loved the way the author helped us experience what Hannah observes through her other four senses. From the taste of foods to the smell of sea air, I loved the visceral descriptions of Hannah’s world.

I felt so many different emotions while reading. I was angry at the blindness of others, Hannah’s cruel and oblivious relatives, and the prejudices of an ignorant society. I was heartened by Hannah’s courage, and indomitable spirit. Though she’s been dealt several blows in life, I loved her resilience.

I loved Jonathan and the growth he undergoes. He goes from gruff, aloof, and disgruntled to caring, compassionate, and fiercely protective. I loved the thoughtful gestures and gifts he gives to Hannah. I also love the way he humbly apologizes when he’s wrong and makes sure Hannah knows his feelings.

Also loved many of the side characters including Hannah’s aunt, Jon’s sister and mother, Sarah, and Lord Deveraux. Lord Deveraux is an especially intriguing character. I’d love to see what happens next for him and many of these characters.

This is definitely a must read! It’s a poignant, romantic story with fabulous characters, a compelling, unique plot, and villains you love to hate. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own and voluntarily given.

Rachel Kelley Stones' novel Love Unseen is a delightful Regency romance that exudes sweetness, charm, and captivation.

The book showcases a heartwarming and delicate love story between two distinct characters who complement each other perfectly. In the beginning, Hannah and Jonathan had a rocky start due to some misunderstandings and harsh words exchanged. However, this built up some suspense and added to the overall tension. Despite her challenging circumstances, Hannah remained optimistic and appreciative toward others, and her kindness and intellect captivated Jonathan. While the hero wasn't my cup of tea, I thoroughly enjoyed the unique story.

Despite the presence of Hannah's toxic family members including her abusive mother, spineless brother, and self-centered sister, the novel maintains a light-hearted tone throughout.

Although the book had some good points, it had some flaws. The romance between the main characters wasn't very well-developed and there was too much focus on the protagonist's horrible family instead of the love story. Perhaps more scenes depicting Hannah and Jonathan's interactions as a couple would have made for a more engaging read.

content: abusive parent, clean romance, kissing only.

A special thanks to Covenant Communication and NetGalley for the eARC of Love Unseen by Rachel Kelley Stones, in exchange for an honest review.

Hannah Hadley is living a harsh life from an childhood illness among the ton. She is strong and kind with most people on her side.

Jonathan Carter is new money trying to find his place among his new class. Though he is isn’t fully accepted that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have his choices!

Will these two be able to find love even with all the odds against them?

I hated Hannah’s family! All of that was very hard to read but it just makes you more fond of Hannah and see just how brave she is.

This was so beautiful! This had everything you’d want in a regency romance

Things I loved:
Misunderstanding first meet
Sweet moments
Longing
Suspense
Friendship
THE BOOK COVER💗

Thank you Netgalley, publisher, and Rachel for sending me a copy of this book to review early!

This is a captivating, character driven story about the power of love and what it can accomplish once it is seen.
Jonathan gets off to a very bumpy start when he first meets Hannah, putting his foot in his mouth again and again before realizing she is blind. Then feeling like the fool he is being he hurries to apologize and hopefully make amends. .
The layers of this story keep peeling back revealing more and more the depth of the characters and the narrative itself. Jonathan and Hannah's characters are portrayed exquisitely. They are by no means one dimensional characters, they are practically walking off the page and sitting beside you as you are reading. When a book comes alive like that, to me, that is the epitome of what separates a good book from a work of art, an exceptional book. This is an exceptional book, you will smile and laugh, you will cringe and cry, the emotions experienced encompass the whole spectrum of emotions and you feel them deep inside. Have some tissues handy, especially for the end of the book.
I highly recommend this for any and all historical fiction, regency romance lovers. Do not miss this you!
5 stars and a huge thank you to Covenant Communications and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

I just read Love Unseen, by Rachel Kelley Stones. It is a sweet romance with lessons to learn.. Hannah has accepted she will never marry. She is kind has beauty as well as a sweet disposition.
Jonathan Carter is a handsome gentleman, who would like to get to know Hannah. But when she turns him down at the ball, he feels as though he's been snubbed by her.
They each learn there is much more to Hanna's story than meets the eye. Her cruel mother has been harboring secrets, that leave her with ill feelings toward Hannah.
The two have to work through difficulties to have a future. Understanding and love help guide their way.
#NetGalley
#RachelKelleyStones

"I love you. I love your intellect, your quiet bravery, and your way of championing others. When you're not near, I am not complete."

What an incredible debut novel by Rachel Kelley Stones.

Love Unseen is everything you want in a Regency romance. It’s sweet, it’s unexpected, and it is absolutely entrancing from beginning to end.

I truly fell in love with these characters. Hannah and Jonathan are well-written and well-developed. The alternating first person POV was interesting, and it added a depth to the story when you got to be directly in their heads.

The overall story was fast-paced and exciting, and I found myself staying up much too late to get a little more reading in.

The bits of enemies-to-more were fun and the banter was top notch. Add in some quality depth of character with protagonists who feel real, understandable, and relatable, and you’ve got an amazing story.

Reasons to pick up Love Unseen:
🤍 Fabulous characters
🤍 Incredible descriptions
🤍 Lots of family drama (that isn’t too over the top)
🤍 A heroine who grows and is willing to do what it takes to find her voice and her freedom
🤍 Disability representation
🤍 A darling love story
🤍 The epilogue

This was a captivating novel and a wonderful read for me. I will definitely be reading more from Rachel in the future.

Huge thank you to the author and publisher for the advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'm always excited going into a debut author's book. This book left me completely amazed at how well this author captured a romance quite like this! It is one of a kind and a book that I'm so glad was written!

Based on the book synopsis I hesitate to give too much away because discovering it as a first time really really was quite stunning. I loved that this author gave representation to a character that wouldn't have been the diamond of society.

I loved the meet cute! Like, really loved it. Misunderstandings are so much fun in books.

I loved the heart of our hero in this book. Jonathan has a heart of gold. A little character growth went a long way with him-and it was written so well. He's one of the good guys, friends! I loved his family. I loved the bond that they had. It was a startling contrast to Hannah's family. Hannah is the perfect match for Jonathan and their relationship was one that I couldn't put down and had to know how it ended.

I loved the little bit of suspense this book added. I was definitely holding my breath as it all played out and did not see it coming!

Overall this was a stunning debut and I am excited to see what Rachel writes next!

Thanks to the author for the copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

Content/Triggers: feels of being a burden, disability representation, strong female character, mild suspense, kidnapping, kisses and a beautiful love story!

Title: Love Unseen 7/5/23
Author: Rachel Kelley Stones-new author for me
Book cover: Just as I imagined Hannah
Format: e-book but came to me as a PDF, had formatting issues and too small font
Page Count: 248
Setting: England 1815
Genre: Historical Romance, Regency
Tropes: disability (though Hannah would say she can't see)
Representation: visibly impaired, the ton
Rating: 4
Source: Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions are my own.

Quick summary: Hannah has been characterized a spinster and a burden to her family. She meets Jonathan, her new neighbor described "nouveau riche" is intrigued by her.

Content warnings/triggers: classism, discrimination

Characters-Main and Minor
Hannah Hadley-22, unmarried w/ no suitors. Lost sight @ 17 after contracting measles. Told stories to children @ local vicarage.
Jonathan Carter-29, just returned to London after living in West Indies w/ his family for 10 years. He became a successful businessman/tradesman because of his deceased father.
Julia and James-Hannah's siblings
Isabella-Jonathan's sister
Lydia-Hannah's lady maid
Aunt Ruth (Mrs. Foster)-Hannah's paternal aunt

Review: I loved Hannah and Jonathan. They were honest, caring, and generous people who were perfect for each other. It's sad to know that people like Hannah deemed not "normal" were put aside so easily. She was called so many things-disabled, helpless, and burdensome. She was blamed for her blindness and treated badly by her family. Her mother, sister, and brother were so manipulative and selfish. Jonathan was truly her knight in shining armor. So, if you're in the mood for a sentimental love story, read this!

Ok so I'll be honest. Love Unseen surprised me. It really shouldn't have, but it did. I didn't put much thought into what Hannah's illness might be, but I haven't read any other books from this period with the same situation. Since this was a unique context for a book set during this time, I really enjoyed the story because of this.

Hannah and Jonathon don't start off too well. Hannah unintentionally offends Jonathan. These two spend some time back and forth between being almost harsh with each other and then coming to understand the other. The back-and-forth was a little confusing at times, but overall it built some nice tension.

I always kick myself for doing this, but I finished Love Unseen 3 weeks before I'm finally sitting down to write my review. Doing this means I've forgotten some of the finer points of the story that I wanted to make.

The secondary characters--specifically Hannah's family members--were odious. Her mother is pure vitriol. Her sister is no better than a spoiled brat. And her brother, mostly spineless and passive. The reasoning behind Hannah's mother's feelings towards her never made sense to me. Even when Love Unseen actually touched on the specifics I was left feeling like it wasn't logical and didn't make sense. I suppose emotions usually don't follow logic. I felt like Hannah's sister was almost as bad as her mother and then a switch flipped there towards the end. I wasn't sure I could have been as forgiving as Hannah was. Jonathan's mother and sister were wonderful. Even Hannah's aunt was a breath of fresh air despite still being a little too passive for my taste.

There did come a point where the story began to feel a little too dramatized for me, but I didn't really dislike it even with that. As a matter of fact, overall the story was better than I expected.

Favorite quotes:
-If she didn't want me to draw attention to myself, why did she insist on pointing out every one of my mistakes?

-"There are always those in life who choose to dislike and discourage, but that's a reflection of their character, not yours. You must learn to ignore them."

-"Your father made it easy to love and be loved,"

-Nature has a way of creating little bits and pieces of artistry that man cannot replicate.

I couldn't leave that last quote without correcting it from "nature" to "God."

Love Unseen was refreshing in many ways. Hannah's condition wasn't one I'd read about in this unique historical setting. Her relationship with Jonathan was rocky and even borderline harsh in the beginning. Things took a very dramatic turn there towards the end. And I can't say that everything made logical sense to me, but in the end, I found that I like this book much more than I was expecting. Love Unseen gets 4 Stars. Have you read Love Unseen? What did you think? Let me know!

I almost set this book aside but did finish it.

It was moderately interesting and I enjoyed the feistiness of Hannah’s character.

I received this book from the publisher via net galley in exchange for an honest review. 3-1/2 stars.

Seeing to the heart takes perseverance!

A love story impeded by more than a few difficulties. Hannah Hadley is the oldest daughter of a loving father and a not so supportive mother. She’s intelligent and used to listening to her father, engaging in discussion with him on a wide variety of topics. Hannah contacted measles when young, which left her blind. When Hannah’s father died, her closest supporter and advocate was gone. What’s left is a life squashed and reduced more frequently by her relentless harridan of a mother, whose actions of vitriol make no sense, and a sister who puts her down constantly. Think of someone like Cinderella’s mean stepmother and self-centered and careless sister. Her brother James loves Hannah but can’t stand up to his mother. James avoids family difficulties. When he’s overwhelmed he leaves Hannah to fend for herself. Hannah is confronted by the misunderstood actions on the part of Mr. Jonathan Carter who has bought the neighboring property, intending to make a home for his mother and sister. Jonathan’s father made the family fortune in trade in the West Indies. The family is wealthy and Jonathan had continued with the family business until their return to England.
A tortuous relationship fleetingly shines between Hannah and Jonathan but their road to happiness is never sure, and is stymied not only by Hannah’s mother’s actions, but sometimes her own.
I enjoyed the changing perspective from Hannah’s to Jonathan’s, as each gave their view on the situations they confronted.
A pleasing romance an interesting plot.

A Covenant Communications ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Hannah has a condition that spells spinsterhood. Jonathan comes from new money where he is barely tolerated in her social circles. After a few brief meetings fraught with misunderstandings, the two build a tenuous relationship that day by day becomes stronger. However, could outside forces tear them apart?

When I saw the beautiful cover and the reviews I was salivating to get my hands on this book, but did I read the same one everyone was raving about? Alas, I seem to be on a different wavelength. Bless the author and the reviewers who loved Unseen Love. It wasn't for me.

Have you ever been to a party with people you never met, and after thirty minutes, you're sure you have no interest in knowing them better? That's how I felt about the major characters. Jonathan was prickly. His fallback position with acquaintances was haughtiness or attack mode. Hannah was a weeper. Big Time. I lose patience when heroines cry four to six times. How about thirty? Every time there was another errant tear, my eyes almost rolled out of my head. As for their romance, it moved in stages from Jonathan's blatant hostility, guilt, neutrality, friendship and wait, what? Love? How did that happen? I need the pretty. Where were the romantic words and sentiments?

Then, there were some wonky family members. I won't get into details so as not to spoil anything, but their behavior didn't stem from organic origins. They could run the gamut from nice to mean and back again, or cruise along the mean highway then plunge off a cliff of pure hatred. I was hoping for a reveal to explain it. Had even devised my own theory, but nope. I guess the author was reaching for high drama which didn't work for me.

My thanks to NetGalley and Covenant Communications for the e-ARC. All opinions are my own.