A beautiful story about a mother's love. Eleanora was a mother who I could relate to in so many ways. This was a wonderful story!

Nora is an intriguing character. Married off to an old baron while barely more than a child herself, she has found a surprising level of inner strength and fortitude. Ridley is a mystery; a man with a past he refuses to speak of, even to those who know him well.

Amelia is a kindhearted and sweet child, despite the upheaval she experiences. Edward's anger is understandable from a boy who has lost his father, even though that father was horrible.

While this novel touches on some heavy topics; bereavement, abuse, neglect, and so forth, it felt like it was missing some depth. Too much of the story focuses on Nora and Ridley and their reactions to each other, instead of showing the interactions between the children or Edward's character development. A lot was told instead of shown.

An enjoyable story for when you're looking for an easy read to pass the time.

In Windsong Manor, by Julie Wright, you will meet Eleanor Coventry on the opening page. Nora, who married a much older gentleman at the age of fifteen, is now twenty-seven. As her husband, Lord Coventry, is dying, Nora learns that, besides caring for her own son, she must also raise this man’s illegitimate daughter after his death. This situation is almost too much!

After her husband’s death, Nora moves her family to Windsong Manor, one of her family’s estates in the countryside. She hopes this move will have a positive effect on both of her children. When Nora and her family meet Ridley Ellis, one of the stable masters, they have no idea how their lives are about to change!

Ridley seems to have a way with both horses and with people. You’ll be surprised, when the secret Ridley has been hiding, finally comes to light!

So I started this story and was enjoying it overall. I liked the characters and general synopsis of the story. The only thing that kept annoying me was that Eleanora and Ridley were just sooooo perfect! Ridley had no faults, he was almost godlike and Eleanora's only flaw seemed to be that she thought she was flawed. So I gave up reading it to complete another review but when I came back to finish it I was so annoyed because I quick too soon, right before all the drama! The drama brought out the characters flaws and improved the story so much. The characters were still too perfect but it was a good feel-good escape read with a good amount of romance. A very satisfying ending!

Eleanora Coventry was wed at just sixteen to a much older man who merely wanted an heir. He controlled every aspect of her life, and on his deathbed, forces a promise that she will raise his illegitimate daughter as her own. Eleanora agrees, and soon after she is widowed, moves her son and new daughter to their country estate. The stablemaster there, Ridley Ellis, evokes feelings in her she’s never felt before, but she is overwhelmed with a son who is well on the path of becoming just like his late father—unfeeling and cruel, along with her new daughter who misses her old home. Ridley becomes a haven for Eleanora, but their growing feelings for each other complicate everything. Can they risk everything—including her guardianship over her son—for a chance at love?

This heartfelt romance is very relatable with interwoven themes of how family relationships can affect us throughout our lives. Eleanora had once dreamed of love and marriage, and what she endured smothered that dream—or so she thought. She wants to be a good mother, but outside influences have affected how her son sees her. Eleanora also faces the difficulty of trying to blend a family when she becomes the mother to a girl who misses her birth family. Throughout it all, Eleanora does an admirable job of handling the situations she’s been given. But her relationship with Ridley, a calming influence on everyone involved, is all the sweeter when he shares her burdens and helps her see her true worth. It’s not all smooth sailing, however, when Ridley is hiding a pretty big secret. His own background has taken him on a life path he didn’t expect and it finally catches up to him, adding a thread of suspense to the book and one more obstacle they must overcome on their journey to a hoped-for happily-ever-after. Readers will enjoy this tender, slow-burn romance that, while it has a more modern flair to it, will still immerse the reader in the world of Windsong Manor and the life Eleanora hopes to build with Ridley and her children.

An enthralling, unforgettable story of love and hope featuring dynamic characters.
Many thanks to Shadow Mountain Publishing and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book is SO GOOD! It is full of heart, moving, romantic, heartbreaking, heartwarming, and so much more. Whenever I picked up "Windsong Manor", I was whisked back in time, and went on such an emotional journey with this story.

Such a sweet and beautiful cover my goodness!

Julie Wright is such a phenomenal author, whose writing is visceral, full of so much heart, and powerful. Her worldbuidling, storytelling, and characters all jump right off of the page, and I was truly immersed in this story from the first page to the last.

Nora is such a kind-hearted, strong, loving, and brave woman. When her cruel husband dies, Eleanora and kiddos Edward and Lia move to a country estate. Ridley, a stable-master at the estate, is such a sweet and welcoming man who immediately does what he can to help them, and make them feel comfortable and safe.

(Possible Spoilers!)
Nora and Ridley truly bring out the best in each other, and support one another on such a deep level. They help one another begin to heal. Full of tender moments, moments thad had me on the edge of my seat hoping everything would work out okay, secrets, and so much more, this book truly is so powerful and poignant.

If you enjoy Historical Romance, I highly recommend this book! I so look forward to reading what Julie Wright writes next!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the e-ARC of this book, and to Shadow Mountain Publishing for the beautiful physical ARC as well! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Please Note: This book deals with some extremely heavy topics.

I thought this was a good book by Julie Wright. I enjoyed the characters and seeing Eleanora and Ridley fall in love even though they thought it was impossible to be together. I also liked how Ridley helped to teach Eleanora’s children how to be good people. I enjoyed this romance and the unexpected things that were revealed at the end.

I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors.  A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

The story takes place in the London Countryside in the 1820's. Widow Eleanora Coventry and stable master Ridley Ellis' story. I found this to be a beautiful, well written story with a very good storyline. I was happy to see them get a happy ending with all the ups and downs they went through. The story is well worth reading. I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Such a sweet story of overcoming circumstances for love! Julie does a great job of weaving stories that are not only engaging, but provoke deep emotion.

Oopssssss…I was wondering why this book was still listed in my NetGalley. I thought I had written a review. Good ole adhd strikes again. Mentally checked off before actually completing.

Anywho. I really enjoyed this. The family dynamic of having to take care of a son who takes after his awful father and a daughter who was your dead husband’s with his mistress? THEN a stable master who’s swooning everytime she comes by? Yes to the yes. Yes squared.

A beautiful love story between two people who have been disappointed time and again in life. Honestly who can’t relate?

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this arc.

Windsong Manor is a sweet Clean Regency romance written by author Julie Wright. I enjoyed that this story had a unique setting and felt with some really hard issues it was nice to stray away from the usual ballroom scenes.

The main characters Nora and Ridley were both really good people in bad situations. I enjoyed their love story and the interactions with the children.

While I liked the premise of this book it was hard for me to get into. There were also quite a few inaccurate/unbelievable details that were distracting.

Windsong Manor was such a beautiful story of family, love, and finding your true self. I instantly loved the main characters Eleanora, AKA Nora and Ridley. They were likable and were both good people in bad situations. It was nice to have a Regency story not always taking place in the ballroom or in a tearoom. I loved how much horses and the stable were part of this story.

The author does a beautiful job writing the children, the sad and terrible situations, and the romance. Nora is portrayed as a woman who finds her strength that she's never had before. Ridley decides to not hide and come out to help others more, even at his own risk of being discovered. I even enjoyed seeing the growth from the children Edward and Lia that went from constantly fighting to showing love and support to one another.

This Proper Romance is clean, some angst intertwined, a few really bad guys, and sweet romance. Julie Wright has written one of her best books ever in the romance category. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

DNF for me. I definitely rode the struggle bus on this one. The premise is sweet, and I love a good romance, but it just felt clunky. Inaccuracies everywhere, the kids talk more adult than the actual adults, and it just felt unpolished. If you can look beyond that, it truly is a sweet story.

Thanks netGalley for the eARC and opportunity to review.

“What’s the point of having money if you can’t be reckless with it now and again?”

That quote really doesn’t have anything to do with the plot of this book, but I liked it and wanted to share it. 😄

Nora’s husband’s deathbed confession threw her for a loop - he admitted he had a daughter with another woman, and he’s demanding she raise her as her own. Add to that his stipulation that his attorney keep watch to make sure their young son is being taught to properly be a baron or else he will be taken away from her, it’s not wonder Nora feels the need to get away from the city. Ridley works in the stable at Windsong Manor, and is perfectly happy to not have the old baron in residence. When he hears the baroness is going to make Windsong Manor her primary home, Ridley thinks it might be time to move on so his secrets can stay secret.

I really enjoyed reading Windsong Manor! I loved how Nora came to be her own woman, despite the trials her late husband threw at her. I liked seeing her relationships with her children evolve, and of course, I liked Nora and Ridley together! This is a really good proper romance book

Windsong Manor by Julie Wright is quite a unique Regency romance! I enjoyed getting to read about aspects of Regency life that I normally don’t get to. I think I would have enjoyed aspects of this story more if I were a parent myself, but this book will definitely appeal to many audiences. 3.5/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Widowed Eleanora is left to manage her surly young son and the illegitimate daughter of her deceased husband under the direction of a less than helpful guardian. She takes the children to their country estate in order to gain more control over their future.
There was so much to enjoy in this book: mistaken identity, forbidden love, and a thoughtfully written setting. I struggled a bit with some historical details that were portrayed inaccurately (I was pretty surprised they weren't caught and corrected in edits), but otherwise loved the unique romance for the genre.
Thank you to Shadow Mountain for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

This was a lovely regency novel! I loved the whole premise and was surprised by the twists! Love that! I really enjoyed the characters and descriptions of the manor and surrounding area! Beautiful book!

Windsong Manor is a great read! Historically, in the land of royal peerages, women had few, if any, choices. This story show the strength of the heroine to discover evil and use her title to bring justice and recognition of human worth, regardless of wealth or title. A great love story full of intrigue and victory!

This is another amazing, powerful book from one of my favorite authors. Julie Wright did an exceptional job writing this story. I enjoy books that make me think and make me cry. My heart ached for Eleanor. She had many, many things thrown at her in such a challenging way. But I loved her growth in finding her strength and managing through her struggles. So many wonderful characters. Ridley, to name one I enjoyed immensely.

Thank you to the publisher for the Netgalley approval. All views and opinions expressed are my own.