If you love … Regency romance, a family saga, seaside adventures, fascinating history, and a wonderful hero,
then you’ll enjoy this book!

* I received a complimentary copy of this book.
I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC guidelines.

A wonderful sequel to this second series by Julie Klassen. I would definitely recommend reading the first in the series first as you’ll have more background in the characters seen in this book. The plot was well developed and had a good pace - kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next. Plenty of romance and a little mystery as well. I honestly cannot wait until the final installment in this series!

The Summers sisters from Sea View return in this second book in the On Devonshire Shores series. This time there's royalty in the neighborhood, as a Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathern, takes a house nearby. Real Sidmouth history comes to life as the sisters interact with the duke and duchess and their baby girl.

There's a love triangle as the past reappears and new friends are made. Who is trustworthy? Will anyone claim a sister's heart before the end of the novel?

One of my favorite parts of the story had to do with the poorhouse and how the Summerses and others banded together to help with the needs of this part of their community.

I enjoyed catching up with the sisters again, though I found it a bit hard to dive back into their world without more of a refresher on the personality of Sarah, Emily, and Viola. That could have more to do with this reader than any fault of the author. I am very much looking forward to the conclusion of this series, which has brought so many delightful characters to life.

I received my copy of the book from NetGalley. All thoughts in this review are my own.

A Winter by the Sea is by far my favorite I have read by Julie Klassen to date. I loved getting to know Emily. I highly recommend her story for those who love historical fiction, particularly regency era. Five stars.

The Second Volume in Klassen’s new trilogy surrounding the Summers sisters continues their story with Royal visitors coming to Sidmouth. The Duke and Duchess of Kent come to their hotel, bringing their entourage and with them the fascinating James Thomson, the Duke’s private secretary.

I’m not very familiar with the history of this period, so I found out the Duke and Duchess of Kent were the parents of Queen Victoria, and the future Queen makes an appearance as a baby. The royal visit brings drama, intrigue and also ultimately, tragedy as well as a second chance of love for one of the Summers women who is an aspiring author. There’s also a possible pirate/smuggler – after all it is Cornwall.
In Julie Klassen’s usual signature style this story delivers interesting, developed characters, slow-burning romance and a fascinating historical backdrop. Again, the romance is not front and centre and I wasn’t even sure if it would end as romances normally do. The stories about the townspeople and each family member were more important than the romance too, which I preferred.

There is no necessity to have read the first book in the series, The Sisters of Sea View, but it helps to provide the backstory of some of the characters, and why they started their own business as the owners of a hotel. I would recommend this for lovers of Regencies but also those who enjoy stories like Cranford, Middlemarch and Sanditon: stories which cover a wide range of characters and their lives in a town or village rather than focusing on only a few.

Thanks to Bethany House for approving me for this title via Netgalley. This did not influence my review which is entirely my own opinion.

A Winter by the Sea by Julie Klassen is the second On Devonshire Shores series novel. As with all of Julie Klassen’s books I’ve read, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Sidmouth is such an interesting setting, and the author does a fantastic job of bringing the seaside town and its colorful residents to life. I loved walking the streets and esplanade of Sidmouth with Emily and Sarah and touring the many historical sites as Emily took notes for her guidebook. And besides being in such a beautiful and charming town, this book is full of unique snippets of history. Including the Duke and Duchess of Kent and their young daughter, Victoria, in the story added a uniqueness to the historical aspect of the novel.
I enjoyed getting to know the Summers family and felt nice and cozy in their seaside home. The vivid cast of characters kept me invested in the many storylines and kept me turning pages late into the night. I loved baking with Sarah and Mr. Bernardi, being adventurous with Georgiana, and discovering genuine love with Emily. If I could reserve a room at Sea View, I would!
Overall, I adored A Winter by the Sea and look forward to the next book in the series. Any fan of Regency romance will enjoy visiting Sidmouth and the Summers sisters!
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher with no expectations of a positive review. All opinions are my own.

For me, this book was just.. meh.

This is the second book in the "On Devonshire Shores" series. I really enjoyed the first book, "The Sisters of Sea View", but the same characters in this book felt foreign and distant from the reader and each other compared to the last book.
"A Winter By The Sea" read more like a stiff-toned Regency read than a whimsical seaside historical romance.

I think if these books were a bit shorter, and had more relaxed dialogue instead of as many descriptions of scenery, I think they would read more easily.

If you're a fan of Bridgerton and Downton Abbey (I'm not, nothing personal to those of the fandoms) you might love this book.

Things I didn't like:
-a scene where two characters (a male and a female) are reading on the couch late at night and both accidentally fall asleep. This was just kinda thoughtless and made it look like they might have been..well you know.
-an embarassing scene where a character has a low cut dress and the book mentions her lifted bosom showing when she accidentally happens upon a houseguest. Why would you memtion that? This was awkward, so inappropriate and didn't add anything to the story at all.

I don't think I'll continue with this series, and I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone for two reasons: I personally found it to be rather boring, and those weird scenes.

Anyways, thank you to Bethany House Publishers for the complimentary e-book I received to review through Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review and the thoughts above are my own.

Four sisters, Sarah, Emily, Viola, and Georgiana, along with their mother make up the main characters in this second book in the series "On Devonshire Shores". In the last book, Viola has married, but lives next door. Sarah is the responsible one determined to make their guest house a success; Emily wants nothing more than to publish a book and marry her childhood sweetheart, and Georgiana just wants to enjoy life to the fullest.
The story is told in a back-and-forth manner between Emily and Sarah and I just really enjoyed it. It's historical fiction in the fact that the Duke of Kent truly did winter in Sidmouth, but the rest I will not mention since it gives away a little too much of the story if you don't know the history.
These sisters are so likeable you just want to root for them, you just want them to succeed. They are struggling to make their guesthouse a success so they can survive and yet they are more than willing to give to help those poorer than then, especially Sarah.
Emily has some lessons to learn in this book including the need to lean on God and to pray for wisdom and for others. She needs to learn to think outside herself a little more. She learns what qualities really matter in a man Someone in the family needs to learn about loyalty and love and what that looks like in the culture of her time when any threat of scandal was hastily hushed and the perpetrators dashed away to isolation. But what really is important in family? I hope the next book answers that question for all of us.
I received this book from Bethany House via NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I’ve been anticipating this second book in the On Devonshire Shores series and once I got reacquainted with all the characters I was hooked. The writing is easy to follow and there is a lot going on, just like her other book, but it’s so neat to read about everyone’s story, focusing on one in particular. The actual historical events of Princess Victoria and her parents was a neat addition. I loved how the entire book flowed and am excited to read about the next sister.

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

Rejoin Sarah and Emily for another book set in Sidmouth. The Duke and Duchess of Kent have come to Sidmouth with their infant daughter, Victoria. Some of their household stays with our heroines. And once again, love is in the offing. This time Emily must decide between Charles and the new man in her life.

I greatly appreciated that Emily must decide between what she always thought she wanted, and what is good for her now. I loved the ending. The biggest downside was that Viola wasn't too much in the story. I liked her a lot and missed her perspective. I also like how Klassen interviews fact and fiction to make a fun story.

I just loved returning to Sidmouth to visit the Summers sisters. This is the second in a four book series (one more novel and a Christmas novella are in the works) that chronicles the Summers sisters as they settle into a new life in a coastal British town running a guest house following the death of their father.

These books are easy reads. They feel reminiscent of Jane Austen crossed with Louisa May Alcott. They are sweet and clean, with just enough angst and intrigue to keep you engaged. And I love the way they blend historical fact with fiction. (This one chronicled the birth of Queen Victoria and the untimely death of her father, Prince Edward.)

A huge thanks to @bethanyhousefiction for this complimentary copy to review honestly, and to my friend Renee for introducing me to Julie Klassen when I got back into reading a few years ago.

Emily Summers and her family own a guest house by the beach. When the royal family comes to town, the Summers family is asked to host the royal staff. Mr. Thornton, the royal secretary is one of the guests, and has his heart set on Emily. The only problem is, she has been longing for her childhood sweetheart to propose.

This book has all the things that I love! A man in uniform, a close bond between sisters, a bed and breakfast, volunteering at the homeless shelter, and even a hostage situation! I do wish that this book was a bit faster paced, but all in all, it was a wonderful Christian romance.

#christianromance #historicalromance #julieklassen #closeproximity #maninuniform #royalfamily #bedandbreakfast #hostage #cleanromance #romance #bookstagram #bookreview #sisters

A Winter by the Sea is the second book in the "On Devonshire Shores" series. I struggled at first to remember who everyone was from the first book, but eventually I think I figured it out.

Emily had a bit of a love triangle romance, which I didn't personally enjoy...I liked how it ended up, but the process wasn't my favorite.

The book was written well and I think fans of this genre will enjoy it. I'm really curious about their one sister, who I hope we get to learn more about in a future story. All in all, I liked this book.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

The Summers family, forced to retrench and keep a boarding house, enter the season of winter wondering if they'll be able to book enough lodgers and meet their expenses. News arrives, however, that the Duke of Kent (brother to the Prince Regent) will be staying at nearby Woolbrook Cottage with his family, and the royal retinue reserves places at the Summers' boarding house for several lesser members of the party.

Emily Summers, the beauty of the family, has already had the misfortune of being deceived and disappointed by gentlemen about their intentions. When James Thomson, the duke's handsome private secretary, begins to seek out her company, she wonders if any of his interest is real. Complicating the matter is the arrival of Emily's former beau, Charles Parker, a man whom Emily still yearns for. Charles had distanced himself from the Summers after the oldest sister Claire became a fallen woman, but now he seems ready to let bygones be bygones and renew his addresses to Emily. Will Emily choose him or his erstwhile schoolmate James Thomson?

The rivalry between Charles Parker and James Thomson is depicted well as they "practice" fencing with one another. Charles has always been better trained, and yet, James Thomson is the one who seems to be able to come to a lady's rescue when it really counts.

While the previous book in the series involved some delightful portrayals of Jane Austen characters, this book is far more historical in nature, following the arrival, stay, illness, and death of the future Queen Victoria's father, the Duke of Kent. The book shows how shocking it was for a measly cold to destroy the life of one of the heirs to the throne. It shows the German heritage of the royal family, and glimpses of the desolated duchess and strict Captain Conroy who would control the child Victoria's life as she grew into her eventual role as queen of England.

As with the previous novel, the story is a complex one, with many threads woven in and out of the tale involving the various Summer sisters. In one thread of the story, Emily continues to exercise her skills as a writer, editing a memoir by one of their elderly friends and writing a guidebook to their small seaside town. Her decision to write for the rival to her favorite bookstore owner causes her almost as much angst as her decision whether to renew her romance with Charles Parker.

The story is peppered with interesting side details about the duke's depressed table dresser (the man who gets to guard the silver candlesticks and set a fancy table), the duke's volatile pastry chef (whose delicious cuisine is quite exotic in Sidmouth), older sister Sarah Summer's continuing efforts to maintain the inn (and avoid too much fraternizing with the pastry chef), and younger sister Viola's efforts to support the poor house (with the support of her dashing husband from the previous book).

The rich tapestry of historical detail and family relationships make this a novel well worth the reader's time. Recommended.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I fell in love with book one and could not wait to return to 1800s Sidmouth. This book gives us family, friendships, below and above stairs, a peek into Queen Victoria's early childhood, second chance love, and new love, among so much more.
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Klassen creates a beautiful Regency world with realistically flawed characters who you want to shake but also console. The series focuses on a family who have fallen upon hard times and must rent out their home to lodgers. As they learn to live with their new circumstances they also learn about themselves, with struggles and goals we all can relate to. In this book I enjoyed learning about Emily and finding her way to herself but also her HEA.
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Absolutely recommend it if you enjoy wholesome journeys to the Regency Era with beautiful characters in an idyllic seaside town.

(3.5 / 5)

When Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent and Strathearn, and his family come to spend the winter in Sidmouth, the Summers sisters' guest house becomes host to three members of the prince's staff. Emily Summers finds herself drawn to the duke's private secretary, even though she is still holding out hope for a renewal of a relationship she'd left behind when the family first moved to Sidmouth. Meanwhile, Sarah Summers has to deal with the duke's junior chef invading her kitchen, and the third guest harbors secrets that may lead the sisters into danger.

It’s a little difficult to boil this book down to a succinct summary, because there’s so much going on. Each book in the series so far has given insight into more than one of the sisters living at Sea View, while focusing in on one sister. In the previous book, we see Viola fall in love, and this time, the spotlight is on her twin sister Emily (and Viola is mostly in the background, comparatively). My favorite thing about this book is the way the author includes the real history of the duke's family visiting Sidmouth and what transpires during that visit. The brief quotes from real history books at the beginning of each chapter give hints into what will be coming in each chapter, and sometimes they can be seen as spoilers, but I liked the way they ground the book in reality. Though I will admit that the inclusion of the fortune teller was a bit more than I would have preferred in a book of this genre, considering the weight Emily gives to the woman's predictions, despite being warned against paying any attention to her by a woman who uses the Bible as her reference.

One of my biggest issues with this book, though, is the length. While in the previous book, there were 3 perspectives shown (Viola, Sarah, and Emily), there were only 2 in this book, yet it is just as long as the previous. I often felt like too much detail was included about things that aren't important, and the book could have been considerably shorter without hurting the main story or any of the side plots. Though I also question if all of the side plots were needed as well. I read and enjoyed the Tales from Ivy Hill trilogy by the same author, which was a similar kind of series with an ensemble set of main characters, but this one hasn't worked as well as the first one did, for me. I don't know if I can really explain why, but I think part of it is that a trope I noticed in the earlier series is simply wearing on me more in this series. That being that when one of the female MCs has a dramatic moment or is in come compromised state, despite the fact that there is a house/town full of people, it just so happens that the potential love interest for that character is in the area, and usually the only one in the area, so that they can have a moment. It's the kind of forced coincidence that I can let slide a few times, but it happens so often that it's now become boringly predictable.

There are a few threads that have gone through both of the books in this series that could be tied up in the third book, and at least one of them I very much hope to see expanded on, so I definitely plan to read the third book in the series and see what comes of those threads. After that, I may stick to stand-alone books by Klassen, because I have loved those I've read by her, but I'm a bit more rocky with these ensemble-cast series. Based on past experience, though, I have good reason to believe that most fans of Regency-era Christian romance will enjoy this book.

3.5

This is the second book in the series and it is not a stand alone novel. It was very slow going for me until about half way through when it suddenly became a page turner and caused me to make some very bad decisions. You have been forewarned.

Emily takes center stage in this book. I enjoy this story of sisters, their daily life and relatable challenges and feelings. The historical aspects were very interesting, though sad.

Some of Sarah's choices (*cough* following a man suspected of dangerous activity *cough*) were not bright and that frustrates me as a reader. I hate seeing intelligent women get themselves into totally avoidable life threatening situations because they pranced blindly (or stubbornly etc) into it. I could have done without that scene. Luckily it's the exception, not the rule here.

*SPOILERS*

I loved what Emily ultimately based her choice on - love for her sister. Though I thoroughly agreed with Viola that they were so poorly matched in a number of major ways that I didn't even think it needed to come to that. But I loved that Claire was such a high priority there. I hope we get a redemption story for her.

1819 - Sidmouth - Devonshire

Emily Summers lives with her mother and sisters Sarah, Georgie, and Claire. Her twin sister, Viola, is married and lives nearby. Emily has always longed to be a published writer but has yet to finish writing a book. The sisters are very close and loving.

They learn that the Duke of Kent, along with his wife and baby daughter, (the future Queen Victoria.), will be staying at nearby Woolbrook Cottage. Several of the duke’s staff will be staying at the Summers’s home as paying guests during the duke’s stay. The weather is cold and snowy.

Emily enjoys the company of Mr. Thomson, the duke’s private secretary. He enjoys reading history which intrigues her to read more herself. The proprietor of a lending library in town offers her the chance to prove her writing abilities. Somewhat intimidated, she agrees to his offer.

Emily has long loved Charles who was her neighbor and playmate when she was a child. She thought he would propose, but he didn’t and she has not seen him for a long time. Now, he and his family are staying in Sidmouth and she wonders if this might be the time he will propose. But, her friendship with Mr. Thomson draws her closer to him leaving her confused about her true feelings.

I hope I haven’t given out too many spoilers but there are so many wonderful plots in this book that perfectly weave together, I had to share some of them. I did not get to read the first book of this series but this one caught me up with the basic plot and characters. It is so wholesome and clean with warm family members which made me feel like a member of the family as I shared their lives, trials, and happiness. I loved this book and am a huge fan of Julie Klassen. Enjoy!

Copy provided by Bethany House and NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A Winter by the Sea takes readers back to Sidmouth, England, in 1819-20 and the lives of the Summers sisters. This time, the focus is on Emily, though we do (delightfully) get to catch up with Viola and see Sarah’s POV occasionally and her wistful outlook.

Emily experiences many new things during this story, many of them thanks to the arrival of part of the royal family in a nearby house. Her character is endearingly naive and optimistic. I like the way Klassen has painted her appropriately with a fresh approach to life and all it could hold coinciding with her longings for the remnants of her former young leisure, including a first love. Her romance plays out with a few surprises, matching her *so well* with an equally bookish, compassionate hero whose steady presence both encourages and challenges Emily for the good of them both.

Threaded through this story is an Austen-like ensemble of sisters, household, charming friends and servants, and persnickety folk like a society lass and houseguest or two. Klassen paints not just a focused portrait of Emily’s journey but a whole landscape of customs, country, charming relationships and friendships, all making the reader feel immersed in the lives of the Summers family, embracing their joys and trials right alongside.

I dearly enjoy stories like this that show a way of living so different from present day yet with relatable personalities, hopes, and dreams. I’m already anticipating a return to the lives of the Summers sisters in another novel to come — hopefully for Sarah’s reunion with a certain mister.

Thank you to Austenprose.com and the publisher for the digital review copy. This is my honest review.

Julie Klassen has done it again. I quite literaly could not put A Winter by the Sea down. Read it cover to cover in less than 30 hours and loved every minute of it. Master storytelling, lovely characters, gorgeous settings, heartwarming romance and the historical accounts were fantastic. This is the second book in the On Devonshire Shores regency romance series set in the charming coastal village of Sidmouth, England. Fans of Jane Austen and especially those who enjoyed Sandinton will espessially love this one, as the same town is said to have inspired Jane Austen's work.

While it would be nice to have read the first book in the series titled The Sisters of Sea View, which I also highly recommend if you love Little Women and regency romances in general, A Winter By The Sea is such a lovely read that one can enjoy without having read the first book. I cannot wait to read the third book in this series and go back to the Seaview cottage with the Summers sisters. Cozy, heartwarming, uplifting read of family, love and hope.

Thank you to NetGalley, Julie Klassen and Bethany House for the ARC.. While not required to post a review I am delighted to do so. All thoughts are my own.