"Highcliffe House" by Megan Walker is an absolutely delightful sweet regency romance, perfect for summer reading! I have been eager to read this book ever since I saw the gorgeous cover reveal, and it certainly did not disappoint.

Graham Everett is trying to make his way in the world and support his mother and sisters through wise business investments. His most ambitious plan yet is the purchase of a large parcel of land in Brighton that he wants to develop into cottages as the seaside tourism industry booms. In order to be successful, he will need the financial backing of his mentor Mr. Lane. Graham's only hurdle is that he first has to convince Mr. Lane's petulant daughter Anna that the project is worth her father's money during the course of her visit to Brighton. Anna, however, is nursing a heartbreaking betrayal and is determined to stymie their business partnership so that she can finally have some quality time alone with her father away from vicious town gossip.

With the seaside setting and real estate haggling of Sanditon, an impoverished but close knit family akin to Sense and Sensibility, and a pair of snarky enemies (to something more?) for our hero and heroine that reminded me of North and South, "Highcliffe House" is sure to be enjoyed by anyone who loves Regency and Victorian literature and enjoys seeing those tropes come alive again in proper historical romance novels!

*DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC of this book from Shadow Mountain Publishing through NetGalley for the purposes of providing an unbiased review.*

Highcliffe House is a fun story with likable characters, I really appreciated the growth the main characters had. What a great reminder that there’s so much we don’t see or know about a person, and getting to know them can really help us understand what makes them the way they are.

I really enjoyed this proper romance. I would recommend to those who love clean love stories with depth.

Highcliffe House is my newest favorite Regency Romance! If you like Edenbrooke and Lakeshire Park, then you will love this one. Megan Walker's writing keeps getting better and better.

This book has…
🌊 Regency Time period
🌊 Enemies to Lovers
🌊 The sweetest family setting
🌊 Time by the Sea
🌊 The best compromise at the end

Overall I really loved Highcliffe House. II’ll be rereading it soon!

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book!

Oh this book was just beautiful from start to finish! An enemies to lovers that hit all the boxes! I was enthralled throughout with the beautiful descriptions of the scenery and the smart and moving banter between the main characters and the delightful family! I am so glad I have it also in paperback! Definitely a re-read! Enjoy!

Thank you to Net Galley and Shadow Mountain for this opportunity, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Highcliffe House is a sweetly enjoyable regency romance set in delightful coastal town on Brighton. Anna is an only child, albeit an adult, but still desirous of her father’s time and attention. Much to her consternation, his time, money, and attention are often sought after by investors and businessmen. Anna would like to be seen and desired for her own natural merits, not what her dowry or what her father’s connections contribute to a potential match. Graham does not have a father and deeply values and respects Mr. Lane’s opinions. The two have built a relationship based on mutual trust and friendship. Unfortunately, Anna and Graham have goaded each other for years, focusing on all the negative qualities of the other. When Mr. Lane pairs them to evaluate the benefit of an investment in Brighton, everything is on the line. I was pleasantly surprised by Anna’s willingness to drop some of her walls when she did, but it was a perfect match to Graham being so caring and responsible with his family. Brighton offers each the opportunity to see the true nature of the other person and realize how wrong some of their perceptions have been. I really enjoyed both main characters, as well as the supporting characters, the location, and the pace of the writing. I would gladly recommend this to others who enjoy clean, sweet regency romances by the sea.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

Just delightful! She never disappoints in her story telling! This is enemies to lovers done to perfection! I seriously can’t get over the absolute chemistry and banter that we get to experience. If there is anything I have learned about enemies to lovers, is that it is a fine line between hate and love.

A top 5 book of the year so far. And for it being half way through, it will probably stay there.

Megan Walker has created a book that truly kept me awake at night. I didn't want to put it down. 2 am was my bed time with this book.

I loved how the MCs came to see one another and built upon a relationship they already had-strained as it started. I loved seeing the joy and safety they found the longer they were together.

And that kiss.

Highly recommend! It gets an easy 5 stars.

Walker's writing is captivating and character-driven, immersing readers in the Regency society. At first, the characters harbor mutual disdain and prejudice towards each other, but as circumstances force them into close proximity, they gradually gain a deeper understanding. I appreciated the evolution of their relationship from animosity to friendship, and the emotional depth it added to the story. Fans of clean Regency romance will find this book both touching and wholesome.

What more can you ask for than banter and an ocean? What a sweet and swoony read. Getting off on the wrong foot, Graham and Andrea find the way into each other's hearts, with adventure and passion along the way. What a great read.

"Can I keep you forever? Even if everything falls apart and all we have left is each other?"

Read if you like:
* Enemies to Lovers
* Forced Proximity
* Dual POV
* Witty/Flirty Banter
* Clean Regency Romance
* Found Family

"Surely you know by now...all I want is you."
This quote!!! This is how I feel about this book. I will be clearing a spot on my bookshelves for all future books written by Megan Walker!
Enemies to lovers with forced proximity has always been my favorite, but this book is something special. The enemies to lovers transition is perfectly paced and utterly believable. The sparkling wit, crackling chemistry, and swoon worthy romance are masterfully done. And that kiss...sigh! If you love the historical romance genre, you do not want to miss this book!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an arc of this book, all opinions are my own.

Enemies-to-lovers fans, I’ve got your next read and you are not going to be disappointed! “Highcliffe House” from Megan Walker is absolutely phenomenal! I was blown away by this one. The banter! The swoon! The enemies! This is everything that I love about an enemies-to-lovers romance.

Anna and Graham were truly enemies. This wasn’t an enemies for a couple of chapters turned happily ever after. It was a slow and beautiful change. I loved how Anna and Graham’s relationship grew throughout the book.

“Highcliffe House” also had all the things that make a great story in general. The side characters were delightful and hilarious. I felt all the feelings. I laughed, cried, was frustrated, and swooned. I was taken to Brighton and had fun “being” there and imagining the sights. I loved it!

“Highcliffe House” is a wonderful addition to Megan Walker’s line up and one I will be revisiting again soon!

5 stars - but only if you are okay with suspending some disbelief and seeing the story as a whole instead of in separate little pieces

So here's the thing, this book had things that bothered me, but what I loved about it far outweighed any annoyances. I mean it was the world's best cookie with the occasional butterscotch chip thrown in. I don't love those, but the cookie was so good that the occasional imperfect bite still didn't change the fact that it was the best cookie ever! :)
K, so this book isn't perfect or the best in the world, but my oh my it had my heart and my attention. The first person dual POV for the main characters had me in their heads and hearts and I loved seeing their world/story that way.
Yes, somethings are a bit slow, or a bit unbelievable, but the heart that is woven through the setting, characters, and plot overcome all of that for me. It was never slow or unbelievalbe for very long and if I could just wait a few pages usually my concerns were completely smoothed over with what happened next.
This definitely has more emphasis on attraction and kissing than a Jane Austen book, but is still very much closed-door.
Yes, the characters get together very quickly, but somehow this whirlwind romance worked for me.
My biggest compalint by far is that every book I've picked up since I have given up on because I want every book to be as enjoyable as Highcliffe House.
Whom do I recommend this book to?
Regency Romance fans that like closed-door, first person dual POV, seaside setting, society rules/customs of the time period, cozy cottages filled with more love than money, a rich and motherless heiress trying to find people to love her and not just her money, the most adorable and precocious little sister, and long, indulgent kisses.
Happy reading!

"I want to be with him. I want to be beside him. Is that not the point of loving someone? To walk through hardships together?"

My rating: 4.25 stars

Megan has done it again. She made me fall in love with her incredible writing, her well-rounded characters, and her heart-filled story.

Oh, how sweet this book was. Graham and Anna were the best kind of rivals-to-lovers. Watching them come together and overcome prejudices and assumptions was, in a word, delightful. Besides their love story, the banter and games were incredibly fun, and I found myself laughing loud and often throughout their antics.

And the setting, oh my word. Megan painted the seaside town of Brighton so vividly with her words, there were times I could swear I was smelling the salty, briny air and could hear the waves crashing to shore. Now I feel a call to go and visit the coastal town for myself and see all the marvelous things that Graham and Anna saw.

A few parts of the story felt a little slow for me, so it took me a little longer than normal to finish this book, but I still enjoyed my journey with Anna and Graham. And Tabs. Tabs was darling. :)

There is so much heart in this story. It's clear that love and attention to detail went into every facet of this plot and the writing, and the resulting story was incredibly lovely. Megan has a way with words, and I cannot wait to see what she has next for us.

Definitely recommend for anyone and everyone.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Shadow Mountain and the author for my copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

General Notes:
Author: Megan Walker
Format: Ebook
Genre: Historical romance
Language: None
Romance: Kisses
Violence: None
Trigger/Content warnings: Death of a parent (off page, prior to beginning of story)

#BookReview : Highcliffe House by Megan Walker

I loved this book! It's a delightfully fresh take on the enemies-to-lovers trope in a Regency setting. Anna and Everett, both as stubborn as mules, were certain they hated each other. Well, maybe more on Anna's perspective. But the sparks started flying when they found themselves thrown together on a trip to Brighton.

Highcliffe House was a surprise for Anna, but Tabitha's presence was an even bigger one! I'm so glad the author included her character. Tabs, with her child's view, added a whole new layer of fun to the story. She just made me laugh. I loved that Everett treated Anna was respect. His love for his family was admirable. Showing her the beauty of Brighton was fun, including the fishing trip. Though it was a tad too long for me , it turned out great for everyone.

I highly recommend this book for regency romance readers!

Rating : 4.5 ⭐

Pub date : 07 May 2024

Thank you to the publisher and #netgalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Sigh. Sometimes you just need a sweet regency novel. Its weird, they make me feel nostalgic and I love it.

If you like Brighton, water, precocious sisters, enemies to more, sweet, regency romances, look no further!

I loved this one! Loved that where there could have easily been a miscommunication trope, the characters actually talked about the issues. I loved the way the main characters challenged each other, and the exploration of that fine line between love and hate.

“Tell him you think he’s handsome and you’d like to marry him. That should send him running back to his study.”

Enemies-to-more, forced proximity, mixing in a little business, an adorable little sister, and a picturesque seaside setting all make for an un-put-down-able book.

It’s hard to put into words how much I LOVE this book. I’m not usually at a loss of words when it comes to books but every word, every scene, everything was so incredibly put together that any words I try and use won’t do it justice.

If you’re a historical romance fan and have been measuring every book to a fellow Proper Romance book like Edenbrooke, this book is at an Edenbrooke level of awesomeness. And I don’t say that lightly. This book is hands down one of my all-time favorite historical romances ever to exist.

It’s funny, clever, witty, swoony and I’m not sure I’ll ever get over this book hangover. A part of me hopes I never do. The characters come alive and are flawed, but seeing their character arcs make them so real and the romance even sweeter.

I would love to give this book a million stars and all of the praise. If you want to read one of the best books ever written-bump this one to the top!

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

Content: loss of loved ones, feeling neglected/left behind, rivals, romance-kisses only

In a most unexpected turn of events, Anna finds herself journeying on the behalf of her father to Brighton to oversee a business opportunity. She above all else has plans to shut it down as the deplorable Graham Lane is at the head of the venture. Between their misgivings and notions, the pair finds themselves surprised that there's more to the other than they've thus far discovered.
This book is incredible! I loved, loved, LOVED everything about it. And that scene in the stairwell after fishing? Absolute gold. Megan did a fantastic job delivering on all of the feelings: the pride, conceit, disdain, curiosity, development of affection, love, and support. I adored Lakeshire Park and this one is just as much of a knockout. I highly recommend for fans of historical romance, particularly regency.
Thank you to Shadow Mountain and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

Ahhh, Megan Walker is an author that weaves such beautiful love stories. This one had me captivated from the first page. An enemies to lovers historical romance, the original plot provides first person perspectives into the thoughts and feelings of the H and h.

This first person vantage point gives depth to these insightful characters as they are forced to explore their daunting relationship. Neither can believe that the other could have a heart for anyone but themselves. Crass statements, frustrating encounters and selfish endeavors soon fade to the shock of enamored feelings, flutters and sighs. With playful banter in between, our MCs go through several plot twists to hopefully find their HEA. This is definitely a story I will read again.

This book is suitable for teens and older with no inappropriate intimate scenes and no bad language. I received this book from the author/publisher free of charge, with no expectation of a positive review.