I can't wait to explore more works by this amazing author! This book took an unexpected turn, and I’m glad it did. The main character, a young lady, faced numerous challenges, even becoming embroiled in a political scandal. Her journey went from bad to worse, but it was captivating throughout. Don't worry, it has a satisfying ending. The story was both historically informative and enjoyable, with an element of romance woven in.

This was my first book by this author, and I was able to fully enjoy it. There is a helpful family chart at the beginning for reference, which provides more information if you'd like to read all the books in the series. However, this one can stand alone.

Thank you Shadow Mountain Publishing, Proper Romance, Karen Tuft, & @NetGalley. My opinions are given freely.

This is a sweet and clean romance with a bit of intrigue. Lady Anna and James come together by chance but end up traveling many miles together under less-than-ideal circumstances. No big surprise when they end up in love. I also thought there was something of a romance between Sparks and Mary but in the end I wasn't sure. They are secondary characters but since they are traveling with Lady Anna we see a lot of them and since Mary suffers from an upset stomach when traveling the reader spends a lot of time aware of them. Anna's determinization to find her brother is admirable but I don't think they would have succeeded without James.
I'm not very good with names and titles don't really stick in my head well so when the prince was called by 2 different names/titles I got confused. Initially I thought they were two different people and then it became apparent that they had to be one and the same so I had to go back to his first introduction into the story to figure out why a prince wasn't always called Prince. After that I was okay.
But I also had a few terms or phrases that pulled me out of the story. Was drinking chocolate in the regency era called hot cocoa? I don't know but whether it was or not it pulled me out of the story to think about it.
I liked the way the story ended. It was satisfying.

Potential triggers: war injuries, loss of loved one, grief
No sex or language
References to battlefield

I love James and Anna. They are both determined, kind, loving and good people. I also love the side characters of Mary and Sparks, servants of Lady Anna. I love that family and those we love take a prominent role in this book. I also loved that there were little miracles along the way towards the rewarding end. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

A historical romance with adventure and a search for a lost, wounded, soldier brother.

Loved James and Anna! All the other characters were great additions as well!

Fun story, kept me turning pages!

I loved reading about Anna. She is faced with heartache and loss as the book begins. But I loved her determination to set off to find her brother and to not give up no matter what until she had found him, or answers. She has a very sweet personality but has great strength. Especially during several scenes where things were playing out differently than she had imagined and her grit to stand tall and strong helped a certain person's esteem for her raise greatly.

Such a sweet and beautiful love story. James Jennings' heart is captured from the moment he meets Anna. He just might not know it. It was so fun to read about James and Anna's friendship to more story. It made my heart so happy! There's pain and sorrow and struggles after the war but they had each other, accompanied by two of the best servants, and they are very delightful to watch draw closer to each other throughout their journey. James is a steady and reliable, caring and loving character. He and Anna balance each other out very nicely!

I was drawn into this book and the descriptions of the setting, whether at Anna's family home, or crossing the water in the yacht, or the excursion in France. Add in some eccentric characters, a prince, soldiers, a devious character and a very loyal man servant and you're going to have a delightsome time reading this book.

Content: Clean. Some talk of war and the sorrows of it. Some kisses but nothing further.

I received a copy (physical and digital) from the author and publisher, Shadow Mountain Publishing, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing. I'm voluntarily leaving a review with my opinions.

Genre: Romance, Regency Romance, Proper Romance, Sweet Romance, Historical Romance, Christian Romance
Spice Level: Kissing

What an interesting premise! In LADY ANNA'S FAVOR, Anna goes on a quest (search) for her brother after reports of him being wounded. I loved how we saw a different slice of history with Napoleon trying to conquer and the aftermath with diplomacy efforts in Europe, the destruction of France, and how people were changed.

Anna takes some actions that would be so unusual for her time. I applaud this! Going to France when one doesn't know the language shows gumption. There were times I wished Anna was a little more proactive—such as learning the French sentence "Do you know my brother, Avery..." It's easy enough to understand "non" and "oui" and she could be a more active participant and less dependent on the French-speaking love interest. Was that a deal breaker? No, not at all.

This is a sweet couple and story, and the search was delightful with Sparks and Mary (the servants) who suffered along side Anna. I think this book could also be categorized as Christian Fiction because it shows the characters' reliance on God and in prayer.

I recommend this story historical romance readers.

Happy reading!

I did not realize that this was part of a series which I have not read, and it feels like there is more to the story of James Jennings especially in the beginning. However, it does stand alone for the most part and it's not necessary to read the books before. Lady Anna finds herself alone in the world and must find her brother to avoid the family estate being inherited by an incompetent rogue of a cousin, so she embarks on a dangerous journey. Thank goodness for her two faithful servants, but even with them, the journey may have been too much without the chance meeting of James on the ship to France. Their first meeting does not go so well, but James can’t help but be the gentleman and offer his services, as neither Anna nor her servants speak French. As he watches her face the hardships they encounter with determination and a brave face, his feelings begin to deepen. She, in turn, becomes so grateful for his help and begins to realize he is much more than the arrogant man she thought him to be at first. Right from the beginning, I knew how the story would end and there was very little in the way of surprises, but it was still an enjoyable read that would satisfy most clean regency romance readers. I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing but was not required to give a positive review.

“And James knew he was utterly in love. There was no turning back, in more ways than one.”

Sigh. This was such a sweet romance. Set in the aftermath of the Napoleon British war, Lady Anna courageously decides to travel to France in search of her brother who is listed as missing in action. While crossing the English Channel, she meets James, who takes it upon himself to assist her in her journey.

The forced proximity and hero trope worked so well in this book! I really loved how the couple came to care for each other while traveling and searching for Anna’s brother.

Overall it was a fantastic novel, I’ll definitely be rereading it again soon! Thank you to the publisher for the advance copy. A review was not required.

Lady Anna’s Favor by Karen Tuft, 272 pages. Shadow Mountain Publishing, 2024. $18.
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f” + British swears); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SOME
When Anna’s brother is reported as missing in action in France and presumed dead, the entailed estate is set to be inherited by her unsavory cousin. Unwilling to let her cousin ruin their family and drive her out of her home, Anna takes it upon herself to track down her brother—even if it means going to France herself with little knowledge of the language and accepting temporary companionship from a judgmental gentleman.
Tuft has written several books about the Jennings family, and the first few chapters of this book reference the previous stories heavily. After Anna Clifton and James Jennings cross paths, though, the rest of their story is independent of the books. Anna’s story is dramatic, full of desperate hope, underhanded tricks, and whirlwind romance. With a little suspended belief, it’s a fun read.
The characters are all European, mostly English and French. The mature content rating is for alcohol use, kissing, sexual harassment, innuendo, and mentions of rape. The violence rating is for mentions of war and blood and gore as well as for gun use.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

This isn't my first time reading a Karen Tuft book. Looking at my shelf, I've read one book by her which I gave 4 stars, the other I gave 2 stars.

I think the issues I had with this was that the writing was very stilted. There was no movement / inner dialogue / feeling. The dialogue between the characters also felt forced / unnatural.

The amount of times it flipped flopped between the male lead and female lead point of view was a lot. A character would do or say something, then the book would be from their point of view. Then the act would repeat. You could not get through a chapter without it happening a couple times - and these chapters were short.

I think the plot is a interesting idea for book - mystery and romance, but the writing and the dialogue has to support it for sure.

I made it 50% into the book and had to stop.

Karen Tuft returns to her Jennings Family series with "Lady Anna's Favor". While this is the eighth book of the series, the previous installment (the sixth) was published two years ago. (The seventh is in a Christmas anthology I haven't read yet.) The timeline somewhat overlaps but each is its own unique tale that stands on its own merits.

Lady Anna Clifton naively sets out on a journey to France in search of her missing brother, with only her maid for company. Color this reader confused, as she doesn't even speak French. True gentleman James Jennings wisely insists on assisting her. It's a good thing, because Lady Anna would have found trouble in a day. What follows is a fairly uneventful trip through France. Whether by boat or by carriage it matters not, Lady Anna's maid has motion sickness EVERYWHERE. Now this story would be a colossal failure if Anna and James's search had been fruitless. Yet, its culmination is curious and not a little surprising.

I enjoyed this story but I consider it the weakest of the series. "The Earl's Betrothal" had an unlikely but over-the-top villain, yet it was an intriguing read. The other books were all 4- or 5-stars for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for an ARC of this novel.

4.5* The backdrop of the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars and the impending Vienna Congress made for an interesting setting for this historical fiction. Lady Anna's fervor for her mission of finding her brother and the loyalty of her fellow journey-takers stood out to me. I appreciated the way the author penned interactions between main and side characters, the cast was wide and varied. Although this book has shared characters with other books by Karen Tuft, the story can stand alone.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

5 stars

A gentle clean read. On the death of her father Anna realises that she desperately needs to find her younger brother lest the estate end up in the hands of the horrible gambling cousin, Ambrose. She heads to see her godmother wiho is friend of the Duke. The duke has just got married and his day job includes a bit of espionage with his friends James Jennings and Osbourne. James is returning to france on the Duke's yacht so is persuaded to be a companion to Anna, her maid and her father's old Valet. James is jaded about Anna and assumes she is a silly debutante. As he gets to know her he realises that she is brave and resilient. Osbourne turns out to be a bit of a cad. Only kisses and I suddenly realised the end of a 8 book series. A good story but I personally like a bit more passion.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

After Lady Anna’s father's death, she determines she must find out if her brother Avery is alive or dead. I loved watching Anna travel to in serach of her brother. I think that her story was realistic and thats why the story rang true for me.

Adventure, Romance, and Happily Ever After!
After compounding losses and devastating news Lady Anna is determined to find out if her brother is still alive. Her travel to France with only a maid and her father’s former valet was fraught with troubles. Mr Jennings to the rescue. I did so love James. He was protective and brilliant but he also listened to Anna and let her make choices/decisions. I found their travels through France following Napoleon’s exile interesting.

Favorite lines: “I will always be here for you, my Anna,” he said softly before backing slightly out of their embrace. “You have my heart; my entire being belongs to you.”

Note: this book is part of a series, I haven’t read any of the other books and the only thing I felt I was missing was the back story to the relationship between James, Aylesham, and Osbourne.

This ARC was provided through NetGalley by the publisher. I was not required to give a positive review, rating and opinions are my own.

What an absolutely charming romance!!

Anna is determined to find her brother Avery, a soldier who has been listed as missing in France. She insists on traveling to France herself to search for him, no matter the personal cost or inconvenience. He is all she has left in the world...at least until she meets the grumpy James who is intent on helping her despite his gruff attitude.

James is a diplomat yet he has a hard time being patient with the woman who has inserted herself into his trip to France. Does she not understand how dangerous her situation is? Yet as he comes to know the woman underneath the stubborn determination, he is in danger of losing more than just his patience.

What you'll love:
Regency era
dual pov
road trip
enemies to lovers vibes
he falls first
protective hero
deceit and danger
the carriage ride
that first kiss!!
insta attraction + slow burn
the epilogue!

What a fun, romantic adventure! I love romances with road trips because they are so unpredictable - anything can and does happen. Plus there is all of that forced proximity that makes every trope even better...

And oh, James. Sigh. Is there anything more swoony than a grumpy, protective hero who falls hard and fast? Loved how he learned to listen to Anna, to try to understand her motivations and wishes and then supported her in the way she needed instead of trying to convince her she didn't know what she was doing. That man is smitten with a capital S!

Loved all the elements of suspense and danger and scheming that kept the plot moving along until the ever so swoony happily ever after. I loved the glimpses and updates we got of a few of the Jennings siblings and cannot wait to read the rest of their stories! This is part of a series with interconnected characters but can easily be read and enjoyed as a standalone! 4.5 stars

CW/TW: talk of a man having mistresses, battlefield deaths and wounds described but not in great detail <\spoiler>

I received a complimentary copy but a positive review was not required.

I have mixed feelings about this book - I liked the bits of romance that were in the book and I thought it was fun to travel to France. However, something about the writing didn't quite do it for me. Most of the book is traveling in carriages and it felt a bit repetitive, and I think the romantic tension isn't quite there. Not a bad book by any means, but it just didn't quite do it for me!

This was a fun read, It's always interesting to read a parallel story and this was to another of Karen Tufts books. I love how the author continues to grow and build her characters.

Let me start with the biggest problem I had with this book. On the first page of this supposedly standalone novel I found a chart showing characters and couples from other books, because, surprise! This is, the eighth book of a series.

I did not deserve this! 😭

It could be partly because of this ugly trick, but I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I had hoped. The beginning was interesting enough, but then it became repetitive and a little lifeless. There was way too much about uncomfortable carriages, French inns with people speaking English with heavy French accent, and about not finding Avery. Also nobody needed to read about the poor maid’s motion sickness so many times.

The romance was okay but lukewarm at best. Both Anna and James were likable but not lovable. I didn’t feel any sparks, there was no magic and very little chemistry.

The writing was okay, this story clearly has potential and overall it was not a bad book. It’s just that it could use some more light and life.

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

Maybe it's me. I'm having book issues lately. I just don't like anything. I normally really like Tuft. I felt like this book moved slow and drug. It was also so sad. One unfortunate event after another. Sadly I really had a hard time finishing it.
This is a proper romance with no religion.