I discovered Sarah E Ladd via Kristy Cambron and thought she would be a good fit. Sadly, Ladd's work doesn't have the same genuine feel as Cambron's. I found Dawn at Emberwilde to be too long with too little happening. Large parts were skim read because I was desperate to reach the end. I can definitely see why so many readers enjoy her books, this one just wasn't for me.

Isabel is suddenly informed of her family´s interest to open their home for her. She is surprised, as she has never heard of them! But family they are and she travels to their house of Emberwilde with her half-sister Lizzie. The family is quite nice and the forrest around the house is dark and magical...so diffierent from the school life! And there are at least two interesting men there. But her aunt starts to push a bit the marriage question and there are strange people in the forest...

Mixed feelings (as it happens to me with this authoress). The visuals and storytelling are beautiful. The authoress has a gift of painting the vivid images and wholly enter the Regency world with its romantic - and also dark - parts. I love the forest theme! And the mix of well-behaved society and the dark side of it worls believably.
Yet there is a very little of the story here! I believe that bigger part is dedicated to the visual paintery and the lesser part of it to the development of both the plot and characters.
So the result is: a good book, but not the exceptional book. A pity, as the authoress is definitely skilled enough to deliver a deeper book.
But this might be just me and my literary preferences. If your taste differs from mine (as it should!) and you enjoy a nice afternoon with a cup of tea and a lovely British Regency novel, this one is for you.

Engaging Regency romance. Strong, evocative characters. Readers are quickly caught up and compelled by the lives of the characters and their story. Mystery and drama are infused throughout the book keeping the reader's interest. With a few twists and turns to the plot one keeps wondering, 'how in the world is that going to turn out now?'Looking forward to reading more of this author's books

Thank you for the chance to review this book, however, unfortunately, I was unable to download this title before it was archived

A truly great read. While this is in a series of books, it can be read as stand-alone with no problems. Always enjoy reading historical fiction with some conflict (mystery) and ultimately a boy meet girl plotline from a Christian perspective. Not in your face, but clean and thoughtful. Ladd rocks this genre!

This is the first novel I've read by Sarah Ladd and I really think I've found a new author I want to follow. Although this isn't the first novel in the series, it was able to be read as a stand alone. Isabel has been one of my favorite heroines to read about. Her relationships with the characters were very refreshing. I love how important caring for her sister is. I was very found of the hero as well; the relationship was better than I expected. The world created at Emberwilde is absolutely beautiful.

Dawn at Emberwilde is book two in the Treasures of Surrey series by Sarah Ladd. However, each of these novels can be read as a standalone. It is not necessary to read them in order as they are not connected.

The covers of every book in this series is absolutely stunning but I think Dawn at Emberwilde is my absolute favorite.

Having said that, I enjoyed this book but I really wanted to love it. Don’t get me wrong, I did like this book but there were a few things that just really bothered me.

The dreaded love triangle. I don’t hate all love triangles but some just feel forced. This one felt rushed and forced to me.
The conclusion was too tidy. Everything was wrapped up in a neat little bow. Isabel went from confusion over which guy she wanted to completely and hopelessly in love with her chosen mate. It felt—forced. While the characters were all well developed, I simply felt I didn’t have enough time to accept Isabel and View Spoiler » as a couple.

Things I loved:

Goodness, how I loved to hate Isabel’s aunt! I love a well-written villain. This was a character that was written for me to hate and I mean that in the best possible way. The reader is intended to dislike her and boy, did I ever.
The mysterious forest and the promise of a mystery—though predictable—was an appreciated element.

I know it sounds like I didn’t enjoy this book and that isn’t entirely true. I did. I appreciate the character development, the setting, and the general storyline. I just wanted—no, I needed more. I needed more romance, more wooing, more mystery—just more.

This is book 2 in the Treasures of Surrey series. There are not many authors that make it to my privileged auto read list when they release a book but Sarah E. Ladd definitely is on the list. Now what author do I automatically think of when I want to read an excellent regency you may ask, well it would be one and the same, Sarah E. Ladd. I really enjoyed this book. There was a light romance in the book and the book was full of intrigue,danger around every corner,smugglers,deception and more. The author really knows how to set up the atmospheric feel to get the reader fully involved in the book. Fully recommended!
Pub Date 10 May 2016
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson--FICTION for a review copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a classic rags to riches fairy story, a touch of romance, the wicked step mother (here a scheming aunt) and all the pointers to a nice read for a weekend.

Isabel and her step sister Lizzie are at a rather disciplined school where the possibility of dreaming is not encouraged. They are expected to be pragmatic and practical about their future. An arrival of an unheard of family, being welcomed with open arms into a family seems like something out of a fairy story. A comfortable life but why is her aunt pushing her into a marriage so soon, almost on her arrival.

The family has a lot of secrets, and there is a lot of untold stories surrounding them, Not just them but also the environment they live in. Separating facts from fiction is rather hard for Isabel and she has to depend on the only family and security she knows. Whether it will end well or not is something even she cannot imagine. All she knows is that she does not trust the man chosen for her by her Aunt, and refusing her aunt in this is going to create friction and dissension in the family.

A very well told story with several different elements. Not just romance, but also mystery and myths.
I enjoyed it very much.

Goodreads and Amazon reviews up on 12/6/2017. Review on my blog mid September 2017

Christian Historical fiction – England early 1800’s
As a young child, after her mother died Isabel was left at the Fellsworth School. She was still there when her father died and her sister joined her. Later a teacher, she never expected to leave unless as a governess. One day a visitor comes to tell her that she has an Aunt, who brings her and her sister to live with them at their mansion. But all is not as it seems.

Her Aunt and Uncle expect her to enter society and marry well. Isabel isn’t even used to talking to men, and now has two she interacts with. Quite a different life than what she had expected. Still it is exciting with all the dresses and parties. Always fond of gardens and outdoors, there’s a forest alongside the estate, but even though she is drawn there she’s been warned to stay away. Conflicting advice from her Aunt, Uncle, Cousin and suitors makes things difficult, and as time goes by she uncovers more secrets and realizes how little she really knew about her mother. Lessons in self-worth and faith in God’s influence and guidance throughout.

Isabel is a young orphan who has made her way through Fellsworth School and is ready to make her way in the world as a governess. Isabel receives unexpected news that she has a family member that is still living that would like to take her in. She leaves the school, but not without her half-sister Lizzie. When Lizzie and Isabel arrive at Emberwilde, they find a beautiful and sprawling estate with Isabel’s mother sister at the matriarch. Isabel learns more about her late mother and her family while also making friends with her cousin Constance. Is everything as it seems at Emberwilde?

The servants tell Isabel to stay out of the woods and there seems to be mysterious men in the woods that could do her harm. Colin, a local magistrate, helps Isabel’s Uncle investigate the mystery in the forest. Isabel feels safe with Colin around, but her Aunt is trying to match her with with the handsome Mr. Bradford. Bradford runs the local orphanage and Isabel with her teaching background likes to help the children. It seems like a perfect match, but why does her Aunt push this relationship so much when Isabel has not had time to get to know Bradford yet?

I really enjoyed this novel. I loved the characters of Isabel and Colin and I enjoyed that the book was narrated through their two viewpoints. I liked the suspense element of this story where the reader learns along with Isabel and Colin just what mysteries the forest and Emberwilde hold. I also like the love triangle of Bradford, Colin, and Isabel. I also enjoyed how the novel took a good look at what life was like for a woman during the regency period. Being a governess or marrying well were the two main options for a woman of gentle birth.

Overall, I would highly recommend this novel to anyone looking for a good suspenseful Regency era romance, especially fans of Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer, and Julie Klassen.

I’m eagerly reading A Stranger at Fellsworth right now – I’m loving Sarah E. Ladd’s novels!

Sarah Ladd pens her second novel in her nineteenth century historical series set in the English countryside.
In Dawn at Emberwilde, orphaned Isabel Creston plans to be a teacher at an English school when news of previously unknown relatives upset her plans. Isabel and her younger sister Lizzie move to Emberwilde, a family estate on the edge of a large forest. Whispers of mysterious happenings and rumors surround the Emberwilde Forest.
When two gentlemen vie for her attention, Isabel must learn the truth of her past to determine her future. How does the activities of those around her affect her present and her future? Are the handsome suitors worthy of her consideration? What about the circumstances surrounding her parents’ deaths?
Ladd writes descriptive narrative with hints of mystery and suspense woven into the plot. The faith element has a light touch; the relationship between Isabel and her suitors develops appropriately to the storyline. Like her earlier novel in this series, the historical details enrich the plot, and Dawn at Emberwilde has a gothic feel to it – smugglers, missing heiress, etc. Her book is plot-driven with plenty of twists. Why is her aunt pushing her towards a marriage with Mr. Bradford? What about Mr. Galloway, her other suitor, who wants to help her discover the truth behind her relatives’ motives for inviting her to Emberwilde?