My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Old Sins, Long Shadows by B.D. Hawkey is a self published novel released August 2013. I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
BOOK BLURB:
A Cornish Victorian romance set against the backdrop of the magnificent Bosvenna Estate, with eccentric rural characters and the sweeping hills of the dramatic Bodmin Moor. Janey Carhart's story is a tale of obsession, jealousy and love.
At the age of nine, Janey's younger sisters die from scarlet fever and her grief stricken mother blames Janey for their deaths. Financial difficulties and a desire to win back her mother's love, forces Janey to enter service where she quickly rises through the ranks.
Upon her arrival to the elegant Cornish Country Estate, she successfully secures a position of a lady's maid for the wealthy and powerful Brockenshaw family. An exchange of letters between Lady Brockenshaw and her son ignites Janey's interest, but Janey's feelings for this mysterious and charming gentleman soon change her life forever.
Yet, old sins cast long shadows and not only does Janey's mother's wrath affect Janey's life, there are others whose sins risk destroying her, the people she cares about and her capacity to love again.
Although a little young for such a high position in service, Janey applies to be a ladies maid for Lady Brockenshaw, a lady nearly blind and in fragile health. Janey makes an impression and gets the job.
It doesn't take long for Janey and Lady Brockenshaw to connect and become close. Their relationship is more like mother and daughter.
Lady Brockenshaw's son, James runs the estate and is a very handsome man with considerable charm. His good looks and intelligent conversations with Janey has her developing romantic feelings for James. Although, there is another man that lives on an adjoining farm named Daniel who is also quite handsome. However, Janey is warned to stay away from Daniel because he has been accused of murder, although it was never proven.
As Janey settles into her new position, she begins to see a side of James that is not at all pleasant. Not only that, the infuriating Daniel warned her about him. But, when the situation with James escalates, Janey is forced to make some really tough choices. Before she winds up in dire straights, Daniel steps up and offers her another alternative. But, what of the murder allegations? Will Janey be going from one bad situation to another? Can she trust Daniel?
This story was very absorbing and at times reminded me of the historical romance novels at the peak of their popularity in the 1990's. Don't misunderstand, I'm not talking about "Bodice Rippers", but stories that were not just a lot of fluff. This story has substance. We are told the story of life for a young women virtually on her own in the world and attempting to be all things to all people. Her mother blamed her for the death of her sisters, Janey felt she must please her employer and the staff at Brockenshaw and if need be, Master James or else she would be forced into a work house.
There were no fancy balls, or gowns or focus on society and properness. This life is rural and depends on farming. Daniel owns his farm outright which is unusal since most farmland is sharecropping. This gives him an advantage, but he is still the subject of many rumors. He is not only successful in business, but Daniel has a sensitivity about him toward people, especially Janey. While he isn't really the "grand gesture" time hero, I just thought he was awesome. He is honest with Janey and with his feelings, although he does struggle with tactfulness at times.
Janey has a lot going against her and her back is against the wall. She and Daniel get off to a rocky start and faced many challenges in their relationship. The shadow of his past would come back to haunt them and it would be Janey's turn to step up and support Daniel.
Fate and maybe a little karma would see things turn around for both Janey and Daniel. Each will learn the true feelings they have for one another and the real meaning of family. They may have to work hard to achieve peace and comfort in their lives but the payoff will be worth all they went through.
The author did a fantastic job of describing the scenery. The Cornish landscape and farmland was not a usual setting for novels, so I enjoyed this change of pace. I loved the realizations that Janey came to about the people in her life, the maturity that came with finding out the true meaning of friendship, family and love gave her the strength to return those feelings. Daniel also learned that things are not always what they appear to be on the surface and despite his difficulties with trust, he will learn that Janey is someone he can depend on through good and bad times.
The secondary characters were also well drawn. I felt true anger towards James and pity for his mother, although she was frustrating as well. The other characters were well drawn and complimented the story quite well.
A quick note about the steam level. The actual romantic love scenes were really a level one, however, there were some other adult situations that are sexual and were rather difficult passages to read. So, I wanted to be sure that anyone looking for a "sweet" romance would not be misled. While this story is ultimately uplifting and certainly has the required Happy Ever After, the journey to that point is a little rough.
The author has noted the spellings of words are British. This will not in any way hamper your enjoyment of the book. I hardly even noticed.
I recommend this book to not only lovers of historical romance but to those that enjoy historical fiction as well.
I give this one an A. ( I would rate it a 4.5)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
About this author
OLD SINS, LONG SHADOWS is written in British English (UK). This means that in some areas British and American spelling is different. OLD SINS, LONG SHADOWS is available on Amazon in print and kindle format.
I was born in Cornwall and enjoyed a fulfilling twenty-five year career as a nurse and health visitor.
My first published work was a short poem called "Taken" in the book titled “Bright Voices” published by United Press Ltd. in 2003. “Bright Voices” was a collection of poems by various artists from the South West of England.
I wrote my first book at the age of ten and have always had the desire to write. Following a career change, I now have the time and wrote the book I would like to read. I called it Old Sins, Long Shadows. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
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