The Headmistress of Rosemere is the second book in the Whispers on the Moors series, but it works as a stand-alone novel. I enjoyed Patience and William's bittersweet tale of loss, change, and hope for the future.

Full review: https://rebeccasreadingcorner.blog/review-sarah-e-ladd-the-headmistress-of-rosem... ( )

Sarah E. Ladd's The Headmistress of Rosemere is a very charming historical romance with an engaging cast of characters. William Sterling's efforts to turn his life around provide a powerful and uplifting message of redemption. There is also a spiritual journey for Patience Creighton and William as they rediscover their lapsed faith. Fully rounding out the story, there is a dash of intrigue and mystery when a business opportunity takes a rather dangerous turn.

Patience has been acting as headmistress at the family's school for girls in the aftermath of her father's death and her brother Rawdon's departure to London. She is also struggling to help her mother as she battles depression while grieving her husband's loss. Patience is fascinated by William after their first encounter and her admiration for him grows after she gets to know him better. However Patience is soon sidetracked by a few unexpected arrivals and an unwelcome announcement by Rawdon.

Instead of shirking her responsibilities, Patience admirably rises to the challenges facing her. She is levelheaded, loyal and dedicated to keeping her father's dream alive. She is well-loved by her students and servants and she shares a close friendship with fellow teacher Cassandra. Patience's first romance ended years before and she has not had the opportunity to find another suitor in the intervening years. She has grown weary of shouldering the burdens alone and her concern over Rawdon's lack of communication is tempered by her increasing anger over his prolonged absence. As her life takes an unforeseen turn, Patience tries to reclaim the faith she lost in the aftermath of her beloved father's death.

William has pretty much hit rock bottom and he is desperately trying to claw his way of the mess he has created for himself. He was already pretty wild when the end of a relationship sent him reeling into a downward spiral eight years ago. In danger of losing his inheritance and with a debt repayment looming over him, he enters into a business deal with a friend soon after meeting Patience. William's misgivings about his business venture increase when his rather unsavory new partners propose changes that could pose problems in the future for Patience's school. While trying to decide where his loyalties lie, William begins to explore the faith he has ignored so long.

Rawdon's return brings unanticipated complications that threaten more than just William and Patience's growing feelings for another. His future plans for the school come as a huge surprise to Patience but it is dismissal of her accomplishments that is most unexpected and hurtful. Rawdon is also accompanied by some surprising companions and their presence has an impact on almost everyone's lives.

The Headmistress of Rosemere has a number of subplots but Sarah E. Ladd flawlessly weaves the various threads together into one fascinating novel. The faith aspect of the storyline is very understated but it adds another layer of depth to an already well-conceived storyline. The overall story is quite fascinating but it is the growth of the characters that makes it an outstanding novel. While The Headmistress of Rosemere is the second novel of the Whispers on the Moors series, it can easily be read as a standalone. ( )

It was good but not her best. It felt rushed. ( )

I started listening to this book because I finished the audiobook I was on while doing a project- and checked out the first thing on overdrive that looked interesting enough to listen to while I worked.

I am such a sucker for regency romance era type books. I think I'll look to see if there are any of her other books are at the library. I personally don't want to listen to another one though. Sometimes it was hard not to laugh out loud. The narrator was a woman and her voices for the men were just ridiculous.

It was fun enough though. On to another audiobook to keep my mind busy while I paint. ( )

"4 out of 5 stars! This charming historical romance will touch your heart with it's characters while keeping you entertained with it's suspenseful plot! For a Christian romance, it has everything I was looking for (love/heartache/redemption) and more!"

Read more of this review and a teaser here: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2014/01/blog-tour-feasted-on-headmistr... ( )