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andrea_author's review against another edition
4.0
Naval officer Sebastian returns from sea to find that his sister has married, and their mother has reconciled with her aristocratic relatives. They've gone north and left the family's home and bakery business in the care of Henrietta, a beautiful young shopkeeper. Sebastian knows he should go north to be with his family, But somehow, he can't bear to leave Henrietta behind.
When her grieving brother places his sons in her care and then disappears, Henrietta isn't sure how she'll manage. She hires another worker for the bakery, but there isn't room in the house for everyone. Falling for her and wanting to help, Sebastian suggests she travel north with him and take the boys with her, until they figure out what to do next. She hesitates, wary of his motives. She's accustomed to men coveting her for her looks without a thought to the person inside. Can she trust Sebastian with her heart?
I love this author's voice. The novel is a delight from the very beginning. The characters are fun, and the tone light. The story is a romantic escape that left me wearing a smile.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received.
When her grieving brother places his sons in her care and then disappears, Henrietta isn't sure how she'll manage. She hires another worker for the bakery, but there isn't room in the house for everyone. Falling for her and wanting to help, Sebastian suggests she travel north with him and take the boys with her, until they figure out what to do next. She hesitates, wary of his motives. She's accustomed to men coveting her for her looks without a thought to the person inside. Can she trust Sebastian with her heart?
I love this author's voice. The novel is a delight from the very beginning. The characters are fun, and the tone light. The story is a romantic escape that left me wearing a smile.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received.
emmalb1984's review against another edition
5.0
The second instalment of Jenni Fletcher’s ‘Regency Belles of Bath’ series picks up where book one left off as Sebastian Fortini returns home to discover Henrietta Gardiner has taken up residence in the family biscuit shop and that an awful lot of things have changed whilst he has been away in the Navy. What follows is a beautifully told tale of friendship, romance and family all set against a gloriously vivid backdrop of Bath, Derbyshire, Yorkshire and Gretna Green.
Whilst the story does follow the conclusion of book one, this works well as a stand alone novel, and the reader is soon invested in what will become of Henrietta and Sebastian following their entertaining first meeting, and we follow the pair as they begin a tentative friendship which may lead to romance. One of the strongest traits of Jenni Fletcher’s writing style is her ability to create strong, believable and likeable characters who spring to life from the outset and make an impression on the reader, and in Henrietta and Sebastian she has again succeeded in immersing the reader in this little corner of Regency Bath from the first page. Indeed, by the time Sebastian decides that he really wants to see Henrietta again following their first meeting you are already rooting for him to convince her that they could be something wonderful if she could see beyond her mistrust of men. The romance elements which follow allow their relationship to move from mistrust to friendship to romance at a pace which suits the characters and you cannot help but fall in love with the two as an unexpected sequence of events propels Sebastian to start considering the future.
The secondary characters only add to the enjoyment of the plot, most notably Henrietta’s adorable nephews who steal the show in almost every scene and provide an amusing subplot as Sebastian’s equivalent of childcare is to offer training as Navy cadets, as well as bakery assistant Nancy and the mysterious Belinda who is not necessarily all she seems to be. Whilst there is no appearance from Anna and Samuel, or the scene stealing Lady Jarrett from book 1 (who Jenni kindly informs me may be back for book 3!), there are also appearances from Sebastian’s mother and her extended family which provide a nice follow on for readers of the previous book.
Without spoiling the plot, the second half of the story provides a delightful shift in Henrietta and Sebastian’s relationship and you really do care what becomes of them as the story progresses. Through clever plotting and enjoyable characters this is the perfect book to lose yourself in during these uncertain times, and I look forward to book 3 and returning to these characters.
Whilst the story does follow the conclusion of book one, this works well as a stand alone novel, and the reader is soon invested in what will become of Henrietta and Sebastian following their entertaining first meeting, and we follow the pair as they begin a tentative friendship which may lead to romance. One of the strongest traits of Jenni Fletcher’s writing style is her ability to create strong, believable and likeable characters who spring to life from the outset and make an impression on the reader, and in Henrietta and Sebastian she has again succeeded in immersing the reader in this little corner of Regency Bath from the first page. Indeed, by the time Sebastian decides that he really wants to see Henrietta again following their first meeting you are already rooting for him to convince her that they could be something wonderful if she could see beyond her mistrust of men. The romance elements which follow allow their relationship to move from mistrust to friendship to romance at a pace which suits the characters and you cannot help but fall in love with the two as an unexpected sequence of events propels Sebastian to start considering the future.
The secondary characters only add to the enjoyment of the plot, most notably Henrietta’s adorable nephews who steal the show in almost every scene and provide an amusing subplot as Sebastian’s equivalent of childcare is to offer training as Navy cadets, as well as bakery assistant Nancy and the mysterious Belinda who is not necessarily all she seems to be. Whilst there is no appearance from Anna and Samuel, or the scene stealing Lady Jarrett from book 1 (who Jenni kindly informs me may be back for book 3!), there are also appearances from Sebastian’s mother and her extended family which provide a nice follow on for readers of the previous book.
Without spoiling the plot, the second half of the story provides a delightful shift in Henrietta and Sebastian’s relationship and you really do care what becomes of them as the story progresses. Through clever plotting and enjoyable characters this is the perfect book to lose yourself in during these uncertain times, and I look forward to book 3 and returning to these characters.
robinwalter's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
a bit ott at the beginning, jarringly modern too, but it settled down and recovered enough of a regency flavour to be a pleasant read
bookmadjo's review against another edition
5.0
This is the second book in the Regency Belle’s of Bath series by Jenni Fletchers. In the first book An Unconventional Countess (see my review here) reference was made to Sebastian Fortini, the brother of Anna, although he was away in the Navy. Henrietta, the heroine in Book 2 became manager of the biscuit shop previously run by Anna Fortini.
The first meeting between Sebastian and Henrietta was so amusing. I adored the way Sebastian kept coming up with excuses so he could stay near Henrietta, and he was such a kind and honourable man, just perfect to ease her distrust of men, because of previous experiences.
I loved the subplot involving Henrietta’s brother and her three young nephews, and the way in which their storyline was resolved.
I didn’t think I could love this book as much as I loved the first book but this was such a delightful feel-good comfort read that I think I fell in love with Henrietta and Sebastian almost as much as I fell for Anna and Samuel in Book One. This fills me with so much excitement for Book Three which is coming very soon.
The first meeting between Sebastian and Henrietta was so amusing. I adored the way Sebastian kept coming up with excuses so he could stay near Henrietta, and he was such a kind and honourable man, just perfect to ease her distrust of men, because of previous experiences.
I loved the subplot involving Henrietta’s brother and her three young nephews, and the way in which their storyline was resolved.
I didn’t think I could love this book as much as I loved the first book but this was such a delightful feel-good comfort read that I think I fell in love with Henrietta and Sebastian almost as much as I fell for Anna and Samuel in Book One. This fills me with so much excitement for Book Three which is coming very soon.
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