I’m delighted to be on the blog tour for The Marquess of Yew Park House by Lotte R. James! This is such a wonderful story, and I’m excited to share my thoughts about the dynamic characters and swoon-worthy romance!
About the Book:
On the outside Henry Spencer, Marquess of Clairborne, has it all: title, fortune and dashing good looks. Inside he’s haunted by nightmares. Seeking sanctuary at his Scottish estate, his peace is disturbed by a new tenant, widow Genevieve de l’Omont. Her beauty and spirit lead to a growing desire that distracts him from his troubles, but as he unravels a mystery from his past, he discovers Genevieve has secrets of her own…
Purchase Link – https://books2read.com/themarquessofyewparkhouse
My Review:
The Marquess of Yew Park House is a wonderful historical romance about love, new beginnings, and finding happiness. The story switches between Genevieve and Spencer’s perspectives giving the reader a well-rounded view of both protagonists’ thoughts and feelings.
The story takes place in and around Yew Park House, a place Spencer frequented as a child. While there, old memories also begin to resurface, and they aren’t as happy as he once remembered. Slowly, Spencer begins to unravel the truth of what happened there twenty years ago. It’s an interesting and tragic story, and it has affected Spencer more than he ever knew. I like how the author wove this mystery through the story. It adds a bit of intrigue and contributes so much to the character development.
Genevieve and Spencer are well-developed, layered characters with interesting story arcs, and their love story is slow-building and lovely. Genevieve is a strong woman who has been through a lot. Escaping from a terrible marriage, Genevieve now lives a humble life with her daughter and friend. Her past very much defines her present, and she is skittish in meeting new people. It’s pretty clear she is hiding something, which Spencer tries very hard to uncover.
Burdened by familial and societal expectations, Spencer travels to Yew Park house to regroup. He is unsettled and trying to figure out who he is and what he truly wants in life, especially since most of his life has been spent conforming to suit his responsibilities. He learns that duty and honor do not have to come at the expense of love and happiness. It is here where he meets Genevieve and her daughter for the first time, and his life is forever changed.
A lifetime with this woman would not be enough, though it would be something extraordinary.
I like that both of these lost characters, who are burdened and stagnant, learn to live and love again. They teach him how to have fun again and how to enjoy life. They ease each other’s burdens in a way neither ever expected. They have such a wonderful connection, and you can tell they really care for each other. Of course, much stands in their way. His duties, her fears, both of their pasts, his meddlesome family, and more prove to be daunting obstacles, and both Spencer and Genevieve have to decide if their feelings are worth exploring.
Genevieve’s daughter is another character in the story that I loved. She is such a delight and brings so much happiness to those in her life. She is energetic, intelligent, and curious, and her close relationship with her mother is lovely. I also love the growing bond between her and Spencer. He is so patient and kind, and she quickly begins to trust him. I think it says a lot about Spencer’s character that this young girl, who is ordinarily wary like her mother and slow to trust and open up to strangers, finds such a quick connection with Spencer. He is a good and honorable, if somewhat lost, man.
And I’m really interested in learning more about Juliana. She is such a great character and often times is the voice of reason for the other characters. Her backstory is hinted at, and I’m curious to see what happened to her and whether she will find happiness.
I thought this was a great historical romance with dynamic characters, an intriguing mystery, and a wonderful love story. I look forward to reading more by the author and would most definitely recommend the book to romance readers.
Rating:
Favorite Parts:
- The romance!
- The secondary characters.
- The intrigue.
Favorite Lines:
Strangers are sometimes the easiest to share burdens with.
Stubbornness was only acceptable if others did not suffer for it.
Do not deny yourself another friend simply because you fear a future which isn’t even a whisper.
About the Author:
Lotte James trained as an actor and theatre director, but spent most of her life working day jobs crunching numbers whilst dreaming up stories of love and adventure. She’s thrilled to finally be writing those stories, and when she’s not scribbling on tiny pieces of paper, she can usually be found wandering the countryside for inspiration, or nestling with coffee and a book.
Social Media Links:
Twitter https://twitter.com/lottejamesbooks
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