A Refuge at Highland Hall (Edwardian Brides, Book 3) by Carrie Turansky {Historical Romance Review}

A Refuge at Highland Hall

Edwardian Brides, Book 3

Carrie Turansky

Historical Romance

The Great War shakes the world of a spirited young woman and the brave British pilot she loves, taking her from London to her family’s magnificent country estate, and sending him into the war-torn skies over France.

Penny Ramsey has always considered Highland Hall her home, but when Britain becomes involved in World War One she travels to London to assist her sister Kate with the eight orphan children she and her husband Jon have taken into their home. Doing her part for the war effort takes priority over Penny’s dreams of romance until she meets Alex Goodwin, a Royal Naval Air Service pilot in training.

Alex is determined to prove his worth and do his part to defend his country. Knowing he is heading off for the dangerous assignment of chasing Zeppelins across the front line in France, he feels it’s unwise to form any romantic attachments. But he can’t help admiring the pretty, warmhearted Penny and wondering what it would be like to find her waiting when he returns home from the war.

As Penny writes to Alex, their friendship blossoms, and she becomes his tie to home and normalcy as he faces the hardships war. But being an RNAS pilot means confronting the enemy, and the fallout form those experiences push Alex beyond Penny’s reach. Can God mend the brokenness left by the losses of war? Will faith and forgiveness bring them together again?

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My Thoughts

A Refuge at Highland Hall takes us back to the beautiful English countryside and the manor house of the Ramsey family. This time around we delve into the story of Penny Ramsey and Alex Goodwin who is a Royal Naval Air Service pilot. Much to my delight there is also a secondary romance that involves Lydia Chambers, a lady's maid, and Marius Ritter who is a German prisoner of war working on the estate.

The story begins in London in 1915. That time period is fraught with danger as England is about to enter into World War I. Once the bombings of London begin Penny and her sister Kate take the eight orphan children to Highland Hall to wait out the war.  

While Highland Hall may be safe from the bombs there is still danger that lurks. You can't help but be drawn in to all the drama that swirls around the people involved in the story. Kate's husband Jon is a physician and must stay in London to care for the wounded. Alex is called up to fight the enemy which is beyond dangerous. Meanwhile the women must deal with situations that arise with the children and the estate. 

If you are looking for a book that has a Downton Abbey feel then you will enjoy this. There is drama with the family and drama with the servants all in a setting of an aristocratic family manor home. 

This is book three in the series and can be read as a stand alone novel. However there are numerous references to the previous two books so if you plan to read them all it would be best to read them in order to avoid spoilers. Book one is The Governess of Highland Hall and book two is The Daughter of Highland Hall.

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Book Review ~ The Governess of Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky

The Governess of Highland Hall

Edwardian Bride Series, Book 1

Carrie Turansky

Historical Fiction

Back of the book:

Worlds lie between the marketplaces of India and the halls of a magnificent country estate like Highland Hall. Will Julia be able to find her place when a governess is neither upstairs family nor downstairs help?

Missionary Julia Foster loves working alongside her parents, ministering an caring for young girls in India. But when the family must return to England due to illness, she readily accepts the burden for her parents' financial support. Taking on a job at Highland Hall as governess, she quickly finds that teaching her four privileged, ill-mannered charges at a grand estate is more challenging than expected, and she isn't sure what to make of the estate's preoccupied master, Sir William Ramsey.

Widowed and left to care for his two young children and his deceased cousin Randolph's two teenage girls, William is consumed with saving the estate from financial ruin. The last thing he needs is the distraction of a kindhearted-yet-determined governess who seems to be quietly transforming his household with her persuasive personality, vibrant prayer life, and strong faith.

While both are tending past wounds and guarding fragile secrets, Julia and William are determined to do what it takes to save their families--common ground that proves fertile for unexpected feelings. But will William choose Julia's steadfast heart over the wealth and power he needs to secure Highland Hall's future?

Read The First Chapter

My thoughts:

I really enjoy literature that is set in the Edwardian time frame and The Governess of Highland Hall was a great example of well written fiction in this period. Ms. Turansky did a wonderful job of remaining accurate to the time while keeping the story line interesting.

The main character is Julia who has been a missionary with her parents in India. She loved her work with the young girls there but because of her father's medical condition she and her family are forced to return to England. Once they are back on the continent Julia seeks a position as governess to help alleviate some of the financial strain on her family.

Julia finds a position at Highland Hall that is ran by Sir William Ramsey. Sir Ramsey has recently acquired the estate because of the death for his cousin. William is faced with many struggles over whether to go with his heart or to stick with what is acceptable among the nobility. Julia proves to be the source of his greatest predicament. Falling in love with the governess is beyond acceptable in his social circles. He also has the added responsibility of securing the future of Highland Hall for the family name. In order to do that he either needs to remarry someone of means or find a way to raise more capital.

Along with the story line of Julia and William is the charming tale of the budding romance between William's younger sister Sarah and the head gardener. That is a definite no no to the social norms of the time. The cast of characters is filled out with people that appear to be loyal, but aren't and those that are just out to benefit themselves.

This book is light enough for a great afternoon read but it is complex enough to hold you interest on into the evening. I recommend it to anyone that enjoys historical fiction and more specifically that from the Edwardian period.



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Inspired ~ The right place often seems like the wrong place!

Enemies of the Heart by Andy Stanley

Enemies of the Heart

Andy Stanley
Christian Living
4 out of 5

The difficult circumstances you are dealing with today are likely being fed by one of four emotional forces that compels you to act in undesirable ways, sometimes even against your will.

Andy Stanley explores each of these destructive forces—guilt, anger, greed, and jealousy—and how they infiltrate your life and damage your relationships. He says that, left unchallenged, they have the power to destroy your home, your career, and your friendships.

In Enemies of the Heart, Andy offers practical, biblical direction to help you fight back, to take charge of those feelings that mysteriously control you, and to restore your broken relationships.

My thoughts…

Compared to most books that I review, this one took me a long time to finish. In most cases that would mean a snoozer of a book, but not in this instance. With this book I found myself reading a portion then needing to take some time to digest what was being said.

The four main topics that are covered are guilt, anger, greed and jealousy. If you were to casually ask me if I struggled with these areas I would probably say no. But, upon reflection while reading this work I found many areas that needed a second look. Andy Stanley does a wonderful job of revealing those areas in our lives that we often overlook. I would say that you do not have to have an obvious issue to glean some important information from this book.

One of the great things about this book is that it provides solutions to the issues that are addressed. I particularly liked the portions that addressed the need to confess, forgive, give and celebrate. The way these points were addressed made me feel very hopeful that a person could actually overcome the negative reaction and replace it with a positive reaction.

Another benefit of the book is that it has been broken down into a six-week Bible study that you could do with your small group. In my opinion you could actually stretch it out to a longer study if time would permit.

This book was previously released under the title of It Came from Within. I have not read the original book so I cannot comment on changes, if any have been made. I thoroughly enjoyed studying through this book and recommend it to anyone that wants to be free of those things that seem to entangle us.

I received a copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah for my honest review. All thoughts are my own and may differ from others.

The Daughter’s Walk by Jane Kirkpatrick | Historical Fiction Review

The Daughter’s Walk

Jane Kirkpatrick

Historical Fiction

4 out of 5 Stars

My Thoughts

I love the genre of historical fiction and Jane Kirkpatrick is the master of it. She has an amazing ability to write about strong women in our past. This installment of Ms. Kirkpatrick’s repertoire is about a mother and daughter that set out on an almost impossible feat. The year is 1896 and Helga Estby has accepted a wager to walk across the country in order to promote the women’s suffrage movement. The fashion industry has put up a $10,000.00 prize if the trip can be made in less than 7 months.

Helga decides that she and her 19 year-old daughter, Clara, will make the trip and win the money in order to save the family farm from foreclosure. The first section of the book is about the trip across America. It covers the struggles and triumphs of the trek. It is a time of secrets being revealed and a close bonding time for mother and daughter.

The second part of the book covers the repercussions of the journey. Not just for Helga and Clara, but for the family members left behind. The story continues through Clara’s life and comes full circle to the restoration of a family.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys reading about strong women overcoming insurmountable odds. It is a beautiful story about a woman who continually lives out Isaiah 30:21, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’”

I received an ARC for this review from Water Brook Press. The review is my honest opinion!