Hi y’all!

Hope it feels like spring wherever you are. We’ve had lovely weather this week overall except for a bit of cold the last few days. We’re ready to tuck away all our winter clothes and see more flowers and leaves on the trees.

Today I am so excited to share my review of The Lancaster Family series by Sarah M. Eden. Oh my goodness, I loved this series so much! I would say it is now one of my favorite historical romance series! Right up there by Kristi Ann Hunter’s Hawthorne House series, Dawn Crandall’s Everstone Chronicles, Mimi Matthews Belles of London, and Julianne Donaldson’s Edenbrooke (stand alone rather than a series but still one of my all time favorite historical romances!)

I think I should call 2023 my Sarah M Eden year. I have enjoyed so many of her books this year and it’s bittersweet to reach the end of this series and the Jonquil brothers series. Luckily, Sarah is writing the Gents series and the Huntresses series so we’ll get more in this fantastic world. I have grown to love these characters! Fun fact, I actually read the last book in this series first. I had seen it advertised a bit so decided to try it. And then discovered that I had the potential to read over a dozen more books. Challenge accepted!

I absolutely loved both series and can’t wait to share more of my thoughts with you!

Book Summaries: 1: “When Persephone Lancaster receives a marriage proposal from the ill-tempered Duke of Kielder, she refuses—and then reconsiders. The obscene sum of money he’s offering Persephone would save her family from ruin. With her characteristic optimism, she travels to the far reaches of Northumberland to wed a greatly feared stranger.

Lodged deep in a thick forest infested with wild dogs, the Duke’s castle is as cold and forbidding as the Duke himself, a man with terrible scars on his body and his soul. But the Duke’s steely determination to protect his heart at all costs is challenged by his growing attachment to his lovely and gentle bride.

With caring persistence, Persephone attempts to pierce the Duke’s armor and reach the man beneath. Yet he cannot tolerate such exposure, and his repeated rejections take their toll. But when grave danger arises, the Duke realizes he must face the risk of revealing his true feelings or lose the woman he cannot live without.”

2: “Harry Windover adores blonde, green-eyes Athena Lancaster, but alas, a penniless man like himself has no hope of winning a young noblewoman’s hand. To add insult to injury, Athena’s brother-in-law and guardian, the Duke of Kielder, has asked Harry to assist Athena in finding a gentleman of her dreams. But the lovesick Harry is cunning as well: as the weeks pass, he introduces Athena to suitors who are horrifically boring, alarmingly attached to their mothers, downright rude, astoundingly self-absorbed, and utterly ridiculous.

Athena can’t comprehend why she is having so little success meeting eligible and acceptable gentlemen. Indeed, her circle of admirers couldn’t be be less admirable – nothing like the loyal, gentle friend she’s found in Harry. But how long can Harry’s scheme be hidden before it is discovered? And what will Athena do when she uncovers Harry’s deception?”

3: “As her first London Season looms before her, the thought of the impending social whirl fills Daphne Lancaster’s timid heart with dread. She hasn’t her sisters beauty nor their talent for conversing easily. Even her family’s enviable connections may not be enough to prevent disaster.

But Daphne’s misery turns to surprised delight when the first event of her Season brings an unexpected visitor to her door—James Tilburn, whose tender kindness stole her heart in her youth. When the handsome young gentleman expresses his desire to court her, Daphne is elated. Their feelings for each other quickly grow, and it appears that, much to Daphne s disbelief, her happily ever after is within reach.

Yet nothing is as it seems. The couple finds themselves caught in a tangled web of greed and deceit, leaving James and Daphne to determine whether they are willing to risk everything for true love.”

4: “Orphaned as a child, Arabella Hampton was the unwanted and unloved charge of a cruel aunt and neglectful uncle. The only light in her young life was the kindness of the Jonquil family, and she clung to the childish dream of someday living with them at Lampton Park. Now, years later, that opportunity is presented to Arabella in a most unexpected way: she is to be the lady’s companion to the dowager countess. As she takes up residence at the estate, the young woman soon finds that life at the Park is far more complicated than she imagined. The lines of her position are blurred, and she is neither family nor servant. So when the countess plans a grand house party, Arabella is content to hide in the shadows. But one gentleman sees her there.

Lieutenant Linus Lancaster has retired from the navy and is not looking for love, especially when he finds himself entangled in his sisters’ scheme to trap him into finding a wife at a house party at Lampton Park. Yet amid the festivities, he’s impossibly drawn to the dowager’s quiet companion, Arabella. Their regard for each other is undeniable, but they are haunted by their pasts. Can the two find a way to bridge their worlds?”

5: “Charlie Jonquil is mild-mannered and kind—except when it comes to his one true adversary, Artemis Lancaster. Though Charlie has a brilliant mind for mathematics, Artemis poses a problem he can’t seem to comprehend: how can one be so lovely and so infuriating? A party in London brings him into the company of the maddening young lady, and it is clear that Charlie’s disdain is mutual. But when an unfortunate incident between the pair involving Charlie’s jacket and a glass of raspberry shrub leads to scandal, the sworn enemies are left with only two options: be ruined or be married.

So it is that Artemis finds herself in a most outrageous predicament: she must wed a gentleman she’s hated for years—and she pledges to avoid him at all costs. But it is only when they enter into this mockery of a marriage that Charlie and Artemis learn things are not as simple as they once appeared. As their tentative ceasefire leads to friendship, it seems their marriage born of desperation might lead them to a love that was destined to be.”

The character development is fantastic with each novel focusing on one sibling in the Lancaster family allowing readers to get to know them and the mythic character they are named for. I loved getting to know each sibling in their book. The dual perspectives with the pair of protagonists in each book were well developed and fun. I loved getting more background of characters we see in previous books like Harry, Linus, and Artemis. Getting to know each character just made me love this whole family more. I loved getting Daphne’s story and learning about her history, hopes and dreams. It was so fun to see the different relationships from different sides like Adam and Harry’s friendship, Persephone’s relationship with Artemis, Adam’s care for Daphne, and more. Many of these characters have more depth than I anticipated. I was surprised to learn about the heartache and tragedy that many of them have had to bear like Linus and Arabella both losing family members. And Artemis and Charlie feeling like they are unnecessary and unwanted in their families. Seeing their struggles and vulnerabilities added to the strength of their characters. The clever connections to the origin myths for each of the siblings names were also so fun! I enjoyed how Eden connects to those myths while also making them her own.

The romances are all beautiful with the perfect amount of tension and passion in each story. Oh how I have come to love Sarah M. Eden’s swoony romantic style! Each story gives us such a beautiful amount of swoony moments and not too many misunderstandings. I love the slow burning romances that come in many different forms. We have two arranged marriages for different reasons that end in love. We have seemingly unrequited love that becomes something more. We have a longstanding love and fake courtships. And we have true friendship that becomes love. All these stories are unique and so beautiful! I loved moments like when Athena realizes that true love comes in many different forms and the perfect dreams we have sometimes come true in unexpected ways. Or the swoony declarations of love between Daphne and James. Or the tender moments between Artemis and Charlie that create a beautiful love story. In each story, Eden gives us fantastic swoony first kisses and beautiful realizations about how much these characters love each other. Each novel has a beautiful happily ever after that left me smiling and my heart happy.

Each of these books also offers fascinating historical details and compelling plots that had me completely invested in each story. I love Regency England settings and these were not the first books I’ve read set during this time period. But Eden offers readers new insights into the time period and interesting details about life during this time. I learned a lot about how Parliament worked during this time and the importance of titles in determining seats in the House of Lords and the responsibilities of land owners. I loved learning about the medicinal uses of different herbs and plants through Daphne’s interests in them. I learns more about the navy and the difficult battles fought during the Napoleonic Wars. It was heartbreaking to learn how young boys could be when sent to war. And the loss of Evander was tender and heartbreaking throughout the stories. I also enjoyed learning about Charlie’s mathematical genius and the ways you could make money as an academic at this time. And surrounding so many of these stories were Mater and the late earl of Lampton. I loved how connected these two families become through many twists and turns.

I can’t speak highly enough about these books! I love the compelling characters, beautiful romance, and fascinating plots. I couldn’t put these down and was so glad to get to read the Jonquil Brothers series to continue experiencing this world. A must read for any historical romance fans and a great place to start for those new to the genre.

What are some of  your favorite historical romances?
Which authors do you aspire to read all of their books?