The Courtship of the Vicar's Daughter...Review

About the book:
Can the young man who once broke her heart be trusted again with her love?

Love is in the air. You will sense it as soon as you arrive in Gresham. As the wedding of Julia Hollis and Vicar Andrew Phelps approaches, the quaint English village is caught up in a stir of excitement and the promise of an event to remember.

Andrew's daughter Elizabeth is being courted by a handsome young curate. But while she is considering his offer of marriage, the man she once loved suddenly appears at her door, wanting to prove he has changed and is now worthy of her affection. A cloud of uncertainty surrounds her as she seeks to know her own heart.

Lovely, kindhearted Mercy Sanders isn't allowed to be courted in a normal fashion. You will be as stunned as she at the advice she is given on how to win the heart of Gresham's newest resident.

Even the eccentric bachelor Squire Bartley is smitten by love, and his bumbling attempts at courting will bring a smile.

I loved The Widow of Larkspur Inn and I was thrilled to find the rest of the series at my local library. This picks up where the first one left off.  Philip and Laurel are off to boarding school. Julia and Andrew are planning their wedding. Mrs. Knighton is delightful and giving the Squire fits and frustrations.

Newcomer Seth Langford and his son Thomas try and stay to the outskirts, but they are soon drawn into the beloved community and Mercy Sanders realizes that she wants a home and family of her own, rather than being the cook and maid for her rude, rough and tumble brothers and father.  Elizabeth Phelps has tried to get over the heartbreak of Jonathan Raleigh, but when he comes to Gresham, a seeming reformed man, Vicar Phelps is slower to forgive him than Elizabeth.

The title is a bit misleading as this is about the people of Gresham as much as it is about Elizabeth and Jonathan.  Like The Widow of Larkspur Inn, the story evolves through the perspectives of more than one character, but it works so well.  I loved revisiting Gresham.  I adored Seth and Thomas and the story of overcoming one's past.  Mrs. Kingston's interventions between Mercy and Seth and her reminder that Mercy read the story of Ruth and Boaz were so sweet.  I love Mrs. Kingston's way of putting the Sanders men in their place.

Thanks to my local library for having a copy I could borrow.  You can purchase your own copy here.

Read 8/14

* * * * *
5/5 Stars

Comments

  1. I have the Widow of Larkspur Inn! Maybe I should try it? I've had it languishing for so long in my Kindle library.

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