Anita Stansfield

My Review (May Contain Spoilers-fair warning upon reading this review)

Gables Against the Sky is the second book in the Byrnehouse-Davis Hamilton Saga. This is a combined love tale of a set of twins. Tyson and Emma Davies. Tyson and Emma while they are twins, couldn't be more different but they both have had a tight connection to each other. Tyson has yearned to explore the world, and Emma is more than content to live in her books and embrace the home she loves. Our love interests for our show more twins are Lacey (a young woman that they fostered but not a blood relation) she was raised with Tyson and Emma, but as Tyson and Lacey grow into adulthood, there is a love that builds between them. Then we have Michael Hamilton, who was sent to a boys home on the station, and he had a deep love for Emma, but when his interest was spurned by Emma, he left the only home he had ever known and has been gone for four years.

Now its the current time frame, Emma and Lacey are kidnapped by Michael Hamilton, who obviously has something to prove. And right when they are kidnapped, Tyson returns home to find secrets and unresolved pain and issues. While Lacey was scared of being kidnapped, Emma had a courage to face Michael head-on. She starts to sense that there is something so much beneath the surface of Michael's motives, and when the truth becomes laid bare, it will take courage and determination from both Michael and Emma to move forward.

Gables Against the Sky is a powerful read of a romance and I definitely had a blast in the reading of this one here. This was a reread of course, as I read it closer to when it was first released. I have to say that I absolutely had a fun time returning to Michael and Emma especially. They are my favorite romance of the two that we see here. I am just not a fan of Lacey at all, and never have been. She acts very spoiled and holier than thou through much of the story and it just rubs you the wrong way. Michael and Emma's story just hits different, it tugs at some deep emotion that you easily relate to and the author really handles the situation so delicately and just right. And yes she makes a kidnapping story work in all of the right and best ways.

If you are a fan of proper historicals or just historical romance, then I highly recommend this one. show less

Thomas arrived home from war prematurely due to an injury he requested his parents not to be informed of. Instead of surprising them, it was he who was surprised to find they had taken a trip abroad and would be gone for at least another month. Their dear and trusted butler, Dawson, was aptly running the estate. Thomas had been raised to treat the servants as family. He had rejected the many women perusing him, wanting to be a part of his wealth and station in society, because of their show more snobbery and lack of awareness of real life. He had no desire to seek a wife among those he knew. The horrors of the inhumanity of war haunting him, and the emptiness in the estate caused him to feel so alone. Energetically he tried to occupy his time by riding and participating in the menial labors alongside the servants, but he grew increasingly agitated. He needed meaning in his life!
Dawson approached him, distraught over a serious matter concerning Dawson's niece. Thomas formulated a plan to aid him and his niece without any one the wiser. Once Thomas met with Dawson's niece, plans changed and Thomas life took a whole new direction.
Thomas formulated a plan to successfully deceive the Manor's staff. He would be living in the Cottage in the country for awhile. He left a note for his parents, telling him of his early return, then of his decision to go to the Cottage for a long visit. His time at the Cottage was very memorable, but of course, when his parents returned, they immediately insisted on joining their only son at the Cottage. After they received a surprisingly delightful homecoming with their son, they all returned to the Manor to continue life and responsibilities there. Little did anyone know what turn of events would happen next.
The characters were very realistically developed. The reader felt a part of the various scenes . Each chapter led into the next in a manner, the reader found very difficult to put the book down before continuing on to the next one. It kept the reader engrossed as the plot steadily moved along and grew in momentum, with a surprise ending.
This was a very well written novel, as is the case with most all of Anita Stanfield's books.
Hopefully, this is a first in a series. Although it is written in a fashion to be a stand alone, it also leaves the reader wanting this story to continue.
*This book was gifted me but I am in no way obligated to post a positive review.
This is definitely a Five Stars rated story. show less

This is a heartbreaking story, more dismal than any other Stansfield book, but the reader has hope for a happier day sometime in the future. Jayson Wolfe protects his mother from the ongoing attacks of his alcoholic father, which causes her to finally leave. Jayson and his brother go, but have to leave their precious piano behind. His crush on a new girl at his new school, Elizabeth, takes an unexpected turn when he unknowingly befriends her brother whom he works with. The boys form a band, show more but tragedy breaks them apart and music separates him from Elizabeth, leaving him running to L.A. and a hope for fame. show less

Bess is weary from the work she does for her father, who is a doctor. When she is offered the opportunity to be a nurse to a young man who has months to live, she takes it, if only to save herself from her father's indifference. What she finds is a real family and love she never expected.

There is one thing that kept this from being a five star read for me: lack of a build up to emotion. We do not get to see the progression of Bess falling in love or why she does so. It's difficult to explain show more but it felt like the author jumped from one emotional scene to the next with everything else reduced to a paragraph or two. This kept me from feeling the emotions I was supposed to feel.

Bess is a likable character, although at times she comes across as too good. Perhaps her naivete is her biggest flaw. I think she would have been more memorable if she had made mistakes or if we were allowed to see what changes her feelings.

It was difficult to stay in the story. I found it all too easy to put it down for something more engaging. Still, the story is clean and sweet.

I would recommend it to readers who enjoy a calm story with only a few plot twists. I received a free copy from NetGalley for reviewing purposes. show less