Lakeshire Park

Amelia Moore and her younger sister, Clara, are in a terrible predicament. Both of their biological parents have passed on and the young women are living in Brighton under the charge of their stepfather, Lord Gray, who constantly reminds them that they are a burden, and that he cares for them financially solely because of the promise he made to their mother, Arabella. Amelia is determined to secure a husband for her younger sister before sickly Lord Gray perishes from his illness, leaving them destitute. Amid hopelessness, an invitation is finally extended to the young women by Sir Ronald Demsford of Hampshire to attend a house party. His estate is impressive, and the mere thought that Clara could find happiness with Sir Ronald as his show more wife, fills Amelia with exhilaration. Surely a match can be made. That is if the sniffy, impertinent Mr. Peter Wood doesn’t curtail Amelia’s plan for Clara with similar intentions for his own younger sister.
I…LOVED….this book!! 😃 What splendid writing! Ms. Walker’s Regency era novel exudes a freshness; its language is pleasant and easy to decipher, yet not simplistic. The scenes flow effortlessly, and the speech, manners, architecture, landscape and costumes all mirror the time period for which it was intended. I enjoyed the casual development of the admiration between Peter and Amelia; it was natural and convincing. The adept balance of wit and seriousness further compliments this artfully contrived story. Mr. Wood’s charismatic, and at times, impertinent manners gave me the giggles, and the glorious ending left me thoroughly contented and bubbling over with warmth and happiness amidst these uncertain times we’re currently living in.
Lakeshire Park is a lovely tale that I thoroughly savored from start to finish. I will be looking out for more books written by Megan Walker. Very highly recommended. show less

I’m in love with this author’s writing. It’s simple and yet so vibrant and magical, I can’t get enough of it. The way she writes chemistry! Butterflies guaranteed, ladies.

Amelia and her sister Clara have no income and will soon have nowhere to go. When an opportunity arises for Clara to make a match, the sisters are desperate to make it happen. The problem is Miss Wood, who is interested in the same man, and her handsome brother Peter, who is supporting her.

Peter was great, I love confident heroes who know what they want and are not afraid to go for it. Amelia on the other hand... That girl went to great lengths to jeopardize her own happiness. She was rather desperate, so I can sorta forgive her for making a mess of things, show more but also, she was so frustratingly blind I wanted to smack her head with my kindle. Girl, open your eyes! He's into you!

All in all this book was rather unputdownable and I'm totally reading everything this author ever published. These gorgeous covers are luring me in.

And can we please, PLEASE have a marriage of convenience story for the poor Mr. David Pendleton? I don’t care what he says, he deserves a second chance at love.

———

Amelia, for being your own worst enemy show less

In this novel, Amelia and her sister Clara are weeks away from destitution. Their stepfather is near death, and has made no provision for them. When they are invited to pay a visit at the home of a gentleman admirer of Clara, Amelia knows it is their last and best opportunity to secure a permanent home. Unfortunately, when she gets there she finds that another guest has a similar idea. Peter Wood has brought his sister Georgiana to pay a visit in hopes of engaging the same man. Amelia and Peter are both determined to forward their sisters' pursuit of a good match, so in the interests of fair play, they agree to keep each other preoccupied so that neither has too much chance to sabotage the other. Afternoon excursions, banter, and show more friendship ensue.

This Regency love story was easy to read, funny at times, and had a very engaging romantic lead. What I liked about it was that even though the two main characters are somewhat at odds at the beginning, they don't snipe at one another for no good reason, as I've seen done in other books in an attempt to ratchet up the tension. The interaction in this book is handled in a more realistic way, and is actually cute.
Although I felt there were probably a few anachronisms in dialogue, they weren't significant enough to really impact my enjoyment of the book.

Thanks to Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley for this digital review copy. show less

Amelia Moore knows that the situation for her and her sister, Clara, is highly unstable and dire. Her stepfather's health is declining and he has made no provisions for their support after his demise. Their parents, unfortunately, were unable to make provisions for them after their deaths so the only options are marriage or placements as governesses or companions. Amelia's stepfather, Lord Gray, has given her a few weeks to secure a marriage proposal or seek employment and it is Amelia's hope that one of Clara's London suitors will propose, Sir Ronald - Lord Demsworth. So off Amelia and Clara go to Lord Demsworth's country estate, Lakeshire Park for a house party. Unfortunately for Clara, Georgiana Wood is also present and vying for show more Lord Demsworth's attention. Amelia knows that this may be Clara's last shot at happiness and is willing to do whatever takes to see her sister happily wed, even if it means befriending Georgiana Wood's brother, Peter Wood. Needless to say, Amelia and Peter don't exactly get along initially due to a misunderstanding, but the more time they spend together the more they realize they have in common.

Just when it seems as if things are going according to plan for Clara and Lord Demsworth, Amelia receives word that Lord Gray is on his deathbed and they are to never return to his home in Brighton. Amelia is informed that their belongings will be sent to them at Lakeshire Park. She's also informed that both she and Clara are to find suitable employment if marriages haven't been arranged. Seeing no other recourse, Amelia confides in Lord Demsworth's mother and is informed that Lady Demsworth's nephew is seeking a suitable match. Amelia meets with this man and he proposes a loveless marriage, one she always assumed would be best. Amelia isn't sure this is the best option, but is the only option available at the moment since marriage hasn't presented as a viable choice for Clara even though Lord Demsworth seems smitten by her charms. And then Georgiana strikes and scandalizes the local society by openly kissing Lord Demsworth at a local ball. Georgiana presumes that Sir Ronald will propose marriage to her and she'll win his hand in marriage. Although Amelia has befriended Peter, will she ever be able to forgive Georgiana for what's she done to her sister? Will Clara and Sir Ronald ever get together despite the scandal caused by Georgiana? Will Amelia be happy with the proposed loveless arranged marriage now that she's met a man that she has true affection for even though his family has caused heartbreak to her beloved sister?

I've been dealing with severe migraine after severe migraine for several weeks now on top of back-to-back bronchitis infections, so a HEA was just what I needed about now. There's nothing quite like a happy-ever-after romance to make you feel better no matter how bad you're actually feeling. Lakeshire Park is the first novel published by Megan Walker and it packed quite a punch folks. I felt that there were hints of Pride and Prejudice with the misunderstandings and preconceived prejudices between Amelia and Peter Wood, hints of Sense and Sensibilities with the demise of Amelia and Clara's parents and need to find someplace suitable to live unfortunately without any available guardians, and Georgiana seemed to be a cross between the conniving Mary Crawford from Mansfield Park and sneaky Lucy Steele from Sense and Sensibilities. Yes, there's a lot of Austen-inspired themes in this story but it is a wholly unique story. Of course, that's just my perception, you may read it and find something totally different. Just in case you can't tell, I enjoyed this story. I quite liked the developing relationship between Amelia and Peter and their verbal sparring, as well as the settings for their many walks and rides. If I had one wish, it would be to get to know the other characters just a little better. The reader gets to know Clara and Georgiana, but the remaining characters play incredibly minor roles and aren't well-developed (and probably with good reason). This story presents family angst, family drama, societal strictures, and hints of romance (it is the 19th century). Yes, it ends with a HEA, but is it a HEA for everyone? Well, you'll need to read it to find out for yourself. Seriously, if you're in the market for a sweet, historical romance to read, then grab yourself a copy of Lakeshire Park to read. Hopefully, you'll enjoy it as much as I did. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Walker in the future.

Happy Reading, y'all!

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. This review originally posted on 04/15/2020 at https://www.thebookdivasreads.com/2020/04/2020-book-127-lakeshire-park-by-megan.... show less

*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher

I love when a book takes you by surprise. When I received the book, I initially put it to the bottom of a pile of ARCs I was going through. After going through quite a book slump this summer, I picked it up. And did not want to put it down. How refreshing it was to read a "softer" book during this time (I usually do not read romance or regency)! It did remind me a lot of Pride and Prejudice, but that did not detract from my enjoyment. My only complaint was the cattiness between some of the female characters, and one in particular who seemed to be vilified. Overall, one of my favorites so far this year.

From the beautiful cover to the intriguing premise and on to the delectable story, Lakeshire Park is a winner all the way. I’ve heard so many fantastic things about this book, so when I got a chance to read it, I grabbed it and devoured it. All the great things I’ve heard are absolutely true! With rich historical detail and colorful, engaging, carefully-crafted characters, this tale is a delight to read. Peter Wood is a marvelous hero—fun loving, considerate, and caring, and Amelia Moore is a wonderful counterpart with her determination and sense of duty to her sister. The chemistry between Peter and Amelia is perfect, and I loved the witty, clever banter they engage in and the situations they encounter.

Megan Walker is an show more excellent author, and I’ll be looking forward to more of her stories in the future. This book is one I’ll be happy to reread. It belongs on the keeper shelf!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Shadow Mountain Publishing through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. show less

No Regency flavour. The plot was quite farfetched.