The Sisters of Sea View

A captivating read that transported me to the shores of Devonshire, as four sisters adjust to their reduced circumstances by opening their home to guests.

A well written novel that does an excellent job of capturing the nuance of the time period, realistically bringing to life a full cast of unique and carefully crafted characters. The story follows the three eldest sisters as they navigate their new circumstances and responsibilities. Sarah is the eldest and takes her duty to the wellbeing of her family seriously, bearing the burdens even when her heart is on the line. Emily is charming and impulsive, while her twin Viola is more timid, but with a surprising courage. Violas was my favorite and claimed a special place in my heart, for show more how she overcame her fears by serving others.

A wonderful start to a brand new series that left me wanting more and hoping for the return of some of the Summers's guests in the future. I loved how as the sisters got to know their guests and new friends, that they were not as the first appeared. This is a wonderful read for fans of Jane Austen, with many compelling storylines throughout. I can't wait to return to Devonshire and the wonderful people there.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. show less

“My scars are far more extensive than yours.” “Mine run deeper.”

One of my favorite Julie Klassen novels! It’s a fantastic start to a new series! This beautifully written tale of sisters set in Regency Sidmouth drew me in from the beginning. It’s a gently told story of love, loss, scars, and resilience. As each sister grapples with new circumstances after their father’s unexpected death, we see both their strengths and weaknesses. It’s a well researched elegant nod to Jane Austen with a Louisa May Alcott feel as well. A slow burn, romantic, character driven story that kept me engaged til the end.

With the death of their father, second born Sarah blames herself and takes on the responsibility of caring for her ailing show more mother and three younger sisters. When no ready solution to their financial situation presents itself, she enlists her sisters to help turn their seaside home into a boarding house. What they don’t anticipate are the interesting, handsome, and sometimes eccentric guests. There’s even an appearance by the Eltons from Jane Austen’s Emma! As the story progresses, each sister hones new talents in unexpected ways to make the boarding house work.

There’s a bit of mystery surrounding their father’s death along with the abrupt departure to Scotland by a fifth oldest sister. The reasons she left are teased out throughout the story, but the explanation isn’t fully given. In addition, Sarah and Emily both have lost loves and must decide if they will open up their hearts again especially with the arrival of two handsome gentleman, Mr. Stanley and Mr. Callum Henshall, a widower from Scotland.

Perhaps the most endearing sister to me was Viola. Born with a cleft palate, she underwent numerous painful surgeries to correct the defect. She’s understandably wary of people and has an exaggerated view of her scar. When her beautiful twin sister Emily hires her out to read to invalids, she’s upset, but is willing to try to help the family. What she doesn’t expect, is to meet the irascible Major Jack Hutton who was injured in India. Despite his scars, he’s still a handsome, powerful man. The sparks fly as they match wits. Both have fiery personalities, but as Viola reads to the Major and he begins to heal, their relationship grows from animosity to admiration. Both help the other see themselves clearly.

I loved the relationships between the sisters. Each has a unique personality: there’s Sarah the caretaker and aspiring baker, Emily the beauty with a talent for writing, Viola with her musical talent, and the sunny youngest sister Georgiana. I enjoyed teasing out the mystery of each character and their circumstances. There are quite a few curve balls thrown into the story and I can’t wait to see how everything works out in subsequent books.

This is a must read for Regency romance lovers, especially those who enjoy a well written, heartwarming family drama. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the author and publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review. show less

This book is like a slow promenade down the beach; unhurried, reflective, and soothing somehow. It is at once engaging and tender, and is a storytelling style reminiscent of classic books.
📚
This book follows four sisters, Sarah, Emily, Viola, and Georgiana, as well as their mother. It talks about their reduced circumstances and how they have to figure out how to survive. They decide to turn their home into a boarding house of sorts, and Sea View is born.
📚
This book primarily follows Sarah and Viola, as they each try to figure out what their hearts wants. Viola especially goes through so much growth in this one, and I loved watching her confidence blossom, and her belief in her inherent goodness. I felt that Julie handled so well the show more situation with the Major and Viola, and their respective scars and the injuries that led to said scarring. And I loved how they taught each other just by being themselves around one another. It’s the sweetest story. I also loved the research Julie has clearly done into cleft palate/lip, and how it was treated and perceived during these times. It was so well done and such a good reminder that people are so much more than what has happened to them.
📚
I absolutely loved the elements each of the side characters brought to this story. They made me smile and added such a fun component to the overall book!
📚
I felt like Julie masterfully balanced heartache and hope, grief and gladness, friendship and love. It’s a wonderful story. show less

"A solitary soul can do little. But together...what lasting beauty we create."

It's been a while since I've indulged in a Julie Klassen book and I'm so happy that I did. This book starts a new series on the Devonshire Shores and I thoroughly enjoyed being transported to this 1819 coastal town of Sidmouth. I learned a good deal about the trending medical theories on benefits of sea-bathing and how it was actually done. There are many characters to sort through since it is the first book of the series but the characters were all unique and felt like long-time friends by the end of the book. The four Summers sisters are truly delightful. Sarah, Emily, Viola, and Georgiana are very different yet connected by sisterly love and loyalty. show more Sarah's commitment to family and Georgiana's tender sweetness were heart-warming. Emily's disappointments and Viola's bitterness and angst were heart-breaking but their triumph over these obstacles was gratifying. I loved getting to know the Henshall family and the Hutton family and hope to see more of them in future books of the series. Of course, as in most Regency novels, there is a swirl of secrets and a natural disaster of sorts; these plot twists work to bring the sisters, guests, and townspeople closer together. The guests at Sea View are quite entertaining and you'll feel like you've gone on a holiday by the sea as you mingle with this eclectic group.

I received the book from the publisher via LibraryThing and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own. show less

Fantastic book! I read it in two days! The characters are extraordinary and the setting is sublime! I love books that are set at the beach! I enjoyed the relationship that the sisters had with each other and with their neighbors. My favorite was Georgiana- she's full of vim and vigor! Just a delightful book! A definite must read!

Thank you Librarything.com for the advanced digital copy of The Sisters of Seaview by Julie Klassen in return for an honest review.

It isn’t often that I find a book that I love as much as I loved The Sisters of Seaview. Reminiscent of Jane Austen, this novel, part of a new series, introduces the reader to widowed, infirm, mother, Eugenia, and her three, adult daughters, Sarah, the responsible older daughter, and twins, Emily and Viola, Viola suffering with and self-conscious because of a cleft lip. With the passing of their father, and heredity laws taking the family home from them, the four move to their Seaview home, a house purchased by their father outside of the heredity line. With their small savings dwindling, a decision to show more take in guests is life-changing. Interesting characters, quirky guests and neighbors along with a charming setting, make this novel a joy to read. show less

First sentence: Sarah Summers carefully lifted the family heirloom, a warm mantle of nostlagia settling over her.

Historical romance--Regency Romance--Christian fiction.

After the death of their father and the decline of their mother's health, four sisters--Sarah, Emily, Viola, Georgiana--decide (somewhat reluctantly) to open up their seaside home to (paying) guests.

Long story short: I absolutely loved, loved, loved, loved this one. It was just giddy-making. I loved the family. I loved the neighborhood and community. I loved meeting the guests. I loved the stories. I loved the relationships. I loved the layers.

Three of the four sisters are well-developed and get a lot of time and attention. [Georgiana, well, maybe in future books she show more will be developed and have a story.]

There are multiple narrators. The narrators do not switch over at chapter breaks. Within a chapter, the point of view might change several times. The only negative thing I can say about this one is that--at least in the advanced reader's copy--there's no visual clues that the narration has changed.

It was so funny to have Mr. and Mrs. Elton from Emma show up as guests in this one!!! They added much comic relief.

ETA: Yes, I read this one twice in one year. The sequel just released. I checked both books out of the library. show less