Widows of Somerset Author: Heather B. Moore, Jen Geigle Johnson, Rebecca Connolly
Series: Timeless Regency Collection #15
Genres: Historical Romance, Romance Anthology
Format: Audio, eBook, Print
Pages: 353
Date: October 6, 2020
Publisher: Mirror Press
Rules of the Secret Society of Young Widows:
Rule 1: Be a widow.
Rule 2: Have an impeccable reputation.
Rule 3: Don’t fall in love again.
AN HEIR TO SPARE by Rebecca Connolly
Widowhood has changed much for Anna—Lady Lyndham—but an unconventional heir to the estate was not something she had anticipated. Nor had she anticipated that he would have no intention of forcing her out, although he has every right to. And she certainly did not anticipate finding him handsome, charming, and unfailingly generous. But Ned Richards, the new Lord Lyndham, has a world of surprises in store for her, and not anticipating them will become quite the adventure.
THE WIDOW OF LAVENDER COTTAGE by Jen Geigle Johnson
As a widow, Lillian Hunter has never been in love and plans to never marry again, so the rules of the Secret Society of Young Widows suit her just fine. Her days are spent attempting to transform her newly inherited Lavender Cottage into a livable space until Oliver Wentworth shows up, asking for her late husband. Anxious to establish himself as a landed gentry in Somerset, Oliver is none too pleased to discover that a widow lives alone in a tiny run down cottage bordering his new property. The fact that she’s young and attractive only adds frustration to his sense of responsibility over her. And confound her, she challenges his every attempt to help manage her affairs.
A PROMISE FORGOTTEN by Heather B. Moore
Charlotte Ashford never thought she’d marry a vicar, and she never thought she’d find herself widowed with a young child to care for on her own. She certainly never thought she’d return to Somerset to live with her mother again, and Charlotte never thought she’d see him again. But Lord Wilshore has never forgotten her, and he has never forgotten their promise made long ago. Charlotte would love nothing more than for Lord Wilshore to forgive her, but too much heartache and too much time might make that impossible. Friendship is all she can hope for, but that hope may be dashed as well.
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About Heather B. Moore
Heather B. Moore is a USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen historical novels and thrillers, written under pen name H.B. Moore. She writes women’s fiction, romance and inspirational non-fiction under Heather B. Moore.
About Jen Geigle Johnson
Jen Geigle Johnson is an award winning author, including the GOLD in Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards. She discovered her passion for England while kayaking on the Thames near London as a young teenager. Now, she loves to share bits of history that might otherwise be forgotten. Whether in Regency England, the French Revolution, or Colonial America, her romance novels are much like life is supposed to be: full of adventure.
About Rebecca Connolly
Rebecca Connolly writes romances, both period and contemporary, because she absolutely loves a good love story. She has been creating stories since childhood, and there are home videos to prove it! She started writing them down in elementary school and has never looked back. She currently lives in Ohio, spends every spare moment away from her day job absorbed in her writing, and is a hot cocoa addict.
When I saw the cover for this book I thought, “That woman looks a little saucy. These stories could be on the edgy side of clean romance.” But that was not true at all. They were perfectly clean. The sauciness may be more from being bold enough to take a hold of their lives and make things better. So, determined may be a better term.
One of the key things that makes me admire someone’s writing is if I read the story without thinking about the writing at all. All I see is the story itself. The words flow to show the story without standing out on their own. In other words, the words flow so naturally that nothing sticks out as odd or out of place. This book was one of those. Even with three different authors. Each one told their story very well. The secret society of young widows is a marvelous theme through all three stories, tying them together but each told different stories.
An Heir to Spare by Rebecca Connolly: I LOVED Ned! Such a fun hero. And Anna was wonderful to watch as she learned how to watch out for her own needs. Also it was fun to watch her personality come out instead of being what everyone expected of her position.
The Widow of Lavender Cottage by Jen Geigle Johnson: First off, the setting for this cottage sounds so beautiful. Again, I really liked this hero. Oliver had what I call a Prince Charming complex, wanting to save the damsel in distress. Lillian had no desire to be saved which of course leads to the conflict of the story. I loved that she was willing to get her hands dirty to fix her inherited home up instead of depending on her servants or her neighbor. She was stubbornly strong. I also loved that though Oliver wanted to help her, he was also willing to give her all the independence she desired to make her happy making him truly Prince Charming and more.
A Promise Forgotten by Heather B. Moore: This one was the saddest of the three stories I think. Both characters underwent heartbreak. I loved how Charlotte’s daughter seemed to be the tie to bring the main character’s together for their second chance at love. I thought bringing someone back from the dead and the other widowed was a great combination for the story.
I don’t often read Regency romance that focuses on widows as the main characters so this was a fun departure. I loved Lady Joanna and her desires to teach feminism to women who were otherwise helpless. It was unfortunately true that women were largely dependent on the men in their lives so teaching women to depend on themselves would be novel.
No sex, language or violence
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book and voluntarily chose to write a review.