My Bookshelf: The Lost Heiress by Roseanna M. White

        Brook Eden has never known where she truly belongs. When her friend Justin uncovers the fact that she is possibly the missing heiress from Yorkshire, Brook leaves the sun of the Mediterranean to travel to the moors of the North Sea to the estate of her supposed family.

        The mystery of her mother’s death haunts her, and although her father is quick to accept her, the rest of the family and the servants of Whitby Park are not. Only when Brook’s life is threated do they draw close—but will their loyalty come too late to save Brook from the same threat that led to tragedy for her mother?

        As heir to a dukedom, Justin is no stranger to balancing responsibilities. When the matters of his estate force him far from Brook, the distance between them reveals that their friendship has grown into something much more. But how can their very different loyalties and responsibilities ever come together?

        And then for a second time, the heiress of Whitby Park is stolen away because of the very rare treasure in her possession—and those who can save her still aren’t sure who to trust.

        The Lost Heiress is the first book in Roseanna M. White’s Ladies of the Manor series, and is a novel that I had been anticipating for a very long time. Roseanna M. White is one of my all-time favorite authors, and her book Whispers from the Shadows is one of the best novels I have ever read, so I knew going in that I would enjoy The Lost Heiress. But, as all wonderful novels do, this book well exceeded all of my expectations, and made me melt into a little puddle far more times than I thought it would. The mystery and intrigue that filled this novel made it absolutely impossible to put down, and the romantic elements didn’t make it any easier. So many things went into the making of this story, and that made it all the better for the way that she tied up the ends and pulled off the perfect happily ever after.

        Brook Eden is such a great character! I love her wild spirit—the way she cannot be tamed—and I am inspired by her kindness and generosity. Despite the way she is treated, by both the staff and her new family, she never once treats them in an unkind manner. Rather, she continues to build a life for herself in her new home, even though it is so completely different from everything that she has known. Then there’s the mystery that comes calling. She really does stay pretty calm through it all, although she is obviously—and understandably—extremely scared. She handles it well though, especially those times you really see her wild spirit shine. You’ll figure out what I’m referring to when you read the book.

        Justin is perfection. For the most part. Obviously both he and Brook have their faults, especially when it comes to their growing relationship with one another, but when it comes down to it, Justin is there when she really needs him. And his fear for her safety—though he doesn’t do a great job of showing it—is just the cutest thing. He really does care for her—I mean he is her best friend and all—and that is made obvious through the way he finds her family and strives to keep her happy and safe. Plus his jealousy of any man who so much as looks at her is pretty much the cutest thing ever.

        Let me just take a minute to say, even though he isn’t mentioned on the back of the book, Lord Worthing is by far one of my favorite characters of all time. So that I don’t spoil anything for you, I won’t clarify what his place is in the story or what he means to Justin and/or Brook, but I just had to give him a little of the spotlight. He is just the sweetest thing! And his relationship with Christ is the type that people dream of having. He is constantly in tune with the Lord and His will, and he has a really godly character. He’s always doing for others and making me melt into little puddles, and I really was glad Roseanna wrote him into this story (and if my suspicions are correct, he is the hero of the second book, The Reluctant Duchess, which releases in April).

        Anyway, this book was so, so good! The historical aspects were impeccable, of course, and the story was flawlessly written. It was captivating, mysterious, and heartwarming, and I know I would read it again in a second. So I must give it all five bookshelves. It would be impossible not to, especially since it is now on my ‘favorite books of all time’ list. Roseanna hit this one out of the ballpark, and I cannot wait to see what the rest of the series has in store.

        Happy reading!

Linking up at Bloggers Who Have Inspired Me and TotallyTerrific Tuesday.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.

You can purchase a copy of this gem here!

All credit for the italicized synopsis goes to Roseanna M. White and Bethany House Publishing.