"To herself the young Miss Worthington had long acknowledged that marriage, that most traditional of all occupations for a young woman, would be the most expedient. Two things, though, stood as a bar to this being a resolution. Firstly, she had to find a man willing to marry her, other than the major, of course, and secondly she had no ambition to enter the state of matrimony without love".
This quote, very Austenesque in style, gives us a glimpse of a conundrum facing young Patience Worthington, the heroine of Love's Legacy by Natalie Kleinman.
It's an enchanting love story, mixed with beautiful Regency settings, both in the countryside and in Bath, with wonderful characters.
Patience has just lost her father, a countryside reverend. She's left with no home and very little money. "With the passing of Reverend Nicholas Worthington went also the last vestige of her security. At twenty-two years old Patience was alone, with only a small bequest from her father to support herself".
Upon her father's death, Patience finds a letter addressed to her, from her late mother who died several years earlier. This letter reveals some of the family secrets, and the hint to the big scandal, which made her family reject her.
On his deathbed, the Reverend asked his daughter to seek support at her estranged uncle's household. The two brothers had a falling out many years ago. In the letter the Reverend begs his older brother, the Viscount, to put aside their differences and take Patience into his household, the vast Worthington Place. As it happens, her uncle has died as well, and the current viscount is her cousin Gideon.
On hearing of her plight, Gideon offers Patience to stay at one of his properties on the Worthington estate.
Mary Petersham, her former governess, now a trusted companion, accompanies Patience. They are very fond of each other. Mary, more mature and sage than Patience, thinks this is the perfect place for them both. They are secure and well-provided, the little cottage is cosy and charming.
However, Patience (who doesn't quite live up to her name) is less tolerant of her current situation. Having discovered, that her late mother and the Viscountess have parted in hostile circumstances years ago, she doesn't feel comfortable, staying on sufferance from her relatives. "The son didn't want her. He was only doing what he saw as his duty. Her aunt refused even to meet her. No, the sooner she could contrive a way to leave, the better".
Sparks fly among them. Hester, the Viscountess, is still holding the old grudges, which puts Gideon in an awkward position. And Patience is a mulish headstrong and obstinate character.
She is too proud to accept Gideon's charity, and finds an opportunity to leave Worthington Place and stay with her mother's relatives in Bath. She is "determined to carve out a life for herself on her own terms".
While in Bath, Patience becomes an instant success among the local society. Gideon visits Bath often enough, for them to become friends. They seem to enjoy each other's company, and have a lot of things in common, yet the misunderstandings threaten their blossoming relationship. He is over-protective, and she is wilful.
When their growing bond stretches to the point of splintering due to the dark secrets and the shadows of the past, will Patience and Gideon be able to let the bygones be bygones and open their hearts to each other?
Love's Legacy is a delightful Regency romance story, which will appeal to the fans of Jane Austen, Mary Balogh and Georgette Hayer. Vivid and evocative, Love's legacy is utterly enchanting, entertaining and romantic.
My favourite character is Mary. She is a talented amateur artist who blossoms into the true professional. Art becomes more than her hobby. She doesn't need a man in her life to find her true self. She is loyal, caring, gentle and wise. The book celebrates female friendship and companionship.
Life in the Regency Bath is evoked with an attentive eye for historical detail. The scenes at the Pump Room ("There is no better place to observe life than the Pump Room...") and observations of the Society will transport you back in time. The dynamics of the households will keep you captivated, while the romance is slowly building up, and is delicately drawn.
This is the third book by Natalie Kleinman that I've read, and it's my favourite yet.
You can see my previous reviews of Natalie's books here:
The Ghost of Glendale (review)
and The Ghost of Glendale (book excerpt)
This book review is part of the blog tour for Love's Legacy. Many thanks to Natalie Kleinman for my e-copy of the book!
About the Author:
Natalie's passion for reading became a compulsion when she attended a ten-week course in creative writing some sixteen or so years ago, She takes delight in creating short stories of which more than forty have been published, but it was her lifelong love of Regency romance that led her to turn from contemporary romantic fiction to try her hand at her favourite genre.
Raised on a diet of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer, she is never happier than when immersed in an age of etiquette and manners, fashion and intrigue, all combined into a romping good tale.
She lives on the London/Kent border, close to the capital's plethora of museums and galleries which she uses for research as well as pleasure. A perfect day though is when she heads out of town to enjoy lunch by a pub on the river, any river, in company of her husband and friends.
Natalie is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association, the Society of Authoors and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists.
You can find out more about Natalie on Twitter @NatKleinman, Facebook/NatalieKleinmanAuthor and on her website nataliekleinman.com
Social Media Links –
https://www.facebook.com/NatalieKleinmanAuthor/
https://twitter.com/NatKleinman
https://www.instagram.com/nataliekleinman6279
What a fabulous post, Galina. Thank you so much and I'm truly delighted at how much you enjoyed the book.
ReplyDeleteNatalie xxx