Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940153570266 |
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| Publisher: | Emily Larkin |
| Publication date: | 11/22/2016 |
| Series: | Midnight Quill , #2 |
| Sold by: | Draft2Digital |
| Format: | NOOK Book |
| Sales rank: | 103,586 |
| File size: | 752 KB |
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
The Spinster's Secret
3.8 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
8 reviews.
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The Spinster's Secret by Emily Larkin
The story takes place several months after the Battle of Waterloo.
Edward Kane arrives at Creed Hall, the dark and dreary childhood home of his friend, Toby. Wrapped in guilt, he has come to return his friend's effects. Where Edward had been horribly wounded in the battle and expected to die, it was Toby who had, in fact, never come home.
Also in residence at Creed Hall is Matilda Chapple, niece to Sir Arthur Strickland and cousin to Edward's friend. Orphaned at nineteen, Mattie came to live with her uncle and, though she is grateful for his charity, she longs to escape the cold, uncaring manor house.
To escape, Mattie needs money; to make money, she pens the scandalous, fictional, and immensely popular confessions of "Cherie", a worldly courtesan. But in the early 19th century, decent women do not read such things and they, certainly, don't write them. So if her uncle ever finds out, Mattie knows he'll disown her and throw her out.
When circumstances reveal that "Cherie" lives nearby, Sir Arthur is determined to find her out and remove her from his village. And Edward agrees to help, not knowing that the woman he is coming to care for is the object of his search.
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One gets a feel for the end of the Georgian era in The Spinster's Secret. Evocative of Austen, life is structured and behaviors are strictly controlled. Young women were constantly reminded of their place and the expectations of them.
Mattie, as so many heroines of the era, flies in the face of these expectations - to a point. She is always dependent on the goodwill of her sternly religious uncle. Her blossoming physical relationship with Edward, not to mention her writings, were cause for removal from the family.
This is simply a lovely story. A woman, believing herself plain and destined for spinsterhood, finds love and acceptance from - and for - a man so disfigured that he believes no one could ever look fondly on him again.
I marveled at Larkin's choice of main characters. These are not the 'beautiful people' one expects to find in a romance novel. They are physically and emotionally scarred, which only makes their story that much sweeter.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary electronic copy of this book from the publisher [...]. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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THE SPINSTER’S SECRET is a historical romance set at dreary and depressing Creed Hall in Soddy Morton. Matilda, or Mattie, is thankful for the generosity of her uncle, Arthur Strickland, but is looking forward to the day when she can live on her own. She writes a series of stories about the events of a courtesan and plans to use the money from her writing to secure her freedom. She’s not far away from achieving her dream when her uncle learns that the famous “courtesan” lives in Soddy Morton. Edward Kane, a Waterloo veteran, is visiting Creed Hall out of respect for his slain friend and fellow Waterloo soldier, Mattie’s cousin, Toby. Feeling guilt over Toby’s death, Edward agrees to help Arthur find the courtesan. As Edward spends time at Creed Hall trying to discover the identity of the courtesan, he finds he is drawn to Mattie. When Mattie makes a shocking proposal, Edward begins to find himself again. But can Edward and Mattie find their way to each other?
Overall, I enjoyed reading Emily Larkin’s book. The characters of Edward and Mattie were well-developed and I liked that neither of the characters were pretentious or arrogant. The tone of the book; however, was rather dark and depressing. The descriptions of Creed Hall helped paint a clear image of just how depressing Creed Hall was for Mattie. Both Emily and Edward were rather sad characters trying overcome obstacles from their past. I liked the easy friendship between Mattie and Edward, but I caught myself wondering how Ms. Larkin was going to transform the friendship into something more. Both Mattie and Edward found pity for the other. Edward pities Mattie for having to live in dreary Creed Hall, and Mattie pities Edward for his battle scars and wounds. She made it work however, and I found myself happy for the two of them in the end. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a book that depicts more real life characters and who struggle with life events. I look forward to reading other books by Emily Larkin.
Rating: 4
Heat Rating: Mild
Reviewed By: AprilP, My Book Addiction Reviews
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This was a very amazing love story. An poor woman living with her strict and penny conscious uncle. An disfigured soldier from the war comes for a visit. The friendship between Mattie and Edward blossoms. But a secret causes problems for them. I enjoyed the book thoroughly.
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4.5 stars!! Great historical romance involving a lonely, aspiring author young girl-type whose uncle can't find out what she's doing. Well the uncle comes upon some of her writing but doesn't know it's from her! Edward is a war veteran who comes in and is supposed to find out where the writings came from. I liked the connection between the characters but thought it could have been a little hotter! :)
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I struggled to finish this book. I skipped so many pages so I can finally finish is book. Nothing about this book grabbed my attention.
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An injured Waterloo vet meets a woman without a dowry who is secretly writing scandalous "confessions" to earn a living. Both main characters are likeable and believable. The secondary characters add to the fun. Will the vet discover the secret identity of the writer? This angle wasnt forced and drawn out artificially. Period research into clothing, households, war injuries, transportation and food made this novel come alive. I will definitely read more from this author.
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