Spring Reads: Dawn at Emberwilde

Thomas Nelson; 352 pages; Buy Link; Blog Tour

It seems the days have been creeping up on me as I thought had a few more days before the Dawn at Emberwilde book tour started, but as it turns out,  today was the my scheduled day to post my review for the title. Since I hadn't read the book yet, I sat down this afternoon with a cup of coffee and read the entire novel in one sitting.

Dawn at Emberwilde (book two in the Treasures of Surrey series) centers on Isabel Creston, a young woman who has been taking care of her sister, Lizzie, ever since the death of their father. Isabel had attended the Fellsworth School since she was seven-years-old, and she is now a teacher there.

Out of nowhere, Edmund Bradford arrives at the school to inform Isabel that relatives of her mother has been looking for them. The relatives has also offered to Isabel and Lizzie into their home at Emberwilde.

While hesitant at first, Isabel agrees to visit Emberwilde and meet her family, where she is thrown into a strange new world that requires her to wear fancy dresses and socialize with strangers (and possible suitors).

Final Thoughts: By glancing at the cover art, my first thought was that this book would be a new take on a fairy tale, but instead it's a typical romance story where a woman meets her high-society family. Yep, this type of plot has been done to death, but nevertheless, I still gave this book shot.

The author does a good job of introducing the main character, Isabel, and setting up the main plot. The dialogue and descriptions are intriguing; somewhat reminding me of a Jane Austen novel. Overall, I enjoyed reading Dawn at Emberwilde; though the last half dragged a bit for me, it's still a decent read.

*Disclaimer - I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own.



About the Author: Sarah E. Ladd received the 2011 Genesis Award in historical romance for The Heiress of Winterwood. She is a graduate of Ball State University and has more than ten years of marketing experience. Sarah lives in Indiana with her amazing husband, sweet daughter, and spunky Golden Retriever.