BOOK REVIEW: Hearts of Briarwall by Kirsta Jensen

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Title: Hearts of Briarwall
Author: Krista Jensen
Publication: August 2, 2022
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 288

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SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)

Lydia Wooding is fascinated by the latest inventions the new century brings, including motorcars. She longs for the independence they represent and believes that women should have a say in the future of the industry—just as they should have a say in suffrage, adventure, and, of course, love.

Spencer Hayes is a man of practicality and innovation, but he lacks the financial backing to make his dream a reality. When he contacts his childhood friend, Andrew Wooding, about a promising business venture, he is invited to Briarwall Manor to discuss the terms. Once there, he is surprised to find that Andrew’s once shy, younger sister, Lydia, has grown into a young woman of beauty, wit, and a bit of fire. Even better, the two share a passion for motorcars.

Andrew, however, is wary of cars, having lost his parents in a tragic auto accident when he and Lydia were young. And he’s not sure a relationship between his sister and Spencer is the best idea—not when Sir Lawrence is available and could match both Lydia’s social status and her fortune.

Torn between risking their hearts and being loyal to their dreams in an era of whirlwind change, Spencer and Lydia anchor themselves with the determination they both share: to live life to its fullest.

REVIEW:

**A copy of your book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**

I always love it when I get requests for reviews for new books.  It makes me giddy as a school girl.  Even happier when they are actual physical books.  There is just something to be said for holding an actual book in my hand.   I was excited for this book because it was a proper regency romance.  Yes, I love my steamy spicy romance books but again there is something to be said for having a clean lovely feely good romance novel.  I couldn’t wait to start it. 

Lydia is an orphan raised by her brother.   She is almost 21 and is a firey, woman who thinks for herself when she can and isn’t being run by her brother Andrew.  She has never known true love.   Enter Spencer a school chum of Andrew’s.  He is here for a visit but also has an ulterior motive to ask her brother for funds to start an automobile supply store.  What he doesn’t know is Andrew is dead set against automobiles since his parents died in a car crash.   Honestly, I liked this book but I could not stand Andrew.  He just seemed over the top and too controlling.  I know he became the parent when his parents died but it was just too much.  Other than that I did like the book.  I finished more than half of the book in one day because I wanted to keep reading it.  It truly was a proper romance book.  There were only 3 kisses in the book, and they were very cleanly written.  

I loved the relationship between  Spencer and Lydia.  It is a witty banter that started out it seems as friends and blossomed into something else.  I think that is the best way to start a relationship, have a foundation of friendship first. I could feel the tension in the brother as he tried to figure his sister out.  I could feel his pain of trying to figure out how to raise his grown sister.  I just wasn’t a huge supporter of his.  I really liked the writing style it flowed well from chapter to chapter and it was easy to follow.   The characters were well written and the secondary characters were just as entertaining as the main.  I am hoping that some of the side characters actually get their own book because I wanted to see more of this plucky group of girls.  With that being said I could see myself reading more books by this author.  I did really enjoy what I read. 

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