Being a mom is pretty much my favorite. I love my family. They are my people. One of the best things I can give my children is a love for reading. I have quite a few post about raising readers. There are so many great ways we can get our kids excited about reading. And we want to get them excited! School is so much easier when kids love reading. Not to mention what it does to their imagination and vocabulary. There are so many benefits that come from reading. And we can instill a love for stories and books in our children.
One of my favorite ways to encourage my kids to want to read is to read myself. Let your children find you reading. Take time during dinner conversations to share what you are reading. You have to practice what you preach. So really… when I spend an afternoon in a book I’m really helping my kids.
I’ve been following Sarah McConkie on Instagram for months now. I love following women who love to read. I knew she was finishing up her book Love & Secrets at Cassfield Manor. And I was so excited when she reached out to me and asked me to share a book review. Regency Romances are my favorite! This love story is what we call a “pure romance” so I knew it was going to be clean and lovely. I just love when books share how characters fall in love. I don’t want to read about sex scenes. Nothing worse than picking up a book and halfway through the story you realize it’s not your kinda book.
Written during regency era this book contains all the things we love about Jane Austen’s time. Balls, gowns, and the etiquette shown during courtship. Wealthy Christine Harrison has her life all planned out. She’s almost secured the hand of the most eligible gentleman. But things just aren’t happening according to plans. And here she was so excited to spend some time at her summer home with her friends and the man she has her eyes on.
My honest first thought? Why would you invite your gorgeous and wealthy friend when things aren’t official with your guy? (But maybe I’m just selfish.) When Christine and her friends arrive at Cassfield Manor you can’t help but think what a dream that would be. Spending time on a beach in England with your best friends. But soon trouble in introduced. The characters range from great friends and potential husbands to downright scoundrels. This story has more than one romantic plot (even better!). And there are quite a few secrets you can uncover throughout the story. I really enjoyed the characters as they have flaws and are easy to love…or dislike. And those are always my favorite.
Another thing I really loved is the book shifts from different perspectives! I especially love when I can read from the gentleman’s point of view. It’s so much fun to try to understand the plot from another perspective.
Romances are hands down my favorite, but throw in a little mystery and I can’t put it down. Love and Secrets at Cassfield Manor will keep you guessing what happens next. Warning: I did have to stay up till midnight to finish this book. And to help you keep guessing on who she ends up with I’ll share one of my favorite excerpts:
“She determined that day that she did not need a man to validate her existence. She did not need a man to establish or promote her social standing. And perhaps most importantly, Christine would not marry if these base reasons were in play. She would only marry if she truly loved; whole love, unselfish and pure.”
Overall this is a great read! I honestly LOVED it! This book is so positive and clean. I would have no problem handing this book over to a teenage daughter. I love how Christine discovers life is more than just getting married and living the life that is expected of her at that time. Yes, marriage is important and there is nothing wrong with wanting to get married. But we can feel good about ourselves regardless of our current circumstances. Our happiness isn’t tied to getting married. And as Elizabeth Bennett said, “I am determined that only the deepest love will induce me into matrimony.”
If you love clean romance novels you are going to want to check out this book! And feel free to ignore the house work and set a good example for your kids that reading is important.
Click over and pre-order Love and Secrets at Cassfield Manor by Sarah McConkie. Her book is available August 14th. You can follow her on Instagram here or click over to her website. Word on the street is she sharing a promotional chapter on her site. Click over before it’s gone. And if you are in the Salt Lake area click over to be invited to her release party on the 11th of this month. You can find other book reviews on my site here. And help a sister out by sharing your favorite romance novel in the comments below!
Disclaimer: I was given a free copy to review this book. As always I am always honest as I share my feelings and thoughts. I love helping to promote good and wholesome products.
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