The Light at Wyndcliff by Sarah E. Ladd
Cornwall Series #3 (Standalone)
Genre: Historical Fiction, European Lit, Clean
Romance
3.9 stars
The story is set in Cornwall in the 1820s, with its
rugged coastline and open moorlands. The book starts with a focus on Evelyn
Bray’s life and how it changes with the entry of Liam Twethewey, the new owner
of the Wyndcliff Hall.
The duo has to struggle through the shipwrecks that
seem to have a sinister cause than the raging waves of the sea. Evelyn’s
grandfather, Rupert Bray, the steward of Wyndcliff, appears to be one man to
his granddaughter and another to others, especially Liam.
When shipwreck survivors (a child and her mother)
are housed in the estate, Evelyn naturally takes the responsibility of caring
for them.
Evelyn is uncovering, rather, overhearing
conversations that make her doubt many things. She is troubled and pained by
her mother’s attitude. Her attraction for Liam is another burden on her fragile
shoulders.
Liam realizes the sad state of the estate and knows
he needs to get started on the clay pits to start earning. He doesn’t know whom
to trust, except Evelyn. His feelings for her grow stronger, but many things
come in the way.
The book goes at a steady pace. It is neither too
mysterious nor exactly romantic. Both genres have been touched with a light
hand. The mystery part is more, but it’s easy to guess what’s going on and what
will happen.
For his age, he is quite matured and capable. Evelyn
is sensible and yet vulnerable. The other characters were interesting. But I
wish some of them had more meat. Even Rupert Bray needed more scenes to do
justice to the intricacies of his characters. Probably because the book had to
fit into the clean historical genre, the author didn’t explore the flaws and
gray shades in depth.
Overall, it is an engaging book with a mild mystery
and a teeny bit of romance with a happy-ever-after at the end. It’s not too
deep or complicated. You can just go with the flow.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from
NetGalley and Thomas Nelson. Opinions expressed in this review are completely
my own.
#TheLightatWyndcliff #NetGalley
