The Soldier's Daughter by AnneMarie Brear
Release Date: 8th September 2022
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Genres: Historical
'Mesmerising from beginning to end.' Lizzie Lane
Yorkshire 1860
With the heat of their beloved India far behind them, Evie Davenport and her
widowed British Army officer father, are starting a new life in England. But
Evie is struggling. With her dearest mother gone, Yorkshire with its cold, damp
countryside and strict societal rules makes Evie feel suffocated and alone.
Her friendship with Sophie Bellingham, the gently reared daughter of a wealthy
rail baron, is Evie’s only comfort. Until the arrival of local cotton mill
owner, Alexander Lucas.
Newly returned from America, it is expected Alexander will marry and finally
make England his home. And Sophie with her family connections and polite
manners is the obvious choice.
But when Alexander meets Evie, a simmering passion ignites between them. Evie,
with her rebellious spirit is like no other woman Alex has ever met, but to
reject Sophie for Evie would cause a scandal and devastate everyone Evie loves.
Evie knows she must do her duty. But in doing so faces the unbearable future of
being without the man she loves.
When her father retires from the British Army, Evie Davenport and her family leave their home in India to return to England, Evie's home of birth. However, tragedy strikes and Evie and her father finally settle in a new home in rural England which is a far cry from her beautiful India. She doesn't have the same freedoms in England that she had in India and it takes her time to get used to a different lifestyle. She becomes close friends with young Sophie Bellingham and her life is once again thrown into a spin when she meets the man that is destined to be Sophie's betrothed. Alexander has an effect on her like nobody has before and Evie must fight every desirous thought she has. She loves her friend too much to hurt her.
This is a really enjoyable novel with lots of things going on for Evie and lots of dilemmas on top of her feelings for Alexander to contend with. The widow Mrs Myer has her sights set on Evie's very vulnerable father whose grief for the loss of his wife is all consuming and poor Evie is desperate to do anything to bring him back to his old self. As well as Mrs Myer's casting a shadow over Evie's life there is also the son of her cook causing her despair and fear. There's just so much happening to throw Evie's world into one of confusion, worry and fear.
Evie is a brilliant character. A free spirit who refused to conform to what was expected of a woman of her station. She did her own thing and stood up for herself. She had real grit and took no nonsense from anyone though would do anything to protect her father. She also has a great sense of social justice, not afraid to voice her views on slavery for example.
I really enjoyed the story and thought it was interesting and well paced with lots of historical context to give the reader a real sense of time and place. Clearly lots of research has been undertaken to ensure historical accuracy. There are lots of themes covered in the book, ranging from domestic violence to grief and women's rights. A recommended read from me.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
AnneMarie Brear is the
bestselling historical fiction writer of over twenty novels. She lives in the
Southern Highlands in NSW, and has spent many years visiting and working in the
UK. Her books are mainly set in Yorkshire, from where her family hails, and
Australia, between the nineteenth century and WWI. Her first title for Boldwood
was published in January 2022.
Social
Media Links
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/annemariebrear
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/annemariebrear
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/annemariebrear/
Newsletter
Sign Up: https://bit.ly/AnneMarieBrearNews
Thank you so much for your review!
ReplyDelete