The Daughter of River Valley by @VickieCornwall #HistFic #Romance in Cornwall @rararesources

Welcome to my stop on the Blog Tour for The Daughter of River Valley. My thanks to Rachel (Rachel’s Random Resources) and Victoria Cornwall for an ecopy of the book.

My Review

Since the death of her beloved grandfather, Beth Jago has continued to live in the small cottage they shared in River Valley, believing it was now hers.

Yet the tranquility of her life has been jeopardized by letters from a solicitor threatening eviction, so when a stranger enters the cottage uninvited he is met with a hefty blow from Beth’s frying pan. The stranger is knocked senseless and awakens with a concussion and no recollection of who he is or why he was there. Feelings of guilt and responsibility obliges Beth to look after him until he recovers despite warnings from her friends about the probable damage to her reputation.

She returned her attention to the man outside. Despite her limited view of him, she could see that he remained unwell. He sat with his head cradled in his hands and his elbows balanced on his knees. He had attempted to stand twice but had become unsteady and was forced to sit down again. She bit her lip, his words echoing in her mind that should he die she would be culpable.

Since Beth had to call the stranger something, she settled on the name Luke until he regained his memory. Wary of each other at first, the close contact eventually sparked a more comfortable relationship which led to romantic feelings. However the worryingly violent nightmares Luke suffered from caused concern for both of them.

Beth loves her cottage and the thought of having to leave fills her with dread. She decides to approach the letter writer to see if a compromise can be reached.

Although I’m not primarily a reader of romance, I did enjoy this story. It’s written well with dialogue relevant to the period and the characters, a beautifully realised setting and two well drawn and likeable protagonists with vastly differing backgrounds and social standing but who share some personality traits—stubbornness and pride among them. Their relationship is a complicated one and through its twisting course they learn more about themselves and each other, drawing on reserves of strength as they find their way.

I found the author’s end notes about the Crimean War very interesting…and sad. It’s something I didn’t know very much about previously.

***I chose to read and review The Daughter of River Valley* *based on a copy of the book supplied by Rachel’s Random Resources and the author/publisher.***

About The Book

Beth Jago appears to have the idyllic life, she has a trade to earn a living and a cottage of her own in Cornwall’s beautiful River Valley. Yet appearances can be deceptive …

Beth has a secret. Since inheriting her isolated cottage she has been receiving threats, so when she finds a man in her home she acts on her instincts. One frying pan to the head and she has robbed the handsome stranger of his memory and almost killed him.

Brought together by unknown circumstances, and fearful he may die, she reluctantly nurses the intruder back to health. Yet can she trust the man with no name who has entered her life, or is he as dangerous as his nightmares suggest? As they learn to trust one another, the outside threats worsen. Are they linked to the man with no past? Or is the real danger still outside waiting … and watching them both?