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About the Book

Title: Lily of the Valley
Series: The Gents #2
Author: Sarah M. Eden
Genre: Georgian Romance
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Release Date: April 11, 2022

Cumberland, 1786

Amateur inventor Kester Barrington prefers the peace and quiet of his estate to the bustle of Society. But when his tight-knit group of friends, the Gents, descends on Livingsley Hall for their annual gathering, he stoically joins in their activities. It all seems exhausting—until an unexpected addition to the party catches his eye: his new neighbor, the lovely Violet.

Violet Ridley longs to make friends in this new corner of the country, but her family’s fortune was made through investments rather than inheritance, and Society can be fickle. So when tragedy forces her family to shelter at neighboring Livingsley Hall, Violet is delighted to receive a warm welcome from the Gents. In particular, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to Kester. The pair is a study in contrasts: Violet, with her sunny disposition, and Kester, with his prickly facade. Their connection is impossible to deny, but both Kester and Violet harbor heavy constraints. As their association becomes increasingly tangled and confused, their only hope of pursuing a life together is to trust one another with the very truths that could tear them apart.

Grab your copy here!

About the Author

Sarah M. Eden is a USA Today best-selling author of witty and charming historical romances, including 2020’s Foreword Reviews INDIE Awards Gold Winner for Romance, Forget Me Not, and 2020 Holt Medallion finalist, Healing Hearts. She is a two-time “Best of State” Gold Medal winner for fiction and a three-time Whitney Award winner. Combining her obsession with history and her affinity for tender love stories, Sarah loves crafting deep characters and heartfelt romances set against rich historical backdrops. She holds a bachelor’s degree in research and happily spends hours perusing the reference shelves of her local library.

Connect with Sarah: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram | Bookbub

My Review

Lily of the Valley
by Sarah M. Eden
Book 2 in the Gents series
Rating: 4.5/5

I don’t know how she does it but the author has written such a fun, charming, witty and heartwarming romance between two very interesting characters. I easily lost some sleep over this novel and must know more. (I actually have not yet read the first book in this series but from her other books, I am somewhat familiar with the characters at-a-glance) I am planning on going back to read the first book, but I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary for your enjoyment.

First, the cover was just okay for me but after reading the story, it makes a bit more sense. I personally don’t find the cover model’s hairstyle attractive but that doesn’t take away from the story.
Second, the premise of the story was interesting since Kester Barrington seems to be an introvert while the rest of the Gents do not. The friendship between them is so refreshing and fun. I loved all their antics and larks. I also enjoyed seeing the Ridley family move up in the world. Trying to avoid the insecurities and the faux pas is not easy to navigate but the Gents and Julia were happy to help.
Third, the love story between Kester and Violet was beautiful though not perfect. The characters each must deal with their hardships before being able to come together. The way they complement each other is precious, and I love how the author didn’t shy away from the harder topics.
Fourth, I loved all the ingenuity involved with Kester being an amateur inventor and all that entailed. As someone who is also a “fixer/problem-solver”, I love exploring all the possibilities (especially during that time).

Highly recommend if you enjoy clean, sweet romance that makes you laugh and cry.

P.S. Kester’s speech at the end is perfect. There, I said it.

My thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

More from Sarah

Research is one of my favorite aspects of writing. Lily of the Valley offered ample opportunities for researching incredibly interesting topics. One main character is an amateur inventor, which tossed me deep into the realm of innovations of the 1780s and 1790s. The other main character has an interest in engineering and mechanics, allowing me to delve into what was known and understood in these fields at the end of the 18th Century. Amongst the supporting cast are a variety of interests, strengths, and passions, all of which saw me pouring over everything I could find from this era on those topics.

A particularly fun area of research I tossed myself into was parlor games played in late 18th Century England. Among my favorites I learned about:

The Three Kingdoms, a game very much like modern-day “Twenty Questions.” The guesser has up to six questions to gain clues about what the others in the group have decided among themselves is the thing the guesser is trying to discover. One twist: the first question is always “To which Kingdom does the item thought of belong? (meaning animal, vegetable, or mineral)
Short Answers, a game of wits and creativity. The group sits in a circle and one at a time, ask the person to their right a question which that person has to answer in only one word. However, the word cannot be repeated during that round. Once someone has answered a question “Yes” no one else can answer with that word until the round is over. A round ends when someone cannot think of a one-word answer to the question they have been asked and is, subsequently, eliminated.
A centuries-old version of musical chairs
A game that involved determining which fabricated crime the various players would pretend to have committed.
Plenty of games involving forfeits of kisses or handkerchiefs or other shows of affection that the very staid rules of Society would have otherwise looked down on.

Discovering more about the historical context of this book was intriguing and delightful. I hope readers will enjoy learning more of this bit of the past, lose themselves in romance, enjoy the delightful friendship between the characters, and perhaps even find a few new games to try.

-Sarah Eden

Blog Stops

Inside the Wong Mind, June 6
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 6
Inklings and notions, June 7
Reading with Emily, June 7
For Him and My Family, June 8
Melissa’s Bookshelf, June 8
Texas Book-aholic, June 9
Mypreciousbitsandmusings, June 10
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 10
deb’s Book Review, June 11
Locks, Hooks and Books, June 12
The Book Club Network, June 12
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, June 13
Pause for Tales, June 13
Connie’s History Classroom, June 14
Sylvan Musings, June 14
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 15
Rachael’s Inkwell, June 16
Wishful Endings, June 16
Through the Fire Blogs, June 17
Britt Reads Fiction, June 18
Labor Not in Vain, June 18
To Everything There Is A Season, June 19
Miriam Jacob, June 19

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Sarah is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon Gift Card, print copy of book, and Exclusive Sarah Eden vinyl stickers!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1e7ee/lily-of-the-valley-celebration-tour-giveaway

Also Available

Read my review of Charming Artemis here.

Disclosure: Bear in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

About the Book

Title: Charming Artemis
Author: Sarah M. Eden
Genre: Regency Romance
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Release Date: October 4, 2021

Charlie Jonquil is mild-mannered and kind―except when it comes to his one true adversary, Artemis Lancaster. Though Charlie has a brilliant mind for mathematics, Artemis poses a problem he can’t seem to comprehend: how can one be so lovely and so infuriating? A party in London brings him into the company of the maddening young lady, and it is clear that Charlie’s disdain is mutual. But when an unfortunate incident between the pair involving Charlie’s jacket and a glass of raspberry shrub leads to scandal, the sworn enemies are left with only two options: be ruined or be married.

So it is that Artemis finds herself in a most outrageous predicament: she must wed a gentleman she’s hated for years―and she pledges to avoid him at all costs. But it is only when they enter into this mockery of a marriage that Charlie and Artemis learn things are not as simple as they once appeared. As their tentative ceasefire leads to friendship, it seems their marriage born of desperation might lead them to a love that was destined to be.

Purchase your copy here!

About the Author

Sarah M. Eden is a USA Today best-selling author of witty and charming historical romances, including 2020’s Foreword Reviews INDIE Awards Gold Winner for Romance, Forget Me Not, and 2020 Holt Medallion finalist, Healing Hearts. She is a two-time “Best of State” Gold Medal winner for fiction and a three-time Whitney Award winner. Combining her obsession with history and her affinity for tender love stories, Sarah loves crafting deep characters and heartfelt romances set against rich historical backdrops. She holds a bachelor’s degree in research and happily spends hours perusing the reference shelves of her local library.

My Review

Charming Artemis
by Sarah M. Eden
Rating: 4.5/5

Wow. What an incredible ending! This book made me cry and laugh and fall in love with the Lancaster and Jonquil families. Can I be a part of these families? I must admit that I’ve never read any of the other books and now must go back to discover all the details that I’ve missed. However, I definitely believe the book can be read by itself but the other stories definitely would be helpful to read in order. In the back of the book, there was a suggested reading order which I will have to follow in the future. My TBR list just keeps getting longer and longer lol.

Charlie and Artemis are quite the characters with their own insecurities and flaws but with hearts that just want to be loved and accepted for who they are. I felt Artemis was very unlikeable at times but the author tried her best to explain why she was the way she was. I loved the Charlie could see right through Artemis’ facade immediately upon meeting her and wouldn’t let her get away with it. Who doesn’t love an enemies-to-lovers romance? The chemistry between the two was swoonworthy and the process was believable. Artemis’ Papa was an interesting mystery (though a bit creepy at first) to start the book with. I guessed it halfway through and was interested to see how it all played out. I loved the Gents and Layton was probably the favorite lol. I’m wondering if there’s more about the Gents and their stories? I’ll have to research more. I loved Adam’s character too and am interested in learning more (I’ll have to read the previous books).

Highly recommend if you enjoy a Regency enemies-to-lovers romance that’s clean, heartwarming and makes you want to believe in the Divine.

My thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.