The Jewels of Halstead Manor

by Kasey Stockton

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She can only stay as long as the invalid needs her… so he makes it his business to need her forever.

When a cryptic invitation brings Giulia Pepper to her uncle's remote estate in Devon, she arrives in dire need of a benefactor, only to discover that her uncle never sent her any invitation—nor does he want her there. Forced into a corner, Giulia must contrive a way to convince him to allow her to remain, just long enough to figure out where to go next.

Nicholas never asked for an earldom, but when an aged lord arrives at his door and tells Nicholas that he is next in line for the title, he willingly goes to Halstead Manor to learn the role. But someone isn’t pleased with the heir, and after a gunshot wound in the arm, Nicholas must discover who is out to get him.

When Giulia stumbles—literally—over a fallen man on the lane to Halstead, she has her answer: she can stay at Halstead and nurse her uncle's heir back to health. But as mystery builds and danger mounts, will Giulia and Nicholas be able to solve the puzzle before the Earl forces Giulia to leave for good? And furthermore, can they manage to work together without losing their hearts in the process?

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Book Details

Genre

Historical Romance

Subgenre

Georgian 1714–1837

Series

Ladies of Devon • Book 1

Audience

Adult

Bell Peppers

🫑🫑

Profanity

1 None

Violence

2 Mild

Drugs, Alcohol, Tobacco

2 Mild

Publication Date

December 11, 2020

Language Versions

English

Narration Type

Human

Fiction Form

Novel

Sensitive Themes

Divorce or marital separation, Grief or loss of a loved one, Murder or attempted murder

So original

A wonderful story with a twist in the tail. Multilayered characters play out a mystery of greed and reconciliation. Guilia and Nick are delightful and the cast of supporting characters is fleshed out well. Engaging dialogue, a puzzle to solve and excellent writing made this a joy to read.

Convoluted plot. Unrealistic, childish characters.

I am not sure where to start with this book without giving anything away. Be forewarned, my review contains some spoilers. The plot is completely convoluted and the author seems to waver between romance and mystery without doing justice to either side of the equation. The main characters, Nick and Jules, are very immature and behave in a childish manner on more than one occasion. Jules’s father, whom she holds in very high esteem, is a careless, thoughtless ass. He drags his daughter around the world on his “adventures” leaving her to go hungry or play nursemaid to anyone in their party who becomes ill. Instead of leaving what little fortune he had to Jules when he dies, he leaves the majority share to his personal assistant, Ames. Jules is then sent, under false pretences, across the country to her estranged uncle who does not even know of her existence. Naturally, this is exactly how “responsible” men of the period would behave towards a single woman left in their care. The story just deteriorates from there. The entire plot is full of holes and completely unbelievable. My first and last read by this author.

I’ve enjoyed the series

There was a mystery which wound itself through the book. I was disappointed though, as it seemed anticlimactic when it was revealed. Everything resolved quickly. I enjoyed the premise, and characters, and interactions though. Just more to the ending would have been good, in my humble opinion. Thank you

Fantastic.

I enjoyed this book very much. Giulia was an absolute powerhouse, I loved her character. She was so strong and capable, it was such a pleasure to read a book with a heroine who was not a ninny!Nick was a wonderful hero, "the Swans" such delightful friends, and it was a lovely journey to watch Giulia and her Uncle get to know each other.Hanging out for Mabel's story that's for sure!

A most engaging read!

This was a most engaging read! It had romance and a mystery or two to solve. The main characters of Giulia and Nick were very likeable. Giulia had led an usual life with her adventurous father and was now back in Devon. Nick was handsome and charming and a bit of a reputation as a flirt. As they spend time with each other Giulia and Nick grow closer but Giulia is aware of his reputation. There is also her relationship with the earl and what happened between the earl and her father to discover. There are few twists and surprises. Giulia’s friends also seem to be an interesting trio and I hope further stories may feature them.