Grace-by-the-Sea: Where romance and adventure come home.
The magistrate over a little Regency coastal village, James Howland, takes pride in protecting Grace-by-the-Sea from ne’er-do-wells, including his distant cousin, the Earl of Howland. So, when he discovers a young lady hiding in the family’s castle, his heart cannot decide which comes first—her rescue or his duty.
Outspoken Eva Faraday has been exiled to the castle for refusing to marry the man the earl picked for her. Her late father appointed the earl trustee over her considerable inheritance, which she cannot access until she turns twenty-five or marries. And if she marries, her husband controls the money. She’s not about to trust any Howland, but James seems ripe for rebellion. To thwart the earl’s power, the two agree to a marriage of convenience, only to discover there are others intent on using the earl’s castle for nefarious purposes. Eva and James must work together to solve the mystery and stop the earl once and for all so they can make a marriage that is far more than convenient.
This sweet, clean Regency romance
Regina Scott started writing novels in the third grade. Thankfully for literature as we know it, she didn’t actually sell her first novel until she had learned a bit more about writing such as vocabulary, sentence structure, and plot. After numerous short stories and articles in magazines and trade journals, she got serious about her novel writing. The Unflappable Miss Fairchild was her first novel to be published (March 1998).
Besides her novels, Regina Scott has had published three Regency novellas (“The June Bride Conspiracy” in His Blushing Bride, “Sweeter Than Candy” in A Match for Mother, and “A Place by the Fire” in Mistletoe Kittens). Two of her novels, A Dangerous Dalliance and The Twelve Days of Christmas, have been translated into German. A Dangerous Dalliance and The Incomparable Miss Compton have been translated into Italian. Starstruck and Perfection have been translated into Dutch.
Regina Scott and her husband are the parents of two sons. They reside in the Tri-Cities of southeast Washington State and are members of the Church of the Nazarene. Born in 1959 and raised in the Seattle area, Regina Scott is a graduate of the University of Washington. She comes by her writing talent naturally–both her parents are excellent writers in their vocations as teacher and electrical technician. Her mother envisioned the plot for “Sweeter Than Candy,” the novella which was written as a tribute to her.
Regina Scott is a devout Christian and a decent fencer; owns a historical, fantasy, and science fiction costume collection that currently takes up over a third of her large closet; and has been known to impersonate an independent consultant specializing in risk communication.
My Rating: 5 Stars!
Regina Scott takes us back to the lovely little village of Grace-by-the-Sea for book two in this delightful series. We met the cast of villagers and fell in love with (most) of them in book one. I confess I didn’t much like Magistrate James Howland in the first book, but oh boy, did he ever jump out in this book! When Eva Farraday is sent to the Earl of Howland’s castle in the village as a punishment, James decides to take up her case. Then they end up married! And all the while, the French are headed toward them during this dratted war. And we have Maudie who is full of the fairies and trolls only she knows. (SMILE) This was such a good book on many fronts: a Regency to be proud of, a great plot, and full of perfect characters. I love it when a book makes me all excited inside. I loved it so much. Every. Single. Minute. Highly recommended. Now I can’t wait for the next one!
*My thanks to the publisher and author for a copy of this book. The opinions in this review are
entirely my own.
Simply Susan 
Excellent review, Susan!
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