BLOG TOUR - The Sisters of Sea View

 

DESCRIPTION:

Some guests have come for a holiday, others for hidden reasons of their own . . .

When their father's death leaves them impoverished, Sarah Summers and her genteel sisters fear they will be forced to sell the house and separate to earn livelihoods as governesses or companions. Determined to stay together, Sarah convinces them to open their seaside home to guests to make ends meet and provide for their ailing mother. Instead of the elderly invalids they expect to receive, however, they find themselves hosting eligible gentlemen. Sarah is soon torn between a growing attraction to a mysterious Scottish widower and duty to her family.

Viola Summers wears a veil to cover her scar. When forced to choose between helping in her family's new guest house and earning money to hire a maid to do her share, she chooses the latter. She reluctantly agrees to read to some of Sidmouth's many invalids, preferring the company of a few elders with failing eyesight to the fashionable guests staying in their home. But when her first client turns out to be a wounded officer in his thirties, Viola soon wishes she had chosen differently. Her new situation exposes her scars--both visible and those hidden deep within--and her cloistered heart will never be the same.

Join the Summers sisters on the Devonshire coast, where they discover the power of friendship, loyalty, love, and new beginnings.

 
VIDEO INTRODUCTION TO THE SISTERS OF SEA VIEW BY JULIE KLASSEN

https://youtu.be/EZDjSuBtFEU

 

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR JULIE KLASSEN

https://austenprose.com/2022/11/09/an-exclusive-interview-with-julie-klassen-author-of-the-sisters-of-sea-view/

 

ADVANCE PRAISE

• “Jane Austen fans will delight in this nimble series launch…Klassen excels at weaving her various story lines, each emphasizing the colorful qualities of her characters and allowing them the space to shine. Readers will be eager for the next installment.” —Publisher’s Weekly (starred review)

 

PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS OF JULIE KLASSEN 

• “Julie Klassen delights with a winsome love story…” —Publisher’s Weekly, on A Castaway in Cornwall

• “I couldn’t put it down! It you are a historical fiction fan you need this one on your radar! It was a spooky delight full of heart. ”—Anne Mendez, The Lit Bitch, on Shadows of Swanford Abbey

• “…a wonderfully engaging novel full of intriguing characters and storylines. I highly recommend it and can’t wait for more in the series.” —Laura Gerold, Laura’s Reviews, on The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill

 

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | BOOKSHOP | GOODREADS

MY THOUGHTS:

 

Title:   The Sisters of Sea View

Author:   Julie Klassen

Series:   On Devonshire Shores #1
Publisher:   Bethany House Publishers

Genre:   Christian  Fiction 

Format:  Kindle ARC 

No. of Pages:   448

Date of Publication:   December 6, 2022

My Rating:    5 Stars 

The Summers sisters make the difficult decision to open their home for paying guests due to financial difficulties since the lost of their father. Besides their financial woes, their mother is suffering from ill health. Three of the sisters are fully on board, and they are Sarah, Emily and Georgiana. Their fourth sister, Viola, is not happy about this decision, so she strives to find her own way. Thus, she takes on the job of reading to different individuals. 

Any time Viola left the house, or even at home once their new boarding house was set in place, she always wore a veil. The reason for this was that Viola was born with a cleft lip and even after surgeries to correct the condition, she was not comfortable with the scarring she has. One of the people that Viola begins to read for is another scarred individual. He is Major Jack Hutton and he is currently recovering from injuries he received in the war. As his vision has been compromised, Viola has been hired to read to him. Although Viola is now not the only one with scars in her new situation as Jack’s scars are visible as well, she continues to wear her veil.

Each of the Summers sisters have their own story. I loved getting to know each of them in this first book in a new series. While four of them always are together, there is a fifth sister, and she is estranged from the family. I look forward to future books in the series where we can learn more about these sisters and how they work together to give their lives true meaning.

I connected with this story because I also come from a family with five girls and the dynamic between the sisters was realistically portrayed in this book by Julie Klassen. One final note. During the time this book was set in, which was the early 1800s, things that we know about now were not understood back then, and that included Viola being born with a cleft lip and the superstitions that surrounded that condition. But then there was also their mother, as she suffered from what we know as depression and possibly more, but back then it was simply called something along the lines of melancholy. It was wonderful to see both of these issues dealt with in a very respectful manner. Not only do I highly recommend this book, but I am eager to read successive books in this series. 

Many thanks to Bethany House Publishers, Austenprose PR and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please enjoy my YouTube video review - 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Julie Klassen loves all things Jane—Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. Her books have sold over a million copies, and she is a three-time recipient of the Christy Award for Historical Romance. The Secret of Pembrooke Park was honored with the Minnesota Book Award for Genre Fiction. Julie has also won the Midwest Book Award and Christian Retailing’s BEST Award and has been a finalist in the RITA and Carol Awards. A graduate of the University of Illinois, Julie worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full time. She and her husband have two sons and live in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota.

 

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