At twenty-six, Lydia Hathaway has endured years of heartbreak, longing for a love that's never come. Her deceased father's foolhardiness has left her family bankrupt, and she is eventually left no alternative but to take a position as a companion to Susan Ashcroft of Danbury Park in Surrey. Anxious for peace, Lydia rambles early one morning across the muddy wilds of the Ashcroft estate, where she has a most unimaginable encounter with Connor Parkhurst, the notorious viscount of Denton.
As their paths continue to cross, Lydia falls ever deeper in love with the charming rogue while battling against his growing assault on her heart. In spite of his forward attentions, she considers his behavior toward her nothing less than idle flirtation. Tormented in a relentless battle to suppress a love she cannot overcome, Lydia resolves to leave the Ashcrofts and Danbury Park forever. After all, she is nothing to Lord Denton—isn't she?
Wanda Luce has done it again! Another beautiful Regency Romance that will transport you to the lush gardens of Surrey, England and the forbidden arms of Connor Parkhurst, the much talked about Viscount Denton.
Lydia Hathaway, born in the upper echelons of English society, is now forced, by her deceased father’s failings, to take the position of companion to the young Susan Ashcroft of Danbury Park. Her loss of rank, though, cannot squelch her “she-tiger” spirit and fondness of forest ramblings, which puts her, literally, in the path of Lord Denton. Despite an awkward first encounter, their mutual attraction blossoms, yet as a six and twenty female companion, the best Lydia can hope to elicit from the opposite sex are “matronly-like comments.” Are Lord Denton’s attentions genuine or just more fodder for his established reputation as a lady’s man? Can Lydia win the ever-present inner battle against her love for the handsome Viscount?
To find the answers to these questions is a journey of lush prose and well-plotted storytelling you won’t want to end. The characters are believable, the dialogue real and the emotional struggle will have your heart aching to the last page. Thank you, Wanda, for another wonderful experience!
The book, Soul of a Lady, by Wanda Luce was a very good read. It was so good that I didn't want to put the book down for two days. I just had to find out if Lydia was able to capture the heart of her hero. The book was well-written. Wanda has mastered the art of writing in the language of that era (the 1800's in England). She demonstrates knowledge of the history and geography of the region and she describes it well. Wanda has done a great job with her first book. I wish her the best on her next book. I am looking forward to it!
Governess, Lydia, falls for Lord Denton, but it is a love fraught with despair. In a society of lords and ladies, he could never, if he even loved her, act on his feelings for her. Reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice, Wanda Luce weaves a beautiful love story, with dialogue so authentic I felt as if the author had lived in that era. I loved this book and didn't want to put it down. My daughter devoured the book in one day. What a sweet romance, perfect for both mothers and daughters.
I reviewed this book under it's original title, "Lydia," but I wanted to repost it here so that readers of the updated version "The Soul of a Lady" can see it, too.
Ms Luce's prose in "Lydia/The Soul of a Lady" is flowing and poetic, capturing the voice of the Regency age in a way I have seen others attempt but fail to achieve quite so fully. The romance between the two main characters, Lydia and Lord Denton, evolves in a charming way. Each encounter between them left me touched and smiling and rooting for their eventual union. The author's research is meticulous, but never boring. Whether visiting the ruins of an old castle, showing us the inner-workings of Parliament, bantering in a bookshop over such Regency titles as "The Fascinating Lives of England's Rodents", or the older generation teasing the younger generation over the popularity of a contemporary love song ("William and Mary"), the historical details are never presented as lecture, but woven intricately into the story through the eyes of the characters. But Ms Luce does not neglect that essential element for a romance: strong emotion, both the internal turmoil of the characters and the physical touches of passion, though never crossing a line that would make a reader of sweet romances uncomfortable.
I am entranced by Ms. Luce's writing style, both in "The Soul of a Lady" and in her newest novel, "In the Wilds of Devon." She is definitely an author to watch and one I will be eagerly waiting to read more from!
Wow! This was a great clean book. I did some research on the author, Wanda Luce, and discovered this was her first and only novel. It looks like she has another one in the works and if it was anything like this I am definitely going to enjoy it!
I am a HUGE Jane Austen fan and while reading this I felt like I was in the midst of all of her stories. My favorite Austen novel is Persuasion and this was very similar. There were fun moments throughout that were similar moments from Austen's novel. For example, Lydia has become a governess due to her family's financial hardships. The girl she is a governess/companion to is similar to the character Lydia in Pride and Prejudice. There were several others. I actually really enjoyed waiting for them and trying to figure out which novel and characters they matched.
There were a few moments at the beginning that I felt the storyline really rushed. For instance it felt like you are taking one big breath and have to read a whole chapter before you run out of air. But considering the length and all the information and setting up the background information it was worth it.
Lydia's character was wonderful. She didn't believe anything special about herself and went about her days doing the right thing and not being afraid to keep people on the right track. She was honest and not a, for lack of a better way to put this, twittering debutante who was always simpering or falling into the social mould expected for said females.
Lydia easily endeared herself to those around her, especially (wait for it....) Lord Denton. Of course right, heroine meets the misunderstood guy who everyone labels as the philanderer and cad but is herself and not a girl conforming to society so he opens up his true self to her. Sorry, not trying to sound sarcastic, just the truth to so many of these novels but...I love it!
There were so many great moments between Lydia and Lord Denton. He was a great character as well who was a member of Parliament who was not afraid to stand for the lesser deemed people of his country.
I enjoyed the literary references Wanda Luce added. I think I will be searching for them to enjoy!
I hope you take a chance and read this one, it was more than worth it to me!! Enjoy!
Mrs Luce I can't wait to see what else you have been working on!
Happy Reading!!!
