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The Earl's Unlikely Bride by Ella Matthews #Review #TheDashworthBrothersBook1

  We are back in Regency England for Ella Matthews' historical romance, The Earl's Unlikely Bride.    One summer to make her his…   After four failed seasons, Emily Hawkins is tired of following the rules. Aside from crossing swords with her lifelong enemy, Freddie Dashworth, she is an exemplary member of Society. But after all this time, she’s yet to find a husband and life with her over-bearing mother is becoming intolerable. Freddie returns to his childhood home to help look after his orphaned niece. His neighbour, Emily, has been his nemesis for years. The infuriating miss is the only woman immune to his charms and there’s nothing he enjoys more than her disapproving glares. It’s a shame he can’t stop thinking about her, because she clearly despises him. One minor indiscretion later and everything in Emily’s ordered world changes. The one person on her side appears to be Freddie but can she trust her former antagonist? And what will happen to her when ...
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The Poor Relation by Susanna Bavin #Review

  I am delighted to be featuring Susanna Bavin's historical family saga, The Poor Relation which is published by Allison & Busby.
1908, Manchester. Mary Maitland is an attractive and intelligent young woman determined to strike out on her own and earn a living. Finding work at a women’s employment agency, her creative talent is soon noticed and Mary begins writing articles for newspapers and magazines.

But being of independent and progressive mind are troublesome traits when those you hold dear must constantly live up to the expectations of the well-to-do family to which they are linked. With increasing pressures from the powers that be, can Mary find the fine line between honouring her family and honouring herself?
  
My Thoughts

When I realised that this historical family saga was set in Manchester in Edwardian England and was going to cover social and political issues to do with women's suffrage and the place of women in society, I knew that this was going to be right up my street. I wasn't disappointed. The style is fluent and engaging and the central characters are not all sympathetic, but definitely well drawn. The passing on of wealth and inheritance and the paternalistic attitudes which kept some women in their place are starkly shown.

    As the twists and turns of Mary's life unfolded, I could not help but get enraged at the attitudes which conspired to keep her back. The other shocking aspect turned out to be the acceptance of the social order by the Maitland family. However, there was also some genuinely brave moments. There is plenty of period detail to bring the story alive. The attempts to get funding for Nathaniel's clinic and the rules and regulations as to who are the 'deserving poor' took me by surprise. This is a story you can get involved in.

In short: Edwardian Manchester which shows you the virtues and faults of a generation..  
About the Author

 Susanna Bavin lives on the beautiful North Wales coast with her husband and their two rescue cats. She is originally from Chorlton-cum-Hardy in Manchester, where her family has lived for several generations and which provides the setting for her family sagas.

Susanna Bavin also writes as Polly Heron.

 
You can follow Susanna here: Website  |  Twitter 

Book link: Amazon UK 

Thanks to Susanna Bavin, Allison and Busby and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the event. 

 
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