REVIEW; Sketches & Secrets Of Summer

Title: Sketches & Secrets Of Summer
Author: Leenie Brown
Genre: Adult, regency romance, retelling
Type: E-book
Publisher: Leenie B Books

Once betrayed, always a bachelor. At least, that was the plan.

Stuart Alford never expected to return to Derbyshire. Indeed, he never wanted to return. However, when his brother dies, leaving him both his daughters and the family estate, Stuart must do what he does not want to do.

When he arrives to claim his inheritance and take up guardianship of his two wards, he discovers they have befriended a young woman who is visiting her sister and brother-in-law at Pemberley.

Mary Bennet is not like any other lady he has ever met. She’s refreshingly candid, and he begins to understand why his nieces adore her.

Be that as it may, Stuart, whose heart is just beginning to mend, has sworn off marriage, and he’s not reticent in sharing that fact. But despite his adamant proclamations, as sketches are made and shocking secrets are revealed, he’ll discover that offering his heart to another might be the only way for it to ever be fully restored.

A man who comes into an unexpected inheritance after losing his older brother finds the two nieces he is no guardian for enamoured with the visiting sister of their neighbour’s wife. Then quickly finds himself just as captivated by her, even if he’s convinced himself it is purely platonic in nature.

Really, the premise alone is something I adored. I love stories that involve children leading the main characters to their hearts, especially when written well and without unnecessary complications. And I adore stories that write Mary Bennet as a fully formed character who is desirable and lovely, even if she doesn’t see it. On top of that? Stuart Alford is a swoonworthy hero.

The novel employs the use of art and children to draw the two characters together. I’ve not seen many stories where Mary is an artist – more where she writes – but I do like that it was something different without taking away from the fact that she doesn’t think herself truly that talented. She enjoys it, she will do it for those she cares about, but she is realistic about where her strengths lie. And Stuart appreciates these facets of her, and wants only for her to see herself the way he does.

And still, he is convinced for more than half the story that his feelings are nothing more than platonic. The pining he does not even recognise is ridiculous and I love it.

Mary, on the other hand, comes to the heart of her feelings more quickly, and just as quickly manages to convince herself that she is the plain Bennet sister and so it is not her lot in life. (I do enjoy the fact that she is not plain, merely in comparison to her sisters, and that her family clearly cares for her and wishes only for her to be happy.)

The slowly growing relationship between the two – the trust and friendship, the care and bond they find in their love for Stuart’s nieces – is very sweetly done. I love how distinct the characters of Maggie and Rose come across. Writing children is not easy but the author manages.

There is a plot twist I definitely did not see coming, and I do like the gravitas it gives to the story. I also like that there is not much angst over it, and no lies and hiding, and just so much good communication.

I can say without a doubt that I’m going to be rereading this many times, whenever I need a pick me up.