The Nature of a Lady (The Secrets of the Isles #1) by Roseanna M. White

  

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult, Christian Fiction
Genre: Romance, Historical Romance, Mystery
Content: Clean

 

1906
Lady Elizabeth "Libby" Sinclair, with her love of microscopes and nature, isn't favored in society. She flees to the beautiful Isles of Scilly for the summer and stumbles into the dangerous secrets left behind by her holiday cottage's former occupant, also named Elizabeth, who mysteriously vanished.

Oliver Tremayne--gentleman and clergyman--is determined to discover what happened to his sister, and he's happy to accept the help of the girl now living in what should have been Beth's summer cottage . . . especially when he realizes it's the curious young lady he met briefly two years ago, who shares his love of botany and biology. But the hunt for his sister involves far more than nature walks, and he can't quite believe all the secrets Beth had been keeping from him.

As Libby and Oliver work together, they find ancient legends, pirate wrecks, betrayal, and the most mysterious phenomenon of all: love.

 

It's no secret that I enjoy Roseanna M. White's books, and when I saw this new trilogy was being published, of course I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book! Overall I liked this story. As with all of White's books, it includes romance, historical elements, and also a bit of a mystery, along Christian themes. This one was slow moving in the beginning, and I wasn't sure if I was going to like it as first, but it ended up being a good read—not a favorite—but good. At times it just lacked a little excitement. I think I would have enjoyed the book a bit more if the intrigue had played a larger part, and the romance had felt a bit more intense. The island setting and the bit of intrigue reminded me of Mary Stewart's book The Moon Spinners, but only a little.

I enjoyed every character in this book, especially Libby and Oliver, and I really liked how Libby came to understand that God and science are not mutually exclusive of each other but go hand in hand. This part of the book—the naturalist part— reminded a little of Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell. I think the real strength of the book is the message about being yourself and finding your place in the world. I enjoyed how Libby was able to find that. 

 

Thanks to NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book.