Historical Romance Book Review: The Tutor's Daughter

About the Book

"Filled with page-turning suspense, The Tutor’s Daughter takes readers to the windswept Cornwall coast–a place infamous for shipwrecks and superstitions–where danger lurks, faith is tested, and romance awaits.

Emma Smallwood, determined to help her widowed father when his boarding school fails, accompanies him to the cliff-top manor of a baronet and his four sons. But soon after they arrive and begin teaching the two younger boys, mysterious things begin to happen. Who does Emma hear playing the pianoforte at night, only to find the music room empty? And who begins sneaking into her bedchamber, leaving behind strange mementoes?

The baronet’s older sons, Phillip and Henry Weston, wrestle with problems–and secrets–of their own. They both remember the studious Miss Smallwood from their days at her father’s academy. But now one of them finds himself unexpectedly drawn to her…

When suspicious acts escalate, can Emma figure out which brother to blame and which to trust with her heart?"

Amber's Review

Klassen's ability to set the scene with rich historical detail and exquisite descriptions is simply wonderful. The Tutor's Daughter is quite an enjoyable excursion to early 19th-century Cornwall, marked with the mystery the book trailer and synopsis promise. It's a combination of Jane Eyre twists, Northanger Abbey atmosphere, Klassen's sweet romance, and matters of faith.

With the detail that sets Klassen's novels apart, this book is rather long with an unhurried pace. Not all of the twists are overly surprising by the time the characters reveal/understand them, but the suspense still flows well throughout the pages.

Emma is a heroine most of the target audience can probably relate to, with her love of reading and learning. She acts and reacts to things in interesting ways sometimes, and it's a pleasure to see her grow in confidence and open up to love and life. As for the boys, well... Let's just say I like how things turn out in the end!

Some of the morals of the story come across as a bit cliche in how they are presented, but there are some great points to ponder, nonetheless. The Tutor's Daughter contains much to please fans of Julie Klassen and her chosen genre.

*With thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion, to be shared during the Litfuse Publicity blog tour.*

Extras

• My second "May I Borrow From Your Book?" letter was to Emma Smallwood, heroine of this novel. If you missed it, you can read my tongue-in-cheek letter HERE.

• Click HERE to find other reviews of The Tutor's Daughter (for the Litfuse Publicity blog tour).

• Click HERE to purchase the book on Amazon.com. 

• This review was originally published on Seasons of Humility as part of the Litfuse Publicity blog tour. You can find that post HERE if you're interested in reading more about the Litfuse contest, learning more about the author, or watching the book trailer!