Dawn at Emberwilde by Sarah Ladd

From the publisher:

For as long as she can remember, beautiful and free-spirited Isabel has strained against the rules and rigidity of the Fellsworth School in the rolling English countryside. No longer a student, Isabel set her sights on a steady role as a teacher at the school, a safe yet stifling establishment that would enable her to care for her younger sister Lizzie, who was left in her care after her father’s death.

The unexpected arrival of a stranger with news of unknown relatives turns Isabel’s small, predictable world upside down, sweeping her and her young charge into a labyrinth of intrigue and hidden motives.

At her new family’s invitation, Isabel and Lizzie relocate to Emberwilde, a sprawling estate adjacent to a vast, mysterious wood rife with rumors and ominous folklore—along with whispers of something far more sinister. Perhaps even more startling, two handsome men begin pursuing Isabel, forcing her to learn the delicate dance between attraction, the intricate rules of courtship, and the hopes of her heart.

At Emberwilde Isabel will discover that the key to unlocking the mystery of her past may also open the door to her future and security. But first she must find it—in the depths of Emberwilde Forest.

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I know that we shouldn't judge a book by its cover, and I'm not. But isn't this cover amazing?  It is so beautiful.  

This is the second book in the Treasures of Surrey novels.  However, you don't have to read the first book to enjoy this book. In fact, there is barely any connection to the first book so it won't leave you with any questions about thing in the previous book.

Sarah Ladd has a way of letting peak into the regency time area in a way that is fun and has an air of mystery and suspense.  Readers will enjoy the plot twists and turns as well as the fun of hearing about the fashion of the gowns and social structure during the time.

I am hoping to hear more about these characters in the next book as Lizzie and Mary were wonderful and I would like to see them again.

I only wish that the spiritual lives of the characters had been more developed.  There seemed a hint of that with Isabel and Mary's friendship but it wasn't developed as I had hoped.  But overall a very enjoyable and lovely read.

I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.