About the Book
Book: Lily of the Valley
Author: Sarah M. Eden
Genre: Georgian Romance
Release date: April 11, 2022
Amateur inventor Kester Barrington prefers the peace and quiet of his estate to the bustle of Society. But when his tightknit group of friends, the Gents, descends on Livingsley Hall for their annual gathering, he stoically joins in their activities. It all seems exhausting—until an unexpected addition to the party catches his eye: his new neighbor, the lovely Violet.
Violet Ridley longs to make friends in this new corner of the country, but her family’s fortune was made through investments rather than inheritance, and Society can be fickle. So when tragedy forces her family to shelter at neighboring Livingsley Hall, Violet is delighted to receive a warm welcome from the Gents. In particular, Violet finds herself inexplicably drawn to Kester. The pair is a study in contrasts: Violet, with her sunny disposition, and Kester, with his prickly facade. Their connection is impossible to deny, but both Kester and Violet harbor heavy constraints. As their association becomes increasingly tangled and confused, their only hope of pursuing a life together is to trust one another with the very truths that could tear them apart.
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About the Author
Sarah M. Eden is a USA Today best-selling author of witty and charming historical romances, including 2020’s Foreword Reviews INDIE Awards Gold Winner for Romance, Forget Me Not, and 2020 Holt Medallion finalist, Healing Hearts. She is a two-time “Best of State” Gold Medal winner for fiction and a three-time Whitney Award winner. Combining her obsession with history and her affinity for tender love stories, Sarah loves crafting deep characters and heartfelt romances set against rich historical backdrops. She holds a bachelor’s degree in research and happily spends hours perusing the reference shelves of her local library.
More from Sarah
esearch is one of my favorite aspects of writing. Lily of the Valley offered ample opportunities for researching incredibly interesting topics. One main character is an amateur inventor, which tossed me deep into the realm of innovations of the 1780s and 1790s. The other main character has an interest in engineering and mechanics, allowing me to delve into what was known and understood in these fields at the end of the 18th Century. Amongst the supporting cast are a variety of interests, strengths, and passions, all of which saw me pouring over everything I could find from this era on those topics.
A particularly fun area of research I tossed myself into was parlor games played in late 18th Century England. Among my favorites I learned about:
The Three Kingdoms, a game very much like modern-day “Twenty Questions.” The guesser has up to six questions to gain clues about what the others in the group have decided among themselves is the thing the guesser is trying to discover. One twist: the first question is always “To which Kingdom does the item thought of belong? (meaning animal, vegetable, or mineral)
Short Answers, a game of wits and creativity. The group sits in a circle and one at a time, ask the person to their right a question which that person has to answer in only one word. However, the word cannot be repeated during that round. Once someone has answered a question “Yes” no one else can answer with that word until the round is over. A round ends when someone cannot think of a one-word answer to the question they have been asked and is, subsequently, eliminated.
A centuries-old version of musical chairs
A game that involved determining which fabricated crime the various players would pretend to have committed.
Plenty of games involving forfeits of kisses or handkerchiefs or other shows of affection that the very staid rules of Society would have otherwise looked down on.
Discovering more about the historical context of this book was intriguing and delightful. I hope readers will enjoy learning more of this bit of the past, lose themselves in romance, enjoy the delightful friendship between the characters, and perhaps even find a few new games to try.
-Sarah Eden
Blog Stops
Inside the Wong Mind, June 6
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 6
Inklings and notions, June 7
Reading with Emily, June 7
For Him and My Family, June 8
Melissa’s Bookshelf, June 8
Texas Book-aholic, June 9
Mypreciousbitsandmusings, June 10
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 10
deb’s Book Review, June 11
Locks, Hooks and Books, June 12
The Book Club Network, June 12
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, June 13
Pause for Tales, June 13
Connie’s History Classroom, June 14
Sylvan Musings, June 14
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 15
Rachael’s Inkwell, June 16
Wishful Endings, June 16
Through the Fire Blogs, June 17
Britt Reads Fiction, June 18
Labor Not in Vain, June 18
To Everything There Is A Season, June 19
Miriam Jacob, June 19
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Sarah is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon Gift Card, print copy of book, and Exclusive Sarah Eden vinyl stickers!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/1e7ee/lily-of-the-valley-celebration-tour-giveaway
My Review
Lily of the Valley is the second installment from Sarah M Eden’s series, The Gents. I loved the first book, Forget Me Not, and was excited to have the opportunity to read this one. I was not disappointed. I believe I enjoyed this one even more. I adored Kester and Violet’s story just after the Revolutionary War. I loved the historical details that made me feel as though I was right there. I could not put the book down until I have read the very last page.
Lily of the Valley will be getting a very well deserved five plus stars from me. I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy reading clean historical romance. I can not wait to read the next book from The Gents series.
I received a paperback copy of Lily of the Valley from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
