Ariana Byrne knows how to survive. After becoming guardian to her four little sisters after their parents died when she was only eighteen, she had to grow up quickly. Now she’s in her twenties, stuck in a loveless marriage to Greg, trying to make ends meet for her young twins, William and Leo.
So when Ari is told that she’s actually the Right Honourable Lady de Foix, Countess of Hiverton, owner of a sprawling estate in the village of Saxburgh in Norfolk, her first instinct is laughter. Surely the girl who has to choose between food and keeping the lights on isn’t really rich beyond her wildest dreams?
She knows how to take care of her sisters and her children, but how on earth can Ari take care of an entire village? Can she fight off the circling land developers from Saxburgh, and stop her in-laws from grabbing all the money for themselves?
And while she’s struggling to settle in and settle down, she’s making new friends and new mistakes. Trusting her gorgeous neighbour, Sebastian Flint-Hyssop, may be the biggest one of all…
She’s swapped sink estate for country estate…but can a girl from inner city London learn how to become a Lady?
Take a trip to Hiverton Manor for the most uplifting novel of 2020 – guaranteed to put a smile on your face! Fans of Jenny Colgan, Trisha Ashley and Carole Matthews will love this romantic, feelgood read.
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Review in Heels
At heart, this is a fantasy. We meet Ariana as she considers ending her unhappy marriage - the marriage she entered and endured for the sake of her twin sons and four younger sisters. Soon, it is revealed that her mother was the disowned not-officially-disinherited daughter of an Earl and their estranged family have all passed. Ari is suddenly a Countess with estates, tenants, and a charming new neighbour.
There are laughs and surprises along the way as Ari and her family settle into their new roles, along with love-to-hate villains that all get their comeuppance. It was a beautifully satisfying read overall, seeing Ari grow into the person who she was meant to be, as she blends her inner-city upbringing with her newly-discovered inheritance to solve problems and discharge her new responsibilities.
My one quibble is the lack of an epilogue - the last chapter has one character outline how they expect the future to go and I would have loved to read even a short epilogue showing how that played out. I understand that the author is setting up all the sisters to get a book of their own and this may play into it, but it won't be the same from a different point of view.
Despite this minor omission, five stars for a fun wish-fulfilment fantasy.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book from Rachel’s Random Resources.
Author Bio
When I grew up I wanted to be an underwater archaeologist or an astronaut but I ended up in a library. Everyone laughed as I’m not a naturally quiet person but I loved it. I went on to become a professional librarian for the money and the glamour. Not finding quite enough of either my husband and I set up a bookshop. We didn’t find much there either so I started writing. Now I have loads of money and glamour but only in the pages of my books! In the meantime I dive and look at the stars.
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