Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Review: "Dusk's Darkest Shores" by Carolyn Miller

I have loved all of Carolyn Miller's books, but I've been especially excited for her new Regency Wallflowers series, which focuses on older women. If the first book, Dusk's Darkest Shores, is any indication, this series will be wonderful!


About the series:

While most stories set in Regency England focus on the rich, the young, and the beautiful, award-winning author Carolyn Miller decided she wanted to give readers something different for a change. Her new Regency Wallflowers series follows the commoners, away from the hustle and bustle of 1810s London, out in the Lake District of England. She tells the stories of women who are slightly older and have few prospects for marriage, women who might be considered “wallflowers.”

About the book:

How can a meek wallflower help a returning war hero whose dreams are plunged into darkness?

Mary Bloomfield has no illusions. Her chances for matrimony have long since passed her by. Still, her circumstances are pleasant enough, especially now that she has found purpose in assisting her father with his medical practice in England's beautiful Lake District. Even without love, it's a peaceful life.

That is until Adam Edgerton returns to the sleepy district. This decorated war hero did not arrive home to acclaim and rest, but to a new battle against the repercussions of an insidious disease. Mary's caring nature cannot stand to see someone suffer--but how can she help this man see any brightness in his future when he's plunged into melancholic darkness, his dreams laid waste by his condition?

Adam wants no charity, but he's also no coward. If this gentle woman can work hard, how can he do less? Together they struggle to find a way forward for him. Frustration and antipathy slowly develop into friendship and esteem. Then a summer storm atop a mountain peak leads to scandal--and both Mary and Adam must search the depths of their closed hearts for answers if they hope to find any future path with happiness at its end.

Best-selling author Carolyn Miller is back with a fresh series that will not only thrill readers eager for more of her work, but bring in new fans looking for beautiful writing, fascinating research, deftly woven love stories, and real faith lived out in the Regency period.

Click here to read an excerpt.



Oh, my, this book! I was completely engaged practically from the first page. Dusk's Darkest Shores tells the story of 29-year-old Mary (who at that time was definitely considered an old maid) and her older brother's childhood friend Adam. Marriage has never been an option for Mary, but she is perfectly happy helping her father in his medical practice and visiting those in her community who need help. When Adam returns home from war wounded and ill, Mary becomes his companion, helping him learn to navigate his new normal. And for the first time, Mary begins to wonder if marriage might actually be possible for her.

I loved Mary and Adam's relationship! Their banter was so fun, and I loved that they built a friendship before anything else. Adam and Mary were both complex characters by themselves, and I loved following all of their relationships (not just the romance). There was a twist near the end that disappointed me (because that meant the book wasn't going the way I wanted it to), but I should've just trusted Miller, as she brought the story to a very satisfying conclusion!

I'm so glad that Miller is writing about older, "unmarriageable" women in this series, as that's sorely lacking in Christian romance, and especially in Regency romance. I can't wait to read the next book in the series! 5 stars.

Buy the book. (Amazon ad)
Read my reviews of Miller's other novels.
Enter the giveaway!!!

Enter to win a fun prize pack inspired by the book and its English setting that includes: 
 
- a copy of Dusk’s Darkest Shores
- a canvas bag to carry your latest reads
- a fun pair of Jane Austen socks
- Novel Teas’ English Breakfast tea
- “Drink tea, read books, and be happy” tea spoon
- “Let your faith be bigger than your fear” mug
- Black currant preserves from England
- Wax Lyrical candle from England

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Carolyn Miller
is an inspirational romance author who lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children.

A longtime lover of romance, especially that of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s Regency era, Carolyn holds a BA in English literature and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives. She enjoys music, films, gardens, art, travel, and food.

Miller’s novels have won a number of RWA and ACFW contests. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Australasian Christian Writers.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free for review through Read With Audra. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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