William, Marquis of Chemsford, inherits the title and lands, and decides to live comfortably in the countryside, learning how to set up mechanised industry. While we don't hear a lot about this aspect, the first factories used the power of waterwheels and were often located in out of the way places for that reason. The second book in the Haven Manor series shows the personal conflicts as this reasonable man can't understand why his housekeeper hides young staff members from him and lives in a cottage.

Daphne has much to hide, in fact. While she could argue that the orphans paid their way by working in the house and grounds, one of them is her own handsome son Benedict, and she was never married. Benedict happens to resemble William -- too much of a coincidence? The lad is a skilled cabinetmaker already and he has been helping the local carpenter, his employer, to restore the house. We find a lot of such detail, local shopkeepers in the market town, ongoing restoration work and extensive art collections. Too many books about England's past concentrate on balls and townhouses, so I enjoyed the more relaxing pace and realistic look at the support system for the nobility.

While Daphne may seem overly worried about her position and respectability, we have to remember that at the time, staff could be dismissed on a whim and needed to take a good reference to get further work. A country house was a good place of employment because there was plenty of food. And Daphne has her own reasons for wanting to keep away from Society, besides trusting in the Lord's plan for her and the much-loved children.

Kristi Ann Hunter is a Computer Science graduate from Georgia Tech, and while I did spot a few Americanisms in the telling, her tale is well researched and enjoyable. She is an RWA Golden Heart contest winner and has also written a series about Hawthorne House. RETURN OF DEVOTION is a family-friendly romance which is just right for summer.

Book Summary

Read an Excerpt