Fresh from the Bookshelf: A Stranger at Fellsworth by Sarah E. Ladd {Book Review}

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Last year I was introduced to new-to-me author Sarah E. Ladd. Sarah writes beautiful period novels in the Christian fiction genre, like her Treasures of Surrey series which takes place in Surrey, England during the early 1800’s. Last year I reviewed book #2 in the series Dawn at Emberwilde and enjoyed it very much—so I was eager to review book #3 A Stranger at Fellsworth for The Fiction Guild.

About the Book

A Stranger at Fellsworth is the third book in the Treasures of Surrey Series by Sarah E. Ladd. This book takes place during 1819 and follows the life of Annabelle Thorley, a young lady of high society, who due to the recent decease and financial ruin of
her father, is now at the mercy of her controlling and often cruel brother. After a confrontation which scares her to death, she decides to make grab for a better life and runs away to her estranged uncle who serves as school superintendent at Fellsworth. Once there, Annabelle is taken under his wing and placed in the school where she will have to earn wages for the first time in her life. While Annabelle is at Fellsworth, she has a chance encounter with Owen Locke, an industrious gamekeeper and widow with a daughter who attends the school. What follows is a journey to love for Owen and Annabelle, as they become caught up in poaching, mysterious strangers, and murder.

My Thoughts on the Book

Since I read book #2 (Dawn at Emberwilde), I went back and read the first book in the series The Curiosity Keeper. Really, the only thing the three books seems to have in common is the school at Fellsworth. I do feel like I have read about Annabelle Thorley’s family before however. The last name sounds so familiar. I might have to go back and dig up the previous books to see if they make an appearance. All in all, each books appears to stand alone with little to none carrying over.
There were places in this book that annoyed me. Mostly characters and how they behaved. I felt like Annabelle really was too much of a naïve girl. Way too trusting. I totally called the players in the final plot—and it annoyed me that the characters in the story couldn’t see it too. LOL. I guess that makes for a good story when characters and their actions annoy you—well sometimes anyways. In this book, I kept telling Annabelle, “DON’T trust her!!” But she sadly didn’t listen to me. ;)

A Stranger at Fellsworth earns 3.5 ★

All in all, I am giving this book 31/2 stars. It was good, but not great. I felt the plot was pretty predictable AND I didn't like it as much as the previous book. The writing style was still very beautiful and the author continued to capture my imagination with her descriptions of the Surrey countryside. I think the book is a good read for those who have read the series and want to continue, and there may be other readers who think I am being too harsh. LOL

A Stranger at Fellsworth 

(Treasures of Surrey Series #3)

by Sarah E. Ladd

Available in Paperback and Kindle