“FOR ELISE,” by Sarah M. Eden, Covenant Communications, $15.99, 259 pages (f)
Utah author Sarah M. Eden’s most recent Regency era romance "For Elise" shares the story of childhood friends who both lost their fathers to the same masked shooter four years ago when they were teenagers.
Miles Linwood worked to sort out what’s left of both estates and Elise Furlong, who witnessed the shooting, disappears just before Christmas.
Miles had to sell most of their fathers’ property to pay debts and went to the West Indies to work on the family plantation until he inherited a title and estate when his cousin, the Marques of Grenton, passed away without an heir.
Miles is the relative of Marion Linwood from Eden’s “Drops of Gold” and “For Elise” is set a year after “Drops of Gold.”
The 24-year-old ginger-haired Miles has settled into the Tafford estate, complete with its meadow and large tree with leaves that turn a golden color, and is on a trip with his sister and brother-in-law when he sees Elise with a little girl. Now a war widow going by Ella Jones, 19-year-old Elise is reluctant to relocate to Tafford with her daughter and mother-in-law.
Miles honestly doesn’t remember what he said or what happened that caused her to leave and Elise is hesitant to open her heart again after being hurt those years before.
Elise is also receiving threatening notes from her father’s killer — a person who she wasn’t ever able to identify — and Miles reopens the case to see if they can find him.
As Miles tries to help protect her from the unidentified shooter, he also tries figure out what that caused her to feel that running away was her only option.
Like with her other Regency novels, Eden carefully leaves a trail of clues as she unfolds the characters’ history and secrets throughout the novel. She leaves twists and unexpected revelations to keep this part-mystery and part-love story interesting.
“For Elise” has a more serious tone than some of her other novels, but it is no less engaging as Elise joins Eden’s cast of female characters who have done their best to survive when the circumstances and, at times, the men in their lives, have left them with little or no resources.
It’s a sweet romance with clean language, romance that doesn’t go beyond kissing (but there is plenty of tension) and the only described violence — the shootings — are done only generally.
Eden is the author of several clean Regency romance novels, including a pair set in the Western U.S., and contributes to the Timeless Romance Anthologies.
If you go ...
What: "For Elise" travelling launch party and Sarah Eden book signing
When: Saturday, Sept. 6, noon-1:30 p.m.
Where: Deseret Book, 754 N. Main, Layton
Web: deseretbook.com, sarahmeden.com
Also ...
When: Saturday, Sept. 6, 3-4:30 p.m.
Where: Deseret Book — University Village, 1076 S. 750 East, Orem
Web: deseretbook.com, sarahmeden.com
Email: rappleye@deseretnews.com Twitter: CTRappleye