I LOVED this book! The story of Eleanor/Nora/Noreen is filled with adventure and likable heroes as well as those villians we do not care for. Eleanor finds herself with a chance to escape from her controlling husband. Taking that chance changes her life in more ways than one. Her father and his friend want to know the truth about how her husband died- she is just glad to be free of him and waits for the next chapter of her life to begin. Throughout this time she meets and makes several new friends, however, we also get to see life in the small town where her husband died. It is an interesting story to follow, with all of the high society drama as well as the small village and "gypsy" lifestyle. I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to reading more by Anne Walsh!

*I received my copy for free in exchange for an honest review. ( )

“A Widow in Waiting” is a good book to read on a gloomy day when you have a large chunk of time to read as you will want to read this book. It is a bit convoluted which isn't a bad thing in most cases. In this case it can get a bit confusing with characters having double names and jumping around in time to tell the story. However, it is definitely worth the read and has an excellent regency style with a magical twist. I look forward to the sequel. ( )

Does magic exist? It certainly does in Anne Walsh’s A Widow in Waiting, a tome of an adventure that takes the reader from the upper echelons of society in England to the magical but humble hillsides of Ireland. For Eleanor (Noreen) de Maine, the titular widow whose husband, Lord Alfred, is mysteriously killed by a highwayman, wearing her mourning gown and putting on the face of a bereft lady is a small price to pay for being freed from the clutches of her manipulative husband (literally, for his power was manipulation). For John (Séan) Marlowe, resident of Glenscar, Ireland, Alfred’s death in his village allows him to finally meet the woman of his dreams (literally, for his power is dreaming about real people’s lives, including Eleanor’s). Six months is the minimum amount of time that Eleanor and John must wait for their union to be socially acceptable, but a lot can happen in half a year, and their love is certainly put to the test. A Widow in Waiting is the story of these months and the obstacles they must overcome—the least of which is a timely letter from an erstwhile resident of Glenscar to Eleanor’s father—until the can finally be together. If you love grand, sweeping regency tales (although, technically speaking, the 1780 setting predates the Regency period), small-community vignettes, and a large cast of quirky characters, then this story is surely for you!

Story & Pacing: 9
I waddled back and forth between giving this a grade of 8 or 9. The plot is easy to follow and successfully executed, but at 400+ pages, I feel that some parts of the six-month waiting period could have been compressed and/or possibly omitted, particularly some of the follies of Nevan and Kieran. Walsh’s descriptions of everything—from settings and characters to societal expectations—make you feel like you are dab smack in the middle of Jane Austen’s England.

Characters: 9
There are so many characters that I was definitely confused in the first 10 or so chapters, but once I resigned myself to understanding the major ones and that the minor ones would eventually become “obvious” to me, the long cast became bearable. In terms of the characters themselves, Eleanor is delightfully quick witted and sharp tongued; Annie is a sweet companion with a plethora of observances and one-liners that made me laugh out loud; and Cob is a loyal friend who observes more than he notes. You won’t find it difficult to find Walsh’s characters endearing.

Setting: 8
Walsh’s descriptions of the village of Glenscar provide enough scope for the imagination that you could almost feel like you were living on the coast of Ireland, too. Walsh has chosen excellent locales for her story of latent and hidden magical powers that feed of the nature of the area. You’ll want visit Ireland to feel the magic, too!

Style & Writing: 9
Walsh’s writing is elegant. She strives to maintain a tone that one would expect from historical pieces; there are elements of Jane Austen and Philippa Gregory in her voice, which, as a fan of both writers, is high praise. Her sentences are varied, but her syntax remains more modern than Georgian, two qualities that make her writing very easy to digest. I really enjoyed learning a bit of Irish along the way, too!

Learnability & Teachability: 8
If you want to read a period piece or just enjoy a richly developed book with a variety of themes and sub-plots, you’ll have no trouble getting into this one. It’s a long read, but for those who like to settle in for such a story, this one’s for you. There’s a list of characters, Irish words, and other juicy extras at the end of the novel. Much to my chagrin, I only did find them at the end of the story, but I think I would have found the information much more helpful at the beginning.

POTENTIAL TEACHABLES
Geography and history of England and Ireland; British Isles vs. UK vs. Great Britain vs. Britain vs. England; Georgian time period, especially social etiquette of the time; gypsies, travellers, and the like. ( )

I really enjoyed this book. I leaned so much about Irish legend and the culture that the author created. The characters of Eleanor (Noreen) and John (Sean) are so believable. It almost makes me believe in magic! I thought the author did a great research job and her characters are well developed and the narrative flowed so easily. Impressive. ( )

A Widow in Waiting is delicious.
Adventure and romance join great charactisation and a well-paced plot to make this a story I couldn’t stop reading. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face while I read, either. The banter between the totally believable characters is awesome fun, and the drama never felt stale. Congratulations on a wonderful tale, Anne – I can’t wait for Shadow’s Dancing! ( )