A long, leisurely Regency romance, available on Kindle Unlimited. The hero, an army Major who has inherited a Barony, was imprisoned in India when he was working for the East India company and hasn't recovered well. His half-brother had counted on the major's death and had drained funds from the estate. The heroine is a widow with a small son. She has been disowned by her father for refusing to marry the man of his choice, and he is still trying to control her life. The lives of the major and the widow intersect when he takes over his recently inherited estate, which is in the village where the widow lives.

I enjoyed most of this book. It was too long, and some of the plot threads went nowhere, but I liked the main characters and wanted them to have a happy ending. It is written in British English, which is a huge plus for a book set in Britain. ( )

Matthew Southam must be a decent sort, for he’s followed everywhere by a black and tan spaniel - a very good sign - and his quirky, dependable factotum, rough diamond Webb. But, like Charlotte MacKinnon, keeping her head above water with stories of the Beatrix Potter mould, he needs to set his house in order, literally and metaphorically. Ideally, the two would make it the same place, but between Matthew’s demons and Charlotte’s difficult past, that doesn’t look likely at first, and still greater trials await the pair…

Jayne Davis’s strong sense of character, both main and secondary, and her deep familiarity with the ways of England in the days of Napoleon (or rather, those of Tippoo Sahib, in whose dungeon Matthew has suffered) are evident throughout. “The Mrs MacKinnons” is a satisfying romance with a much wider perspective than your average period piece: a leisurely historical love story for grown-ups with eyes wide open. ( )

This is a pleasant and gentle historical romance set in the Regency era which pays wonderful homage to Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer.

I very much enjoyed this heartwarming and well written tale. It’s a slow burner and it’s not one to be rushed either. It meanders along. At nearly 600 pages I thought it was quite a feat by the author, especially as it is a debut novel. I really liked the characters - I found myself quite immersed in their respective stories and was rooting for them throughout. In fact, I wanted to bash their heads together at times! They always seemed to be getting the wrong end of the stick. The only thing which bothered me were the little asides, I’m not sure they were always necessary. Just a small point, though.

An accomplished and absorbing debut. I look forward to reading more by this author. ( )