Daughter of St. Hampton Heath Village’s pastor, Lavinia Ellison, isn’t affected by riches or looks. She believes everyone should help the poor, live modestly and own up to their obligations.

Thwarted at every turn, Nicholas Stamford, Earl to St. Hampton Heath Village, just wants to turn his duties over to his bailiff and be done with it.

I especially enjoyed Lavinia’s wit and somewhat sharp tongue. Critical of those not living up to their legal and moral responsibilities, she often had an acerbic tone. However, she was equally as condemnatory of her own failings.

Interspersed throughout the story are rich portrayals of the villagers’ pitiable homes and the landscape of the area juxtaposed against the detailed narrative of the aristocrats’ estates and opulent lifestyle. The starkness of the contrasts leaves you feeling the despair and sadness against which Lavinia struggled.

An impressively written book rich in history, the novel abounds with faith, aspirations, romance and just the right amount of intrigue and family mystery. It is so beautifully written; I had a hard time comprehending this was Carolyn Miller’s debut novel.

The main characters’ development, tempered by their faith, added a unique perspective to this tale.

Regency Era fans will love Carolyn Miller’s debut book, The Elusive Miss Ellison.

I received The Elusive Miss Ellison from Celebrate Lit. However, I was under no obligation to post a review. ( )

What I think you should know:
The Elusive Miss Ellison by Carolyn Miller is the first book in the Regency Brides: A Legacy of Grace . The story is set in 1813 England with Lavinia Ellison the daughter of a small village minister and the New Lord Hawkesbury.

What I think about this book:
While the story was slow going at first , it did a good job of letting you get to know the characters and what made them who they are. Lavinia was almost an antihero when compared to the typical heroine in Regency Romances. Instead of being raised as a Lady of privilege she has been taught to devote her life to helping others, she nurses the sick of the village and helps provide food and education to those less privileged. I enjoyed watching Nicholas mature from a selfish young man into a man who cared for those around him. I enjoyed the interaction between Lavinia and Nicholas . The second half of the story moved at a much faster pace. The message of the Gospel was presented beautifully and naturally in the story. I look forward to reading the next books in the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit, this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own. ( )

This is the first book in a series that does not need to be read in order. I think I started with the third book in the series. I enjoyed the characters. I love when Lavinia learns who her grandmother really is and how she meets her. I enjoyed the love story between Lavinia and Nicholas. Both characters have to forgive themselves over what happened when they were younger and it is handled very well. I received a copy of this book from Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will. ( )

As Regency books go this was pretty typical of the time period with Lords and Queens . The people in the village are all a flutter with the arrival of the Earl of Hawkesbury. His presence will stir emotions and cause harsh words to be thrown around. Being an Earl is very prestigious and requires you to be in the best attires and surrounded by only the most important of people. Well I knew what was about to happen when our feature character Lavinia meets the Earl.

Lavinia is sweet and has a big heart for the poor. She takes it upon herself to make sure others do without. I liked how she visited families and helped out with their needs. She has never been one to care about frilly clothes or being prim and proper. I adored her attitude of being herself without worrying what others though. Her encounters with the Earl are quite funny at times and other times I found myself hoping her heart would not get broken.

Nicholas (Earl of Hawkesbury) was at times annoying to me. He had an air of arrogance and was quite direct at times. I do believe he has met his match though when Lavinia matches him with her oh so subtle distaste for him. The story seems to pick up when Lavinia takes ill and finds herself at the home of the one and only Earl. I won’t give any details about how she got there but here is where I began to see a softer side of Nicholas. The people in the town love to gossip and are so disrespectful when it comes to Lavinia’s unintended stay at the Earl’s. It really is about jealousy for the women who had high hopes of winning the Earl’s attention.

The faith element is good and I especially liked how Nicholas started to hunger for a relationship with God. There are moments in the story where we find the characters calling out to God for help. The author does give us a few surprises in the story which I loved. Her ability to describe the time period was intriguing and I liked how she set the story around people who were in need. This allowed Nicholas to really see how the village was desperate for provisions. The best part of the entire story for me is one scene when a particular character finds their way to God. Oh it is so glorious to read how they surrender theirselves and find peace.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion. ( )

Truly a delightful book. It reminds me very much of Jane Austen's novels. I look forward to reading more of Carolyn's books! ( )