Ashes on the Moor (Proper Romance Victorian)

Reviewing a Sarah Eden book is a daunting task. They are simply a cut above. The stories are never anything short of compelling. It's not just that you can't put them down, it's that every word on every page counts. There is never a moment where the story feels stretched or padded. And nothing is contrived. Every story line fits perfectly into the story arc. She is a master story teller.But that is only the beginning because each character develops and grows as the story unfolds until you know them and only wish the story would go on so they could continue as your friends.Lastly, no one does dialects better than Sarah Eden. I love the way she wrote the translations into the story line rather then leaving the reader guessing the meaning.I hope this becomes a series. I will NEVER miss a Sarah Eden book. I pre-ordered this one then counted down the days until it popped into my Kindle. It didn't disappoint. But then her books never do.

Well, we all know how I feel about Proper Romance Books, but this is Proper Romance plus Sarah Eden. Yes, Please!!!! I love this author. I like all of the authors, but I don’t know if I just enjoy her so much because I have actually met and talked with her a few times. She is such a delightful person. Her writing always brings a smile to my face.Evangeline, is forced to be an independent woman after being brought up in high society when an accident takes all of her family away except one sister. Lucy. Instead of being able to mourn their family their Aunt Barton came and ripped them from their home and took them to Smeatley.Evangeline, promised Lucy they would always be together, but her Aunt Barton had other plans. Not only did she rip Lucy away from her, she forced her into a teaching position, and into a home all alone. Then she was told she wasn’t allowed to reveal their family relations or she would be fired.This sounds like such a great family. Aunt Barton told Evangeline that she would be checking on her progress and if she didn’t show that she could take care of her self then she would never be able to take care of Lucy either.Forced into a life she didn’t want Evangeline takes the high road and decides she going to do the best she can with the circumstances she has been put in.She meets a neighbor man by the name of Dermont, who ends up helping her more than any one has in her whole life. Evangeline doesn’t seem to mind that he is Irish like most of the town did when he arrived. Dermont is a hard working man taking care of his son Ronan and building houses and fences. He is a master at masonry.This is such a sweet story of love, hope, endurance, and hard work. The setting is so beautiful. I love the town of Smeatley. I was right there with the town people and Evangeline as she navigates through her new life. It didn’t hurt anything that she had a yummy man living right down the street from her (Dermont) that helped her so much and made her feel welcome.Evangeline is an amazing character. She is kind, loving, compassionate, and fiery! I love the fire she has. She is a lady but is learning that she doesn’t have to take all the grieve her aunt and uncle are giving her anymore. She finds joy in life, in the town and in the children, she is teaching. She genuinely loves them, and it shows through this whole book.I felt for the people in this small town, and all the hardships they faced, and how they all pulled together no matter what. It is just such a wonderful, uplifting story. It gave me chills, made me angry, and made me cry. All good things a book can do for me 😊. I loved every minute of this book. I hope you take a chance to pick it up and read it. It’s just a beautiful story.Source: I was given this book as part of a blog tour in return for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way for this review. These are my own PERSONAL thoughts on the book.

I love this story!!!!!! Soft and carefree it is not, but the characters have so much growth and development throughout the whole book. Evangeline develops and discovers her own person and strengths and abilities thru her trials. One of the quotes from the book is, "You do what you know is right, even when it is difficult." It's amazing but believable to see her develop and progress.Then there is Dermot, an Irishman living in the English town where Evangeline was brought by her aunt after her parents and two brothers die. His strength and determination has brought him success and some respect even though he's Irish. Dermot has a son who's autistic, and having an autistic grandson, I can tell you that Ms. Eden understands the disorder......she doesn't just have the words, but seems to comprehend it. This isn't a downer in the book, just a part of the depth of the writing.I'm not going into more of the details......just know that Sarah M. Eden has written something worthwhile again!!!!

I couldn't put it down. I listened to the audiobook and stayed up all night to finish it!I can see why some don't like how "dark" the book is (if anything, considering the subject matter, it was actually Disney-style lighthearted!), but for me, that was absolutely vital to the character's growth and kept me reading. I especially LOVED how an autistic character was included and written!

As a longstanding fan of every Sarah M. Eden book ever written, this book was a little different than her previous books and yet, it kept me up late turning just a few more pages (or chapters as my husband would point out) as I hated to put it down. An absolutely wonderful story with such depth to the characters you couldnt help but feel for each of them - from love, admiration, and encouragement, to grief, disgust and such frustration. What an incredibly moving and inspiring story. Sarah M. Eden has such a gift of creating and developing her characters, and this book is the perfect example of that.

The depth of character development in this book is astounding. As a high school English teacher for twenty eight years, I find that Miss Eden's prose rivals the classical authors. Her setting in this novel made it possible to feel like I was on the moors in England. Her historical understanding of the struggle of Irish people in England during the period was also well portrayed. Her many gifts as an author will keep her popular for many years to come. Thank you for a captivating read.

This book does not disappoint. I love how she weaves the world of mill town Victorian England with real world problems, in this case, being an outcast, being mistreated, and dealing with people on the autism spectrum. I think that Eden beings quite a bit of empathy for someone on the spectrum, and even manages to work in some tips on how to deal with that.I also love Eden's heart. There is love and understanding through all her works, and this book is no exception. As always, I can't wait for whatever is next!

What a wonderfully put together novel that brings to life struggles with timidity, pride, self reliance and learning to love.

I throughly enjoy Sarah Edens books and this was no exception. I liked the characters and their ability to face challenges