Summer at Rye by Lucy Oliver – a Review

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Description:
A tragedy brought Eva Brookwell and Samuel Shaw back into each other’s lives. But will lies from the past destroy their chances of a future?

Left penniless after the death of her philandering father, Eva Brookwell takes a job as a governess at Rye Hall, but didn’t expect to find her young charges scarred and blinded from smallpox. Rye Hall is an unhappy house with a tyrannical master and Eva is forced to turn to her pupils’ uncle, Samuel Shaw for help.

Eva and Samuel had once been engaged, until his lies drove them apart. Still in love with him, Eva knows she could never trust him again; however he is her only ally in the dark and disturbed household she now lives in

Review:

Summer in Rye by Lucy Oliver is a historical romance novella. This was a fast and very nice read.  It is different then what I have read before of Oliver.  The heroine of the story is Eva, who has to take a job as governess at Rye Hall, since her family is in dire need of funds.  Eva has no experience, as she never needed to work, coming from wealthy family.  But her father lost all the money with a bad investment, and then died leaving Eva, her mother and sister penniless.  When Eva meets the family, she knows the master is tyrant, with even his wife scared of him.  The two children are disfigured and one blind, due to small pox, which their father did not care or want to get them vaccinations that would have prevented this.   Eva does her best to help the children and avoid Shaw, who looks at her with evil eyes. 

The main part of the story though is Eva’s old flame Samuel Shaw, comes home to his brothers mansion and finds Eva. Both loved each other before, but due to unfortunate circumstances, Samuel broke off his engagement to Eva.  Eva ignores Samuel, but in time he tells her he still loves her, and explains why he left.  Can Eva understand Samuel’s predicament and forgive him?  Will she be able to keep her distance from the Head of the house, who thinks of all women as sluts?  Does this have a HEA?

Since this is a novella, saying too much more would be spoilers.  Summer in Rye was a nice simple love story of a couple that had quite a few odds against them, and the exciting ending was very good. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Author