I enjoyed this book so very much! This book primarily followed Emily, and her publishing aspirations and road to love. Honestly, I was kept wondering for a long time which direction she would go as far whom she would fall for. I would think I’d have it figured out, and then some new development would have me changing my mind. Even up close to the end I wasn’t sure how things would go. But oh, how I loved the romance in this one! There is longing, angst, second chance, rivalry, long lost love, and a couple of great kissing scenes.

We also got to see some more of Sarah’s story. I am so anxious to get more for her story! I don’t know when the next book comes out, but I am so curious as to know what happens next for her! And Georgiana too, of course.

The added characters in this one made it a really exciting and engaging story. There was even a moment of suspense and some intrigue, which was very exciting! I was engaged and entertained throughout the entire book.

If you enjoy historical romance, that has been impeccably researched, and includes independent women, themes of kindness, compassion, and honesty, and a healthy dose of the sea, and the royal family, and all kinds of delicious cuisine, I highly recommend picking up this one.

This is the second book in the On Devonshire Shores series. While it an stand on its own, I would recommend reading book one first, so you get to know these characters and their lives and circumstances before reading this one.

**thanks to Julie Klassen, Austen ProsePR, and Bethany House Fiction for the copy. It was such a pleasure to read! ( )

For me, this book was just.. meh.

This is the second book in the "On Devonshire Shores" series. I really enjoyed the first book, "The Sisters of Sea View", but the same characters in this book felt foreign and distant from the reader and each other compared to the last book.
"A Winter By The Sea" read more like a stiff-toned Regency read than a whimsical seaside historical romance.

I think if these books were a bit shorter, and had more relaxed dialogue instead of as many descriptions of scenery, I think they would read more easily.

If you're a fan of Bridgerton and Downton Abbey (I'm not, nothing personal to those of the fandoms) you might love this book.

Things I didn't like:
-a scene where two characters (a male and a female) are reading on the couch late at night and both accidentally fall asleep. This was just kinda thoughtless and made it look like they might have been..well you know.
-an embarassing scene where a character has a low cut dress and the book mentions her lifted bosom showing when she accidentally happens upon a houseguest. Why would you memtion that? This was awkward, so inappropriate and didn't add anything to the story at all.

I don't think I'll continue with this series, and I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone for two reasons: I personally found it to be rather boring, and those weird scenes.

Anyways, thank you to Bethany House Publishers for the complimentary e-book I received to review through Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review and the thoughts above are my own. ( )

First sentence: If a quill pen was truly more powerful than a rapier, as Shakespeare suggested, then a pen must also be more powerful than a needle. Emily Summers mused on this as she sat in the parlour, writing in a notebook. Around her, her mother and sisters sewed together over tea and pleasant conversation. Even Viola, her recently married twin, had come over from Westmount with her needlework bag to join them. Only their oldest sister, Claire, was absent.

Genre(s): Christian fiction, clean romance, historical fiction, Regency fiction

A Winter by the Sea is the sequel to The Sisters of Sea View. The Summer family continues opening their home [in Devonshire] as a guest house to paying guests. The excitement surrounding the community is the soon to be arrival of members of the royal family--the Duke and Duchess of Kent and the infant Victoria. While they will not be lodging at their "guest house" (aka boarding house) some of their staff will be...including a Mr. James Thompson.

Julie Klassen has done research on the community for this time period, and the royal visit indeed did take place. This was where the Duke of Kent died. [Hopefully that doesn't count as a true spoiler].

The book follows the personal lives of the Summer sisters--Sarah, Emily, Viola, and Georgiana. Viola was married off [had her big romance] in the first book. This book is Emily's turn. Emily isn't a silly, flighty girl in search of a husband. (Though she does want to find her one true love). She is also interested in reading, writing, and editing. She is NOT interested in embroidery.

I definitely enjoyed this one. I loved both books in this series so much. I'm not sure I loved it more than the first book. I'm not sure I loved it less either. I liked that a handful of characters in this one were real historical people. ( )

Oh how my heart aches for the Regency Era women of Sea View. Regardless of how hard they work or try to make their way in the world, they are still subject to the whims of men and societal standards of 1820s Sidmouth, England. A woman's life was precarious outside the protection of a father or husband. For those women who strove to stand on their own through means available to them, I am ever their cheering fan.

This delightful story is rich with stories of such women. A genteel widow with three young daughters runs a Sidmouth guest house to make ends meet as best they are permitted by societal morés. The older two daughters are outside the home. One is married and lives nearby. The other resides in Scotland and through an unfortunate circumstance has leveled a dark cloud over the family.

We soon discover that the Prince of Wales has decided to make his and his family's winter home in Sidmouth by renting Woolbrook Cottage for the family and Fortfield Terrace for the upper staff. This leaves Sea View for the remaining staff - the pastry chef, the prince's private secretary and the table-decker. The primary character of this story is the second youngest daughter Emily - an aspiring and gifted writer who has recently had her heart broken.

The writing is lovely, the scenes well-described and the characters are well developed. The romance elements are chaste and rather Austenesque. The love triangle gives the story its tension with a gentle and successful conclusion. All in all, this was a very sweet diversion and beautifully delivered by a gifted writer.

I am grateful to Bethany House for having provided a complimentary uncorrected digital galley of this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers and NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

Publisher: Bethany House (division of Baker Publishing Group)
Publication Date: December 5, 2023
No. of Pages: 448
ISBN No.: 978-0764234286 ( )

A Winter by the Sea by Julie Klassen is the second On Devonshire Shores series novel. As with all of Julie Klassen’s books I’ve read, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Sidmouth is such an interesting setting, and the author does a fantastic job of bringing the seaside town and its colorful residents to life. I loved walking the streets and esplanade of Sidmouth with Emily and Sarah and touring the many historical sites as Emily took notes for her guidebook. And besides being in such a beautiful and charming town, this book is full of unique snippets of history. Including the Duke and Duchess of Kent and their young daughter, Victoria, in the story added a uniqueness to the historical aspect of the novel.
I enjoyed getting to know the Summers family and felt nice and cozy in their seaside home. The vivid cast of characters kept me invested in the many storylines and kept me turning pages late into the night. I loved baking with Sarah and Mr. Bernardi, being adventurous with Georgiana, and discovering genuine love with Emily. If I could reserve a room at Sea View, I would!
Overall, I adored A Winter by the Sea and look forward to the next book in the series. Any fan of Regency romance will enjoy visiting Sidmouth and the Summers sisters!
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher with no expectations of a positive review. All opinions are my own. ( )