Blog Tour: Kingscastle by Sophia Holloway

Today is my stop on the blog tour for the wonderful Kingscastle by Sophia Holloway! 

Captain William Hawksmoor of the Royal Navy never expected to inherit Kingscastle and is none too pleased when he does so. Especially when he learns that he must marry within a year or be forever dealing with trustees.

As the new Marquis of Athelney, the captain takes command of Kingscastle and discovers much to be done to set it in order. He must also contend with his aunt, Lady Willoughby Hawksmoor, who is determined that her daughter will be his wife. When she discovers he is far more interested in Eleanor Burgess, her underpaid and much put-upon companion, Lady Willoughby shows she will stop at nothing to keep them apart.

As the cover suggests, this is a sort of Bridgerton / Jane Austen hybrid, tending perhaps more towards the latter in tone. The story follows naval Captain William Hawksmoor who unexpectedly finds himself inheriting Kingscastle, his old family estate. As if swapping water for land and gaining the title of Marquis of Athelney wasn’t daunting enough, he finds out he must marry within a year to gain full control of the estate and its assets from the trustees. Upon his arrival at Kingscastle he immediately finds himself the target of his aunt Lady Willoughby, who has decided that Hawksmoor will marry her daughter, whether he wants to or not. What she hadn’t banked on was Hawksmoor’s immediate connection with her paid companion Eleanor, a woman who in her eyes is far from suitable for a Marquis. 

What really made this book for me was the characters. Lady Willoughby is a true force to be reckoned with, certainly a match for Austen’s Lady Catherine de Burgh, almost cartoon-ish in her obstinacy. Hawksmoor himself is a decent and thoroughly moral man; this is no reformed rake but a man of principal which is a rarity in the Regency romance genre these days. My favourite character though had to be Harry Bitton, Hawksmoor's naval friend turned steward of Kingscastle, whose subplot actually rivals the main story line for me. True to the genre there are repressed feelings, misunderstandings, inclement weather - and that's an understatement - and that all important happy ever after. It's a gentle read that I really enjoyed.

Thanks to Allison and Busby for giving me a spot on the tour, and for sending me a review copy of this book. Check out all the other lovely bloggers taking part in the blog tour below: