Disclosure: I received a copy of this book as part of the blog tour. Post contains affiliate links; if you make a purchase, I may earn commission. Opinions shared are mine.

Being 29 years old seems like so long ago. That was the year when my daughter (my first child) was born. Now I’m almost 46 years old and so much more comfortable in my own skin. It’s hard to imagine that in the year 1811, being unmarried at the age of 29 was basically a sentence to be single forever. Poor Mary Bloomfield! In Dusk’s Darkest Shores, she has practically resigned herself to being a spinster forever. Though she was quite likable, intelligent, and very skilled, it’s clear that she felt romance was something she’d never experience.

From the first pages of this book, I had major Pride & Prejudice vibes. Maybe even a few Downton Abbey-ish moments, too. Now, if that’s not enough to make you want to read it, there’s no hope for you!

Kidding aside, there’s much more than romance in these pages. It’s a story of self-discovery and learning to accept who you are. Each character wrestles with issues and decisions that can change the course of a life. As they grow in their maturity and even in relationships, the reader can sense a shift in the gravity of the story.

Dusk’s Darkest Shores is very well written — descriptive without being cumbersome, and has humorous scenes just when the drama threatens to be too heavy. It has a beautiful depth of character development. I’ve only read a few of Carolyn Miller’s books, but this one is my favorite so far.

Enter the giveaway for the chance to win an amazing English-themed prize pack that includes these items:

– a copy of Dusk’s Darkest Shores

– a canvas bag to carry your latest reads

– a fun pair of Jane Austen socks

– Novel Teas’ English Breakfast tea

– “Drink tea, read books, and be happy” tea spoon

– “Let your faith be bigger than your fear” mug

– Black currant preserves from England

– Wax Lyrical candle from England

About the series:

While most stories set in Regency England focus on the rich, the young, and the beautiful, award-winning author Carolyn Miller decided she wanted to give readers something different for a change. Her new Regency Wallflowers series follows the commoners, away from the hustle and bustle of 1810s London, out in the Lake District of England. She tells the stories of women who are slightly older and have few prospects for marriage, women who might be considered “wallflowers.”

About the book:

How can a meek wallflower help a returning war hero whose dreams are plunged into darkness?

Mary Bloomfield has no illusions. Her chances for matrimony have long since passed her by. Still, her circumstances are pleasant enough, especially now that she has found purpose in assisting her father with his medical practice in England’s beautiful Lake District. Even without love, it’s a peaceful life.

That is until Adam Edgerton returns to the sleepy district. This decorated war hero did not arrive home to acclaim and rest, but to a new battle against the repercussions of an insidious disease. Mary’s caring nature cannot stand to see someone suffer–but how can she help this man see any brightness in his future when he’s plunged into melancholic darkness, his dreams laid waste by his condition?

Adam wants no charity, but he’s also no coward. If this gentle woman can work hard, how can he do less? Together they struggle to find a way forward for him. Frustration and antipathy slowly develop into friendship and esteem. Then a summer storm atop a mountain peak leads to scandal–and both Mary and Adam must search the depths of their closed hearts for answers if they hope to find any future path with happiness at its end.

Best-selling author Carolyn Miller is back with a fresh series that will not only thrill readers eager for more of her work, but bring in new fans looking for beautiful writing, fascinating research, deftly woven love stories, and real faith lived out in the Regency period.

Click here to read an excerpt.

About the author:

Carolyn Miller is an inspirational romance author who lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children.

A longtime lover of romance, especially that of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s Regency era, Carolyn holds a BA in English literature and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives. She enjoys music, films, gardens, art, travel, and food.

Miller’s novels have won a number of RWA and ACFW contests. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Australasian Christian Writers. 

Learn more about Carolyn at www.carolynmillerauthor.com, or find her on Facebook (Carolyn Miller Author), Instagram (@CarolynMillerAuthor), and Twitter (@CarolynMAuthor).