Review: From the Fields of Porthlenn by Deborah M. Hathaway

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

A Regency Romance—Cornwall, 1818

Poppy Honeysett wants to be seen as the woman she is—not as the naive young lady she was. She will no longer race across beaches or collect seashells like a child. And she will not, under any circumstances, pine after the lieutenant who broke his promise—and her heart—two years before. But such things are easier said than done, especially when that very lieutenant returns to St. Just with all his charismatic charm in tow.

When an old injury begins to act up, Lieutenant Edmund Harris is placed on reserve from the navy. Instead of returning home to the troubles that await him there, he travels to St. Just to visit with old acquaintances and, of course, to see his darling Poppy. Two years have passed since he saw her last, but Edmund is determined to pick up things where they left off. However, when Poppy seems interested in every man but him, he can’t make sense of it.

Desperate to recreate the past and bring back Poppy’s playful nature, Edmund determines to start their relationship anew, but Poppy resists, refusing to make the same mistakes again. When tragedy strikes, however, and the two of them must come together for the good of St. Just, Poppy must choose to trust again or lose the only man she ever truly loved.

This is the fifth and final book in the clean Regency Cornish Romance series by Deborah M. Hathaway. Although this romance is a stand-alone novel, the books are best enjoyed when read in order.

My Review

We see the early days of Poppy and Edmund's relationship in the previous books in the series, so I was so happy that we get their full story in this final book. Poppy has gone through different stages of love with the lieutenant- puppy love as a teenager, first love as a young adult, and unrequited love when he refuses to return to her small hamlet. They don't think they will ever see each other again, when he is summoned back by his friends running the lighthouse. There is much more animosity and resentment than the book description infers, and they have their issues to work through before they can reveal to themselves and each other that their love still burns beneath the surface. I would have liked to see more of the light-hearted sides of their personalities, but they had to wade through quite a bit of angst to get there. As always the setting is amazing and I loved the roles the other members of Poppy's family and community play in her life.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Don't miss the previous books in the Cornish Romance series . . .