Windsong Manor by Julie Wright

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Book Review of Windsong Manor by Julie Wright

Has there ever been a time in your life where things have not gone as planned? No? Am I the only one? Well, I’m a huge planner. I’m not spontaneous at all. At all. Everything needs to be carefully planned out, planned for, and have a plan B, just in case. Some things have gone as planned: I received my BA in elementary education and had the opportunity to find a job right out of college teaching first grade. Since then? Hahaha! Nope. Yes, I have had to learn to be ok with things not going as planned. And look, I’m surviving. And that’s what Eleanora has to do in Julie Wright’s book Windsong Manor.

Blurb:

A young widow. A gentle stable master. A secret that could change everything. Will Nora dare risk her heart?

The London Countryside, 1820

Eleanora Coventry comes from a life of title and privilege, but even that isn’t enough to prevent her from being wed at sixteen to a controlling and dismissive husband. So when she finds herself a widow at only twenty-seven, the idea of choosing her own path forward both thrills and terrifies her. She knows how to be a daughter and a wife and mother, but she has no idea how to be Eleanora.

She moves her son and daughter to her late husband’s country estate, where she meets Ridley, the young stable master. He is ruggedly handsome, but also kind, and Eleanora finds herself drawn to him. There is only one problem: Eleanora has a title, and Ridley does not.

Ridley Ellis has a way with horses. Even the most spirited stallions trust his soft voice and gentle touch. He has the same effect on people, and when he first lays eyes on Eleanora, he is smitten by her beauty. But he quickly discovers it will take more than soft words to gain her trust—Lord Coventry had been cruel to people and animals alike. But the closer he gets to Eleanora, the more he is willing to share his heart, and more importantly, his secret.

In a world where title and privilege mean everything, will Eleanora and Ridley risk it all to find happiness? Or will the shadows of their pasts destroy everything they hope to build together?

My Book Review:

This is such a sweet story. I liked it a lot. It’s a great read for sitting by the fire or outside in the spring sunshine. It’s one of those stories you can just curl up to read and be completely transported to 19^th century England. Windsong Manor is well written, especially the characters. Wright’s character development shines in this book.

I love the connection and relationship between Eleanora and Ridley. It’s so so sweet. Eleanora has a title. She may be a widow, but she is a woman of a higher class. Ridley is just the stable master. Eleanora watches Ridley with her children in their riding lessons and sees his gentleness, care, and skill. But could she risk everything to love someone without a title?

Ridley has a secret. No one knows his past. He’s content at his position at Windsong Manor as the stable master. He’s skilled with horses and enjoys spending his days tending to them. That is, until the widow of his late boss moves in with her children. He watches her closely, finding that she does not have the rough characteristics her late husband had. In fact, he begins to notice he has feelings for her. But he’s a stable master and she is a lady. Would she risk it all for him?

There are a bunch of twists and turns to this book that were quite unexpected. Windsong Manor is full of wonderful descriptions that make you feel like you live there and get to watch it all unfold before you. Eleanora and Ridley become your best friends by the end of the story, and you find yourself reluctant to close the book at the end.

If you’re looking for a fun getaway to a beautiful country manor in 1820 England, this is the book for you! It has it all: a sweet love story, horses, secrets, healing, and being willing to risk everything for the person you love.