Thursday 7 November 2019

Release Day Spotlight and Review: The Rector's Daughter by Jean Fullerton



The Rector’s Daughter by Jean Fullerton

Charlotte, daughter of Reverend Percival Hatton, has been content to follow the path laid out for her. Charlotte has an understanding with Captain Nicolas Paget – every inch the gentleman – who she expects someday to marry. But then she meets Josiah Martyn, and everything changes...
A driven and ambitious Cornish mining engineer, and the complete opposite to Captain Nicholas, Josiah has come to London to help build the first tunnel under the river Thames. When unpredictable events occur at the inauguration of the project, Josiah and Charlotte are suddenly thrown into an unexpected intimacy.
 But not everyone is happy with Charlotte and Josiah growing closer. As friends turn to foes, will they be able to rewrite the stars and find their happy ever after, although all odds seem to be stacked against them…?

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I've always been a reader who prefers choosing a book by reading the blurb rather than seduced by a cover. The Rector's Daughter is a perfect example of this and far exceeded my expectations as well as introducing me to a new author whose work I will seek out more. 

Charlotte lives with her Father, Reverend Percival Hatton at St. Mary's Church in Rotherhithe, London. It's her job to assist her father in the way the wife of a clergyman would assist her husband in his work within the parish because her mother died. When work begins on a tunnel to go under the river Thames, in Rotherhyde, she meets Josiah Martyn, an engineer on the project. Even though she's expected to marry Captain Paget, she and Josiah are determined to be together. The result is an understanding they will find a way to be together. The beginning of a journey fraught with familial dislike.

The history and research for this novel are outstanding. I always love learning about real-life events and understanding the social impact on these feats. It adds a fulfilling depth to the narrative for the reader to become enveloped in. As someone who reads mostly romance, I was invested in Charlotte and Josiah's relationship and appreciated the forbidden love aspect of their journey to a happy ending. 

It's saga full of action, drama and facts. Aided with plenty of colourful characters adding insight and villainy along the way. The author wraps this all together beautifully creating a wonderful novel for readers who love history and romance.

***arc generously received courtesy of the publisher via Rachel's Random Resources***


Jean Fullerton is the author of thirteen novels all set in East London where she was born. She also a retired district nurse and university lecturer. She won the Harry Bowling prise in 2006 and after initially signing for two East London historical series with Orion she moved to Corvus, part of Atlantic Publishing and is half way through her WW2 East London series featuring the Brogan family.

Twitter: @JeanFullerton_