The thief of Lanwyn Manor / Sarah E. Ladd.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

In Regency England an advantageous match could set up a lady for life. Julia knows Matthew Blake, copper mine owner and very eligible bachelor, is the gentleman she should set her eyes upon. But why can't she steal her gaze away from his younger brother, Isaac

Cornwall, England, 1818: Julia Twethewey needs a diversion to mend her broken heart, so when her aunt invites her to Lanwyn Manor to be a companion to her pregnant cousin, she quickly accepts. Lanwyn Manor is at the heart of Cornwall's thriving mining industry, and as a guest Julia is instantly swept into its world of balls and parties. Despite her initial enchantment with her new surroundings, she soon realizes something dark is lurking in the ancient halls.

As a respected mine owner's younger son, Isaac Blake is determined to keep his late father's legacy alive through the family business, despite his brother's careless attitude. In order to save their livelihood--and that of the people around them--the brothers approach the master of Lanwyn Manor with plans to help the floundering local industry. Isaac can't deny his attraction to the man's charming niece, but his brother has made clear his intentions to court the lovely visitor. And Isaac knows his place.

When tragedy strikes, mysteries arise, and valuables go missing, Julia and Isaac find they are pulled together in a swirl of strange circumstances, but despite their best efforts to bow to social expectations, their hearts aren't so keen to surrender.

Full-length, clean Regency romance set in the same time period as Poldark and Bridgerton Book 2 in the Cornwall novels (The Governess of Penwythe Hall, The Thief of Lanwyn Manor, and The Light at Wyndcliff), but can be read as a stand-alone story Book length: 85,000 words Includes discussion questions for book clubs

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

Set in Cornwall, England, in the early 1800s, Ladd's sweeping inspirational romance, second in the Cornwall Novels series (after The Governness of Penwythe Hall), brims with triumph and tragedy. Many young men have gone off to serve in India while others have found work in the mines. Orphaned 19-year-old Julia Twethewey has come to stay with her uncle in the mining town of Goldweth, both to act as companion to her pregnant cousin, Jane, and to recover from a broken heart. Life at Lanwyn Manor, however, is not all it seems. Isaac Blake oversees the family mine owned by his twin brother, Matthew. As the second-born twin, Isaac's hardly a catch for any marriage-minded lady, as he has no claim to the family business, but he and Julia seem to connect on an elemental level. Matthew, however, sees Julia as his way into profiting from her uncle's mine. Ladd laces the drama with deep faith elements and fine details of the Regency era, which provide depth beyond the tension of the romance. Fans of Julie Klassen will love this. Agent: Rachelle Gardner, Books & Such (Jan.)