The Captain's Daughter by Jennifer Delamere

London, 1879

Forced to Leave All She Loves Behind, She Seeks a New Life in a City Bursting with Opportunity, But Fraught with Danger

When a series of circumstances beyond her control leaves Rosalyn Bernay alone and penniless in London, she chances upon a job backstage at a theater putting on the most popular show in the city. A talented musician and singer, she feels immediately at home and soon becomes enthralled with the idea of pursuing a career on the stage. That is, as long as the shadows from her past don't catch up with her.

After a hand injury forces Nate Moran from his army regiment in India, he returns home to London, a place that holds bitter memories. He agrees to fill in temporarily as a stagehand while his brother recuperates from a broken leg, but Nate is counting down the days until he can rejoin his regiment. His future is decided--until he meets a beautiful woman who has found a new lease on life in the very place Nate yearns to leave behind.

Review: I just finished a very pleasant morning with this novel ... despite the fact it's 5 am. I couldn't sleep, but this book turned a rather unfortunate bout of insomnia into a happy thing. It took me a little longer than usual to get into this book (may have been the insomnia), but by the middle I didn't want to put it down. The book starts off with a bang, but I wasn't invested in the characters enough to really care too much about their dramatic dilemmas. However, as the pages turned I grew more familiar with the lead lady, Rosalyn Bernay and the handsome soldier, Nate Moran, and I really began to take a keen interest in the story.

Rosalyn is a sweet and genuine young lady who sees the world through delighted eyes. For the most part, people are kind to her and take up her cause to help her get settled in the new town. She is certainly naive, but that is part of her charm.

Nate is a battle hardened soldier, but he has a soft spot for family. Of an age similar to his sister, Rosalyn with her sweet smiles quickly work their way beneath his tough exterior. Their budding affection is slow and natural, and it did not feel forced (forced romance = pet peeve of mine!). Their relationship really did bloom organically, and for that I am grateful to the author.

The book is well written and I can tell the author really did take care with how she wrote this book. It's well done. The dialogue reads well and is believable. Last, but not least, the historic elements of this story ring true and I can tell that a good amount of research was done in the penning of this book. All in all it was a good read and I would recommend it. 


Thank-you to Graf Martin Communications and to Baker Publishing House for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.