Melissa’s Bookshelf's Reviews > Carving for Miss Coventry

Carving for Miss Coventry is not only a beautifully written romance, but a creative, unique addition to the Regency romance genre. Usually, the hero in Regency romances is a duke, or an earl, or someone with a lot of money. Rarely is the hero an ordinary working class man. In this case, Deborah Hathaway created a swoon worthy handsome hero who is also a talented woodcarver.

Edward Steele is desperately striving to support his widowed mother and regain his sterling reputation after a terrible rumor almost destroys his livelihood. When he meets Marianne Coventry, he is intrigued by her green eyes and her inquisitiveness. Marianne is desperate to find her older sister a husband so that she can finally go out in society. When she spies Edward at a cricket match, she thinks he’s the perfect man, but for her sister or herself?

Unbeknownst to Marianne, her father hires Edward to carve designs into the woodwork in his library. Recognizing him from the cricket match, Marianne finds herself constantly drawn to his company, and frequently seeks him out in the library. Edward knows he should stay away from Marianne, but he can’t quite bring himself to rebuff the intriguing young woman. As their relationship grows, Edward must decide whether he will try for the woman out of his league and risk more scandal, or deny his feelings.

Told from Edward’s and Marianne’s perspective, this book will have you quickly turning the pages to see what happens next. I was drawn to the gorgeous cover, but the story really drew me in as well. The setting is in beautiful Somerset, England. There is one amazing scene involving rain that definitely turns up the romance. In addition to the romance and setting, I enjoyed the themes in this story. Love versus money. Status versus happiness. Each character must ask himself what he really wants out of life and what he is willing to risk.

One of my favorite lines is: “Sometimes the brightest sunsets shine only after the longest rains.”

This is a must read for all historical romance fans! It’s a clean sweet story that’s hard to put down. This charming hero will definitely carve a way into your heart. I received a copy of this book from the author for my honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compelled to give a positive review.