The Headmistress of Rosemere

Description

Bright, sensible Patience knows what is expected of her. At twenty-five, her opportunity for a family of her own has passed, so she invests herself in teaching at her father's school for girls. When her father dies suddenly and her brother moves away to London, she is determined to make the school successful.Confirmed bachelor William Sterling also knows what is expected of him, but mistake after mistake has left him teetering on ruin's edge. As master of Eastmore Hall he owns a great deal of property - including the land where Rosemere School is located - but possesses little money to manage its upkeep. When debtors start calling, he is desperate to find a new source of income, even if it means sacrificing Rosemere.When a fire threatens the school grounds, William must decide to what lengths he is willing to go to protect his birthright. And when Patience's brother returns with a new wife to take over management of the school, Patience suddenly finds herself unsure of her calling. After a surprising truth about William's past is brought to light, both William and Patience will have to seek God's plans for their lives-and their hearts.

Sarah E. Ladd received the 2011 Genesis Award in historical romance for The Heiress of Winterwood. She is a graduate of Ball State University and has more than ten years of marketing experience. Sarah lives in Indiana with her amazing husband, sweet daughter, and spunky Golden Retriever. Facebook: SarahLaddAuthor Twitter: @SarahLaddAuthor

"A cad who longs to change his ways... a spinster yearning for love... a wild racehorse, a suspicious fire, an orphan of uncertain origin, a family torn by duty and debt---they're all here in Ladd's sophomore novel (after the Genesis Award-winning The Heiress of Winterwood). In 1816 on the moors of Darbury, England, Patience Creighton has been holding matters together at the Rosemere School for Young Ladies after the death of her forward-thinking father, who founded the school on land owned by the Sterling family. Patience's brother has disappeared and her grieving mother has retired to her room, so Patience must care for her young students and small devoted staff. That is, until her hitherto absent landlord, William Sterling, whose nasty reputation precedes him, stumbles onto the scene, pursued by creditors and his own developing conscience. Mutual attraction ensues. Charming if formulaic characters and engaging scenes of the times keep the pages turning as this historical romance, with its faint sprinkling of religion, swirls energetically through angst and disclosure to a predictable conclusion." "[E]ngaging scenes of the times keep the pages turning as this historical romance . . . swirls energetically through angst and disclosure." * Publishers Weekly *