Mist of Midnight:Book One of Daughters of Hampshire By Sandra Byrd

I received this book from Howard Books for no charge in exchange for my honest review of this book. The opinions expressed here are my own.


Book Description: 

In the first of a brand new series set in Victorian England, a young woman returns home from India after the death of her family to discover her identity and inheritance are challenged by the man who holds her future in his hands. 
     Rebecca Ravenshaw, daughter of missionaries, spent most of her life in India. Following the death of her family in the Indian Mutiny, Rebecca returns to claim her family estate in Hampshire, England. Upon her return, people are surprised to see her… and highly suspicious. Less than a year earlier, an impostor had arrived with an Indian servant and assumed not only Rebecca’s name, but her home and incomes.
      That pretender died within months of her arrival; the servant fled to London as the young woman was hastily buried at midnight. The locals believe that perhaps she, Rebecca, is the real impostor. Her home and her father’s investments reverted to a distant relative, the darkly charming Captain Luke Whitfield, who quickly took over. Against her best intentions, Rebecca begins to fall in love with Luke, but she is forced to question his motives–does he love her or does he just want Headbourne House? If Luke is simply after the property, as everyone suspects, would she suffer a similar fate as the first “Rebecca”?

A captivating Gothic love story set against a backdrop of intrigue and danger, Mist of Midnight will leave you breathless.


My Thoughts: 

Mist of Midnight is the first book in Sandra Byrd's latest series, The Daughters of Hampshire. As a huge fan of Sandra Byrd's previous series, Women in Waiting, I was excited to have the opportunity to read this book.  Rebecca Ravenshaw has spend most of her life in India with her missionary parents. Rebecca lost her parents in in the Indian Mutiny and she is faced with having to make her way back to claim her families estate in Hampshire,England as the only living heir.  When she returns to Hampshire and tells people who she is they are surprised and suspicious because less than a year before someone impersonating Rebecca and her Indian maid took Rebecca's whole life.  The impersonator died months later and her maid is no where to be found. Her cause of death was suicide but many had their doubts, thinking someone killed her including Captain Whitfield, a distant cousin who took over the Ravenshaw estate, money and all.   Rebecca fights to not only prove who she is but who the person in the grave is and how she died. 

Mist of Midnight is the first book in The Daughters of Hampshire series and I loved it! I had the privilege of reading Sandra Byrd's series, Women in Waiting and they were awesome. So when I saw this latest one I had to request it and I am glad I did! As a fan of Historical Fiction, this book did not disappoint.  Sandra Byrd writes with authority on Missionary life, India in 1858, England in 1858, the state of world during the 1800's, the faith and religions of these places at this time, and how estates worked at this time.  I enjoyed all of the characters in this book, they were well written and very real. I have to say that my favorite character is Rebecca Ravenshaw. Her integrity and her perseverance were just amazing and she relied on her faith to help her through all of these troubled times. She was a kind person who was not out for revenge but wanted to lay to rest whomever this impersonator was.  Just a beautiful character. I found myself immersed completely in this book and had a very difficult time putting it down. This book is well written and it really keeps you guessing until the end. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Christian Historical Fiction, you will not be disappointed. I give this book 5 STARS.