Adoring Abigail by Chalon Linton

Adoring Abigail by Chalon Linton ISBN-13: 9781524411510 Paperback: 208 pages Publisher: Covenant Communications Released: February 3rd 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Captain Robert Wilkins has never aspired to grandeur. So when the returned war hero unexpectedly inherits the vast estate of Cattersley from his great-aunt, he feels woefully inadequate in his new role. Out of place in his lavish surroundings, his first glimmer of hope comes when he happens upon a lovely trespasser in his gardens.

Words have never come easily for Abigail Rutherford, and she prefers the solitude of exploring the gardens at the neighboring country estate to engaging in uncomfortable conversation. But when she unexpectedly encounters Captain Robert Wilkins in her place of solace, she is surprised at the immediate ease she feels in his presence. Soon her brightest moments are those spent with the captain. But even as their friendship grows into something more, outside forces have other plans for the two. Mr. Mead, the handsome vicar, has also taken a liking to the quiet and timid Abigail—and he will stop at nothing to ensure she becomes his wife.


My Review:
Adoring Abigail is a romance set in 1818 in England. Abigail had trouble correctly pronouncing her R's when excited or upset, and her family shamed her for this her entire life. Her grandmother also constantly criticized Abigail for this. The community laughed at her rather than befriending her, so she often read or visited with a friendly gardener at the neighboring estate. She's amazed that the new owner of the estate and his family don't seem to notice her problems with pronunciation and even befriend her.

The main characters were interesting, and I cared about what happened to them. The evil vicar was attracted by Abigail's looks, but he apparently was so driven by lust that he wasn't acting rationally. The community would never have accepted Abigail as his wife, and she had no money to improve his circumstances. By pursuing Abigail, he was also making an enemy of Robert, who owned his living and could dismiss him. Still, he made a suitably creepy villain as he stalked her and tried to force his affections on her to force her to marry him.

I found it a bit frustrating that Robert, the decisive captain, was so passive regarding Abigail until the last scene. When he rescued Abigail, it was simply because he happened to be in the area. He needed his sister and mother to clue him in to the vicar's attentions, and they were the ones who acted to encourage a match between the two. Still, Robert was a very kind, compassionate man. And the story was suspenseful because Robert took so long to realize that Abigail needed to be rescued from the vicar. I enjoyed how their romance grew out of a friendship.

The time period was simply a backdrop, and there were some details that were not probable for the time period. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable romance.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.