Helena
What is an independent woman to do in a world where marrying means losing everything?
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Pregnant, widowed and rejected by her family, Helena moves to Redway Acres, where she raises her daughter and trains horses.
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She befriends an old widower in a ramshackle cottage, the family from the grand estate of Eastease, and their friend Colonel Nathaniel Ackley, second son of the Earl of Aysthill.
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As Redway Acres becomes the focus of her ambition, Helena finds herself thrust into a man’s world where her opinions count for little. She loves working with horses and raising her daughter and will stand up for those in need, but the law doesn’t allow for love.
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Will Helena give up everything, including herself, should she find a man worthy enough?
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Her story is about hardship, horses, strength of will, love and loyalty.
A great blend of strong characters, human emotions, historical context and romance! You find yourself holding your breath throughout the story, wondering how things will work out.
Pat Marsden, CT, USA.
A great read that hooks you in very early on in the book. This passionate story is written by a talented author whose fascination with the 19th century has created a memorable story.
Hayley Haughton, Montreal, Canada.
I absolutely love Helena's strength and character. It was very enjoyable to read. Rich in history and horses of the English countryside, you will love it! I highly recommend this book!
Tracy Hansen, PA, USA.
This is a book that sticks with you. The characters become your friends, and when you turn the final page, you miss them. I fell in love with Helena and Nathaniel. But don't be fooled into thinking this is just a love story—there's a lot more going on here! Great supporting characters and a great plot line make this a must-read!
Cheryl Duffy, CT, USA.
Maria
Must a woman always be blamed for the mistake she made as an innocent sixteen-year-old girl?
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Maria Wyndham is the older, more vivacious twin sister of Harriet.
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After their parents’ deaths, she and her sister move to the grand estate of Eastease and become wards of its owner, Alexander Harker. and their cousin, Nathaniel Ackley.
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Just in time for a ball for the twins’ sixteenth Birthday, their guardians’ friend, Robert Davenport, arrives to dance and lavish them with gifts. Captivated, Maria vies for his attention, despite Harriet’s interest in the man.
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In this story of sisters, Maria’s silliness and love of life often hide her intelligence and loyalty. As Maria's story unravels, it pushes the bonds of family and friendship to the limit. Finally, she finds the strength to survive and pursue her happiness.
The twists and turns of this book easily captured my attention and made me feel even more deeply invested in the characters.
Sarah E, USA
An excellent continuation of the Redway Series!!
The author does an amazing job of seducing us into a maze that we don't even know we are in—until we find ourselves at the exit and shake our heads!
Linda W, USA
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This book certainly kept me on the edge of my seat. There were so many surprises I never would have guessed.
Erin S, USA
The second story in this lovely series does not disappoint! What a great story that expertly intertwines the characters' lives. I particularly enjoyed reading about some characters from the first book from a different point of view. Wonderful book. I'm looking forward to #3!
Amy McCoy, NY, USA.
Martha
How can a woman achieve love and success when an unseen enemy hounds her every move and men wish to claim her achievement as their own?
Martha Hopwood dreams of meeting a man who can make her feel as petite as her sisters, yet will encourage her determination to provide the best haberdashery shops in the country.
Mr. Woodhead takes up residence at the nearby estate of Copperbeeches and pursues Martha both at home and Eastease when her family visits there. His sudden departure from Eastease, when all were still asleep, prompts Martha to consider an independent future.
Martha pursues her ambition whilst recovering from heartbreak, overcoming disappointment and finally deciding what truly makes a man a gentleman.
In a time when a woman could not be married and independent, Martha Hopwood has to consider where her best future lies.
Martha is a wonderful example of women's empowerment. Excited to start the next book in the series!
Amazon Customer, USA.
I loved the strong female characters in this entire series of books. This book gives us clarity that women, even in repressed English 1800s countryside settings, were remarkably intelligent and strong. Trish is much better and more inspiring for our daughters than Jane Austen!
Mondi, USA.
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Martha and Nathaniel's friendship made this book. I'm not sure I even know why, but it just gave this reader a warm feeling in her heart. Trish seems to be a natural at a good plot twist. I highly recommend giving this series a read for anyone interested in a period romance with a modern feel.
Kimberly, USA.
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Loved all three books. Well written with engaging characters and complex storylines. I read all the time and I hate trying to find another quality story after one like this.
Kindle Customer, USA.
Harriet
When being female limits a woman’s desire to pursue her passion, Harriet must use everything at her disposal to prove herself as talented as a man.
As the last surviving Wyndham, Harriet inherits the enormous Wyndham estate on the outskirts of Bath in Somerset. After troubling times, Harriet can finally make a life for herself in her own home.
Navigating a tangled web of family history, Harriet runs Wyndham House with help from her uncle’s long-time friend, Bertram Horncastle, and neighbour, Baroness Freyley.
Her passion for music comes to the fore, inspiring her to risk everything in its pursuit until she has to decide between fulfilling that passion and the man with whom she is in love.
Harriet is my new favorite in the series. The story unfolds beautifully as we experience the coming of age of a young woman taking control of her life. She is clever, intelligent and outspoken for 1800s England. Relationships develop in ways that reveal the complexities of the human character and the search for friendship, companionship, love and understanding inherent in us all.
Suzanne M., CT, USA
I love the way all the women in this series are fierce and uncompromising. Harriet has a gift for music, and she is unwilling to sit quietly in a corner simply because no one wishes to hear compositions not penned by a man. I rather loved this plotline and the lengths she went to in order to make sure she could pursue her dream.
Kat, Goodreads
Harriet is entering adulthood and has recently inherited an estate. This is a huge change for her as she's always lived with her guardian in some manner, but it's time for her to step up... and she's more than capable.
This book has it all - deep unrelenting love, respect for humans and animals, tense moments and finding how to stand on your own two feet. Highly recommend!
Books in Their Natural Habitat, Instagram
Thoroughly enjoyed Harriet - Ms Butler does it again! Lovely books to read if you want a bit of escapism. Enjoying the new characters blending with the old (from the previous books). A sign of a good storyteller is the reader wanting to read more and waiting for the next instalment to come out. Now waiting for Book 5!
GA Henry, UK
Amelia
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What a strength of mind an intelligent woman must possess to ignore detractors and follow her chosen profession.
Amelia Hopwood, encouraged in her love of books and discourse by her father, lives with Dowager Janine Alcott at Bernier House, home to injured soldiers and abused, destitute women.
Amelia aids the dowager in helping the women regain their self-respect and continues her education by learning all she can from Oliver Grosvenor, the doctor who tends to Bernier's occupants.
In a time when women were not considered as intelligent as men, Amelia proves herself worthy time and again. Her passion becomes her work, while those around her, except one man, cannot understand her determination not to have a family of her own.
While she works through the twists and turns of her grief, can she make room in her heart and find love without losing the power to choose her own destiny?
In an age when women were allocated as possessions and lived in many ways via their husbands' choices/commands, Amelia defines her own life and fulfills her dreams as best she can within the confines of the era.
Suzanne M, USA
This is one of my favourite Redway Acres books. Amelia is such a strong woman in the world of men! She faces challenges with a level head, amazing courage and understanding. The book dips into happenings from previous Redway books, explaining their context well so the reader does not have to have read these. However as I have read all the books it always amazes me how the author links the characters. Such an enjoyable read. Looking forward to the next one!!!
Mrs J J Westgate, UK
A marvelous story. I simply loved it. The author’s writing captures the essence and flavor of early to mid-1800s England. The protagonist, Milly (Amelia), is a well-developed character of a young woman interested in more than what life typically offers young women during that time in history. She will not settle for becoming a woman whose goal is to marry well and have offspring.
Rebecca W, USA
Trish Butler writes historical novels with close attention to detail. She does it in a way that illustrates the daily lives of both titled landowners and the lower classes. The accurate historical details add depth to the stories but do not overwhelm the plots. Her books are great reads for anyone who wants to be transported to a different time in a different country to meet characters with different ways of life. You can't go wrong with Redway Acres. All of the books in the series are a delight to read!
Maureen S, USA
Emmalee
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Can a woman weather the effects of an impossible choice and ensure the best outcome for everyone?
Emmalee lives with her controlling parents on the North Norfolk coast. In expectation of her marrying well, the family often travels to their London home for the social season. Emmalee has long believed in her destiny—an arranged marriage to David Ackley, the youngest son of the Earl of Aysthill. However, to Emmalee’s horror, during their much-anticipated first meeting, she discovers that David desires someone else.
Despite a cloud of controversy, the couple find themselves forced into a marriage of convenience, and David’s reaction to his perceived misfortune results in far-reaching consequences for his family and friends.
A pregnancy, an accident, and an unexpected death thrust Emmalee into the demanding role of Countess of Aysthill, to which she rises with a dauntless spirit. Emmalee dotes on her two sons, William and Nathaniel, who invoke differing affections from their father.
Emmalee continues to hope that time will heal the breach her marriage suffered even before she spoke her vows. But just as the wound finally begins to mend, a ghost from the past returns.
This book was a great read! I enjoyed going back in time so to speak and learning more of the early lives of some of my favorite characters and their parents. It was exciting to make connections to storylines as they unfolded. Emmalee is such a strong female, though her strength was tested more times than I can count. This book has some serious subject lines and is not for the faint of heart. I so SO enjoy the strength of the females in these novels and couldn't recommend them more to you!
Laura W, USA
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Words cannot describe all the feelings this book invoked!
Probably the most heartbreaking of all the books, yet still had so much happiness and love!
Trish is an amazing storyteller, and I can't wait for the next book in this series!
Dina E, USA
The plot is enticing, clever, and full of twists approaching a wide variety of themes that are still very contemporary and serious. This book clearly outlines the consequences of life's choices and the gravity of them. Butler spells it out so eloquently, as when gorgeously describing a kiss that tastes of a "mingling sensation of the lightheadedness of love and the darkness of heartbreak."
Angela P, Greece
OMGoodness... I loved it! It can certainly be read as a stand-alone book. Great character development as the author delved into the issues women faced during the late 1700s/early 1800s: marriage, child-rearing, financial security, independence, health. I cried, laughed, and would have even thrown the book at a character or two.
Julie B, USA
Grace - Coming in 2024
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How can a woman, with a legacy usually inherited by a man, fullfill her obligations when only taught to be a ‘Lady’?
Lady Grace Bainbridge watches helplessly as Bainbridge Hall falls into disrepair and neglect after a rift cut her off from family aid. Attending a cousin's wedding gives her hope of mending bridges, but the advice she receives is that she must marry.
Complicating matters is the return to society of the previously ostracised Dowager Baroness Beatrice and her husband. Grace emboldens his sister, Olivia, to stand up to Beatrice, the consequences of which spark questions about a shooting accident some years prior.
As the costs of Beatrice’s revenge plans play out to their gruesome end, Grace begins to doubt her reliance upon her friend’s advice. Meanwhile, her newfound empathy for another’s plight jeopardises Grace’s financial reprieve.
Reviews to follow