I am delighted to share my thoughts for The Rector’s Daughter by Jean Fullerton with you today. My huge thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for my spot on the Blog Tour and for arranging my copy of this wonderful book.

Let me show you all about it…

Charlotte, daughter of Reverend Percival Hatton, has been content to follow the path laid out for her. Charlotte has an understanding with Captain Nicolas Paget – every inch the gentleman – who she expects someday to marry. But then she meets Josiah Martyn, and everything changes…

A driven and ambitious Cornish mining engineer, and the complete opposite to Captain Nicholas, Josiah has come to London to help build the first tunnel under the river Thames. When unpredictable events occur at the inauguration of the project, Josiah and Charlotte are suddenly thrown into an unexpected intimacy.

 But not everyone is happy with Charlotte and Josiah growing closer. As friends turn to foes, will they be able to rewrite the stars and find their happy ever after, although all odds seem to be stacked against them…?

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If you are looking for the ideal book to sit down on a Sunday afternoon then pick up a copy of The Rector’s Daughter by Jean Fullerton because it is fabulous and you will not want ot put it down until you have turned the final page!

Set in 1825 in the Rotherhithe area of London, it is where I meet Charlotte Hatton, the Rector’s daughter. She is a very charitable and is always trying to help those in need. She has an admirer in the form of Captain Paget, a chap I took a dislike to initially and if I am honest my opinion of him didn’t improve.

There are a lot of new people in the area as work to build a tunnel under the Thames is due to begin. One of the workers is Engineer Josiah Martyn a man who has worked his way up from the Cornish mines and learnt his trade. There is a spark between him and Charlotte but they live in different social classes. Charlotte has had her life mapped out and her father believes she should be wed to a man who can provide for her and maintain or better her social standing.

Living and working in the same area, it is inevitable that these two should meet. Josiah is a proud man and has good morals and understands that he is not looked on favourably. But will it be enough!

The story is absolutely addictive, the mentions of the Brunels really does help fix the setting. The various mentions of living and working conditions are fabulous and I love it when an author uses comparisons in a story and Jean does this so well. These comparisons are so well worked into the story and give a wonderful cross-section of society.

The story itself is not straightforward and could have gone in various directions. There are many little twists and ruses on the way that kept this reader eagerly turning the pages. There are several characters that I met in this story, some I liked, some I did not which made for a good balance. I liked the different opinions and attitudes, they are suited for the time and I at times my blood boiled for the way that some of the characters acted and treated others!

The Rector’s Daughter is a fabulous read and I would love to think that there was another book to follow. I hope there is because even though this book finished in a brilliant way I am curious about what could possibly happen next.

A brilliant book that I adored and is perfect for readers of Historical fiction and Romance I would definitely recommend it.

Jean Fullerton is the author of thirteen novels all set in East London where she was born. She also a retired district nurse and university lecturer. She won the Harry Bowling prise in 2006 and after initially signing for two East London historical series with Orion she moved to Corvus, part of Atlantic Publishing and is half way through her WW2 East London series featuring the Brogan family.

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Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be wonderful 🙂 xx