The Tutor's Daughter - Review

Summary: Emma Smallwood, determined to help her widowed father regain his spirits when his academy fails, agrees to travel with him to the distant Cornwall coast, to the cliff-top manor of a baronet and his four sons. But after they arrive and begin teaching the younger boys, mysterious things begin to happen and danger mounts. Who does Emma hear playing the pianoforte, only to find the music room empty? Who sneaks into her room at night? Who rips a page from her journal, only to return it with a chilling illustration?

The baronet's older sons, Phillip and Henry, wrestle with problems--and secrets--of their own. They both remember Emma Smallwood from their days at her father's academy. She had been an awkward, studious girl. But now one of them finds himself unexpectedly drawn to her.

When the suspicious acts escalate, can the clever tutor's daughter figure out which brother to blame... and which brother to trust with her heart?

My Take:

I'm a huge fan of Jane Austen, Bronte's Jane Eyre, and Julie Klassen so this had an irresistible flavor for me. I'm a carb lover and this was like homemade bread fresh out of the oven or warm chocolate chip cookies. It hits my favorite list.

What I liked was although this book evoked the same kind of feeling you get with Austen and Bronte, it isn't a carbon copy of them. 

The characters are truly interesting and well rounded. There are places that make you laugh -- and others that you end up reading as fast as you can to see what is going to happen next. This is one of those books I could see myself re-reading from time to time.