It has been my great pleasure to have had the opportunity to read and review a couple of Jean's books now. I haven't read them all but I am getting there. The promotional blurb says that this book would be perfect reading for fans of Dilly Court and Rosie Goodwin. As soon as I read that, I just knew that I had to read the book as soon as I could. I was fortunate enough to be able to sneak a peek at an early review copy. I had high hopes for 'The Rector's Daughter' and I wasn't disappointed. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Rector's Daughter' but more about that in a bit.
I couldn't help but take to the character of Charlotte Hatton from the first moment I met her. Her father is the rector for the particular parish that they live in. Her mother has passed away and so Charlotte has taken on a fair amount of the duties that a rector's wife would normally be expected to do. She has a lot of pressure on her shoulders. She does what she can within the parish and she also helps with school duties too. I loved the way in which she could get on with anybody. Charlotte is a canny young lass (lady) who would do anything for anybody if they were stuck. She is kind, compassionate, sensitive and she treats everybody the same irrespective of their rank or social status. She meets a young Cornish labourer called Josiah and to say that there is chemistry there is an understatement. They come from completely different backgrounds but for me that just backs up the old saying 'opposites attract'. I was just keeping everything crossed that despite the hurdles and barriers that are put in their way, Charlotte and Josiah would find a way to be together and that they would get the happy ever after ending that they so deserved. Do they get that 'happy ever after' ending? Well for the answer to that question and so much more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
It took me no time at all to get into this book. In fact as soon as I started to read I knew that I wouldn't be able to do anything else but read for the rest of the day. I quickly became engrossed in the story and I took to certain characters more than others. I just couldn't put the book down. It wasn't exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I did not want to miss a single second of the story. The more of the book I read, the more I wanted to read and the quicker the pages were turning. I seemed to fly through the latter half of the book but I think that was in part due to my desperation to find out how the story concluded and what implications the ending had for Charlotte and Josiah. I reached the end of the book far quicker than I anticipated, expected or wanted. I was enjoying the author's writing style, the storylines and the characters so much that I just wanted the book to continue for longer.
Jean Fullerton has a writing style that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. 'The Rector's Daughter' is written in a slightly different way to Jean's other books in that 'The Rector's Daughter' is written more in keeping with the language used during the time in which the story was set, which is pre-Victorian times. The fact that Jean has adapted her writing style to suit the time in which the story is set, helps to make the story seem that bit more authentic. Jean has clearly done a lot of research for 'The Rector's Daughter' and this shows in the quality of her writing. Jean certainly knows how to grab your attention and keep that attention for the duration of the book. Jean writes so realistically and uses such vivid descriptions that I really did feel as though I was part of the story myself. I found that I was becoming far too caught up in the story when I began to interact with the book. Yes I know this is a work of fiction but I find that if I love a book to the extent that I loved this one, I tend to 'live' the story as if it were real. I would say things as if the different characters could hear me. There were several times where I wanted to jump inside the pages of the book to remonstrate with certain characters for their actions or for their treatment of Charlotte.
In short, Jean Fullerton has done it again and she has written an absolutely fantastic book, which is sure to fly off the shelves as it were. I would second what the blurb says and agree that fans of Dilly Court and Rosie Goodwin will absolutely LOVE reading 'The Rector's Daughter'. I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Set in 1825, this romantic family saga explores the engineering feat of building the first underwater tunnel in London, by Brunel. The vision of this late Regency event comes across well in this story, but so does the human cost, of such a dangerous undertaking.

Charlotte is the Rector's daughter, who since her mother's untimely death has fulfilled the parish duties expected of a Rector's wife. She is compassionate, clever and courageous, and does what she can to help the parish's poor and unfortunate. The Rector is judgemental about his poorer parishioners. He is the antithesis of his daughter and prepared to put his material needs above his pastoral duties.

Charlotte meets Josiah, an engineer working for Brunel on the tunnel when he averts a near-tragic accident for her. The attraction although immediate and powerful builds through friendship when they meet on many occasions, through Charlotte's parish duties and mutual acquaintances. Their romance appears ill-fated, when her father's desire to maintain his reputation overrides the needs and wishes of his daughter, leading to an angst-ridden emotional climax to this story.

The historical background is well researched and written in a vivid real-time way that allows the reader to experience some of the events of the era. The characters are complex. Many are disagreeable but add to the story. All act in a way that fits with this exciting historical period. The social class divide is marked, but the evidence of change that the future Victorian era witnessed is seen here.

An absorbing plot, with vividly written characters, historical events, and a believable but utterly romantic love story, makes this the perfect book to curl up with on a cold winter's afternoon.

I received a copy of this book from the author and Corvus Books in return for an honest review.

I can honestly say I was totally enthralled with this story. Set in 1825 when London was in high anticipation for the commencement of an engineering feat by Brunel on building the first tunnel under the River Thames. A tunnel that was an ambitious goal and one that would cost in both monetary value and humankind. Author, Jean Fullerton, puts you at the heart of the beginning of this highly anticipated event in engineering history and also the history of transport in and around the city of London. Driving through the tunnels today I have never thought about what the workforce went through back in Regency England when the first tunnel was originally built but Jean Fullerton's words in The Rector's Daughter gives you a glimpse into a time gone-by and to a new beginning for many.
This is the story of Charlotte Hatton, the daughter of the local Reverend. Charlotte is committed to her work as the Rector's daughter and is very efficient in her parish duties helping the needy and also taking stock of the parish accounts. On 2nd March 1825, the official ceremony of the commencement of the tunnel works is taking place and all villagers and VIP's have been invited to attend. Charlotte is due to attend but a mishap at the ceremony puts her in danger and also under the spotlight of the Assistant Engineer, a Cornish man in the name of Josiah Martyn. There is an instant attraction between the Rector's daughter and the Assistant Engineer and during the next few weeks Charlotte and Josiah keep bumping into each other and a friendship develops. However, another suitor has eyes for Charlotte and he is none too pleased with this blossoming friendship.
With the tunnelling works in operation the villagers are coping with an influx of workmen and plenty of dignitary visiting the site. New friendships are blossoming but not everything goes to plan for all concerned.
With new exciting constructions comes danger and Jean Fullerton has included plenty of drama in this storyline leaving you on edge and gripped with concerns for the outcome. My heart was pulled in all directions and I was left on tenterhooks many a time with this thrilling story. A story that was full of historical events, family saga, dramatic scenes and a romance to leave you wanting more. I loved every page of this story, thank you so much to the author for introducing me to an event in history I knew nothing about.

I am new to Jean Fullerton and it took me a while to get into this book. When I did , I became involved with Charlotte and Josiah and desperately wanted everything to turn out right for them.

Her father and brothers were so domineering and controlling, maybe the times, I suppose but Charlotte was made of tougher stuff and managed to escape their tyranny.

I shall look for more JFs books.

Thank you net galley.

Regards

Anne W

I do love Jean Fullerton's books as they draw you into the story.The Rector is not a nice man and not well liked,a lovely story that has you turning the pages.There is a love interest and emotional parts.Well done to Jean Fullerton 5*

This was my first time reading a book by this author and I’m absolutely impressed. I was drawn to this book immediately by the cover so captivating and colourful.

The story itself was mesmerising and I was drawn in right from the start, it was a fantastically well written book and it was really good to read a book about the the lower classes that contained a lot of content that guided you page by page through each step and didn’t jump and eventually led to love and had some fabulous nail biting moments.
The rector was an odious man and typical of this era and portrayed really well throughout the book and I would really loved to have seen him got his just desserts. The characters were so believable and very relatable it was a very comprehensive book that I throughly enjoyed.

I really enjoyed this book but then it is my favourite genre
The writing style was good. The characters were likeable
The pace of the book was perfect.
A great read

I loved it! I loved the writing style, the story, the settings, the characters...

Written by Jean Fullerton, whose WWII Ration Book series I am avidly following, The Rector's Daughter is set in the 1820s.

It tells the story of a well-born young woman called Charlotte Hatton, the daughter of the Reverend Percival Hatton, Rector of St Mary's in Rotherhithe, South East London. Charlotte's mother died some time ago, and Charlotte has stepped into her shoes, and taken on the sort of tasks expected of a cleryman's wife. In the course of her duties she meets Josiah Martyn, an engineer working on the construction of the Rotherhithe Tunnel, and over time they fall in love.

Knowing that her father would never allow them to marry, they make plans to elope, but events overtake them, and Charlotte is sent away to marry a man she has never met.

The Rector's Daughter has been well researched, and delivered. My mother was born in Rotherhithe, so I am familiar with the tunnel, St Mary's, and the road names used in this story. I got quite excited wondering which landmarks would appear next, and what else I might learn about the area.

As I have already said, I loved this story. I was hooked from the first page. I love historical novels that provide me with some facts about the time in which they are set as I'm absorbing the story. I am a big fan of Barbara Cartland for just this reason, and The Rector's Daughter was every bit as good as any of Ms Cartland's historical novels.

I enjoyed the sub plot of Mrs Palmer, an impoverished widow with a dreadful, badly-behaved son, setting her cap at the Reverend. Mrs Palmer's own behaviour is also questionable; her hands rove as much as her eye! At first I didn't think the Reverend deserved her, but soon changed my mind when I realised he was more concerned with this own importance than his daughter's welfare.

The Rector's Daughter is a carefully crafted story, and one which I would highly recommend.