After the death of their father the Summers sisters and their mother find themselves in reduced circumstances so they move to Sidmouth to a house he had left to his wife in his will. Needing some source of income, they decide to operate Sea View as a guest house. Sarah is the oldest sister at home and takes the burden of running things since Mrs. Summers is in poor health. Emily and Viola are twins but not much alike. Emily is lovely, chatty,vivacious and loves to read and write. Viola was born with a cleft lip and endured many surgeries, leaving her with a small scar that seems huge to her so she stays mainly at home and wears a veil when around others not in the family. Georgiana is the youngest, in her mid-teens, and loves the outdoors. There is a fifth, oldest sister who has been sent to a great aunt in Scotland under mysterious circumstances. They all agree to help but since Viola doesn't want to interact with the guests, Emily places an ad for her to read to invalids. That leads to Viola meeting a young major with his own scars from an explosion. I very much enjoyed this storyline. The guests are varied and interesting, some agreeable and some demanding. The majority are men, some of whom are young, handsome and intriguing to some of the sisters. I very much enjoyed reading about The Sisters of Sea View and am looking forward to the next book in the series.

An enchanting story of the Summers family who must give up their home, move to Sidmouth and open a guesthouse when their patriarch dies. Told from each of four sisters points of view, we meet neighbors, guests and the inhabitants of this seaside village. The eldest, Sarah, feels responsible for organizing things and keeps things going. Self conscious Viola, starts to become more social, demonstrating helpfulness and kindness. Emily is good at hospitality, while Georgiana befriends a guest closer to her own age.

Unexpected romance blooms as the girls show their Christian concern for others. They learn valuable lessons such as forgiveness, tolerance, humility and getting along with others. It was delightful to get to know the family as well as the other characters and it is good to know that some guests will be returning in subsequent books. It is always a pleasure to slip back in time to Regency England through the pen of Ms. Klassen.

* I won a copy of this book from Kav Rees at Best Reads blog in 2022. All opinions are my own.*

This is a fantastic beginning of what promises to be a delightful new series by Julie Klassen. She is one of the best at penning a good Regency. I adored this story of a family who find themselves in reduced financial circumstances after the unexpected death of their father. With an ailing mother to care for, four sisters bring their unique set of talents and personalities together to turn their seaside home into a boarding house. The sisters thoroughly enchanted me, reminding me of the March sisters of Little Women. Their united front, love for each other, and small disagreements, made this fictional family feel real-to-life and one I would love to meet. That and the charming residents of their Devonshire village.

Ms. Klassen's beautiful prose brought to life this seaside community in a summer filled with Austenesque entertainment, sea bathing and picnics, cricket matches and balls. Not only did I fall in love with the Summers sisters, I found the eclectic cast of characters in the residents and summer guests of their village to be charming.

Told from the perspective of three of the sisters, each experiences a budding romance. The heroes are as charming and different as each of the sisters. Only one is resolved, but I anticipate the others will have their own resolutions in future books in the series. Can't wait to read more of their adventures.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher through Netgalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Squuuueeeeeeppp! (that's me squealing and eeping over this new series!) My twentieth Julie Klassen novel and I'm still in love with her storytelling.

'The Sisters of Sea View' reads very much like a British classic-- think Larkrise to Candleford or Cranford. Very much in the same style as this authors's Ivy Hill series. Impoverished sisters and their ailing, widowed mother are forced to turn their home into a guest house. The story is told from the sisters' POV as they make the necessary adjustments, It's full of laughter and drama, including a wee bit of heartache, and the most wonderful array of secondary characters that make up their guests and local villagers. There's even a few nods to Jane Austen if you keep a sharp eye out.

And, oh my, some of the historical details -- from medical 'advances' to the ridiculous sounding bathing machines to the alluring tidbits of life along the coast during the Regency era. But as fascinating as all that is, it's the way the author develops her characters and weaves their diverse backstories into a wonderful tapestry that celebrates what it is to live in community with others. So touching in places and inspiring throughout.

And we don't have the complete story yet. While this first book in the series wraps up wonderfully, there's definitely more on the horizon for these sisters and I can't wait to find out what happens next.

The Sisters of Sea View by Julie Klassen is an engaging homage to Jane Austen, and I loved it so much!

This novel with its beautiful cover reminded me of several PBS dramas I love:

* the seaside setting of Sanditon

* a story of sisters with very different personalities like Downton Abbey

* a cricket game ala Downton and All Creatures Great and Small

The story was also reminiscent of Little Women in the best ways.

Set in 1819 Sidmouth, England, the plot includes drama as well as humor with the theme of acceptance for all. The relationships include love in many forms, including romantic, familial, and friendships.

I am so glad this is the first book in the On Devonshire Shores series as I am eager to spend more time with the Summers sisters. Thank you to Uplit Reads for the review copy; all thoughts are my own.