When new owner of Wyndcliff Hall William, Liam, Twethewey arrives to take ownership, he finds sinister activity on the property. He unexpectantly bonds with steward’s granddaughter Evelyn Bray while working to prevent danger to lives and stopping criminal activity.

The Light at Wyndcliff is the third installment in The Cornwall Novels series by Sarah E. Ladd, published by Thomas Nelson. The story is set in Cornwall 1820 and we get to follow new owner of Wyndcliff Hall William, Liam, Twethewey as he arrives to take over the estate. His main goal is to start a china clay business, but strange happenings on the shoreline of his property need his immediate attention. The steward seems to be at the helm of a secret operation Liam knows nothing about. He gets opportunity to bond with steward’s granddaughter Evelyn Bray while working to take care of survivors from a shipwreck and figure out what the strange activity at night is all about.

Main character, Wyndcliff estate owner William, Liam, Twethewey seems very intent on taking care of the needs of tenants and local people to make the area prosper. I feel that describes a man with good character who is my favorite of this story.

Supporting character steward’s granddaughter Evelyn Bray seems a bit clueless in the beginning of the story, but I feel she is a great help when the going gets tough. I was happy to see she developed more of a backbone as the story progressed.

The writing of the story was, as always, vivid with great research to back it up.
I found the character building very interesting; particularly the innkeeper who managed to pose as a stand-up guy for a long time, but showed his true colors in the end. The mystery element kept me rapidly turning pages, as I was eager to know what was really going on around Wyndcliff estate and where the shipwreck survivors came from.

The story reads like a standalone with hints to the other books in series, and I am eager to see what Sarah E. Ladd comes up with next.
My favorite part of the story was how Liam and Evelyn were thrown together by the drama following a shipwreck and sinister circumstances on the property. I enjoyed how they found time for private conversations and hand holding.

Least favorite part was descriptions of how local folk seemed to behave like vultures ripping ships apart for anything of value instead of trying to save people’s lives when a ship was wrecked. I enjoyed it as a great dramatic element.

Fans of Sarah E. Ladd will love this story. As will readers of historical romance fiction. Similar authors to explore might be Elizabeth Camden or Abigail Wilson.

Thank you to publisher Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for this eARC which gave me the opportunity to share my honest review. All opinions are completely my own.

Conclusion: this is the exciting and unique clean romance story of a Cornwall estate owner discovering his land is used for extensive smuggling operations. He works to stop criminal activity while unexpectedly bonding with his steward’s granddaughter.
Rating: 5 stars / 5
Main reasons: Unique plot, extensive research