Daughter of Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky

Strong-willed and beautiful, debutante Katherine Ramsey feels ready to take the London social season by storm, and she must. Her family estate, Highland Hall, has been passed to older male cousin Sir William Ramsey, and her only means of securing her future is to make a strong debut and find a proper husband. With her all-knowing and meddling aunt as a guide, Katherine is certain to attract suitors at the lavish gatherings, sparkling with Great Britain’s elite.

When a shocking family scandal sidelines Katherine, forcing her out of the social spotlight, she keeps a low profile, volunteering with the poor in London’s East End. Here Katherine feels free from her predictable future, and even more so as a friendship with medical student Jonathan Foster deepens and her faith in God grows. But when Katherine is courted anew by a man of wealth and position, dreams of the life she always thought she wanted surface again. Torn between tradition and the stirrings in her heart for a different path, she must decide whom she can trust and love—and if she will choose a life serving others over one where she is served.

Daughter of Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky was an interesting read, but it did not appeal to me nearly as much as the first novel, The Governess of Highland Hall. The plot of Daughter of Highland Hall was less riveting and did not contain as much suspense nor romantic intrigue. I still connected to the characters, but not as much as I did in the first novel. However, I did appreciate the interactions between Katherine and her relatives as well as with Jonathan. Despite the less compelling plot, I did find the characters to be well developed and interested. Katherine grew significantly as a character between the first and second novel, and she continued to grow and to find a relationship with God in this novel. I also enjoyed learning more about Julia's brother Jonathan and about his struggle to choose between being a missionary abroad and a doctor for the less fortunate in England. Both of these main characters were interesting, but I was disappointed that Julia and William seemed to be less developed in this novel. Obviously they were only minor characters in this novel, but I did wish they had had more development in this novel instead of being ignored and considered only as parent figures for Katherine. Overall, I thought Daughter of Highland Hall was good but not as nearly as intriguing as the first novel. I would definitely recommend reading these novels in order.

I received this novel from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.