"A Castaway in Cornwall" by Julie Klassen

Now living with her parson uncle and his parsimonious wife in North Cornwall, Laura Callaway is viewed as an outsider even as she yearns to belong somewhere again. When ships sink, wreckers scour the shore for valuables, while Laura searches for clues to the lives lost. She has written letters to loved ones and returned keepsakes to rightful owners. When a man is washed ashore, she collects him too. As Laura and a neighbor care for the castaway, the mystery surrounding him grows. He has abrasions and a deep cut that looks suspiciously like a knife wound, and he speaks in careful, educated English, yet his accent seems odd. Other clues wash ashore, and Laura soon realizes he is not who he seems to be. Their attraction grows, and while she longs to return the man to his rightful home, evidence against him mounts. With danger pursuing them from every side, will Laura ever find the answers and love she seeks?

Wreckers. smugglers, spies--this book was full of clandestine pursuits, much of which just being the way of life in Regency-era Cornwall (though less the spies, and more the wreckers and smugglers). I loved the setting and the look at such a different way of life--maybe not one I'd want to live, but one that was fascinating to read about. The brief look at the isle of Jersey was something completely new for me--I'd known only about its existence, not that it had a role in the Napoleonic wars. For once, there wasn't a clear delineation that British are good and French are bad; it was much murkier. The French showed divided ideologies, as they themselves had experienced several regime changes, and loyalties didn't necessarily transfer. And in the more remote parts of England, patriotism couldn't compete with full bellies, not when full bellies were anything but guaranteed, so people looked aside from things that could be construed as treason or aiding the enemy.

This was a story that didn't follow an expected formula; I didn't foresee Alexander's identity, nor Laura's actions following his reveal. It's a pleasure to read a book in which I have no idea where it's going, other than hopefully a happy ending (and don't worry, it does make it there!). 

Thank you Bethany House and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.