Cinders & Sapphires by Leila Rasheed

One house, two worlds...
Rose Cliffe has never met a young lady like her new mistress. Clever, rich, and beautiful, Ada Averley treats Rose as an equal. And Rose could use a friend. Especially now that she, at barely sixteen, has risen to the position of ladies’ maid. Rose knows she should be grateful to have a place at a house like Somerton. Still, she can’t help but wonder what her life might have been had she been born a lady, like Ada.
For the first time in a decade, the Averleys have returned to Somerton, their majestic ancestral estate. But terrible scandal has followed Ada’s beloved father all the way from India. Now Ada finds herself torn between her own happiness and her family’s honor. Only she has the power to restore the Averley name—but it would mean giving up her one true love . . . someone she could never persuade her father to accept.
Sumptuous and enticing, the first novel in the At Somerton series introduces two worlds, utterly different yet entangled, where ruthless ambition, forbidden attraction, and unspoken dreams are hidden behind dutiful smiles and glittering jewels. All those secrets are waiting . . . at Somerton.

Cinders & Sapphires was so good! I’m not a big historical fan, but I really really enjoyed Leila Rasheed’s writing and characters. It took awhile for me to get into the book, but once I did there was no looking back. Cinders &Sapphires was an amazing historical YA that deserves all the praise in the world.

Cinders & Sapphires is told in different points of view, which is hard to pull off- but it was pulled off extraordinarily well in Cinders & Sapphires. This book was so dramatic. I loved it. Every time I would even begin to lose interest, something would happen that scooped me right back into the story.

However, there were parts where I did lose interest. It’s really difficult for me to read historical novels because they just don’t manage to capture me as well as other books do. There was the occasional bit that made me want to stop reading- however I didn’t, and that seemed to pay off in the end.

I recommend Cinders & Sapphires for fans of Downton Abbey, and dramatic historical books. Though I probably won’t be seeking out the second book in this series- I don’t regret reading Cinders & Sapphires.

FTC- Received from publisher.