Amy (The Daughters of Allamont Hall) Paperback – February 22, 2017

This book is not my favorite of the series, but like all the others it is very well written and true to the historical period; a drawing room romance rather than a bedroom romance as the author says. A good part of the book is setting up the circumstances of the family and laying the ground for the rest of the series. The loveless marriage of a domineering man and a lady above him in social stature but now dependent on him as all Regency wives were, has produced a family of sons who have rebelled and run away, possibly for good, and daughters who, because they cannot get away, are reduced to obedient cyphers who seem to have no will of their own. This however is a false impression as we learn during the series. Amy is the eldest daughter and as such has internalized the more extreme demands of her parents. Yes, she is a mouse and too wishy-washy but she does grow as the book develops. Her choice for a husband is the most domineering of the sister's beaux but, unlike her father, we learn that he does really love her. It is a sweet book but not fast paced and, yes, you want to give Amy a good shake from time to time. But stay with her, and go on to the other books to get to know her sisters as family secrets are revealed. You'll be captivated by the series and glad you did.

The second I read the blurb, I knew this story and concept of the sisters looking for suiters to fulfill the father’s will would be right up my alley, and I was right. I don’t really like series that follow one story line for books and books, but I do love seeing familiar faces showing back up, so I am very excited for the next book! This book will appeal to readers looking for an Austen-y book …The writing felt so authentic. Never once did I feel like I was reading a novel by someone living in 2016. That is one of the reasons I loved it so much.The sisters are what make this book so special I loved how the girls we always in tears, lol. Loved how Amy and Bella were so good to one another. Loved the simple and effortless descriptions of the gardens and the setting. Loved the constant flux of visitors and the way they interacted. I highly recommend this novel! Five stars!

This book is well written and the author does a superb job done keeping the multitude of characters unique and interesting. My problem wth the book was that I disliked the main character (a woman) and kept hoping she would change. Then, there was a hint of a scandal on the father’s part that was never revealed and I wish it had been.

This book was a pleasure to read. It is far truer to the mores of the time than most modern historicals, and compare well to Heyer's work. The only thing that struck me as strange was a comment that at age 17 one of the sisters shouldn't be thinking about marriage yet. I do know that marriage age was typically higher than most novels portray, but I also am pretty sure that once a woman is "out," she is trying to find a suitable husband.The heroine isn't my favorite but it's because she really is a product of her time period and her domineering father. I enjoyed the twists and turns of the story--it's always refreshing when machinations actually fail, or people actually act with integrity! And I'm also intrigued by the beginning of the revelations about the father. I look forward to reading more in this series.

I cannot give an unbiased review because in this wallowing world of so many weak and boring Regency romances, Mary Kingswood is a shining star. I have read Amy three times now and own all the Kingswood novels. This one sets the tone for the rest, which only get better as the various mysteries are revealed and solved. It also provides a wonderful example of an intriguing story that sticks to the point while introducing us to the Kingswood world of intertwined families and locales. So far, no other author in this genre has impressed me this much and put 99 percent of the other authors to shame.

i enjoy regency novels, and when some reviewers compared this book to works of Heyer and Austen, I thought I'd give it a chance, but I was incredibly disappointed. The book is clean, and well written as far as technical issues, but the main characters were not compelling. I found Amy to be incredibly insipid, and was quite disappointed that this aspect of her character remained unchanged. I had hopes for a different outcome when she made friends with Lady Harriet, but I was thwarted. Yes, she was a product of her time and upbringing, but she seemed quite content to persist in her quest for a man who would relieve her from the stress of making any decisions in life. Not for me. I'll pass on future books in the series.

I have loved all of Mary Kingwood’s other books but this was not nearly as good. I did not care for most of the characters and am hoping the next book in this series is better!

I agree with other reviewers that this author writes in a similar manner to Jane Austen though not, perhaps, as witty.However, I found the book most enjoyable reading for this reason. The only fault I found with the book was that Amy is a little too insipid to be a believable heroine. I would have like it better I think, if her character had developed more. However, overall the book was quite enjoyable.I will definitely purchase the rest of the series as they come out. (Spoiler, book 2 is better)

I liked this story. I completely understood why Amy was the way she was given her upbringing and I also liked it because even though it is firmly within the Austen/Heyer tradition, which is good, there is still a lot of uniqueness and originality in the characters. A truly traditional regency without being derivative or bland.

As an insight into how families probably conducted themselves during the Regency era, this is insightful, but readers who prefer more independent-minded heroines will be disappointed in the submissive and constantly anxious Amy. It is, nonetheless, a useful reminder of what life was like for many of the gentry, as opposed to the unlikely activities of some of the rule-breaking heroines so popular in the genre.

Miss Amy Allamont has lived a life of strict regimentation, with parents who did not deserve her dutiful love and devotion. Only after her father's death does she, slowly and reluctantly, come into her own, and find the suitor who has loved her from afar for years. It is good to find a romance where the sensibilities are not modern, but seem appropriate for the historic time, and a rather unusual family. I am already looking forward eagerly to see how the six sisters will cope with their father's strange will, and find happiness in defiance of his grim edicts.

As this is the first book in series to do with the Allamont Sisters, Amy’s story nicely sets the tone for upcoming books, which are destined to feature each of her sister’s individual stories and romantic leanings. That said; Amy’s story stands-alone as a rather sweet tale of an elder sister who has always looked to her father for guidance, until his death, which leaves her bereft and shocked by the contents of his will. Ever faithful to his memory Amy finds it increasingly difficult, and at times, impossible to understand the sudden rebellious nature of her sisters. What is more, her mother’s indifference to the plight of her daughters confuses the poor lass. After all, her father’s strict upbringing of the sisters (in all 6) and his biblical bent seem lost in the mayhem that suddenly surrounds her. As for love and romance, where can that fit in with her life given the strict criteria laid down within her father’s will for the sisters’ individual inheritances?What could her father have been thinking to set forth such a cruel schedule of events, when one sister already has her heart set on her life partner, and another with fanciful notions to do with a man who is more than a little enamoured with Amy, herself. Life for Amy is one of adhering as best she can to her father’s gambit for the future stability of their individual lives, but she soon discovers demure meekness and self-sacrifice can be unbearably painful. So too, another finds himself facing a sacrifice he cannot bear, and with a little cunning he attempts to resolve his and Amy’s dilemma, but not without heart-in-mouth realisation that it could all go terribly wrong. Be assured there is an HEA to this story, a touch of mystery, a shocking revelation, and all in all, it’s a delightful read.

Dear Heavens, what on earth is the author doing??Amy is understandably timid to the point of being a doormat. She is the eldest, has been browbeaten into total submission by her father her entire life, so it’s easy to understand her timidity. Why the author had to browbeat the reader by making Amy repeat her ‘oh dear what should I do’ mantra is beyond me. It was SO IRRITATING!Next in line is Belle, a decent character, but her sisters, Connie and Dulce are utterly abominable. Self-centred, cruel, opinionated without a real thought in their heads, and with no experience, totally convinced they are right. They provide innumerable WTF! Moments. If I’d been reading a book (rather than my Kindle) it would have been flung against the wall in anger & frustration.AND JUST DON’T get me going on the flip-flopping Ambleside indulged in.As I have enjoyed some of her other novels, I’ll give book 2 in the series a read. I hope it’s better.