On Devonshire Shores: Book 2
Publication Date: December 5, 2023
Royalty comes to Sidmouth, bringing unexpected danger and the sweet possibility of romance. . . .
When the Duke and Duchess of Kent and their daughter—the future Queen Victoria—rent neighboring Woolbrook Cottage for the winter, the Summers sisters are called upon to host three of the royal family’s male staff in their seaside house. But they soon realize they’ve invited secrets and intrigue into their home.
Meanwhile, Emily Summers longs to become an author. A local publisher offers to consider her novel if she will first write a Sidmouth guidebook for him. Emily agrees and begins researching the area with help from the Duke of Kent’s handsome private secretary. But a surprise visitor from her past shows up at Sea View, leaving Emily torn between the desires she’s long held dear and her budding dreams for the future.
Return to the Devonshire coast with the Summers sisters, where loyalties are tested, secrets come to light, and new love emerges.
How could what was supposed to have been a quiet season in the seaside resort town of Sidmouth become so eventful? Julie Klassen’s A Winter by the Sea continues the story of the Summers sisters and their mother, who have moved to Sidmouth and, out of financial necessity, opened what they term “a guest house” for boarders.
Anticipating a quiet winter season, they are surprised when they receive a request for rooms for three members of the Duke and Duchess of Kent’s staff. They and their baby daughter, Victoria, have come to Sidmouth for the milder climate and will be staying at nearby Woolbrook Cottage.
The three royal staff members are each distinctly different and bring to Sea View their own personalities and specific talents. James Thomson, private secretary to the Duke, has volunteered to stay at Sea View with a specific eye toward Emily Summers. Emily’s dreams of becoming an author seemed to have floundered, but she may have found a possible route to being published. But first, she must complete her novel. However, the Duke’s very handsome private secretary is now taking up much of her time. To Emily’s amazement, her long lost love, Charles Parker, and his family also come to town, and Emily is torn between the two men vying for her attention.
The gracious Summers kindly envelope the three staff members into life at Sea View, where Antoine Bernardi, pastry chef to the prince, makes himself at home in the kitchen, creating confections aptly fitting for a duke. Selwyn During, keeper of the plate, is extremely conscientious of his duties but is harboring a secret.
Residents and guests of Sidmouth alike bear with the frigid winter temperatures, caring for those in need, uncovering secrets, withstanding unusual villainy, and ultimately discovering where true love lies.
Julie Klassen expertly pens a delightful Devonshire Shores sequel in A Winter by the Sea involving some of the same sweet characters as well as introducing new and fascinating ones that add charm and dimension to an already stellar plot. Sidmouth sounds lovely, and Sea View sounds like not only an attractive home, but one also filled with warmth and love.
A Winter by the Sea is a heartwarming story on all levels, with each character adding their own special charm, sparkle, and dimension to a very well-told tale. 
Julie Klassen loves all things Jane—Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. Her books have sold more than 1.5 million copies, and she is a three-time recipient of the Christy Award for Historical Romance. The Secret of Pembrooke Park was honored with the Minnesota Book Award for Genre Fiction. Julie has also won the Midwest Book Award and Christian Retailing‘s Best Award and has been a finalist in the RITA and Carol Awards. A graduate of the University of Illinois, Julie worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full-time. She and her husband have two sons and live in St. Paul, Minnesota.
