This lovely novella reads like a historical adaptation of "You've Got Mail", as Deborah and Patrick are secret penpals who meet when Patrick comes to buy an inn which Deborah started with her late husband. She has been running the inn after her husband died by renting it from her brother-in-law, as it is sentimental to her after so many couples first met there and fell in love. Once she learns Patrick is there to buy it, Deborah isn't sure if she is ready to open her heart again.

Honestly, I loved this one! Erica Ridley is one of my favorite authors and I could have happily read a full-length novel on this couple. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read the ARC and provide my honest review.

I just reviewed Love Letters by the Sea by Erica Ridley. #SirensRetreat #NetGalley

I received an ARC from the author/publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Love Letters by the Sea is the fourth in the collaborative Siren’s Retreat series, and the second of two written by Erica Ridley. It can be read as a stand-alone.
Like Ridley’s prior contribution to the series, I like that the characters in this one stand out as different from the typical lead characters you often encounter in historical romances, with both of them having vocations and their dedication to them serving as a major part of the conflict between them. Deborah runs the Siren’s Retreat (although she does not have financial control of the property) and I love how the irony of her being unlucky in love, while her inn has served as a location that brings other lovers together, and she’s devastated at the thought of the land being sold and the inn being turned into a gaming hell. And Patrick is trying his best to achieve the wishes for his aristocratic employer, but the connection he forms with Deborah, first anonymously through letters and upon meeting her, challenges his position. Patrick is generally a good-hearted person trying to make his own way, in a similar way that Deborah is, and I rooted for him to choose what was right.
This is a short, sweet read, and feels fully fleshed out in spite of its novella length. I would recommend it if you enjoy lighthearted historical romance.

I have been a fan of Erica Ridley's books for some time now and so it was inevitable that I would pick up this book to read next. I have been reading the books in this series out of order, but the best part is that they can also be read as a standalone with only a little backstory running through. This is explained in some way during the story making it easy for the reader to follow the many characters and situations.

The story follows widow Deborah Cartwright, the proprietress of the Siren’s Retreat, a place known to bring people together through love. Having lost her one true love many years ago, she takes pleasure in watching other people find love without any expectations for herself. She devotes her time to the running of Siren's Retreat and corresponding with a secret someone through letters.

I really enjoyed this part of the story which built up the romance and kept it intriguing. Once Deborah meets Mr. Patrick Gretham, all things change and the inklings of love starts stirring. This entire story is well written and being a novella is a rather quick read! The story is uplifting and full of simple and fun moments and is definitely worth reading!

I typically enjoy regency/historical romances but this book did not sell me. Parts of the plot and storyline felt like they unfolded too quickly and skipped ahead often. I felt like I barely got to know the characters before the love story ended. I wasn't very emotionally invested in the plot and the resolution to the conflict seemed a bit unrealistic as well. However, the writing was very nice and it was a quick read. The story went down pretty smoothly.

I enjoyed this enemies to lovers novella. Erica Ridley knows how to create a powerful romance that evokes a wide variety of emotions while reading. Although this is a novella the characters and plot created pack the powerful punch of a full-size novel. I loved that this story features two everyday people navigating their lives, yet in a historical setting. If you are looking for a relatively quick read with no skimping on the story, I encourage you to give this book a try!😃

📚I received a review copy from the publisher and this is my unbiased review 📚

Will his agenda destroy any romance between them …

After the previous novella by the author, an entertaining kind of Comedia dell’Arte full of fun moments, I was curious about this one.
This is not the comedy of situation like the second novella in this series but it has some interesting twist and turn and quite hilarious moments, plus some sweet scenes.
Deborah truly thought she had her one chance at once, so she is lucky and happy to continue on her path without any other expectation from life.
Patrick has dedicated his years to better himself and close to his goal, he won’t let his chance pass by him.
Yet when they meet, both with opposite aim, something awakens in them, still can it outlast them looking at first into different directions.

A sweet amusing and charming second chance romance .
4.5 stars

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 kisses

I have been granted an advance copy by the author, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

3 ⭐️
1 🌶

Erica Ridley has done it again with a beautiful historical romance. There’s nothing much to say but that I enjoyed seeing the characters from An Affair by the Sea in this book and that I loved the friends-to-enemies-to-lovers trope here.

I’ve never read any romance book with characters about 20 years my senior, but I pleasantly enjoyed it, even though I was quite hesitant at first- because I’ll be real: I could only imagine my parents lol.

Other than that, it was a lovely conclusion to the series. However, each book can be read as a standalone.

Thanks to Netgalley and WebMotion for the ARC of this novella!

I thought this was super cute, I love a we’re corresponding but also speaking in real life and don’t realize it trope. I liked both main characters and their story was sweet. I loved how important the inn was to Deborah and how Patrick had to grapple with what his employer demanded and his heart wanted. I recommend for fans of Erica Ridley’s other books as it has a similar feel, but also for fans of the trope, such as those who liked Technically You Started It and Spoiler Alert.

If you have ever seen the movie, You've Got Mail, and loved it, then Love Letters by the Sea is the book for you. These two characters are Tom and Meg all over again, but regency style and with a twist thrown in. Deborah Cartwright is the widow that run Siren’s retreat and it’s clear that she harbors no expectations of finding love again, though the inn itself has garnered a reputation for helping its guests find love. In this short enemies to lover’s novella, Deborah has been engaging in correspondences with a man she knows only as lost in London. His letters brighten her day and has been giving her heart much needed joy. Imagine her delight when he announces he will be visiting the Inn.

Patrick Gretham is but a lord’s middle-man who is delighted that his business has brought him to Brighton where Salt & Sea lives, that he’s been corresponding with. He’s off a mind to see that his future life perhaps aligns with his mystery woman, that lives in Brighton. Clinching the sale of the Siren’s Retreat to turn it into a gaming hell is his boss’s plan but would go a long way in making that life a reality. Here is where everything goes south for both pen pals. Patrick quickly realizes that Deborah is the proprietress of the inn he's to purchase and she’s not keen to sell. Let’s just say we end up with Deborah feeling that her trust is violated, and that perhaps a screeching halt happens to the budding love, she had not known she was longing for or not? You’ll have to read the book to find out. I read it all in one sitting because I could not put it down as tends to happen with Erica Ridley’s well written characters and narratives and I have a sneaky feeling you all will do the same. I received a free advanced copy of this book in return of my honest review. Happy reading!

The last in the Sirens Retreat series focuses on the proprietress behind the hotel that promises to bring people together. Deborah Cartwright is a widow who is convinced lightning doesn't strike twice when it comes to love. She and her husband were madly in love and helped others find their soulmates at their retreat. In steps Patrick Gretham who is the man of business for an Earl. He's dead set on obtaining the property for his boss to ensure his future. In its place a gaming hall will be built. That plan goes off the rails when he meets Deborah. Can he risk his occupation and financial future for love?

A slow burn historical romance, it was clean and sweet. I enjoyed that the main characters are older and one is a widow. It's nice to see them grow together a partners, working side by side. It's also fun to see a woman take the reins in an era where she wasn't given an equal chance due to the entailment of the property to her brother-in-law. I haven't read the rest of the series, but I'm looking forward to it after this and the Wylde Winchesters. The ARC also had links to free reads by Erica Ridley, so I'm adding more of her books to my TBR pile. Thanks to Netgalley and Webmotion for the advanced reading copy for review.

Content: clean, off page mention of intimacy, kissing.

Mrs Deborah Cartwright runs the legendary Siren’s Retreat which is famous in Brighton for helping couples to find love. Deborah now a Widow has had her one true love and believes that there will be no other. Patrick Gretham works for a Lord and is his man of business. The Lord wants him to find a place in Brighton which to buy to run a gambling casino.
Both Deborah and Patrick by chance have been corresponding via letters for a while under secret names and both feel they know each other very well but have never met. Patrick has always wanted to meet his ‘Salt&Sea’ and made plans to meet when in Brighton. They both meet in Siren’s Retreat and find themselves attracted to each other all the while not knowing they knew each other by letters.
Deborah found out he was the person wanting to buy Siren’s Retreat and Patrick found out by chance that she was his ‘Salt&Sea’ which caused some mischief but once all the misunderstandings were sorted out they were free to both find their happy ever after.
A lovely short novella which I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend .

This story is sweeter as it features the proprietor herself, Mrs. Deborah Cartwright.

A celebrated Soprano in her day, Deborah Cartwright has loved and lost her only one true love. Now she spends her days in memories and spreading love all around through her Inn, Siren’s Retreat. This is a story about love giving another knock at her heart in the form of Mr. Patrick Gretham.

This novella series by Erica Ridley and Grace Burrowes tugs at your heartstrings. It is full of emotions from the first to the very last word and is full of the magic of Love. There is beauty, peace, music, hope, and love. Even if the story is not long, it is still capable of being an experience that the reader will remember.

I loved the climax. Patrick was a hero for Deborah and the letters of love became another tale for the characters. Deborah’s determination to save the Inn is another point of emotions running high in the book. The friendship she shared with Allegra was a great throwback to the previous book.

I love when I read a story set up in a so familiar place as Brighton it is in this case. Yes, there have been many changes over the last almost 200 years but the sea and the whole feeling of how it was then, it’s still there.
I enjoyed reading the letters and the forbidden romance along with some of the secondary characters.
Same great dialogue and everything that you would expect from a historical romance book.

Looking forward to read more in the series.

Very grateful to the publisher and author for my review copy through NetGalley

An entertaining enemies to lovers novel. As usual, this author gives her readers a powerful love story, set in a middle class life. Neither one is excessively wealthy or powerful. They both work for what they have. They do not spend their time shopping and dressing for fashion or going to parties all the time. This story shows the readers what "normal" people did in historical romances Fabulous!

Deborah loves her Inn. She built it with her husband but when he died the land belonged to her brother-in-law and was just leased to her. Now the lease is about up and he has a big offer to sell for a gaming hell. The man who represents the earl wanting to buy has been writing with Deborah but did not know it was her. Now they meet and Patrick has to decide can he help Deborah or the earl. Thank you NetGalley for another good read.

A nice, light read! Deborah and Patrick are adorable, and it was enjoyable to watch them overcome their issues. This book moved fairly quickly, and doesn’t have a ton of meat to it, so it’s easy to read quickly.

Erica Ridley ends the "Sirens Retreat" series with a final love story of Deborah Cartwright, who is the proprietress of the inn where claims of love stories and matches made draw many visitors. The widow Mrs. Cartwright has thought that she has had and lost her one true love in life. And then she begins an anonymous correspondence with a man who has an interest in her inn....but not to stay there and unknown to her...to purchase it. When Patrick Gretham travels to Brighton to see the Inn first hand but to also hopefully meet his anonymous correspondant, sparks fly in both love-interest and contempt when "the plan" is unearthed,. And yet neither Deborah nor Patrick realize they are each other's anonymous correspondant...yet. The quick-read story is fun and entertaining in following these two characters through their ups and downs to discovery of each other. will the Siren's Retreat have one last love-match to last a lifetime? Miss Ridley has an ability to write this genre with wit and charm that keeps the reader coming back for more. I received an ARC from the author/publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own. #SirensRetreat #NetGalley

For a novella, everything fit in very nicely and was resolved quite satisfactorily.

Mr. Patrick Gretham was sent to Brighton to acquire the Siren’s Retreat on behalf of his employer, the Earl of Edgewick. The Earl had grand plans of turning the beloved inn into a gambling hell and offered Patrick extra financial incentive to complete the purchase. Patrick had big dreams of his future with these additional funds until he met the proprietress of the Siren’s Retreat, the siren herself, Mrs. Deborah Cartwright.

This is book 4 in the Siren’s Retreat Quartet series written by Erica Ridley and Grace Burrows. I’ve enjoyed the second one, An Affair by the Sea by Erica Ridley, a bit more, and I liked Allegra and John more. But Love Letters by the Sea is nothing to be sneezed at.

Patrick had quite the conundrum on his hands once he got to know Deborah better. The two of them had also been writing to each other under pen names, and he felt a bit torn between Deborah and his anonymous friend, not knowing that they were, in fact, the same person. Meanwhile Deborah was fighting to convince her brother-in-law that she should be able to keep the inn.

I really enjoyed the interactions between the two of them and that Deborah was willing to open herself up to love again despite everything going on. There were so many possible outcomes for the two of them and I really didn’t know what was going to happen until it actually did.

I haven’t read the entire series, but I plan on doing that soon. It’s not necessary to read them in order. They are all novellas, and I can recommend this if you enjoy historical romance.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received a copy from Netgalley via the author; this is my honest review.
-Surprisingly clean romance between Patrick, a man of business, and Deborah, the manager of the inn and soprano soloist sublime. Refreshing.
-Nancy: It was really weird hearing her call her aunt "Aunt Carthwright"; wouldn't it be better to say "Aunt Deborah"? Anyways, it wasn't an error as in came out twice. BTW, Nancy is not good for the business of the inn and I'm happy that Patrick replaced her. I found it really funny that she would help with making the inn more profitable; it was like going against her father because SHE was a believer and he wasn't.
-Facts, such as that Deborah was the siren in Siren's Retreat, or that they build it together (her and her late husband), were repeated too many times. Before we get to 50%, we hear no less than six times that no one else can replace Harland.
-I really enjoy it when I recognize people from the previous books, even if it's a brief cameo such as in passing in a letter.
-I liked how the dual-friendship was done and how it ended. No drama but lots of expectations and a few surprises coming from the earl. Good ending.

Love developing from correspondence reminds me of a book I read some 50 years ago entitled Daddy Long Legs. This is a wonderful story where the hero and heroine just complement and complete each other. I am impressed at what he did and sacrificed for her. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

I received an ARC of this book and leaving my review voluntarily.