Reviewed by Maria Beltran for Readers' Favorite

Lady Ellen: The Adventures of Lady Ellen Montagu, Volume 1 by J.G. MacLeod is a historical romance novel set in the Victorian era in Ireland. A nineteen-year-old Irish aristocrat, Ellen Montagu, daughter of the Duke of Manchester, is introduced to an exciting social life of lavish balls and the rituals of Victorian courtship. Falling in love with Lord Cormac Guinness of Ardilaun, she soon finds out that her father has different plans for her. As a result, Lady Ellen is presented with a dilemma; that of following her heart and being exiled to the Aran Islands or marrying a man she doesn't love.

Lady Ellen: The Adventures of Lady Ellen Montagu is a journey back to the Victorian era in the Emerald Isle that is Ireland. Author J.G. Macleod includes vivid and picturesque details as she takes us along on a young woman's exciting journey that is a life of domestic conflict and forbidden love. For many modern women, it is very hard to imagine a time when women had very little control of their lives as it was the master of the house that decided for them. In spite of this, the beautiful and intelligent Lady Ellen is a character that is easy to empathize with because, like any woman, modern or otherwise, she tries to find happiness and fulfillment in life despite all the hardships that she encounters. This novel is a very engaging read!