Mistress of Wyndview by Jane Charles

Tracy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Wynd Brothers #1

Release Date: February 13, 2026

After 15 years, Sterling Wynd, the Earl of Wyndham has returned to his family estate in the Cape Colony of South Africa, and it is the first time in over ten years that he has seen his mother who left England with his father and never returned. Sterling arrives, thinking he would meet with his estate manager and then leave to visit his family’s other holdings and business interests. But nothing goes as planned, starting with his attempt to ignore his mother. Things only get worse from him from there; his estate manager is too busy to see him, his mother seems bent on matchmaking and the widowed daughter of his estate manager, Caroline Sutcliffe, is a distraction he can’t afford. Slowly, Sterling begins to realize he was wrong about his mother and forms a friendship with Caroline that turns into something much deeper. But when trust is broken, will he try to understand, or will he revert to his old ways and walk away with a broken heart?

Caroline Sutcliffe was raised on the estate, leaving briefly seven years ago for a London season, where she met and married Peter Sutcliffe, a soldier who died in the Battle of Dresden not long after they wed. Leaving Caroline a widow and single mother to Olivia. She returned to Wyndham Farm to discover that her father has lost his focus since the death of her mother. He seems only concerned with the vineyards, which were her mother’s passion. With her brother away at school, Caroline picks up the slack and begins to manage the other aspects of the estate and the manor house. Everything is fine until the absentee Earl turns up unannounced. She can’t let him know that her father isn’t doing his job, but keeping secrets from a man she is coming to love is harder than she could ever imagine.

I am a huge fan of Janes Charles, so when I heard she had a new series, I was thrilled. Then I learned that the first book was going to be set in South Africa, and I was all in! The setting was like a breath of fresh air, and I was absolutely enchanted by the imagery. Caroline and Sterling have great chemistry, and they both have both been shaped by their pasts. I liked the book, but I was not a huge fan of Sterling, I found him to be a bit too rigid and judgmental for my taste, I understood that his past played a big part in his personality, but it was still off-putting. I also felt like the story dragged in a few places which made it hard for me to stay invested in the story. But overall, I appreciated the fresh setting, the chemistry, steam and secondary characters. Personally, I think that Ms. Charles did a great job of world building, which created a story that left me wanting more! I am happy to recommend this title, and I will definitely be anticipating the next installment!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *