{Review} Manor of Secrets by Katherine Longshore

Manor of Secrets
by Katherine Longshore
Pages: 320
Release Date: January 28, 2014
by Point (an imprint of Scholastic)

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The year is 1911. And at The Manor, nothing is as it seems . . .

Lady Charlotte Edmonds: Beautiful, wealthy, and sheltered, Charlotte feels suffocated by the strictures of upper-crust society. She longs to see the world beyond The Manor, to seek out high adventure. And most of all, romance.

Janie Seward: Fiery, hardworking, and clever, Janie knows she can be more than just a kitchen maid. But she isn't sure she possesses the courage -- or the means -- to break free and follow her passions.

Both Charlotte and Janie are ready for change. As their paths overlap in the gilded hallways and dark corridors of The Manor, rules are broken and secrets are revealed. Secrets that will alter the course of their lives. . . forever.

*A copy was provided by Scholastic for review purposes*

 

A complex, fast-paced, impossible story is not what you would expect from a historical fiction book.  But that was what this one had.  I have to say, I was very impressed with it.  The setting and situation were very well explained to I got the full picture pretty quick, and man was it dismal.  Everyone was unhappy in this book and as I was reading I was trying to figure out how Katherine Longshore was going to make it right.  But she staged everything in such a way that when she did make it right, it made perfect sense.  The story line and plot was very complex and interesting, and the story moved very fast.  There were a lot of different elements to this book, romance, intrigue, drama...you get the idea.  I liked the 2 POVs in this book.  When having 2 POVs there is the danger of one being less interesting, but in this book they were both equally gripping and it really showed the difference in how Charlotte and Janie lived.  The ending was absolutely awesome and definitely gives a new meaning to “fairytale ending”.

The characters in this book were great.  Charlotte and Janie were very well developed and you got to know them very well.  Charlotte is trapped in her life and she wants to rebel, but can't.  She was a pathetic character in the beginning but over the course of the book you can see her grow and become stronger.  I really loved Janie's spunk and attitude, and her selflessness.  I also really like Henry and Andrew Broadhurst – he's so sweet, though I found it a little convenient that he was so unconventional.

All in all, a fantastic historical fiction book that managed to be gripping and interesting throughout.

 

4 stars