ARC Review: Manor of Secrets by Katherine Longshore
8January 26, 2014 by Alice in Readerland
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.
Special thanks to Point/Scholastic and Netgalley for giving me an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. Manor of Secrets by Katherine Longshore will arrive in stores January 28th, 2014.
In books, especially in historical pieces, you want main characters that you can relate to, and I think Manor of Secrets pretty much created two main characters who a lot of girls will be able to relate to in some sort of way. We have Charlotte who is curious about the world and wants to find adventure and love. She wants to be brave and find someplace where she fits in.
We also have Janie who is witty, brave, a dare-taker, and hard-working, but isn’t sure about her direction in life. On one hand, she’s determined to stay with the comforting familiarity of her friends, family, and job, but on the other hand, she knows that change is coming.
While I didn’t see myself as Charlotte or Janie, I saw a lot of common traits in them, and I love it when that happens in books. Despite all the corsets and drudgery, Charlotte and Janie helped bridge the gap from 1911 to 2014 with their realizable personalities.
I also loved the detailed descriptions of the settings, how all the relationships worked out (way too many spoilers to talk about on here), and I thought the ending was cute.
Cynical Cindy Says
To be honest, this book did seem a bit cliched (like the three other Downton Abbey-esque books I’ve read recently). I wouldn’t say there was anything bad about this book, but it wasn’t a standout for me.
I think Manor of Secrets is perfect for when you want to read something light and cute!
3 out of 5 teacups
Alice in Readerland 
The cover caught my eye first. I’m a fan of Downton Abbey type things, but it hasn’t crossed over into my reading (yet). I may have to take a chance on this one.
I hope you enjoy it if you read it! :)
This sounds like a pretty fun read! I haven’t read anything by Katherine Longshore, but I really want to. I’m glad that both characters have relatable personalities, since I think that always makes book more captivating. Great review :)
Thanks! :)
I haven’t read any of Katherine’s other books, either.
I’ve heard of this! It seems like there are a lot of Downton Abbey type books coming out and/or are already out.
I noticed that too, I think the time period is very interesting, but I’d love to see some different time periods in books too!
The cover of this book and the time period caught my eye. I like historical books with relatable characters, so I really want to read it now!
Belle gifs always complete a review :D I haven’t seen Downtow Abbey, but plan to watch it very soon. I do like this time setting, so I’ll take a look at this book.