Saturday, February 14, 2015

Book Review - Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

This novel is perfect! I could rave about this little gem for days. My book club read this for February as our "romance/chick-lit" piece. It definitely lived up to the name, but was so sweet and enduring. I laid down one night to bed and devoured this in one sitting. I just could not help myself. 

Initially, I read this and thought, "It's a modern-day Pride and Prejudice". Except, of course, that it takes place at roughly the same time as P&P. So, just a contemporarily-written take on the classic. The story is about Marianne, who is sent to live in Bath after her mother dies. She is lonely and bored. One day, she receives a letter from her sister urging her to visit a friend with her. Marianne is thrilled as she thinks it will help her get our of her boredom and her grandmother believes she will become sophisticated. 

On the way to her friend's, Marianne's carriage is attacked and her driver is injured. Marianne and her maid help the driver and seek shelter at an inn. There, Marianne meets a very strange man who helps her party. The man is infuriating to Marianne but so helpful. The next day, he arranges for her to arrive at her friend's estate, Edenbrooke. Things continue to get bizarre as the mysterious man shows up there, but she does not know who he is. 

It is a romance, so it's enjoyable and sweet! I like the surprises along the way, and I like seeing how the characters change. Most of all, I like how the author writes the interactions between Marianne and her men. They pull at all my heartstrings while maintaining innocence. For an easy, fun read, I highly recommend this novel. I think Edenbrooke needs a sequel! 

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