Secret of Pembrooke Park

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Saturday, January 10, 2015 The Secret of Pembrooke Park by Julie Klassen, ©2014 Julie Klassen's novels are extremely intriguing with the well-documented history that glides you in as if you were walking with them! The Secret of Pembrooke Park will indeed be a treasure you will hold dear to your heart from the beginning to final page turn. How would you endeavor to keep it all together after you felt you had caused your family's demise, however earnest your advise began? Abigail Foster is such a woman. Entrusted with preparation for her family, Abigail settles within the estate attempting to overcome the quizzical expectations of those around her. Owning a nearby cottage, Mac Chapman as groundskeeper/overseer and his family are to be reckoned with as she lives her life before them. Trust? Mac Chapman, the former steward and protector of Pembrooke Park is all of these things. Sitting idle for eighteen years, the manor has been a question of secrecy with speculation of a private room hidden away with its treasures. Mac has guarded this domain with his life until suddenly the executor beckons a family to be admitted to this distant ancestral home. Suddenly. A solitude life to bring staff scurrying to provide; changes brought in that will upend their world as they know it... or reveal it. Abigail's father while attempting to straighten out their banking ventures, does not immediately make Pembrooke his domicile. Her mother and younger fair of face sister, Louisa, remain in London occupied with the current season, hoping to secure a good match to supply Louisa with the means she has hoped to become accustomed. Especially, with their new situation. There is mystery and intrigue as Abigail begins receiving journal entries that seem to spy on her recent actions as if someone is following her days. Within a short lapse of time, a second relative is on the scene. Curious as it has been unoccupied, that another person elects to join the Foster family in residence at Pembrooke. As parish clerk, Mac offers suggestions to his son, William, as he fills in for the rector. The church is visible from the courtyard, within the walled grounds of the estate. Behind the house, lush green vines with white flowers climbed the manor walls. In the rear courtyard, a terrace overlooked a neglected rose garden, overgrown topiaries, and a lily pond. --The Secret of Pembrooke, 51 How I want to begin here, with a walk around the lovely sounding hidden from view grounds with Will and Abigail as they begin their acquaintance. Abigail, the older sister in her family, is expected to be the practical one. I am eager to learn of Will's siblings, as the oldest, with a brother and two sisters. Especially Kitty, as she begins to visit Pembrooke to play with the dollhouse in the room Abigail has selected as her bedchamber. Leah, the oldest sister, is quiet and reserved around strangers and is more sheltered. Getting to know this family is very interesting. I like how Abigail finds her way and others are open to befriend her. Clearly, with them all being used to living apart, it is endearing and lively to watch them making acquaintances, to friends. I, as always, look forward to Julie Klassen's novels. I like the descriptive detail within her historical writings. This is a longer novel bringing in several characters necessary to the story. You will not be disappointed in how they are all drawn together, although they each think they are living separately. ~*~ ***Thank you to author Julie Klassen and Bethany House for this copy of The Secret of Pembrooke Park. This review was written in my own words. No other compensation was received.***

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Abigail is the practical daughter who holds the family together. So when a business venture that she recommended to her family falls apart, she feels it her duty to help rescue the family finances. The agent for Pembrooke Park approaches them with a lease offer that is too good to pass up in their current condition. Abigail finds herself alone with the servants as they try to bring the park back to it's former glory. The home has been sitting abandoned for 18 years amidst rumors of ghosts, murder, and treachery. Abigail hears strange sounds in the night, arguments and rumors, and the ramblings of an old woman. Hopefully she can piece together the puzzle before something tragic happens. I loved this book. I've read books by this author before and enjoyed them, but this one is now my favorite. The book is large and could appear daunting. But never once did I feel bogged down in details or slow parts. The story fit together like a puzzle and kept me intrigued. It has elements of romance, history, and suspense. Several times I was surprised by the twists the author took with the plot. The characters fit with the time period and were captivating. I received this book free of charge from Book Club Network in exchange for my review.

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One for the Keeper Shelf!! I just recently read a quote to the effect that a good book is one that when you get to the last chapter, you read slowly because you're sorry the book is at an end. This could truly be said about the characters that Julie Klassen creates in The Secret of Pembrooke Park. I found myself easily identifying with Abigail, feeling her pain when the family loses their fortune and then moves to a mysterious manor. William Chapman, the curate, and Gilbert Scott, the architect make for strong opposing suitors. Leah is a case study with her fears and secrecy. Speaking of secrets. I would almost contend the book is misnamed. There is not ONE, but MULTIPLE, secrets that are a part of Pembrooke Park's history. Will Abigail discover what they are before she and her family are run off the property or hurt or killed? The book starts a little slow, but once the stage is set and the action commences, that slowness is easily forgiven. A couple of quotes: "One might open the book idly, but one never knows what treasure one might find." -William Chapman about the Bible "Good from bad, God excels at that." -William This is a story of fear, of rumors, of love over-protecting, and love releasing and of choosing to live by faith. This is one for the Keeper Shelf!! I received this book from bookfun.org in exchange for an honest review.

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The Secret of Pembrooke Park Julie Klassen Book Summary: Abigail Foster is the practical daughter. She fears she will end up a spinster, especially as she has little dowry, and the one man she thought might marry her seems to have fallen for her younger, prettier sister. Facing financial ruin, Abigail and her father search for more affordable lodgings, until a strange solicitor arrives with an astounding offer: the use of a distant manor house abandoned for eighteen years. The Fosters journey to imposing Pembrooke Park and are startled to find it entombed as it was abruptly left: tea cups encrusted with dry tea, moth-eaten clothes in wardrobes, a doll's house left mid-play… The handsome local curate welcomes them, but though he and his family seem acquainted with the manor's past, the only information they offer is a stern warning: Beware trespassers drawn by rumors that Pembrooke Park contains a secret room filled with treasure. This catches Abigail's attention. Hoping to restore her family's finances--and her dowry--Abigail looks for this supposed treasure. But eerie sounds at night and footprints in the dust reveal she isn't the only one secretly searching the house. Then Abigail begins receiving anonymous letters, containing clues about the hidden room and startling discoveries about the past. As old friends and new foes come calling at Pembrooke Park, secrets come to light. Will Abigail find the treasure and love she seeks...or very real danger? Review: This was a long book to read and yet I could not put it down. I read it until 1 AM and than finished is quickly in the next day. I loved all the characters. Even the one who was causing the mayhem was great. I do not like to give away secrets but the were many twists and turns that I was waiting for them at the edge of my seat for them to be revealed. I loved Abigail mostly because her growth and wisdom were sincerely well written and believable all in one. No matter what I would want Abigail to be my friend. She was kind and forgiving. The secret room was the hook that held me until the end. Sometimes I just wanted to climb in the story and search every room till I found it. Who cares about a treasure of goods, a secret room is worth it weight in gold alone. Secret passages too, although this story did not have secret passages. The men in Abigail’s life were great. All of them. They ebbed and grew in many ways that provided a dynamic storyline and kept me going while the mystery stewed in the background. The time flew and the story was well written. I will definitely read this story again someday. I would like to thank Net Galley and Bethany House for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone.

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Regency romance with murder, mystery and hidden treasure! There are balls, intricate romances, feelings of unworthiness, old secrets and a mysterious hooded stranger roaming about. There's a race to discover a treasure and old wounds uncovered. And lots of danger lurking just about everywhere. This is a long read, and difficult to put down. It's also full of faithful lessons and the truth of where our treasures lie. If you're not already a fan of Julie Klassen, you will be after reading this!