The Secret of Pembrooke Park by Julie Klassen Book Review

// The Secret of Pembrooke Park //

By Julie Klassen

{Review by Bethany}

Publisher: Bethany House
Source: Review copy provided by the publisher
Publication Date: December 2nd, 2014
Number of Pages: 460
  Rating: 5 out of 5 stars 

// Book Synopsis //
 

Taken from Good Reads

"Julie Klassen Is the Top Name in Inspirational regency Romance

Abigail Foster fears she will end up a spinster, especially as she has little dowry to improve her charms and the one man she thought might marry her--a longtime friend--has fallen for her younger, prettier sister.
When financial problems force her family to sell their London home, 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 to know something about the manor's past, the only information they offer Abigail is a warning: Beware trespassers who may be drawn by rumors that Pembrooke contains a secret room filled with treasure.

Hoping to improve her family's financial situation, Abigail surreptitiously searches for the hidden room, but the arrival of anonymous letters addressed to her, with clues about the room and the past, bring discoveries even more startling. As secrets come to light, will Abigail find the treasure and love she seeks...or very real danger?"

// Bethany's Book Review //

It's no secret that Julie Klassen is one of my all-time favorite authors. However her last release The Dancing Master was a bit of a disappointment for me, so I was hoping that The Secret of Pembrooke Park would really bring back that Klassen wow factor-and it did! If you have been a fan of any of Klassen's books then you have to get your hands on this new one! You won't want to miss it!

I just adored everything about this novel-the mystery, regency era, old mansion full of secrets, the characters, romance, and plot! Everything was so masterfully placed together, and I was constantly surprised and delighted while reading this book. Even though it's nearly 500 pages I continuously flipped through pages without realizing the length. This is one of those rare books that I can actually truly say that I didn't want it to end! I just felt such a connection with the characters, and I found the story and characters were constantly in my thoughts even when I wasn't reading the book. For sure and certain, this is a 2014 favorite!!

Like I mentioned earlier, The Dancing Master, which released last December was a bit of a disappointment for me. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad. It just didn't have that Julie Klassen wow factor that I've come to admire. So, I didn't really get my hopes up for this novel. However I was pleasantly shocked when reading this book! The plot was so intriguing and the story flowed so smoothly. The mystery was very prevalent (which I really liked, as it's hard to find regency novels that have a lot of mystery instead of just a little sprinkled throughout) and was constantly leaving me in suspense of the next page. The romance between the main character and the two love interests was very well written and interesting. I loved how Klassen weaved such an intricate story in such a flawless way. If you are a fan on regency romance then you will not want to miss this book!

D I S C L A I M E R :: I received a complementary copy of The Secret of Pembrooke Park from the publisher for the sole purpose of this review. All thoughts expressed are my own, completely honest and unbiased.