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.

The Dancing Master By Julie Klassen Book Review

// The Dancing Master //

By Julie Klassen

{Review By Bethany}

 

Source: Litfuse Publicity Group

Number of Pages: 432

ISBN: 076421070X

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

Publication Date: January 2014

Bethany's Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

 

// Book Synopsis //

Taken from GoodReads

"Leaving London, dancing master Alec Valcourt moves his mother and sister to remote Devonshire---but is stunned to discover that dancing is prohibited! He finds an unlikely ally in Miss Julia Midwinter, but her questions about his past are becoming harder to evade. Together, can they bring new life to this quiet village---and heal long-kept-secret scars?"

// Book Trailer //

 

 

// Bethany's Book Review //

 

Julie Klassen is the author of the book I deemed my favorite fiction novel that I read in 2013 which was her previous release, The Tutor's Daughter. So naturally I was overjoyed to be able to read her newest book, The Dancing Master. While The Tutor's Daughter still takes first place for me, I did enjoy The Dancing Master, and consider it a wonderful read which I enjoyed greatly. I am already the kind of girl who just can't get enough regency fiction; so I knew I'd love this book even before reading it. Being that the regency time period was combined with Julie Klassen's expert story telling and lovely writing style, I knew I was in for a treat-and I was!

 

One of the things that sets this book apart from the other Julie Klassen books I've read, is how the main character is a male versus the typical female main character you normally see in novels. While it isn't a con or pro either way, it just depends on what you are used to and what you prefer as far as main characters. While it did take me a while to get used to having a male character being the focus of the novel, I don't consider it a negative thing, and think it added a new, unique aspect to the story. While the main female character Julia did play a big part in the story, I felt like Alec's story took place more often that hers, but it was a nice balance, even if unexpected at first.

 

I did enjoy seeing how Alec and Julia's stories were woven together, especially during the later portion of the story, however I will say that for the longest time their relationship was very basic and a mere friendship. While this is another thing that may be a con or pro for you, depending on taste, I liked how the romance was relatively low being that their relationship didn't go beyond just being friends until the epilogue.

 

A neat aspect of this book was both the interesting facts on dancing and what a big part of society it was during this time period, as well as the mystery that was in the story with Julia figuring out the truth about her past and real biological family. Both added greatly to the story and kept it interesting which is a huge pro considering the lengthy 400+ page count, which makes keeping the story from getting dry patches much more of a challenge for an author. I loved reading all the excerpts from the advertisements from the newspapers of those days, as well as the quotes concerning dancing that were at the beginning of each chapter. I also loved the small bit of mystery that was in the story when Julia was the main character of that chapter, and loved traveling the journey to figure out her parentage with her as the story progressed. It was a wonderful journey of forgiveness that I enjoyed reading about.

 

Overall I am yet again impressed with Julie Klassen and am delighted to have been able to journey back in time and learn all there is to know about dancing masters, as well as meet Julia and the other characters in this story. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Julie Klassen's other novels, or regency fiction enthusiasts, as this is a true treat!
 

DISCLAIMER :: I received a free copy of The Dancing Master from Bethany House publishers through Litfuse Publicity Group for the sole purpose of this review. I was not paid in any way to review this book, and all thoughts expressed in my review are completely my own, honest and unbiased.

  Julie Klassen’s “The Dancing Master” giveaway and “All Things Jane” webcast 1/23!   Enter Today - 1/6 - 1/23!

The Tutor's Daughter By Julie Klassen Book Review

// T h e   T u t o r ' s   D a u g h t e r //

B y   J u l i e   K l a s s e n

{ R e v i e w s   B y   B e t h a n y  & M a d i }

// B o o k   D e s c r i p t i o n //

"Emma Smallwood, determined to help her widowed father regain his spirits when his academy fails, agrees to travel with him to the distant Cornwall coast, to the cliff-top manor of a baronet and his four sons. But after they arrive and begin teaching the younger boys, mysterious things begin to happen and danger mounts. Who does Emma hear playing the pianoforte, only to find the music room empty? Who sneaks into her room at night? Who rips a page from her journal, only to return it with a chilling illustration?

The baronet's older sons, Phillip and Henry, wrestle with problems--and secrets--of their own. They both remember Emma Smallwood from their days at her father's academy. She had been an awkward, studious girl. But now one of them finds himself unexpectedly drawn to her.

When the suspicious acts escalate, can the clever tutor's daughter figure out which brother to blame... and which brother to trust with her heart?"

// P u b l i s h e r // Bethany House

// P u b l i c a t i o n D a t e // January 1st, 2013

// N u m b e r o f P a g e s // 416

// S o u r c e // Bethany: Library :) Madi : Review Book

// R a t i n g //  Bethany: 5 out of 5 stars Madi: 5 out of 5 stars

// B o o k T r a i l o r //

 // B e t h a n y ' s   R e v i e w // 

Out of all six of Julie Klassen's books, I've read four, and by far, The Tutor's Daughter was for SURE my very favorite and the most clean of the ones I've read. I was very impressed with it and thoroughly enjoyed every page! Some of Julie's other books were for older girls as they had some mature content that I really didn't care for, but this book pleasantly surprised me in the fact that it was very clean. I especially appreciated how the romance level was very low, and how the author chose to save the romance for the end, so that you can enjoy the story without it being overly romantic the whole time. I've recently come to have a great appreciation for books that have a balanced amount of romance, as so often this is the main focus of a book and kind of drowns out the actual story, not to mention put wrong thoughts in your mind from time-to-time, but this one had the perfect amount and was well-balanced.

Another thing I enjoyed was the suspense! It was such a page-turning book, and very exciting! I really liked how Julie accomplished getting a very healthy dose of suspense in the story without involving any deaths, murder, crimes, etc, that are so often found in suspense novels. Their were also many twists and turns that I never saw coming, and kept the story from getting dull. Right when I thought all the questions were answered, there would be something else that would come up that I never saw coming!

As for the characters, I loved them all from the start, well... maybe not all of them....Henry for one, wasn't exactly my favorite male character to begin with.... *Shows knowing grin to those who had read The Tutor's Daughter and remember Henry's famous speech concerning a dance he would perform at Emma's wedding.....* The main character, Emma, however I did love from the beginning. She is a very likable character and I loved how she kept a journal and was very orderly, oh and she LOVES books - that we have in common. ;) After reading that part, I was like, okay, I really like this character now. New best friend. She's my favorite. :)

But anyways, this book had a very wonderful moral of not judging "a book by it's cover" so to speak, as we see clearly how someone can change drastically for the better; as well as the other side of someone's character getting worse with age. I'd say which of the two brother's was my favorite, but that would basically give the book away so I won't tell you, but if you've read the book, I assure you that you will know, as we will most probably agree.

Another thing I was very enthused about was all the history packed into this book! In the author's note in the back after the story, I was surprised to learn that some of the characters, as well as the places, were all true and actual people and places-most of them so accurate down even to the names! I love books with a well-written story, but to get history in there as well...I'm all for it, and wasn't disappointed with this one!

Another favorite thing in this book was the level on Christian values involved. At the beginning of the story, Emma wasn't on speaking terms with God after her mother's death. However in the story a certain male character gets to share Christ with her and she renews her faith and lives her life more profitably in the end. I loved the scene were this took place, it's one of my favorite parts in the whole book!

The only thing I didn't really like in this story was their were a few little scenes that got, well, to be a bit more than I'd have written. But it really depends on what you are used to. Their is one scene where Henry makes a certain comment sarcastically early on in the book, as well as a few other little things such as two of the main characters unexpectedly being in each others presence at night in their nightclothes due to an "emergency" involving blood. As well as a disturbing image that was painted on one of Emma's missing journal pages that was stolen. They weren't at all a deal breaker or anything so bad that you'd not to read the book because of them, but I didn't really care for them. Romance-wise this book was very clean, and the farthest it ever went was some kissing. Total I think there were three kisses towards the end. While they were a bit descriptive, they weren't at all inappropriate, but again, it all depends on what you are used to. Girls who would most enjoy this book the most would be those who love Christian historical fiction, with a bit of romance mixed in, with a regency era style.

 

 

// M a d i ' s   R e v i e w //

 

This book was amazing! I have only read one other book by Julie Klassen (The Apothecary's Daughter), but this book made her one of my favorites. It was so . . . original! Not the same old historical fiction I'm used to. It was suspenseful, and I definitely kept me on my toes.

Pros:

• It had SO much suspense
• It kept you on your toes. Just when you think you have figured out "Who Dunnit", Klassen throws in something else that makes you re-think everything. Totally unpredictable. Who likes a predictable book anyway? That takes all the fun out of it!
• Their was JUST enough romance. Enough to compliment the story, but not so much that it's overbearing. I think it was really cute how she kept getting "secret admirer" letters. Classic!
• I loved how Emma and the family of her employer have a past that goes all the way back to Emma's childhood. It's so sweet how that all comes together.
• Phillip and Henry. These characters are the ones that made me fall in love with this book. They were total gentlemen. Well, at least they were as adults. 
• It was clean. No inappropriate dialog or anything like that.

 

Cons:

I really can't think of anything off the top of my head. It was a really good book.

Bottom line: Read it. It's sweet, suspenseful, it's historic, and you never know what will happen on the next page.

 

*Disclaimer* 

Madi received a free copy of The Tutor's Daughter from the publisher for the purpose of writing a review. She was not paid to do this review and all thoughts are her own and 100 % honest.