Book Review: Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor
About Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor
When Heather Toulson returns to her parents’ cottage in the English countryside, she uncovers long-hidden secrets about her family history and stumbles onto the truth about a sixty-year-old murder.
Libby, a free spirit who can’t be tamed by her parents, finds solace with her neighbor Oliver, the son of Lord Croft of Ladenbrooke Manor. Libby finds herself pregnant and alone when her father kicks her out and Oliver mysteriously drowns in a nearby river. Though theories spread across the English countryside, no one is ever held responsible for Oliver’s death.
Sixty years later, Heather Toulson, returning to her family’s cottage in the shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor, is filled with mixed emotions. She’s mourning her father’s passing but can’t let go of the anger and resentment over their strained relationship. Adding to her confusion, Heather has an uneasy reunion with her first love, all while sorting through her family’s belongings left behind in the cottage. What she uncovers will change everything she thought she knew about her family’s history.
Award-winning author Melanie Dobson seamlessly weaves the past and present together, fluidly unraveling the decades-old mystery and reveals how the characters are connected in shocking ways.
Set in a charming world of thatched cottages, lush gardens, and lovely summer evenings, this romantic and historical mystery brings to light the secrets and heartaches that have divided a family for generations.
Purchase a copy: Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor
Disclaimer: I want to thank Melanie Dobson and Litfuse Publicity for supplying me with a copy of this book for me to review. While I received this free of charge in exchange for my review, my opinions are my own, and have not been influenced in any way.
About Melanie Dobson
Melanie Dobson is the award-winning author of thirteen historical romance, suspense, and contemporary novels.
Two of her novels won Carol Awards in 2011, and Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana won Best Novel of Indiana in 2010.
Melanie lives with her husband Jon and two daughters near Portland, Oregon.
Find Melanie online: website, Twitter, Facebook
What I Thought
Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor is told in one of my most favorite ways – from the different perspectives of those involved. Add that it weaves in as historical fiction with components from old England with sprawling manors and you have a winner in my book!
Spanning over three generations from the 1950s until now, Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor involves how Maggie, Libby, and Heather, and how they are linked together.
This story contains a balanced plenty of drama, romance, and mystery. The way Melanie keeps trickling out the family secrets through Heather keeps you moving through the story with ease.
The spine of the story surrounds a mother and a child with a spectrum disorder, before we had a term for it. The relationship is gripping, and Melanie does a great job with her portrayal of this type of mother-child relationship.
