sc104906's review against another edition
2.0
The and the poor, lords, ladies and servants. When lies are crossed, secrets come out. Charlotte wants adventure and finds a friend in her kitchen maid Janie. This teams subverts current social norms and each learns the importance of love and friendship.
This book's plot wasn't very dramatic, but it certainly discussed the importance of identity and how it can dictate everything about life.
This book's plot wasn't very dramatic, but it certainly discussed the importance of identity and how it can dictate everything about life.
hannahclairereads's review against another edition
4.0
full review at http://christianreader14.blogspot.com/2014/05/book-review-manor-of-secrets-by.html
This book was not my favorite. I only gave it 4/5 stars because I really liked the ending. Other than that I was rather annoyed at times and found Charlotte to be too unrealistic and Janie too hardworking.
This book was not my favorite. I only gave it 4/5 stars because I really liked the ending. Other than that I was rather annoyed at times and found Charlotte to be too unrealistic and Janie too hardworking.
elentarien's review against another edition
3.0
Not a bad little 'fluff' piece. It was simple, but enjoyable. Somewhat predictable and would have benefitted from a longer timeline. (IE, some things that were said were really weird for such a short time, given what had come before, but if some time had been allowed to pass - it would have worked fine). The story is very simple, light on details, doesn't ramble about or 'build' the atmospheric visuals that much. It's more character driven and hope you know your history or you won't 'see' a whole lot. But eh. It worked for a quick, relaxing read.
lazygal's review against another edition
2.0
Sadly, this was nearly a DNF because it didn't capture the imagination and world as its inspiration (Downton Abbey) did; luckily, it was a very quick read.
Lady Charlotte is a Mary Sue who writes Mary Sue gothic novels - and is a constant disappointment to her mother. She isn't demure or interested in the handsome (yet boring) Lord her mother has picked out for her, and worse, begins to befriend one of the kitchen maids! Then Lady Beatrice, Charlotte's aunt, comes back with some Deep Dark Secret. If only it was all less predictable. Much less predictable.
ARC provided by publisher.
Lady Charlotte is a Mary Sue who writes Mary Sue gothic novels - and is a constant disappointment to her mother. She isn't demure or interested in the handsome (yet boring) Lord her mother has picked out for her, and worse, begins to befriend one of the kitchen maids! Then Lady Beatrice, Charlotte's aunt, comes back with some Deep Dark Secret. If only it was all less predictable. Much less predictable.
ARC provided by publisher.
sarajean37's review against another edition
3.0
The characters aren't as well-realized and faceted as I would like. The preaching is heavy-handed. If I were 12 years old (the intended age of the readership), I would have loved it. Bottom line: I need to take a YA break.
sandraselvas's review against another edition
3.0
Historical-fiction is one of my most beloved genres and this one did not disappoint.
It definitely makes you think of Downtown Abbey, and that's a good thing!
It definitely makes you think of Downtown Abbey, and that's a good thing!
the_oddbird's review against another edition
3.0
After two semesters' worth of academic reading, this cute little story was a nice breath of fresh air for the summer. For YA fiction, this is a very quick and easy read. This is Downton Abbey-lite for the young teenage set, but even as a college student I found it very enjoyable to read.
The plot is simple, involving characters from both upstairs and downstairs and the ways in which they clash, and eventually come together. Like other reviewers here have mentioned, the plot twists aren't super shocking, but they do provide some catalysts to a predictable story. It has a slow start in the beginning, with a trope we're all familiar with: wealthy, high-born girl named Charlotte dreams of adventure but is restrained by her mother and society. At times Charlotte does seem to act too young for her age, and this is the same with a lot of the characters who are supposed to be the same age. The only main character I could personally root for was Janie, who (in my opinion) was the only character in the book that was properly fleshed out. Most of the characters seemed very one-dimensional and were just tropes with no proper characterization, including secondary characters who were important to the plot. You would think they'd have more personality but they felt like paper dolls most of the time.
Despite its faults, this was a fun summer read for younger fans of Downton Abbey. With the wave of teen dystopia fiction at an all time high, this was a quick escape into something much more lighthearted and fun.
The plot is simple, involving characters from both upstairs and downstairs and the ways in which they clash, and eventually come together. Like other reviewers here have mentioned, the plot twists aren't super shocking, but they do provide some catalysts to a predictable story. It has a slow start in the beginning, with a trope we're all familiar with: wealthy, high-born girl named Charlotte dreams of adventure but is restrained by her mother and society. At times Charlotte does seem to act too young for her age, and this is the same with a lot of the characters who are supposed to be the same age. The only main character I could personally root for was Janie, who (in my opinion) was the only character in the book that was properly fleshed out. Most of the characters seemed very one-dimensional and were just tropes with no proper characterization, including secondary characters who were important to the plot. You would think they'd have more personality but they felt like paper dolls most of the time.
Despite its faults, this was a fun summer read for younger fans of Downton Abbey. With the wave of teen dystopia fiction at an all time high, this was a quick escape into something much more lighthearted and fun.
bookworm_630's review against another edition
4.0
Okay, I wobbled between 3 and 4 stars for this-I enjoyed it like a guilty pleasure but there were some things that were just...off...for me-Andrew Broadhurst being one of them. But, overall, this was a very successful Downton-read-alike for teens-more successful than any of the others I've read, and more enjoyable too.
tracythewriter's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
I received an ARC of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. I LOVED the writing style. It flowed well and evoked beautiful imagery. But at its heart, this story was kind of ridiculous. The way the characters acted and how things worked out just felt very unrealistic. It was fun to read, but not believable.
I received an ARC of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. I LOVED the writing style. It flowed well and evoked beautiful imagery. But at its heart, this story was kind of ridiculous. The way the characters acted and how things worked out just felt very unrealistic. It was fun to read, but not believable.
cjmcmanus's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0