Review: Manor of Secrets by Katherine Longshore

Manor of Secrets

By: Katherine Longshore

Pub. Date: January 28, 2014

Publisher: Point

Pages: 320

Source: Netgalley

The year is 1911. And at The Manor, nothing is as it seems.

Lady Charlotte Edmonds: Beautiful, wealthy, and sheltered, Charlotte feels suffocated by the strictures of upper-crust society. She longs to see the world beyond The Manor, to seek out high adventure. And most of all, romance.

Janie Seward: Fiery, hardworking, and clever, Janie knows she can be more than just a kitchen maid. But she isn't sure she possesses the courage -- or the means -- to break free and follow her passions.

Both Charlotte and Janie are ready for change. As their paths overlap in the gilded hallways and dark corridors of The Manor, rules are broken and secrets are revealed. Secrets that will alter the course of their lives. . . forever.

I received this galley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Scholastic and Netgalley. 

I am a huge fan of Katherine Longshore and Downton Abbey, so I could not wait to read this book! This book was wonderfully written and I absolutely love the cover. Manor of Secrets is a quick read and I think it will appeal to many different groups of people.

Lady Charlotte wants more than the life she has. She knows there has to be more then tea parties and new dresses. Janie is a kitchen maid who just wants to be wherever her mother is, since she wasn't around while Janie was growing up. These two girls seem to be opposite in every way, but they are a lot similar then either of them could have imagined. It was pretty easy to guess what the big secret was, but I still like the way the author executed it. I loved that while Charlotte couldn't wait to leave the manor, Janie wanted to stay there and make it her home.

The descriptions were fabulous! Longshore did a wonderful job describing life of the upper class, as well as the life of the staff. I felt like I could have been Charlotte suffocated by her mother and life as a Lady or Janie, who worked hard but had supportive friends and family around her.

I loved how everything came together at the end. Manor of Secrets was a beautifully written fun story that I think will appeal to anyone, not just those who love history.