Edenbrooke - Julianne Donaldson

Marianne Daventry will do anything to escape the boredom of Bath and the amorous attentions of an unwanted suitor. So when an invitation arrives from her twin sister, Cecily, to join her at a sprawling country estate, she jumps at the chance. Thinking she'll be able to relax and enjoy her beloved English countryside while her sister snags the handsome heir of Edenbrooke, Marianne finds that even the best laid plans can go awry. From a terrifying run-in with a highwayman to a seemingly harmless flirtation, Marianne finds herself embroiled in an unexpected adventure filled with enough romance and intrigue to keep her mind racing. Will Marianne be able to rein in her traitorous heart, or will a mysterious stranger sweep her off her feet? Fate had something other than a relaxing summer in mind when it sent Marianne to Edenbrooke.

A friend recommended this to me a while back (thanks A.) and I don't why it took me so long to pick it up. I wasn't sure what I would find when I started and I was delighted to discover a nice story that made me think of Jane Austen and Geogette Heyer.

Like the above mentioned authors, in many of their books, Donaldson writes about a  young gentlewoman  living in the countryside and her impressions of the world around her. Marianne is fun, witty and sensible, even if occasionally a bit naive. I have to admit I was a bit worried while reading the first chapters because she also seemed a bit silly at times. But as soon as the action moves to the road and then Edenbrooke, I was totally involved in the story. I loved the banter between Marianne and Philip. Most of their interaction is playful and leads them to mistaken impressions about one another (especially Marianne about Philip) and while the misunderstandings are obvious to the reader it made for a fun and entertaining read.

There's a bit of everything actually -  romance, mystery, humour. I think the story could have been a bit more developed. I was curious about some of the secondary characters and why they behaved the way they did. But for a first novel I think this a very good effort and fans of Heyer and Austen will certainly enjoy it.

Grade: 4/5

PS. And isn't that the most beautiful cover?