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Katherine Longshore
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Manor of Secrets Kindle Edition

by Katherine Longshore (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 28 ratings
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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.
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  1. Reading age
    12 years and up
  2. Print length
    341 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    7 - 9
  5. Publisher
    Point
  6. Publication date
    January 28, 2014
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Not Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  11. ISBN-13
    978-0545567589
  12. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up—A divisive wall exists between the upstairs and downstairs quarters of the English Manor where Lady Charlotte Edmonds, 16, and kitchen servant Janie Seward reside. Charlotte yearns for an adventure beyond the stringent structure of upper-crust society, while her new friend Janie seems content to remain a cook. Neither suspects the secrets that lurk within the manor when Charlotte's mysterious Aunt Beatrice comes to visit. Reminiscent of the British television series Upstairs Downstairs, the plot starts at a leisurely pace, providing a detailed portrait of the daily mechanisms of 19th-century manor life and how both classes coexist. Longshore captures the tension expressed by Charlotte and Janie in their efforts to cope with limitations and unfulfilled dreams. She compares the harsh, never-ending workday of one paired with the other's tediously predictable station in life. The novel's dominant theme emerges midway through when hidden truths appear beneath masklike facades. Andrew Broadhurst, Charlotte's intended, is not as dull as he first seems, nor is Lawrence, the footman, truly worth Charlotte's lifelong devotion. Despite a predictably happy ending, the message is clear: people are far more complex than they appear on the surface, no matter their class or station in life. This is a light historical romance.—Etta Anton, Yeshiva of Central Queens, NY

From Booklist

With the Lady Sybil look-alike on the cover, along with the catch phrase “Upstairs. Downstairs. Drama,” we know where this is going. Here the heroine is Lady Charlotte, whose mother has her eye on Lord Andrew as a potential husband. But Charlotte finds him boring, unlike Lawrence, the handsome footman. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Janie is happy with her job cooking, but she too, like Charlotte, wants a life with more freedom and opportunities for change. Is there a connection between the girls? You bet. There will be romance and surprises, yes, and while some of the twists seem obvious, there are some readers won’t see coming. (Though one wonders how one secret in particular was kept so long in such a chatty household.) Longshore does a more than respectable job with a genre that’s become familiar with the success of Downton Abbey. The plot skips along, and even when things are at their most soap-operaish, this makes for a fun look back in time. Grades 9-11. --Ilene Cooper

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00EW2PXIG
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Point (January 28, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 28, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2804 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 341 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 28 ratings

About the author

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Katherine Longshore

Katherine Longshore

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Katherine Longshore grew up on the northern California coast. At university, she created her own major in Cross-Cultural Studies and Communications, planning to travel and write. Forever. Four years, six continents and countless pairs of shoes later, she went to England for two weeks, stayed five years and discovered history. She now lives in California with her husband, two children and a sun-worshiping dog.

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
3.9 out of 5
28 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Margaret C. Cargo
4.0 out of 5 stars A "Downton Abbey"-like page-turner for YAs.
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2014
Verified Purchase
This is an enjoyable and suspenseful book set in the Edwardian era. The story moves right along, making you want to keep reading until the end. Through her lead characters, the author portrays an era when class structure and the roles of women were changing rapidly.
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Sal64
3.0 out of 5 stars Good
Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2020
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Good
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Sophie Riggsby
5.0 out of 5 stars Manor of Secrets Delivers that Edwardian Period We Love
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2014
*Review posted on Page Turners Blog on 2/6/2014*

When I was asked if PTB would like to be a part of the Manor of Secrets blog tour, I may have rushed to my pantry looking for scone ingredients. No, seriously, I loved Katherine's Gilt and Tarnish (5-star review), and I read those over a span of two days, so I felt that I had to get prepared with rations for a good, indulgent reading session.

Armed with a full teapot and some freshly baked scones, I began to read. All the things I loved about Katherine's prior two stories were there -- the carefully researched details and the delightful intrigue that only occurs when you mix two classes, the upstairs and the downstairs together, in the most delicious of plots.

I adored Charlotte and Janie. They were both head-strong, passionate and knew that their current situation was not what they ultimately wanted for themselves. And boy oh boy, can Katherine write a stolen moment of forbidden romance between Lady Charlotte and the footman, Lawrence who find themselves waltzing:

This wasn't a showy dance with quick turns. It didn't cover a lot of ground. It wasn't one where the girl could draw attention to the drape of her skirts or traverse an entire ballroom. It was intimate. Close. Delicious. She was just getting the hang of it -- the music building into the final measures -- when Lawrence stepped her into a spin. She turned beneath his arm, looking up into his face. His hand was light on hers against her stomach. His breath whispered on her cheek.

Katherine has an absolute talent in making a historical novel, with all of its richness of manners and class structure, come alive with moments that modern readers can enjoy. I will admit that what attracted me to the story was the Edwardian period and promises of a "Downton Abbey" feel to the plot. I can assure you that Katherine delivered just that.
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Marilynn Rockelman
4.0 out of 5 stars Good for younger girls.
Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2014
Verified Purchase
I liked the morals of the story. I found the story predictable, but love the writer's style. I got hooked on her historical novels about Henry the 8th's court. Try them
One person found this helpful
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Maggie
3.0 out of 5 stars Great If You Enjoy Downton Abbey
Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2014
3.5 stars

Do you like Downton Abbey? If you do I would bet quite a bit of money that you’ll enjoy this book (which is obviously heavily inspired by Downton). However, if you’re like me and think that Downton Abbey, while fairly enjoyable, is simply a glorified British period soap opera with many historical inaccuracies, you’ll probably be slightly less sold.

Which isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy this book. I actually think I enjoyed it more than I enjoy Downton because, although the book is filled with Downton-worthy levels of drama, the drama here is somewhat less melodramatic or at least less dire. The main characters, Charlotte, the daughter of the manor, and Janie, the kitchen maid, were both charming and I immediately liked them both. Charlotte is a Lady Sybil, if you will, she’s lived a privileged life, but she begins to question certain things. Why are there all these divisions between upstairs and downstairs? Why must she marry the boring man her mother has picked out for her? Why can’t she pursue her desire to be a writer? Janie, on the other hand, is one of the kitchen maids, like a spunkier, smarter Daisy. Unlike Charlotte she’s happy with her station in life. After a rough childhood she’s grateful for her place at The Manor and really likes cooking and hopes to be a cook one day.

Charlotte, who has a very active imagination, thinks of Janie as this wild and daring character capable of doing anything. But obviously she isn’t, she has a job to do and very little freedom. After Charlotte follows Janie to the river one day she decides she wants to know more about Janie and eventually she convinces Janie to spy on her newly-arrive mysterious aunt. Janie resists, but eventually decides to do it, even if it does result in most of the servants thinking that Janie believes she’s better than them.

There is also a romance. There’s a dashing footman, Lawrence who is kind of a cross between Thomas and Branson. Charlotte and Lawrence carry on a flirtation, with Charlotte even basing the male character in her romance on him, but Lawrence is also very flirty with Janie and I was never quite sure I could trust him. Charlotte’s mother wants her to marry the dull Lord Broadhurst who Charlotte dreads interacting with. Janie also has a love interest, Harry, another servant, which is a problem because Charlotte’s unbending mother doesn’t allow relationships between her servants.

All of this leads to a lot of fast-paced drama that I found fun and interesting, but never managed to suspend disbelief enough to really become completely absorbed in. Do I believe people like Charlotte existed in Edwardian England? Sure, but I just don’t think any of the things that happen between Charlotte and Janie would have been likely to occur. I do think someone, say an actual teenager, with less knowledge of pre-World War I British politics and aristocracy could enjoy this quite a bit. Towards the end of the story a big secret emerges, I hadn’t guessed it exactly, but I had guessed it was something similar to what it ended up being. The soap-opera-loving side of me really enjoyed the secret, but yeah, it was pretty dramatic and I didn’t necessarily buy it.

Bottom Line: I enjoyed the characters, pacing, and writing in this one quite a bit, but as a history fan I just couldn’t get behind the story. If you’re a fan of Downton Abbey I would recommend giving this one a read, I just wouldn’t expect anything too serious.

I received an electronic review copy from the publisher via NetGalley (thank you!). All opinions are my own.
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Top reviews from other countries

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laura
5.0 out of 5 stars eccellente
Reviewed in Italy on February 14, 2016
Verified Purchase
Romanzo molto scorrevole e brillante. L'ho letto in pochi giorni. La storia mi è piaciuta molto e anche l'ambientazione non è niente male sebbene abbia faticato un pochino a capire tutte le parole. Il lettore ha la sensazione di vivere lui stesso dentro questa tenuta inglese.
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