Manor of Secrets by Katherine Longshore

Manor of Secrets by Katherine Longshore      
Release Date - January 28, 2014
Publisher Website - Scholastic
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 320 pages
My Rating - 4.5/5
**received in exchange for an honest review from the publisher**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

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.

An author's talent can be displayed in many ways. My favourite is when an author writes something a little different than their previous works, and still manages to captivate the reader. With Manor of Secrets, Katherine Longshore, manages to entertain with a much more lighthearted, fun read that is filled with delicious secrets.

Katherine's knack for creating a setting that perfectly captures the time frame of the story is once again spot on. She effortlessly brings every aspect of the manor to life. She manages to make the novel feel both timeless, and historical. Part of it's charm is that has modern feel while still completely capturing the history.

This novel hinges on it's characters. It's a character driven plot, and all of the characters are wonderfully captured. With a plot that revolves around family, it was wonderful to see parents play such an active role in a young adult novel. The blending of friendship, family, and romance was perfectly managed. There is just enough of each to satisfy without any aspect of the novel taking over. It allows a balance that keeps the novel moving, and prevents the focus from wearing thin.

Both Charlotte and Janie want to create their own path. They both want something more than what they currently have. It's this yearning for betterment that grounds the story as relevant today. Finding yourself, determining who you are, is part of growing up. Following your own heart, rather than the wishes of someone else, is something everyone grapples with. Disappointing others, feeling selfish, scared, and unsure. All these feelings are part of leaving your teen years behind and setting off down your own path. It reminds us that even historical novels can shine a light on current social issues.

The twists, and secrets that come out are incredibly fun. There is one that, while I expected it, came about in the most unexpected way. The exact nature of the secret, and connection, manged to surprise me. It creates a dizzying, giddy last part to the novel that left a smile on my face.

Fans of Downton Abbey will immediately adore this book, but I think anyone will fall for it's charms. A well written, quaint tale of friendship, standing up for yourself, and taking that leap faith. It left me happy, content, and I eagerly anticipate any future novels Katherine Longshore writes as her skill only continues to improve.

Manor of Secrets Blog Tour

Today as part of the blog tour for Manor of Secrets I have Katherine Longshore stopping by with a guest post. Be sure to enter the US ONLY giveaway at the bottom as well! 

First here is a little about Manor of Secrets

Release Date: January 28, 2014

Pages: 320

Publisher: Point (Scholastic)

Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble

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.

Accuracy in historical fiction is something that is normally discussed when reviewing. I always wondered if remaining historically accurate helped or hurt while writing/plotting a novel. I got to ask Katherine that exact question and here is her amazing answer:

Here’s a secret: people who write historical fiction are a little obsessive.

 

Historical accuracy is important to us.

I once heard that Hilary Mantel (author of WOLF HALL, and BRING UP THE BODIES) claimed that she would invent the thoughts in a character’s head, but would research the color of his wallpaper.  (This is not a direct quote, and I can’t remember where I read it, but you get the gist).  With that level of obsession, how does one ever write a book?

Research is, of course, the foundation.  Events, important historical figures, societal dictates and attitudes, basic daily structures.  But once you start researching, the rest becomes important, too.  What was the weather like on a certain day?  How did one travel by train from Romney Marsh to Penshust Station in 1911?  What kind of car would a duke’s son drive?  And what color could it be?  And what word would they use to describe that color?

Next thing you know, five hours have passed and you’ve written one sentence.

One.

During the next round of revisions, that sentence gets cut because it’s extraneous.

Now, some people might throw up their hands in disgust and cry, “What a waste of time!”  But we don’t see it that way.  Because in the course of all that research and all that extraneous detail, we also got a better idea of what life was like for our characters. How much it would cost and what kind of effort it would take to buy that make, model and color of car.  Which might give us an idea of the kind of person who would buy it.

My Tudor novels (GILT, TARNISH and BRAZEN) are all about real people living through real events.  Historical accuracy is absolutely essential in these stories because, as we all know, history cannot be changed.  Anne Boleyn has to marry Henry VIII, and then she has to die.  There is no way around it.  But even with that knowledge, those events are not what drives the stories forward in my Tudor books.  The stories are about the characters—their choices move the story forward.

MANOR OF SECRETS was, in some ways, a little easier.  The historical events are background.  During the summer of 1911, King George V was crowned, the Ballets Russes came to London and caused a sensation, dockworkers went on strike and an extended period of record-breaking temperatures pushed the country into drought.  All of these events are mentioned in MANOR, but again, none of them are the impetus behind the stories of these two girls.

What affects these characters are societal dictates.  What’s expected of them.  What their communities have said they can and cannot do.  And again, historical accuracy is key.  Lady Charlotte doesn’t have the freedom to wander off on her own, to go to university or even to get her hands dirty.  Janie is not allowed to see three quarters of the house she lives in, have a boyfriend or take a day off work.

These are the rules of the story world.  But part of the fun of writing fiction is having characters break a few rules (because, obviously, if they just did what they were told all the time, the story would be quite boring).  Perhaps it’s not historically accurate for a lady of the house to befriend a servant.  But it makes for a good story, because therein the tension lies.

However, you can only break the rules of the story world once they’ve been established—once you’ve done the research.  So even when dedication to historical accuracy can seem like a hindrance (having to cut a sentence that took five hours to write), it’s still really a help.  Because every single detail—used or unused—cements the author and the reader further into the story world, and can be used to propel the story forward.

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.

Website/Blog/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads

Here are the rest of the Manor of Secrets tour stops! Please, do check them out!

Week One:

1/27/2014- Fiktshun- Guest Post

1/28/2014- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post

1/29/2014- Good Books and Good Wine- Review

1/30/2014- Hobbitsies- Review

1/31/2014- Magical Urban Fantasy Reads- Interview

Week Two:

2/3/2014- A Glass Of Wine- Guest Post

2/4/2014- Mundie Moms- Interview & Review

2/5/2014- Read My Breath Away- Guest Post

2/6/2014- Page Turners- Review

2/7/2014- Tales of a Ravenous Reader- Guest Post

Do not forget to enter the giveaway below. FIVE copies of Manor of Secrets are up for grabs, so be sure to fill out the Rafflecopter, and good luck!

A huge thank you to both Katherine, and the Rockstar Book Tours ladies for organizing this (and letting me take part). My review will go up tomorrow (spoiler, I LOVED this novel) so stop by to check it out.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

2014 Most Anticipated - Brazen and Manor of Secrets

The next book I've selected for the 2014 Most Anticipated Event is actually two books for the price of one. This author has TWO amazing sounding novels coming out in 2014 and I couldn't pick just one. Katherine Longshore's Brazen and Manor of Secrets.

Here is the Goodreads synopsis for Brazen

Mary Howard has always lived in the shadow of her powerful family. But when she’s married off to Henry Fitzroy, King Henry VIII’s illegitimate son, she rockets into the Tudor court’s inner circle. Mary and “Fitz” join a tight clique of rebels who test the boundaries of court’s strict rules with their games, dares, and flirtations. The more Mary gets to know Fitz, the harder she falls for him, but is forbidden from seeing him alone. The rules of court were made to be pushed…but pushing them too far means certain death. Is true love worth dying for?

Here is the Goodreads synopsis for Manor of Secrets

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.

One is being compared to Downton Abbey and the other is historical Tudor goodness. I can not wait to get my hands on either of them. Katherine was kind enough to answer a few questions about BOTH novels for me. Here is our Q and A

1. Describe Manor of Secrets in three words.

The tagline on the front cover pretty much sums it up:

Upstairs.  Downstairs.  Drama.

2. Can you give us a little tease about the third Royal Circle book (which we now know is called Brazen)?

BRAZEN takes place in the time period between TARNISH and GILT and follows the story of Mary Howard (daughter of the Duke of Norfolk, who we also see in GILT).  There are weddings and funerals, secrets, betrayals, friendship, ruination, love and hope.  It was also the most difficult book I've ever written, possibly because I was being more brave with my writing and the emotion often struck close to home.  My editor says it’s my best work yet.

3. Both novels are historical, but sound quite different. How did the research differ for each book?

Because I have already done so much reading and research on the Tudor era, my research for BRAZEN was very specific to time, place and character.  Unfortunately, there’s not much written about Mary, so I had to do quite a lot of digging!  Many, many hours in front of the computer trolling through the Letters and Papers of Henry VIII.

Researching MANOR OF SECRETS was completely different.  I wasn't’t writing about real people, so I didn’t have to research hair color or personality quirks or who was where, when.  But I did have to catch up on my history.  Before I started writing, all of my early 20th century knowledge came from E.M. Forster novels, my costume design classes, and Downton Abbey. I had an absolutely wonderful time reading about how a Manor house was run, what daily life would have been like (dressing for dinner every night?) and what events shaped the summer of 1911.  My favorite part of that research was reading the biographies of women in service—kitchen maids and cooks, especially.  Even now that MANOR is finished, I read these books for fun!

4. How would the main character in Manor of Secrets describe the main character in the third Tudor book and vice versa?

Charlotte (the duke’s daughter in MANOR) would probably think that Mary’s life is romantic and adventurous—the royalty, the opulence of the court, falling in love.  Janie (the kitchen maid) would possibly think Mary was spoiled—she never had to work a day in her life.  But Janie would also see the difficulty and tragedy beneath the romantic veneer of the Tudor world.

Mary would recognize a kindred spirit in Charlotte—leading a life that on the surface is perfect, but in reality is full of demands and disappointment.  And Mary might almost be jealous of Janie—a girl who can earn her own wage and therefore has control of her own life.

But when they really got to know each other, I have a feeling that all three girls would be friends.

5 What 2014 release are you most looking forward to?

I’m looking forward to so many!  INTO THE STILL BLUE by Veronica Rossi, A MAD, WICKED FOLLY by Sharon Biggs Waller, MAID OF DECEPTION by Jennifer McGowan, ISLA AND THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER by Stephanie Perkins, THE SOUND OF LETTING GO by Stasia Ward Kehoe, WHAT I THOUGHT WAS TRUE by Huntley Fitzpatrick…I could go on—so many wonderful books coming out next year!

A huge thank you to Katherine for taking the time to answer these. Brazen will be in stores June 12, 2014. Manor of Secrets will be in stores January 28, 2014.

If you want to learn more you can visit the author's website, or the Scholastic/Penguin websites.

You can pre-order Brazen at the following retailers

Amazon
Barnes and Noble

You can pre-order Manor of Secrets at the following retailers

Chapters
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

You'll have a chance to win one of these titles soon, as I will be hosting a giveaway that these interviews may help you win!

Be sure to let me know what you think of either of these titles, Katherine's Q and A, or anything else in the comments!

New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews).

Mailbox of awesome this week!

Manor of Secrets by Katherine Longshore (Goodreads)

Last Night At The Viper Room by Gavin Edwards (Goodreads)

The Killing Woods by Lucy Christopher (Goodreads)

Huge thank you to Scholastic, and Harper Collins USA for the books this week. The hardcover of Last Night At The Viper Room is pretty, and there are some amazing photographs inside. Lucy Christopher's Stolen is still one of my favourite reads and I am excited to read The Killing Woods. It goes without saying that I fangirl over Katherine Longshore's books. I am excited to read Manor of Secrets as I've been hearing good things!

Happy Reading, and Happy Weekend!

Waiting on Wednesda.... Manor of Secrets

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My pick this week is Manor of Secrets by Katherine Longshore

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

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.

It's no secret I adore Katherine Longshore's books. I am intrigued by the sound of this one. It's exactly what you'd expect from Katherine, but still seems so different from her previous novels. 

Expected release date - January 28, 2014

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

Here are my obsessions this week:

BOOKS

Night Film by Marisha Pessl

Just finished this late last night, and words cannot even describe how good it is. The writing, the plot, the way everything unfolds. I will not say too much (want to save it for my review) but this book is going to be on a lot of beaches come it's August release date. 

Cover of Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd

I thought The Madman's Daughter had a pretty cover, but Her Dark Curiosity has outdone even that. It's the dress, the London backdrop, and the way the model stands out against everything. It automatically catches your eye. Needless to say after reading the INTRIGUING synopsis I am dying to get my hands on this book.

Cover of Perfect Lies by Kiersten White

 The sequel to Mind Games has a cover that matches, and is also awesome. I loved the Mind Games cover, and this one is equally eye catching. The synopsis was also released, and it sounds like it'll be an exciting conclusion to this duology.

Cover of Defy by Sara B Larson

The premise of this one caught my attention. Just read the synopsis and you'll be pining too! I love that she disguises herself as a boy to be part of the Prince's guard. The love triangle mention has me a little leery, but if done well they can be a fantastic plot point. I love the mixture of rose with the sword imagery this title uses. It's a nod to the main character, and it's genre.

Cover of Manor of Secrets by Katherine Longshore

I have loved all of Katherine's previous novels, and I can't wait to get my hands on this one. It's been compared to Downton Abbey and I do love historical fiction, especially with a fantastic sounding synopsis. I think this is going to be a fun read.

TV


Primetime Emmy Awards pre-nomination voting

 The ballots to determine who will be nominated at this year's Emmy Awards were made available this past week. I become obsessed with the actual nomination themselves, but this year the pre-nomination voting has caught my attention. There are so many amazing performances that deserved to be recognized. High up on that list for me is Freddie Highmore for his performance as Norman Bates in Bates Motel. He, surprisingly, was put forward in the supporting category. I do think this helps his chances of getting a nomination, but it's a weird choice as his role is pretty much the lead in the series. I can't wait until the official nominations are announced in July.


So what are you obsessed with this week?