Title: Manor of Secrets Author: Katherine Longshore
Published: January 28, 2014
Genre(s): Historical Fiction
Page Count: 320
Rating:
Summary from Goodreads: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.
Well. This book…this book is not very good. Not very good at all. There’s definitely been a spate of Downton Abbey read-alikes popping up over the past 18 months or so, and I thought I’d try one on for size. Manor of Secrets does not inspire confidence in the trend. It’s shallow, poorly written, and silly. Longshore’s story is lacking in depth and realism to a level that makes even Downton Abbey look like a dry, uber-serious documentary.
Manor of Secrets covers about a week’s timespan, following the developing relationship between Lady Charlotte and Janie the kitchen maid. Both girls are looking for something more out of their life, beyond the roles that society has imposed on them. Add in a whole lot of drama and some super cheesy feel-good moments, and you’ve got this book in a nutshell.
Basically, this book is just really badly written. Longshore’s prose is juvenile and sloppy, her characterization is non-existent. The story moves so quickly that I’m almost convinced this was the condensed version or something; there are gaps in the narrative, things that don’t add up. The scenes are staged clumsily, the dialogue is unrealistic and stilted. The characters are weak and hopelessly underdeveloped, and the plot is dramatic and contrived to an extreme that really has me wondering who decided publishing was a viable option. From every possible technical standpoint, Manor of Secrets is a pile of rubbish—I’m not even sure it’s redeemable.
I think there are a lot of components that go into a good book, and some readers will value certain things more than others. But the complete lack of skill or talent present in this book is disheartening on every level. I was honestly angry by how awkward and mediocre Longshore’s storytelling, writing, and craftmanship was here. I had a review copy, and I’m wondering if I accidentally got the first draft instead of the finished manuscript. Manor of Secrets is just that bad.
There’s also the issue of plot—it’s just too far-fetched to be even considered realistic. Maybe if Katherine Longshore had been able to give the story some depth and grounding in some form, I would have been able to stomach the absolutely out-there content. The events in Manor of Secrets are unbelievably far-fetched. Even Disney fairytales are better than this, honestly. And, again, the novel’s overall poor quality didn’t help at all.
Basically, this book needs a lot of work to be even decent reading. I find the fact that this is being published to be downright embarrassing. I expect quality work in fiction, especially from traditional publishers. Manor of Secrets is definitely not quality work—far from it. This book is sloppy, messy, silly, and shows a distinct lack of talent from Longshore.
