Review: Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor by Melanie Dobson

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About the book:

When Heather Toulson returns to her parents’ cottage in the English countryside, she uncovers long-hidden secrets about her family history and stumbles onto the truth about a sixty-year-old murder.

Libby, a free spirit who can’t be tamed by her parents, finds solace with her neighbor Oliver, the son of Lord Croft of Ladenbrooke Manor. Libby finds herself pregnant and alone when her father kicks her out and Oliver mysteriously drowns in a nearby river. Though theories spread across the English countryside, no one is ever held responsible for Oliver’s death.

Sixty years later, Heather Toulson, returning to her family’s cottage in the shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor, is filled with mixed emotions. She’s mourning her father’s passing but can’t let go of the anger and resentment over their strained relationship. Adding to her confusion, Heather has an uneasy reunion with her first love, all while sorting through her family’s belongings left behind in the cottage. What she uncovers will change everything she thought she knew about her family’s history.

Award-winning author Melanie Dobson seamlessly weaves the past and present together, fluidly unraveling the decades-old mystery and reveals how the characters are connected in shocking ways.

Set in a charming world of thatched cottages, lush gardens, and lovely summer evenings, this romantic and historical mystery brings to light the secrets and heartaches that have divided a family for generations.

My rating:
4 stars
(View my rating system)

My thoughts:

Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor was a good read. I enjoyed the mystery of what had happened and following along as the characters put the "puzzle pieces" together. 

The story definitely wasn't a "happy" read and had several heartbreaking moments. I felt for the characters and all the things that happened to them. 

All in all, Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor was a great read and one that I'm glad that I finally read. I recommend it.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

Find the book on:
Amazon (aff link), Goodreads

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End of Summer Birthday Bash | Day Three ~ Interview with Melanie Dobson & Giveaway!

Welcome to Christian Bookshelf Reviews, Melanie!! Will you tell us a little about yourself?

Sure--I'm a mom of two girls and passionate about the redemptive power of stories, both fiction and nonfiction. My husband's work in computer animation has moved us all over the country and we spent a season living in Germany, but we've finally settled (for now) in a beautiful valley near Portland, Oregon. I've written sixteen novels. Only thirteen have been published, but I labored just as hard over the three that are collecting dust! Our family is also passionate about loving kids who don't have safe homes which means our house is often quite full--and crazy loud.

What is your newest novel, Chateau of Secrets, about?

Château of Secrets is about a French noblewoman named Gisèle Duchant who risks her life to hide members of the French resistance in the tunnels under her family’s château even as the Nazi Germans occupy her home. Seventy years later Gisèle’s granddaughter, Chloe Sauver, returns to the abandoned château to interview with a filmmaker named Riley Holtz. As Chloe and Riley begin to unravel her grandmother’s story, they are both shocked at the family secrets they uncover.

What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Hmm...I don't know if it's interesting, but I have a hard time writing at home (easily distracted by laundry and dishes!) so I sip tea and write in all sorts of locations--a myriad of local coffee shops, the library, even a spa that lets me hunker down in their lounge for the day.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

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Review: Chateau of Secrets by Melanie Dobson

About the book:

A courageous young noblewoman risks her life to hide French resistance fighters; seventy years later, her granddaughter visits the family’s abandoned chateau and uncovers shocking secrets from the past.

Gisèle Duchant guards a secret that could cost her life. Tunnels snake through the hill under her family’s medieval chateau in Normandy. Now, with Hitler’s army bearing down, her brother and several friends are hiding in the tunnels, resisting the German occupation of France.

But when German soldiers take over the family’s château, Gisèle is forced to host them as well—while harboring the resistance fighters right below their feet. Taking in a Jewish friend’s baby, she convinces the Nazis that it is her child, ultimately risking everything for the future of the child. When the German officers begin to suspect her deception, an unlikely hero rescues both her and the child.

A present day story weaves through the past one as Chloe Sauver, Gisèle’s granddaughter, arrives in Normandy. After calling off her engagement with a political candidate, Chloe pays a visit to the chateau to escape publicity and work with a documentary filmmaker, Riley, who has uncovered a fascinating story about Jews serving in Hitler’s army. Riley wants to research Chloe’s family history and the lives that were saved in the tunnels under their house in Normandy. Chloe is floored—her family isn’t Jewish, for one thing, and she doesn’t know anything about tunnels or the history of the house. But as she begins to explore the dark and winding passageways beneath the chateau, nothing can prepare her for the shock of what she and Riley discover…

With emotion and intrigue, Melanie Dobson brings World War II France to life in this beautiful novel about war, family, sacrifice, and the secrets of the past.

My rating:

My thoughts:

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