April 2015, Troubador, 480 pages, Ebook, Review copy from NetGalley
Content: gentle romance, magic, humour,
Summary from Troubador
Katharina Stuart, nicknamed Kat, has a pretty normal life. She has a
great job in London writing for a magazine and comes home every night to
her beautiful apartment and her fiancé John. Most people would envy
her, but Kat has always felt like something is missing from her life…
After being assigned a new set of stories, from which she is struggling to gain any enthusiasm, Kat is given a new lead on an old property for sale called 'Northfield'. It intrigues her that the old butler still lives there and she finds a flurry of excitement that this could be her new story, so proceeds to try and get him to agree to an interview.
Northfield does not disappoint in any way. It is old, in beautiful grounds and the grandeur it radiates has Kat captivated from the moment she arrives. She befriends the charming George who still lives there, and as he gains her trust he allows the story of how he came to live there to unfold. He is not alone in the house, and his unbelievable tale of witches, magic and spells makes Kat begin to question her own beliefs…
It’s not long before Kat experiences the magic of Northfield first hand, and as she spends more time with the occupants of the old house she so desperately wants to help her new friends. But in doing so, her relationship with John becomes strained, with the added complication of Nadine, his work colleague… Will Kat decide to follow her heart and her dreams, or follow her head and the voice of reasoning? Whatever path she chooses, she knows that her decision will change her life forever.
After being assigned a new set of stories, from which she is struggling to gain any enthusiasm, Kat is given a new lead on an old property for sale called 'Northfield'. It intrigues her that the old butler still lives there and she finds a flurry of excitement that this could be her new story, so proceeds to try and get him to agree to an interview.
Northfield does not disappoint in any way. It is old, in beautiful grounds and the grandeur it radiates has Kat captivated from the moment she arrives. She befriends the charming George who still lives there, and as he gains her trust he allows the story of how he came to live there to unfold. He is not alone in the house, and his unbelievable tale of witches, magic and spells makes Kat begin to question her own beliefs…
It’s not long before Kat experiences the magic of Northfield first hand, and as she spends more time with the occupants of the old house she so desperately wants to help her new friends. But in doing so, her relationship with John becomes strained, with the added complication of Nadine, his work colleague… Will Kat decide to follow her heart and her dreams, or follow her head and the voice of reasoning? Whatever path she chooses, she knows that her decision will change her life forever.
Nayu's thoughts
This
book is AWESOME! It's magical, very fairytale like in content. I felt
it was a vague retelling of Beauty and the Beast, a tale which I
love. I was swept away by the way Kat handled the bizarre
situation she found herself in. I saw much sooner than she did her
current relationship wasn't in good shape, and she found sanctuary in
the unusual country home and it's occupants. I'm happy to say that Kat's best friend made me laugh a lot, especially when she
learnt about the secret – she's like a super charged duracell
bunny! (that's a type of English batteries)
I had to stop reading
when I needed to go to work, and boy was I glad to get home and find
out how it all ended (happily, that's all I'll say). There's a hint
of history in the house environment and how Kat's new friends
speak, but the tale's magic meant that the sometimes over formal
conversation didn't impact the overall grade. I loved the sound of
the tasty food, as well as the pretty clothes that Kat wears
while at the unique house. I hope it gets made into an audiobook as
it's one I want to reread many times!
Find out more on Jane's website.
1 comment:
Dear Nayu,
I am so pleased that you loved the story as much as I did. I enjoyed every minute of writing it and so to know that people out there are loving it as much as me is fantastic.
Thank you for your lovely review.
Jane
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