Dixie and Dottie

 

"Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor"

Melanie Dobson

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.

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"Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor" is filled with unexpected twists and turns and loaded with secrets just waiting to come out in the open.  

This book starts off taking place in the 1950's then comes back to present day.  I believe I liked reading the 1950's part of the story more than the present day.  It was kinda' weird too, reading about the characters in the here and now and at the same time reading about their childhood.  

My favorite character in this story was Walter.  He was so loving, forgiving and patient.  We could all learn from his example:  to forgive people who hurt us and still love them.  He wasn't hurt just once, but at least three times, all from the people he loved the most.  

I do wish, however, that the women in this book would have learned from their family members mistakes.  But they didn't.  Finally, the fourth generation seemed to do things right.  

I was expecting more of the book to be about the sixty year old murder mystery.  Although, I will say that the murderer was someone I never even thought of.  Reading the unexpected is more enjoyable than having things figured out ahead of time, so job well done on that one!

Read more about the book here.

I RECEIVED THIS COMPLIMENTARY BOOK FROM LITFUSE FOR REVIEW PURPOSES.