The Legacy of Longdale Manor by Carrie Turansky (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

What is the weather like by you?  I live in Northeast Wisconsin along Lake Michigan and should be enjoying cool fall weather, but instead we had an eighty-degree day today.  It’s hard to believe it’s October.  Living by Lake Michigan, I always wonder about the Lake District in England, which is the setting of The Legacy of Longdale Manor.

In 2012, Gwen Morris is a young art historian working for her Grandfather.  She has made a major mistake in an evaluation of a piece of art.  Her grandfather sends her away to the estate of a family friend, Longdale Manor, to appraise the pieces there.  The owner, Lilly Benderly hopes that the sale of household treasures will garner enough money to fix up the estate into a luxury hotel run by her grandson, David.  As she is assessing the household items, Gwen finds a 100-year-old journal and a carved shepherd’s staff that looks like one in a picture with her parents.  She knows nothing about her father and works to find answers.

In 1912, Charlotte Harper’s father has suddenly died.  Unfortunately, the family discovers at his death that they have no money and Charlotte discovers a secret about her father that she keeps to herself in order to not hurt her family.  The family is forced to sell their heavily mortgaged home and move to the sheep farm of Charlotte’s mother’s friend in hopes of being able to mend the relationship with Charlotte’s grandfather who owns the nearby Longdale Manor.  Will Charlotte find love with shepherd Ian Storey?

I love dual timelines and I enjoyed both of these stories equally.  I like how the stories were interconnected and brought together at the end.  I also enjoyed the love stories of both couples. 

This was a great inspirational book.  It was a unique and enjoyable book that discussed the faith journey of the main characters.  Both women were looking for God’s guidance in their lives as they looked to forgive past wrongs perpetrated by their fathers and move forward with their lives.  It was a story that included forgiveness, redemption, and second chances.  Those are all themes that I enjoy reading about.  It was also a clean read.

I enjoyed the author’s note at the end of the novel which explained some of the background historical events (the Keswick Convention) as well as the beauty of the England’s Lake District.  I really would love to visit the Lake District one day.

Overall, The Legacy of Longdale Manor is a gentle, faith-filled story that is a must-read novel.

Book Source:  Review copy from Bethany House as a part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

QUICK FACTS

·       Title: The Legacy of Longdale Manor

·       Author: Carrie Turansky

·       Genre: Historical Romance, Dual Timeline Fiction, Inspirational Fiction

·       Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (September 26, 2023)

·       Length: (352) pages

·       Format: Hardcover, Trade Paperback, eBook, & Audiobook 

·       ISBN: 978-0764241055‎

·       Tour Dates: September 25 – October 9, 2023

 

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Two women—a century apart—embark on a journey to healing, faith, forgiveness, and romance.

In 2012, art historian Gwen Morris travels to England's Lake District to appraise the paintings and antiques of an old family friend, hoping to prove herself to her prestigious grandfather. While at Longdale Manor, she meets David Bradford--the owner's handsome grandson--who is desperate to save the crumbling estate by turning it into a luxury hotel. When Gwen stumbles upon a one-hundred-year-old journal and an intricately carved shepherd's staff similar to one in a photo of her parents, she's left searching for answers.

In 1912, after her father's death, Charlotte Harper uncovers a painful family secret she can only confess to her journal. She and her family travel to the Lake District to stay on a sheep farm, hoping eventually to find a home with Charlotte's grandfather at Longdale Manor, but old wounds and bitter regrets make it a difficult challenge. As Charlotte grows closer to shepherd Ian Storey and rebuilds her shattered faith, she must decide whether she will ever trust in love again.

 

PRAISE FOR A BEAUTIFUL DISGUISE

• "This novel will stir your faith—and your desire to visit England's Lake District!" —Julie Klassen, bestselling author of The Sisters of Seaview
• "Turansky opens the door of Longdale Manor and invites readers to explore the secrets hidden inside." —Melanie Dobson, award-winning author of Chateau of Secrets
• "A beautiful book to warm and lift the heart." —Cathy Gohlke, Christy Hall of Fame author

 

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | PUBLISHER | BOOKSHOP | BOOKBUB |    GOODREADS

 

AUTHOR BIO

Carrie Turansky is the award-winning author of twenty-one inspirational novels and novellas and a winner of the Carol Award, the International Digital Award, and the HOLT Medallion. She loves traveling to England to research her Edwardian novels, including No Journey Too Far, No Ocean Too Wide, Across the Blue, and the Edwardian Brides series. Her novels have been translated into several languages and have received starred reviews from Christianbook.com and Library Journal. 

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