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Loading... The last secret of the Deverills (Deverill Trilogy 3) (original 2016; edition 2017)by Santa Montefiore
Work InformationThe Last Secret of the Deverills by Santa Montefiore (2016)
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers. I love this series - this is the second or third book in this series that I have read and I am determined to read them all! Santa Montefiore does a fantastic job of taking family secrets to the next level and developing so many layers of dramatic threads into decades and generations that affect not just one family, but an entire town! ( )This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers. When I received this book, I was unaware it was part of a series. This is really not a stand alone novel, in my opinion. When I had finally read the first two books in the series, this third installment was much more enjoyable. I appreciated the drama of the relationships, the realism of the history, and the suspenseful plot. An enjoyable read. This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers. I was excited to receive a free copy of this book from Librarything and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This one took me a little while to read and review because I had to find and read re second book before I could read this one. And I have to say this one didn't disappoint. I always enjoy Santa Montefiore's books and this one is no exception. This is the third in the series and I would recommend reading them in order. Historical Fiction set in Ireland, with friendship, love, a bit of drama/suspense. It had everything I like. And it wrapped up this series well. I've never watched soap operas on television but boy do I devour them in book form! Of course, they aren't generally called soap operas in book form. Instead they're called things like epics or family sagas. In fact, I already called the first two books in Santa Montefiore's Deverill Chronicles trilogy (The Girl in the Castle and The Daughters of Ireland) family sagas. The third and final book of the trilogy, The Secret of the Irish Castle, is the grand resolution to this saga. And in its case, it would be fair to say that it is not just a family saga but a great stonking Irish soap opera with all the twists and turns appropriate to a television show. Martha Wallace is from Connecticut. She's come to Ireland with her old nanny and is looking for her birth mother after her younger sister's spiteful revelation that Martha was adopted. She has no idea what she'll find as far as her mother goes but she does find JP Deverill, making a connection with him that will turn out to dig up long buried secrets and change the direction of both of their lives as the next generation of Deverills, O'Learys, and Doyles take their places in the family drama. Bridie Doyle has married and returned to Ballinakelly as the Countess di Marcantonio. She, her flirtatious, womanizing husband, and their spoiled son are now the owners of Deverill Castle but Bridie feels as out of place as ever, not comfortable as the great lady of the manor but no longer Bridie the cook's daughter either. Kitty Deverill and her husband Robert still live in Ballinakelly with their daughter and JP, Kitty's half brother whom Kitty has raised since infancy. Kitty is terribly distraught by Bridie's ownership of the family home and the two formerly close friends remain completely estranged. But that isn't the worst of it for Kitty, as she discovers when Jack O'Leary, the man she has loved her whole life, moves back to Ballinakelly with his wife Emer and their three children. As the shadow of WWII draws closer and then through the war and out the other side, mistakes will be made, hearts will be broken, relationships will be revisited and reclaimed for good or for ill, and a tangle of lies and deceit will unravel. Montefiore does wrap up all the story lines from the previous two books here in this final work of the trilogy. Readers who are coming to this after the other two books will not be surprised by any of the resolutions but readers who are picking this up without reading the other two books are likely to be a bit confused by the history they are missing. So this is probably best read only after books one and two. As in the other books, love and family are terribly important but here the theme of forgiveness is tantamount. And to be sure, there's a lot of forgiveness that needs to be given here! The paranormal elements of the story line and acknowledgment and importance of the family curse are still here but they are quite minimized despite framing the rest of the story. All story lines are tidily resolved, characters get what they deserve and things end up the way they've always needed to end, if a bit easily at that. There's less of an Irish feel to this story than to the previous two, perhaps because it relies so much less on important events of Irish history and more on the individual characters and their feelings. The novel is a bit predictable but over all a satisfying conclusion to an engrossing summer read. Centuries ago, a curse was placed upon the Deverills after taking a building a castle on the O'Leary land. Since then, every male Deverill heir has been trapped in a limbo inside the castle upon their death. For the curse to be broken, the land must come back into the hands of an O'Leary. Now, in 1939, the Deverill Castle has fallen out of Deverill hands and has been bought up by former housemaid Bridie after she came into money in New York. Bridie believed taking the Castle from the Deverills would be a perfect revenge, but still feels like an outsider in her hometown. Jack O'Leary also returns to Ballinakelly from New York with a wife and kids in tow upsetting the gentle balance that Kitty has made with her family. Meanwhile, Bridie's daughter that she believes has died, comes looking for her family believing that Lady Rowan-Hampton is her birth mother. However, she is just the one who began many of the lies and deceptions. With everyone in one place, old flames light once again and new ones spark. A chance for JP Deverill and Alana O'Leary to end everything with true love. After generations of lies, mistakes, secrets and missteps, the Deverills and O'Learys will have to dig deep for forgiveness. The Secret of the Irish Castle is the last book in the Deverill Chronicles trilogy. I would highly recommend reading these in order, there is much to keep track of and a lot of history. It was almost difficult for me to read this last installment because so much tension existed between all of the characters due to the massive web of lies and deceptions that they have formed over the years in the belief that it would keep them safe. It was a relief when everything begun to crash down around them. Santa Montefiore deftly moves through the many subplots happening at once in a way that kept me engaged and interested while showing the beauty of the Irish landscape, Castle and people as well as the intensity of war. I was glad that more of the ghost's stories were brought to light along with how the curse began with Maggie O'Leary as well as their influence over their descendants. A rollercoaster of emotions, The Secret of the Irish Castle went from triumph to tragedy, heartbreak to happiness and fury to forgiveness which is what lies at the heart of the story. This book was received for free in return for an honest review. no reviews | add a review
Belongs to Series
1939: Peace has flourished since the Great War ended, but much has changed for the Deverill family as now a new generation is waiting in the wings to make their mark. When Martha Wallace leaves her home in America to search for her birth mother in Dublin, she never imagines that she will completely lose her heart to the impossibly charming JP Deverill. But more surprises are in store for her after she discovers that her mother comes from the same place as JP, sealing her fate. Bridie Doyle, now Countess di Marcantonio and mistress of Castle Deverill, is determined to make the castle she used to work in her home. But just as she begins to feel things are finally going her way, her flamboyant husband Cesare has other ideas. As his eye strays away from his wife, those close to the couple wonder if he really is who he says he is. Kitty Deverill has come to accept her life with her husband Robert, and their two children. But then Jack O'Leary, the love of her life, returns to Ballinakelly. And this time his heart belongs elsewhere. As long-held secrets come to light, the Deverills will have to heal old wounds and come to terms with the past if they hope to ensure their legacy for the future. No library descriptions found. |
LibraryThing Early Reviewers AlumSanta Montefiore's book The Secret of the Irish Castle was available from LibraryThing Early Reviewers. Current DiscussionsNonePopular covers
Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.92Literature English & Old English literatures English fiction Modern Period 2000-LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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