T.J. Brown

This longish novel was a lovely read, and the prose is often rather delicious (and as a Yank I'm probably obligated to also say how very British it seemed). There are lots of frills and brief side-tours that add spice and interest, especially for those readers who like a good rumble around an antique store.

After an eerie little prologue, the story starts waaaay back in the mid-1100s giving obscure historical details that are crucial to the rest of the story, even if it might not seem so at show more first. Most of the story takes place "right about now", and the protagonist is Newton Barlow, a hip young theoretical physicist and TV personality—sort of like an even groovier Carl Sagan but into fusion research instead of cosmology. Newton has his ups and downs. Real mind-blowing downs, in fact, about 20% through the book. But much of the story also concerns his re-rise from the depths, and I won't tell you how. Chapter Nine contains the narrative of a wonderful first date; the kind all of us might love to experience with that real deep instant connection and awesome sauce poured all over it.

The action/adventure elements ratchet up rather a lot in the last quarter or so. I enjoyed a load of characters, like the bespectacled mentor, the fab new girlfriend, the sullen teenage daughter, the trigger happy priest, the medieval machinery, the Spanish Inquisition, and the souped-up Citroën. Golly. In fact, I woke up around 4:00 a.m., after having stopped 86% of the way through the book the night before, and scurried into my dark study to read the rest of it.

Along the way through the 400 e-pages of this delightful work, I didn't spot even one typographical error, so this one has now been inducted into the company of other Golden Rodent award recipients.

Oh... I obtained this for free during one of those Amazon promotions, but in retrospect, I would gladly have paid the going $3.99 price. show less

The backstory: Summerset Abbey is the first in a new young adult Edwardian trilogy.

The basics: When their father dies, Rowena and Victoria Buxton are forced to leave their home and go live with their aunt and uncle. It's a house the girls know well, as they've visited each year. In order to bring Prudence, the daughter of their now deceased governess, whom they think of as a sister, the girls have no choice but to have Prudence come as their lady's maid.

My thoughts: Summerset Abbey ties in show more so well with the Downton Abbey craze (how long until season four makes its way to the U.S.?) It's story isn't as complex, but it is wonderfully entertaining. I like to think of the Edwardian era as a kind of coming of age for England (and much of the world.) To see these young women entering adulthood at such a time of changing priorities is quite fascinating. By going from a more liberal worldview of their father, who treated Prudence as a daughter and encourage all three girls to rally for women's vote, to the more traditional and conservative world of their uncle is a challenge for all three girls.

While all three girls share narration, I was most drawn to Prudence's story (I imagine Rowena and Victoria will each take a turn with more of a starring role in the trilogy's remaining tow books.) All three girls are caught between two worlds, but Prudence doesn't have a true role in either the upstairs or downstairs life. Further complicating the matter is her quest to learn more about her mother and thus herself.

Favorite passage: "Most people don't want to be alone with their thoughts," he finally said. "Maybe they have boring thoughts."

The verdict: Summerset Abbey is an entertaining glimpse into Edwardian England and a delightful tale of friendship in a changing time. Brown strikes just the right note of tying up some storylines while leaving others open for the next two installments of this trilogy. What keeps this book from feeling too much of a Downton clone are the characters. Summerset Abbey doesn't necessarily break the mold, but well-developed characters set against a fascinating cultural and historical backdrop make this novel delightfully engaging and entertaining. I'm eagerly awaiting the second book in the series, which is due in March. show less

Synopsis from the publisher:

1913: In a sprawling manor on the outskirts of London, three young women seek to fulfill their destinies and desires amidst the unspoken rules of society in this stunning series starter that fans of Downton Abbey will love.
Rowena Buxton Sir Philip Buxton raised three girls into beautiful and capable young women in a bohemian household that defied Edwardian tradition. Eldest sister Rowena was taught to value people, not wealth or status. But everything she show more believes will be tested when Sir Philip dies, and the girls must live under their uncle’s guardianship at the vast family estate, Summerset Abbey. Standing up for a beloved family member sequestered to the “underclass” in this privileged new world, and drawn into the Cunning Coterie, an exclusive social circle of aristocratic “rebels,” Rowena must decide where her true passions—and loyalties—lie.
Victoria Buxton
Frail in body but filled with an audacious spirit, Victoria secretly dreams of attending university to become a botanist like her father. But this most unladylike wish is not her only secret—Victoria has stumbled upon a family scandal that, if revealed, has the potential to change lives forever...
Prudence Tate
Prudence was lovingly brought up alongside Victoria and Rowena, and their bond is as strong as blood. But by birth she is a governess’s daughter, and to the lord of Summerset Abbey, that makes her a commoner who must take her true place in society—as lady’s maid to her beloved “sisters.” But Pru doesn’t belong in the downstairs world of the household staff any more than she belongs upstairs with the Buxton girls. And when a young lord catches her eye, she begins to wonder if she’ll ever truly carve out a place for herself at Summerset Abbey.

My thoughts:

I'm a rabid Downton Abbey fan! I can't ever get enough of the Crawleys and their help, so when I read the synopsis of Summerset Abbey, I knew I had to read this galley!

This is the first in a trilogy by T.J. (Teri) Brown. Sommerset Abbey was released in January of this year, and I thought this would be a perfect time to post my review, as the second book in the trilogy, A Bloom in Winter, has just been released. I'm a firm believer in reading the books in order. So before you jump into A Bloom in Winter, please start with Summerset Abbey.

Summerset Abbey had me on the first page! It's 1913, the year after the Titanic sank, and the modern world doesn't know that a great and terrible war is on the horizon. Their cozy existence is soon to be torn apart with a death. In the first paragraph, when Prudence and Victoria enter the church, the description of the sanctuary as being filled with ladies' black feathered funeral hats that resembled a "flock of ravens" was perfect! You knew exactly what that sanctuary looked like and I had the picture in my mind! I love this kind of writing, when the author can use a few simple, well thought out words to give you the big picture of what was happening!

T.J. Brown wastes no time in throwing her characters into a spin, sisters Rowena and Victoria (both under twenty) and their late governess' daughter, Prudence, have been raised together thanks to the sisters' forward thinking father. No "upstairs-downstairs" distinction in his home. Well, that is, until he dies, leaving his two daughters in a royal mess. But then, if there wasn't any drama, we wouldn't have this wonderful book!

As the girl's uncle takes over their lives and things get turned around and upside down, Brown skillfully twists and turns the readers, as we all fight with the horrid class distinctions that cause issues for the three girls and those around them. Again, author Brown, while telling the story from different character's perspective, manages that difficult balance, keeping true to the character and also true to the over all story arc.

I don't like giving too much of the plot away, and this book came with a big fat bit from the publishers. Let me suffice it to say that I can't wait to get my grubby little fingers on Brown's next installment, A Bloom in Winter.

I do recommend this book, it's well crafted, the characters are defined and complex, and the story has enough twists, turns and secrets guessed at, to make all of us lovers of Edwardian fiction happy!

I give it a big old 4 out of 5 stars! Go get it, or download it now, THEN get T.J. Brown's second in the trilogy, A Bloom in Winter.

This e-galley was provided to me by the publisher, Gallery Books, through Edelweiss, above the treeline in exchange for an honest review. show less

I chose to read this book when it was offered to me for review because the main character is colorblind. I have a son that is colorblind and I struggle to understand exactly what he is seeing through his eyes. I was hoping that through Dolors’ perspective, I could begin to understand a little better what my boy sees in terms of color. (And I think it worked-I do understand a little better, actually.)

Anyway, this is Dolors Posa’s story, which takes place in 1917. Dolors has been raised in show more the house of her grandmother, her father’s mother, who does not love her and isn’t very nice to her at all. Dolors’ mother gave birth to her out of wedlock and then a great tragedy happened. Dolors has always moved about in the world trying not to stand out, hoping to blend in to her surroundings. She has always wanted to distance herself from her mother and her shame, and this influences everything she does, says, thinks, etc.

This particular summer, Dolors begins to take risks and step outside of herself a little bit. She meets some new friends and begins to care less what other people think of her. She becomes more independent around the house and starts to stand up to her grandmother. And she begins to have some hallucinations or visions that challenge everything she knows about the world around her, including colors.

People begin noticing Dolors.

I love that the author chose to include Dolors’ feelings about her black, gray, and white world into the narrative as the story moves along. It is important to know how Dolors views things literally so that we can understand how huge it is for her when she begins to discover herself. I love stories where women are at a crossroads in their lives, having to decide whether or not to take risks or stay on a safe path. Dolors makes some bold choices given the time and the expectations on her, and I loved watching her take that journey.

I love the setting of Dali Summer in terms of time and place. In the story, there are a few cars out and about, but people are still walking mostly everywhere. They still dress a certain way. It really did have this early 1900’s Spanish/European feel as I read, and I loved that.

The best thing for me, personally, about this story is the expanded view into the world of a colorblind person, but aside from that: I loved the way Dolors really began to explore her family, what family has meant for her in her past, and how emboldening herself challenges her uncomfortable place in her own family. Stories of family and siblings are some of my favorites, and I appreciate the relationships in this one so much. The story read quickly and genuinely did feel like a window into another world.

It was also really cool that young Salvador Dali was in the story.

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. show less