Edenbrooke

By: Julianne Donaldson

Narrated by: Emily Elizabeth Hamilton

Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's Summary

Marianne Daventry will do anything to escape the boredom of Bath and the amorous attentions of an unwanted suitor. So when an invitation arrives from her twin sister, Cecily, to join her at a sprawling country estate, she jumps at the chance. Thinking she’ll be able to relax and enjoy her beloved English countryside while her sister snags the handsome heir of Edenbrooke, Marianne finds that even the best laid plans can go awry.

From a terrifying run-in with a highwayman to a seemingly harmless flirtation, Marianne finds herself embroiled in an unexpected adventure filled with enough romance and intrigue to keep her mind racing. Will Marianne be able to rein in her traitorous heart, or will a mysterious stranger sweep her off her feet? Fate had something other than a relaxing summer in mind when it sent Marianne to Edenbrooke.

©2012 Julianne Clawson Donaldson (P)2012 Shadow Mountain

Critic Reviews

"Delightful and completely engrossing Heyeresque Regency debut....This beautiful love story will warm (only) the reader’s heart." ( Publishers Weekly)

Delightful Story

This book is reminiscent of stories like Pride and Prejudice. Its is a sweet, elegant, and clean regency romance. This book is set in the first person which does take a while to get accustomed to but I think it adds to the intimacy of the story. Because this is a "clean" romance, the flirtation between Marianne and Philip is allowed to blossom into love beautifully. This book is filled with joy, anguish, mystery, danger, jealousy, yearning, anger and love. It is a sweet feel good romance that I will revisit again.

Great book terrible narrator

I ended up reading this book. I couldn't stand to listen to it. Once I stopped the audio and picked up the book, I couldn't put it down. In my opinion, don't listen to this one, but don't miss out on reading it!

Nice story

I enjoyed this story line. It has romance, intrigue, a bit of British humor (not Monty Python humor, more like Dame Maggie Smith humor) and even had some unexpected events. Of course there were times when I wanted to slap Mary Anne for being so daft but overall I did enjoy the story and look forward to the authors other works.

When the Performance Kills a Decent Period Story...

I'm not going to list the many reasons Miz Hamilton should not be performing British texts, but one. She has no gift for it. I couldn't get through the second chapter ...her reading/accent/inflections/timing/ timing/timing (yep), and annunciation...were that bad. :(((

One of my new favorite books!

I was nearly dissuaded from purchasing this audio book as there were complaints about the voice of the reader. I am so glad I went through with the purchase as I thought her voice and reading were fine! This book was just such a treat! I could not stop listening! I liked the story itself more than Blackmoore, which I also enjoyed tremendously! I will be watching for more books by this writer!

In Love with Edenbrooke

I'm not sure if this deserves 5 stars. Maybe 4.5, but I'm rounding it up because I still feel all warm and fuzzy after finishing it. This book isn't perfect, but I found myself smiling so much when I was listening to it, I just fell in love with it.

I loved Phillip and Marianne and all of their teasing. I was on the verge of being annoyed with Marianne at times, but I could never hold onto it. Her naivety was understandable. At only 17, she had been completely sheltered her entire life. Her mother died a little over a year before and her father abruptly left in his grief, sending his twin daughters to stay with different relatives. Her twin sister embraced London and life in the city, but Marianne longed to go back to the country as she stayed in Bath with her curmudgeonly grandmother. There she learned absolutely nothing about men or the outside world, preferring to seek out nature instead of being a elegant young lady in search of a husband. So, for me, a lot of her confusion about Phillip and his intentions and the way she took absolutely everything everyone said at face value made sense. Not that it wasn't still frustrating, but it was believable.

Will definitely read this again someday!!!!

Audiobook review: From the start, that woman's voice annoyed me. She sounded like someone for whom English wasn't her first language, mimicking a British accent while speaking very slowly and deliberately in a fake falsetto. I loved the story so much that eventually it stopped grating on me, but it wasn't the best. Much preferred the voice of the woman who did the Blackmoore reading. Though I much preferred this book to Blackmoore, which was good, but a mega-downer.

A Lovely Romance with Plenty of Wit

This book has become a favorite! Marianne is a witty, fiesty, if niave heroine inclined to twirl when she is happy. She is tired of her life in Bath where she has been staying with her grandmother since her mother died. She is thrilled when she gets to go visit the Wyndham family estate of Edenbrooke where her twin sister, Cecily, will soon be staying. An encounter with a highwayman on the way to Edenbrooke and what Marianne does about it changes her life forever. Romance, robbery, meeting a handsome stranger at an inn, the joys of good horses, good books, artistic expression, and negotiating the changes a young girl must make to become a woman of good character keep the story hopping. Sir Philip Wyndham is a strong hero with a good character, but dangerous enough to be interesting. Unwilling as they both are to fall in love, they just can't help themselves. Both Philip and Marianne are surprised and challenged by each other. I love this book! It is sweet, funny, and I recommend it every chance I get.

Enchanting Story

If you could sum up Edenbrooke in three words, what would they be?

I love this book! I've read it many times and decided that I would love to listen to it too. I love the performance/reader for this book. She does an outstanding job. It made me love this story even more. It's a beautiful heartwarming story!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Edenbrooke?

It's hard to pick just one. I enjoy the setting of the story, in the beautiful country of Edenbrooke. Marianne is so oblivious to Philip's feelings and it is wonderful to see how it all comes together. When Marianne paints the picture of Edenbrooke and Philip wants it is touching. It's a lovely story!

What does Emily Elizabeth Hamilton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She does an amazing job, I love her English voice and how it transports you back to the Victorian era in a realistic and dreamy way.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Phillip writing the love note.

Truly awful

This book is horrible. The writing is terrible. The characters are ridiculous. The narrator is faking a British accent, and so carefully and slowly enunciates every word that it's infuriating. I cannot understand the rave reviews for this book. Reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice? No. Not even close.

Another winner by Julianne Donaldson

What can I say about this book that is different from Blackmoore. I also LOVED this book. It’s hard not to completely fall in love with the main characters. As with Blackmore, the heroine is the one being pursued but in this story, the love is not based on years of familiarity. This is a deep and instant connection ignited not by simple physical attractions but also personality traits that make the attraction and love long lasting and not fleeting. This book also takes you through a roller coaster of emotions. I cried during one scene when she felt unwanted and I never really cry with books. This should tell you how wonderfully her despair was depicted. I feel like I am not doing this book justice by my inadequate review but I promise you will not be disappointed by this book. It WILL touch your heart.

After the classics my favourite historical romance

Jane Austen, Bronte sisters and Gaskall aside, Edenbrooke is my favourite historical romance, so lighthearted and fun, it has the best banter between the protagonists.

Light- hearted historical romance

This is a lovely regency romance, you want the two main characters to find love. I have read the story a few times and wanted the audio version. The narrator is abit strange. She is obviously not English and is putting on an English accent, but after awhile I got used to it.

A fluffy story read by a female Dick van Dyke

A fluffy story, good fun. It is read, however, by what I can only describe as a female Dick van Dyke. She is clearly American and struggles with a British accent. It comes across at times like Burt in Mary Poppins, at times like an emotionless robot when she's struggling to pronounce the 't's and really never manages the 'u's at all in any combination. It's a shame, because it detracts from the story.