Review: Shadow of Ladenbrooke by Melanie Dobson (Litfuse Blog Tour & Review)

June 17, 2015

Title: Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor
Author: Melanie Dobson
Publisher: Howard Books
Pages: 352
ISBN: 9781476746142
Publication Date: June 16th, 2015

Synopsis: 
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.

Award-winning author Melanie Dobson seamlessly weaves the past and present together, fluidly unraveling the decades-old mystery and reveals how the characters are connected in shocking ways.
Set in a charming world of thatched cottages, lush gardens, and lovely summer evenings, this romantic and historical mystery brings to light the secrets and heartaches that have divided a family for generations.
Review:
I discovered Melanie Dobson's books last year. It was a great discovery for 2014 and once I heard she had a new story coming out, I jumped at the chance the read it.

This story had such a wonderful mix and ended up being such an enjoyable read. It really was a story that had something in it for almost everyone. It had your contemporary story line, mixed with a touch of mystery. It had the historical fiction running parallel, it also had an amazing background set to an old English cottage in the countryside. Then there was also the sweet romance that was incorporated as well.

Melanie has a fantastic story that can weave all of these aspects together in her story flawlessly. Plus, the amount of research that she puts into her story is a delight, it shows on every page and helps bring you further in to the lives of these characters. I had a hard time setting down this book because, I really wanted to know the who, what, where, where, and why of it all. It had me hooked.

Waiting for new releases can be hard, but in so many cases, they are worth the wait. Shadows of Ladenbrook Manor is one that was worth the wait!

Too Read
4.5 out of 5

About the Author:
Melanie Dobson is the award-winning author of thirteen historical romance, suspense, and contemporary novels. Two of her novels won Carol Awards in 2011, and "Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana" won Best Novel of Indiana in 2010. Melanie lives with her husband Jon and two daughters near Portland, Oregon.








Thank you to Litfuse and Howard Books, I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

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