Edenbrooke (Proper Romance)

From the moment I began reading Edenbrooke (which was originally lent to me by a neighbor and since purchased for my own collection) I could NOT put it down. I am a huge fan of all things Jane Austen, and I must admit I was sceptical about reading something that I suspected would have too many 21st century ideas mixed into it, or worse, too many barrowed Austen themes. However, I was happily surprised to find that Donaldson did an incredible job of bringing to life every detail of what I love about the Regency period...all while making it identifiable to us in this modern age. Donaldson's language is a bit easier to follow than Austen's books, but without losing the authenticity of the period. And Edenbrooke is a story all in it's own. An original. I was absolutely transported back in time and felt like I was living every moment with Marianne, as if I was right there in the room with her on each page. I felt her every heartbreak and all of her anguish, and also all of her joy and happiness. Her character is so relatable to the "normal" woman with self doubt and insecurities. And even now, after finishing the book two weeks ago, I find that Phillip creeps into my thoughts and I have fallen in love with his character!! This is a MUST READ for any romantic!

Nonexistent plot, annoying characters, and excessive description of emotions.

(1) I'm halfway through, and still the blurb and the highwayman's attack (very short) are the most interesting things to happen.

(2) Marianne is an immature and annoying person. Theoretically, she's a nice country girl, but I find her instant criticism of her admirer in chapter 1, as well as her sudden bursts of anger and "pride" annoying in the extreme. I think if there had been more content to show that the author felt she was young, I would have liked the book more. But it seemed that the author was setting up a young, spirited, country girl who wasn't special in any way or form. Aside from her impressive ability to cope with the highwayman's attack, I did not find anything about her interesting, so it seemed odd to me that a well-off man of the world was so entranced by her, because she was nothing out of the absolute ordinary.

(3) There are excessive emotional content (as in description of facial and other movement) which are far too sudden and extreme. The characters will gasp and jolt and tease and clench their jaws all in the span of 2 pages. I find such excessive emotional display jarring and I couldn't keep track of the content for keeping tracking of what emotion they are now displaying. At one point, Philip's voice becomes "shaky." I read backwards and forwards to find out why his voice was shaky -- but the previous paragraph indicated he was concerned. The one before that, he was laughing. And the following paragraph, he was embarrassed. So I had no idea why his voice was shaky. I think if there had been less extreme and overt descriptions, I would have been able to concentrate on the book more.

(4) Things are overly spelled out for the reader -- such as Philip trying to help her at the inn and her unbelievable denseness in not knowing who in the world could be helping her, Cecily as the selfish sister, etc.

All in all, not particularly impressive, and the writing style is quite juvenile.

This book was so good! I enjoyed every page in one day, I just couldn't put it down. Normally not one to enjoy, or even read, regency era books I was pleasantly surprised by how I was drawn in by the first page through to the end. Great debut book and I'm looking forward to reading more from her. Read this.....and twirl if you will.

I was also surprised about the extremely positive reviews. Maybe this was the same as going to see an over-hyped movie. My expectations were too high? Anyway, I thought this was just okay. While it was nice not to have obligatory sex passages that add nothing to the story, this book was rather boring. I was expecting a Georgette Heyer level book, but instead I got shallow characters, insipid dialogue, and a plot that wasn't very interesting. I did finish it, but I kept waiting for it to get better. I'm not sure that I would purchase another book by this author.

Any fan of Jane Austen will surely love this debut by Julianne Donaldson. I read Edenbrooke in one sitting ( a first for me this year) because it was so good. It's a very sweet tale that will appeal not only to teens but adults as well. I can see Julianne having a great future in the romance genre, specifically historical romance. She's an author to watch, and her writing is very refreshing. Edenbrooke will give you that warm fuzzy feeling in the pit of your stomach, and when you finish, you'll be craving more.

The heroine, Marianne Deventry is staying with her grandmother in Bath, England. Marianne is bored silly. She misses her father and her charming and beautiful twin sister, Cecily. Marianne has been in Bath for fourteen months, ever since her mother died. Her father left Marianna with her grandmother while he went off to France to grieve. Cecily has been with their cousin Edith in London, enjoying the social scene there. Marianne is very different from her sister. She likes to read and paint. She also had this adorable and childish habit of twirling when she's happy. But Marianne hasn't had much to twirl about. She misses her father and wants to go home but can't. She feels rejected and alone. But then word comes from Cecily, inviting her to come stay with Cecily's dear friend Louisa at her family estate of Edenbrooke. Marianne is thrilled because she'll see Cecily again and meet Louisa's older brother who Cecily plans on marrying.

Marianne expects a wonderful adventure, but she gets more than she bargains for when a highway man tries to rob her carriage. He gets away and almost ends up killing her driver. Marianne finds a local inn and asks for help. Whom she first comes in contact at first is incredibly rude. The man is some lofty gentleman who's condescending toward her and doesn't lend a hand. But eventually after her driver is taken care of, the gentleman apologies and through some innocent flirting on his part, Marianne begins to thaw around him. He introduces himself as Philip but won't give her any more information about himself. Finding the entire situation odd, Marianne leaves for Edenbrooke not expecting to see the mysterious Philip again. But she does. Philip was having some fun at her expense. He's Louise's older brother. The same older brother Cecily is in love with and wants to marry.

Out of respect for Cecily's feelings, she'll keep Philip at a distance. Philip wants to make amends for his rudeness and goes out of his way to be Marianne's friend. Marianne thinks he's only being kind toward her because of Cecily who will arrive at Edenbrooke in a few days. But as she and Philip keep each other company, she can't help but start to care for him. But then she finds out a big secret Philip is hiding and her heart is broken in two. Now she must put her guards back up around Philip who she can't help but want as her own regardless of her sister's intentions.

Edenbrooke is a book that had me at hello. Marianne is a beautifully written protagonist. I was enthralled with her from the first page. She has this innocent sweetness to her that you can't help but smile about. You'll also want to hug Marianne because she feels she's limited because of her looks and her simple nature.

Philip at first will give you the same reaction Marianne has toward him. He comes across as a snob, but the moment Marianne arrives at Edenbrooke and spends time with him, you will become smitten with him. Philip is a big flirting rogue where Marianne is concerned, but it's his way of courting her. Marianne is so oblivious to Philip's feelings, which is frustrating because she doesn't tell him how she feels and listens to gossip concerning Philip in a not so nice light. She also overhears something that comes close to destroying her inside. But then again, seeing as how Marianne is a very innocent seventeen year old and the time and setting, it makes sense that Marianne wouldn't admit her thoughts to Philip, especially when she hears different stories from others. Poor Marianne is confused about her feelings for this man and it becomes worse for her because of Cecily who appears to have claimed Philip for her own.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the underlying sensuality to the story, mainly from Philip. His smoldering stares and respectful but almost calculating touches toward Marianne makes this all the more enjoyable. The buildup of wanting between these two leads to a nice awwww worthy ending.

Edenbrooke receives high marks from me. It's a near perfect romance with a heroine who touched my heart, including her love interest who allows her to shine and show the world her inner beauty she hides inside. This is one book I wouldn't pass up. Do yourself a favor and buy Edenbrooke.

Katiebabs

I think this is the most romantic book that I have ever read, and I have read dozens (hundreds?) of romantic books in my life. I liked it so much that I re-read it as soon as I finished the book. It was wonderful, and I look forward to more books from this author.

Update: I have now read this book three times. It actually gets better with each reading. If you like this book, you might want to check out [[ASIN:B00EK7R5ZW Just Ella (Books of Dalthia Book 1)]].

Marianne Daventry likes to twirl. But since her mother's death a year ago, she can't remember the last time she has. With her grieving father in France and her social-scheming twin sister Cecily in London, Marianne was sent to live in Bath with her grandmother. The social hub of England was intended to brighten her spirits, but instead she pines for country life and dreads the unwanted attentions of a much older suitor. So when the invitation from Cecily arrives to spend summer at the great estate Edenbrooke, Marianne quickly accepts, grandmother's conditions aside. One highwayman attack, a mysterious gentleman and several failed ladylike attempts later, Marianne's summer couldn't be more exciting or confusing. Will she be able to figure out her own heart before it's too late?

Frankly, I'm still surprised that I picked up Edenbrooke at all. I avoid most Austen readalikes and continuing stories like the plague. Whether squeaky clean or more graphic, I have no desire to read anything Austenesque that is going to be cheesy, fluffy, or pale in comparison to the original source material. It was only when a few of my non-blogging friends started raving about Edenbrooke on GoodReads that I decided to give it a try.

Long story short: I loved Edenbrooke, which did feel somewhat like an Austen romance. Many strictly Austen film adaptation fans will prefer this modern version, which focuses on Marianne's romance and moves at a faster pace without sacrificing characterization or losing its Regency-inspired prose. That said, Julianne Donaldson is heavily inspired, if only superficially, by Austen's best known works, and I couldn't help pointing out every single similarity. Afterall, Marianne Dashwood is similar to Marianne Daventry, and Marianne shares her love of nature and reading with Elizabeth Bennet. There is also the wealthy, single heir, the grand estate, the prettier older sister, love letters, matchmaking and more. Thankfully the main plotline is original, and it's hard to see any of Austen's heroes in Marianne's love interest. Speaking of Wyndham he is an outrageous flirt, which produces plenty of both witty and cheesy dialogue, not to mention awkward situations. The fact that his relationship with Marianne is completely clean doesn't detract from the palpable sexual tension. Believe me, sometimes smoldering stares, longing glances and hand clasping IS hotter. I realize summer in particular calls for light, fun romances, but Edenbrooke is the perfect anytime read. Anytime you're down on reading or real life, it's historical romantic comedy in book form with just enough predictability and fantasy to leave you completely satisfied. I will be returning to it as needed.

Okay. So there's a difference between retellings and readalikes, yes? Retellings (which I adore when done well) take the original story and carry it into hitherto unexplored places. Perhaps Mr. Rochester becomes a washed up rock star. Or Beauty becomes a drug dealer's neglected daughter. Robin Hood can actually be a very reluctant, very bad archer indeed. And Captain Wentworth can pilot ships through the sky rather than the sea. Anything is possible. As long as you understand and stay true in some sense to the spirit of the original tale, I am on board. Readalikes (which I avoid like the plague), on the other hand or in my experience or what have you, tend toward the fawning, toward the somewhat less mature forms of imitation. And as readalikes go, the Austen ones seem to be the most prevalent. To be honest, I've never read one. The notion always seemed a bit laughable to me. I've read Austen retellings I've loved, and even a few that rather subtly nod their head in her direction that I have thoroughly enjoyed. But I'd firmly stayed away from pastiches. Then everyone and their dog went and loved EDENBROOKE. I decided to put away my preconceived notions and jump right in.

Marianne Daventry is not fond of Bath. She's been relegated there by her father, who fled to the Continent upon the death of her mother and has yet to be seen since. The anniversary of her death and his departure has come and gone and Marianne is beginning to come to grips with the notion that he is not coming back. That she is, in fact, stuck in Bath with an inappropriate maid, an impossible suitor, and a grandmother who despairs of her. Then she receives word from her twin sister Cecily that she is to be invited to Edenbrooke--the estate of the man Cecily intends to marry. Or rather it is his parents' estate. But he is to be there. And therefore Marianne is to meet Cecily there and accompany her on her quest to land a wealthy husband. Cecily's ruthless pursuits aside, Marianne is monumentally relieved to be escaping Bath and returning to the countryside she loves. But calamity overtakes her on the journey to Edenbrooke. And when a mysterious stranger helps her along the way, Marianne has no way of knowing how quickly he will pop up in her life again. And in the most unexpected (and not necessarily welcome) of ways. Torn between wanting her life to return to the way it was and being tempted to explore the new possibilities in her path, Marianne must navigate her new life with care.

Sounds like a fun setup, right? And it is. The problem is that nothing surprising whatsoever happens in this book. No, more than that--no one character stands out, no turn of phrase delights, and no twist or development captured my attention in the slightest. Everything about EDENBROOKE is perfectly competent. And everything about EDENBROOKE falls desperately short of its inspiration. The dialogue mimics Austen to a fault, though in a decidedly less sophisticated and cheesy manner. I lost count of the number of times I winced at the banality of it all, and found myself silently begging the characters to do something less predictable. That is not to say that the writing is not clean. It is nothing if not smooth and clean and . . . utterly unremarkable. The entire time I was reading it, I was put in mind of [[ASIN:0451413180 The Secret History of the Pink Carnation]]--another readalike (of the Scarlet Pimpernel variety) that fell massively short for me due to its terminal silliness and lack of complexity. I wanted to like them both so much. But, in the end, they both required more. More in the way of subtlety, more in the way of character nuance to work for me. This reaction may be a personal quirk when it comes to the classics or possibly some kind of hang up I have related to retellings vs. readalikes. I've certainly been known to enjoy a number of breezy, even silly reads. But when I do, I still have to connect with the writing and with the characters on a visceral level. I have to feel like they themselves are not contemptible or that there is something to figure out or guess at along the way, even if I can see the ending coming. That was not the case here. I'm sorry, guys. I'm afraid, for me at least, EDENBROOKE was a case of charming veneers masking very little at all.

If you're looking for thought provoking literature, this book isn't for you. In fact I had to laugh that book club questions were included at the end of the book. What's to discuss? But, if you're wanting a quick, predictable, "proper romance" then you'll enjoy this book. I enjoyed the romance between the main characters Marianne and Phillip. Everything happens just the way you want and expect. I am a little suspicious of all of the five star reviews this book has received. While I liked it, it's not a five star read. I suspect the author has a few friends who were willing to write glowing reviews.

I so thoroughly enjoyed this book and everything about it! So much so, that I wish I could give it more than five stars. So much so, that I am reviewing it after it's been out three and a half years and already has 1107 reviews (and mine isn't needed). So much that I am reviewing it, not because someone asked if I'd be interested, but because I desperately wanted to. So here goes . . . Edenbrooke is a fabulous book full of laughs and tingles. Donaldson's writing is enchanting--the language both modern and yet perfect for the time period, a Regency novel that is comfortable, not stuffy. It's funny with a hint of intrigue. I don't know if she does so purposefully, but I enjoyed how Donaldson pays homage to Pride & Prejudice, Beauty & the Beast, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and even a little of The Princess Bride. Marianne is independent and a bit sassy, fun-loving and intelligent. Philip is kind and thoughtful, playful and genuine. He's also good at picking up hints and knows how to give impeccable gifts. He's the perfect hero, and I look forward to reading Heir to Edenbrooke. But what makes it different from other Regency sweet romance books that I loved? First, I especially enjoyed the circumstances of their meeting. Second, how Marianne is so unlike the women she is surrounded by and how that attracts Philip. And third, the dance scene. Ahh! Read it. You'll love it!