Salutations! Thank you for visiting today. Please consider receiving my blog via email. You can sign up and receive my latest reviews right in your inbox (right hand side of screen). I am featuring the Cavendon Chronicles Series today by Barbara Taylor Bradford. The first three books in the series are Cavendon Hall, The Cavendon Women, and The Cavendon Luck.
Secrets of Cavendon by Barbara Taylor Bradford is fourth book in the Cavendon Chronicles Series. It is June in 1949 at Cavendon Hall. Countess Cecily Swann Ingham is working to
make the property profitable and for them to be able to pay the upcoming
taxes. Lady Daphne objects to how
commercial Cavendon Hall is becoming and decamps with her husband to
Switzerland. Lady Cecily must now stay
on at Cavendon Hall full time while managing her business, Cecily Swann Couture
long-distance which has been struggling since the war ended. Lady Cecily decides to create a new
collection using the gardens at Cavendon Hall as inspiration. Alicia Ingham Stanton is starting a new film
and is taken by Adam Fennell, the associate producer. Can Adam be the love of her life? Victoria is busy doing photo shoots and is
intrigued by her latest subject, Christopher Langdon. Lady Daphne’s family is worried about her
health, but she is evading their questions.
Life is never dull for the Swann and Ingham families. Come see how they are faring in Secrets of Cavendon.
Secrets of Cavendon did not feel
as if it was written by Barbara Taylor Bradford. It lacked focus and jumped around from
character to character (and kept introducing more people). The last 15% of the book was the most
interesting. I was never pulled into the
story the way I was with other works by this author (A Woman of Substance for
example). Before embarking on Secrets of Cavendon, you need to have read the first three books in the Cavendon Chronicles Series (or you will be utterly lost in the beginning). The story dwells on Lady Cecily trying to
keep the estate afloat. There is a lack
of action until the end of the book when a murder occurs. Most of the characters lack depth, and they
are all very similar (and felt fake).
Many of them are superficial and do not add to the story. It is easy to predict how the book will turn
out (it is expected). I found many of
the same details repeated throughout the story (like filler) along with
information from the previous books in the series. I do feel that Barbara Taylor Bradford
accurately portrayed the financial woes that befell many great estates after
World War II. Otherwise, I was not
impressed with Secrets of Cavendon. I
will hesitate before picking up another book by this author (she used to be one
of my favorites).
I will return tomorrow with my review of Enchantress of Numbers by Jennifer Chiaverini. I am currently reading Stowed Away by Barbara Ross (comes out December 26). I was fortunate enough to win a copy from the author. May you have an enchanting day. Take care and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
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