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 … 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.
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I absolutely loved this book. Julianne Donaldson incorporated the perfect mix of humor, intrigue, and romance to weave this tale set in the regency era (think Jane Austen). The story is fresh, the characters are beautifully written and I love Marianne Daventry’s personality. The hero has great depth and is so much more than a handsome face. I don’t usually read a book more than once because there are just too many books! But this one has earned that right and I look forward to reading it again, just as soon as I can get it back–everyone in my family is reading it!
I have had this book in my #TBR mountain for quite some time now. I decided this week to rescue it from falling too far down the slope and becoming totally buried. My wonderful husband purchased the book for me on Audible and I was off on a delightful journey!
Reading/Listening to this story I felt like Alice who fell into another world. From the first chapter until the last, I was blissfully immersed in the lives of these characters. I laughed out loud, I gasped in surprise, and many times, I found myself talking out loud to the characters, wishing they could hear me and heed my warnings!
Marianne is such a fantastic character. She is naive, yet bold with sharing her thoughts and opinions. Sometimes that gets her into trouble. She has a kind heart, she is very giving an unselfish. She quickly recognizes when someone else is in distress, and she puts aside her own hurt, to help that person.
Phillip has got to be my current favorite hero! I absolutely loved the conversations that he had with Marianne. He wasn’t put off by Marianne’s humor, or her naive misunderstandings. And the love letter he wrote… swoon!
Marianne’s grandmother is absolutely delightful. Rough around the edges with a warm, gooey heart. Her well-delivered quips made me laugh out loud! She may seem put-off-ish, but it is clear that Marianne understands her prickly exterior.
This fabulous book deserves more than 5 stars! I can’t believe that I waited so long to enjoy it. I’ve already snatched up the next book from Julianne, and I’m looking forward to squeezing it into my reading schedule! Unlike my typical books reviewed, this book is listed a clean fiction. This is a light, fun read, that is sure to entertain.
(My husband purchased the audio book for me to enjoy on a long car ride)
This is one of the best books I have read in, well, ever. I love the interaction of the two main characters. So believable and so endearing! I have already read this book three times and will most certainly return to it again. Highly recommended!
2013 Review: This book was charming, engaging, thrilling, lovely—I loved it!
2017 Review:
Obviously, I loved this book the first time I read it and that’s why I chose it for this category. Well, I still love it. It’s charming, wonderful, engaging, captivating, enjoyable, and just awesome! Definitely one of my favorite books ever. Once I start reading it, I’m completely useless to anyone as I just cannot make myself put it down and do anything that could be termed productive. I love Marianne (though she is a bit naive, no?). I love Philip. I love Lady Catherine and Grandmother and Rachel and William. I love the painting and horses and twirling and the general being-herself-ness that Marianne just can’t stop. *deep fangirl sigh* I just love this book.
I adored #Edenbrooke by Julianna Donaldson. She had my heart racing before they even touched. I tried to go to sleep and then gave up and stayed up till 1 reading. Totally worth it.
I am avid reader. This is one of my top 5 best reads. Excellent storyline. Clean romance.
Praise from the Clean Romance Team:
“The Regency book that sparked my addiction”
“Edenbrooke has all the romantic, Swoony feels!”
Well-written and beautiful—a love story you can believe in.
Oh I loved reading this book! I started reading this one night, and I could not put it down!! I loved the interactions between Philip and Marianne<3
Philip is so perfect. This is one of my all-time favorites!
This book was absolutely amazing! It was unexplainably funny and engaging in a way you wouldn’t expect.
This is one of my favorite books.
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.
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.
This is the best Regency romance I’ve read in a long time. I actually wanted to re-read it right off! It’s secular, but very clean. Could easily be put in the CBA if a few spiritual elements were added. Marianne Daventry, the seventeen year-old heroine is adorable and full of life. Even though she loves to twirl, is clumsy at times and hasn’t quite grown up, she tries her best to be the lady she knows she should be. Marianne gets sent to the country estate of her deceased mother’s good friend to learn to be a lady. The heroine and her twin sister also are encouraged to gain suitors for a possible marriage. We have a whole cast of light-hearted, endearing characters; not too much drama, but some and plenty of laughs. It’s a romance, though, so along with the fun there’s a swoon-worthy hero; no brooding hero here! Our hero laughs and teases a lot, but when he’s serious…Wow! This man can write a letter!:)So many mishaps, but everything turns out beautifully in the end. I sooo wish it would be a series. One of the best parts for me is the first-person viewpoint of the heroine! I loved it! This is definitely an author I’ll be reading more from in the future.
I giggled and swooned so much as I read this book!
I adore this book! I’ve read it several times and never tire of the love story. Ah, that Philip! He’s the stuff dreams are made of. I could go on and on. If you like romantic stories, this one’s a must-read.
I loved this story, it’s elegant and well written 🙂 If you love Jane Austen and want an easy, fun read, this is a book for you.
Very interesting ideas and twists
This is one of my favorite books. It was well written, clean, sweet, and held my attention. I can’t wait for her next book. Great author.
By far my favorite book I have ever read. (and I read a lot of books). I can’t even describe this book in words it’s that amazing. All I can say, is that it is a book that leaves tears on your face from laughing, crying, and every emotion in between. It is a book that you can finish and want to pick right back up and read again. It is clean, cute, wondrous love story like no other that you so desperately crave to have.