“Downton’ fans, you’ll love this big house, Engrossing and imaginative” – Irish IndependentBetrayal, deceit, revenge, obsession – one house, one family, three generationsCan a house keep secrets?1840’s – When Lord Edward Armstrong builds the house for his bride, Anna, the family is at the climax of its power. But its world is threatened when no heir is born. Anna could restore their fortunes, … born. Anna could restore their fortunes, but it would mean the ultimate betrayal. Then the Great Famine grips the country.
1910s – Clara finds life as lady of the manor is not what she expected when she married Pierce Armstrong. As the First World War rages, she finds solace in artist Johnny Seymour’s decadent circle. Then the War of Independence erupts and Clara is caught between two men, deceit and revenge.
Present Day – When Kate Fallon sees the house it is love at first sight. She and her tycoon husband Tony buy it and hire the last Armstrong owner, architect Nico, to oversee its restoration. As Kate’s fascination with the house grows, she and Nico begin to uncover its history and the fates of its occupants in centuries past. But then, as her husband’s business empire faces ruin, Kate realises that they are in danger of losing everything.
“Skillful and original plotting kept me enthralled until the final page of the story” Rosemary McLoughlin author of Tyringham Park
“An irresistible mix of history, drama and intrigue that entertained and enthralled me in equal measure!” – Bord Gáis Energy Book Club
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I love the was the book weaves between the generations and ties them together. I loved the emotion in the characters – it’s almost like you could feel it with them. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.
Good story, good writing, but did not move along quickly enough.
Throughly enjoyed this book. Couldn’t wait to read the second and third books. Finished the third book today. Surprised with the ending.
A multi generational story but it’s pretty interesting, but the dialogue is very stilted and the language of the book is pretty simple. Not very much description of any kind. It was OK but I can’t heartily recommend it,
There are no characters in this book who have good morals. Pretty one dimensional.
I enjoy reading books that span several generations. The writer did a great job of tying the generations together. Loved the book.
Captivating..I want to read the other books..
It was a fair read. The book was original with none of the lacklustre girl meets boy steamy romance. It was interesting in the beginning but the end failed to impress.
Easy read with a good plot. I will be reading the other books in this series!
I found this book to be quite interesting and entertaining. The historic aspect was something I had not expected but was glad to find. I want to know what becomes of this last generation!
Not quite what I expected. It really wasn’t a happily ever after, but life isn’t. Just people making decisions based on what they thought they had to do and living with the heartbreaks and consequences. It did give a fairly accurate account of the changes of Ireland’s last 200 years of political and social changes.
This book kept me up way past my bedtime many nights in a row. This was a free book but it was so good I had no problem buying the others in the series. I really wanted to find out the rest of the story. The story encompasses many generations and it comes together well how the past is intertwined with the present. Interesting turns of events, well …
Interesting story of a house’s inhabitants over 100 years. Some plots and characters developed better than others. An enjoyable read.
Couldn’t put it down. The characters stay in your mind all day. Currently reading the next in the series and its another home run.
The House opening is present day and then goes back over a century to when the house was built and why and who for. Great characters, good and bad. Sadly, it skips some generations, but it will come back around to those skipped in the sequels. This one would make a fine movie!
Typical romance novels which I am not find of.
Fast read and could not put it down.
This book was entertaining and different than you would expect.
A good read, I cared about the characters.
I really enjoyed this book. It was fast moving and contained a lot of historical background. Lots of twists I didn’t expect. Parts of itcreminded me of Downton Abbey with the stories of both the rich and the servants.