I have read Barbara Taylor Bradford book for years and this one did not disappoint. I actually read the whole Cavendon series and what I love is that even as far back as the series starts in the 1800's it portrays very strong women.

Secrets of Cavendon by Barbara Taylor Bradford is the fourth in a series called Cavendon Hall. I was drawn to this book by the gorgeous cover and my love of historical fiction. This is the first of the series I have read, but I was able to understand what was going on. The author did a wonderful job of giving backstory and relationships of the characters, so I never felt lost. Although there were a whole lot of characters, so I did have to really make an effort to figure out who they each were to keep them straight in my mind. I felt the book was a bit slow for the first half, then it picked up, but I found the characters to be a bit dry and the story never really fully grabbed my attention. Even with that said, the book was interesting, just not a favorite of mine.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series of books. Bradford tells the epic story of the Ingham and Swann families. They have been bound together by Friendship, Love, and blood for years. Secrets of Cavendon takes place shortly after World War II. The world is changing and these families have to change with it. Will the family survive these changes without losing everything they hold dear? Some are fighting for life and some their reputation.

I was a big fan of Downton Abbey and this series really has this feel to it. It occurs during the times when women's rights and roles are being re-evaluated. Things that were once of utmost importance to the gentry no longer matter. This is a time period that has always fascinated me. It seemed people either flourished with the changes or lost everything. I REALLY enjoyed this one.

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"From #1 New York Times bestselling author Barbara Taylor Bradford, comes a striking, breathtaking saga featuring the aristocratic Inghams and the Swann family, who have loyally served them for generations.

It’s the summer of 1949, and things have run smoothly at Cavendon Hall for years, with very few quarrels, dramas, or upsets between the two families. But since the end of World War II, changes have arrived at Cavendon. A new generation is at the helm, and also at the forefront of new scandal and intrigue. With romance, betrayal, heartbreak, and possible murder threatening to tear them apart, the Inghams and Swanns will have to find a way to come together and protect each other in the face of threats they never could have predicted.

Told with Bradford’s inimitable deftness of prose and a beloved cast of characters, Secrets of Cavendon is a captivating novel that will draw readers in and grip them until the very last page."

Seriously, after the horrendous previous volume I'm actually shocked she wrote another one...

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Secrets of Cavendon, the fourth book in the Cavendon Chronicles, follows the exploits of the Ingham and Swann families 1949 and 1950. Things have changed since World War II, and Cavendon and its residents have to adapt along with the rest of the country. The first bit of the story focuses on Cavendon and how the 7th earl and his wife are going to pay their taxes; the rest of the story mainly focuses on the young women in the family who work but are also looking for love.

When I requested this book, there was nothing stating it was part of the series, and I only discovered that after I had started reading the book. Following two extended families, it was hard to keep track of all the characters in the book. I wouldn't mind that, but all the characters in the book were so bland. In any scene where two or more characters were talking, you could pretty much bet on at least one of them thinking or saying how amazing, smart, creative, beautiful, etc. the other one is and/or what a great idea they just had! I felt I was watching the story from a distance rather than being immersed in it. I love historical fiction, but this book just wasn't for me.

This book did not hold my attention as well as her previous novels. A good story...but in my opinion, not her best story. Four Stars.

I just finished reading the Secrets of Cavendon by Barbara Taylor Bradford. The Cavendon series are the only titles I have read by Barbara Taylor Bradford. I really do enjoy them!!! I do recommend reading in order and starting at the beginning of the series, but they do stand alone if you do not have the time or desire to start a new series. Give them a read, you will not be disappointed!

Thank you for the chance to review this book, however, unfortunately, I was unable to read and review this title before it was archived.

Reading this book made me wish that I had read the first three in the series. Not because I was lost though. Bradford does an exquisite job of weaving in the detailed relationship histories between the characters so that I never felt lost. I wish I had read the first three books because I enjoyed this one so much.

Everything is beautiful in this book: the people, the places, the clothes. Anyone who enjoyed the Downton Abbey television series would be enthralled by a book such as this with its complex family ties and attempts to save a crumbling family estate. I found the concept of the Ingrams and the Swanns very interesting as well.

I’ve seen reviews that mention there are too many characters. I’m not sure how the earlier Cavendon books were but I felt that it had about the normal amount of characters for a historical saga series, such as something you might see from Ken Follett.

There are pieces of the book though that were wanting. The dialogue could be a bit stuffy at times. I understand the time period and all but these are family members, which would breed a bit of familiarity. Also, the major conflict of the book (a murder) happens in the last third of the book without much action happening before then. Maybe if one of the romances had been a bit more touch-and-go, that could have added some movement to the storyline. I also would have loved some more cultural context to the story, some back-and-forth between younger and older generations about how times are changing. That also could have been a good source of conflict.

All in all, I enjoyed the read. Who doesn’t love a happy romantic ending?

Note: I received a free Kindle edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher St. Martin’s Press, and the author Barbara Taylor Bradford of the opportunity to do so.

I really enjoyed the first three book. I don't know what it is about this book, but it was boring in a way that the other three were NOT boring. I really wanted to like the book but...

With passion and betrayal that rival any of the royal families that you've heard of, this will keep you turning pages and wanting to know everyone's dirty little secrets.

Secrets of Cavendon by Barbara Taylor Bradford is fourth book in 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).

Sorry. I did not finish this one. I used to read Barbara Taylor Bradford all the time. This one just has too many characters and moves way too slow.

I normally enjoy this author's books but this one just did not do it for me. There were a few characters I enjoyed but for the most part there were so many characters to keep track of and I felt it was just too much and didn't add to the story. The setting is in a lovely old historic home in post World War II in England and the description of the home and surrounding area was vivid. I felt like I was reading more than one story with all the different people involved from a very large aristocratic family but maybe that was the author's intention. I felt there were things that she would bring up with a character, for instance in Adam , the author seemed to make a huge point of him having leg cramps and seemed to imply that it was leading up to an important reveal but it didn't. I could go on about all the little things that bothered me but I don't like to do spoilers or a synopsis of the story. Perhaps if I had read the three previous books of Cavendon Hall it would make more sense and I would be familiar with all the characters and not feel quite so lost trying to keep track of them all. Overall I would say the cover on the book is lovely but I really struggled to keep reading this book to the end.

I loved the Woman of Substance series by Barbara Taylor Bradford. However, I found this book to be a little too long, wrapping up too quickly. I understand the author wanted to provide knowledge about the cultural mores of the elite in England, but there was times when it sounded pedantic. I would have enjoyed learning a little more about Adam's whereabouts at the end of the book.

I think the fact that I did not read the other books in this series left me lost. I felt there was too much going on and I was missing out on many things. I am going to go back and read the rest of the series than revisit my review.


** I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

I have read and loved Barbara Taylor Bradford for years. So this book took me by surprise and not it a good way. I'm not sure if it was me, this book, or if we've just come to the end of a long friendship, but I just didn't care for this book at all.

There were too many characters to keep track of and most of them, try as they might otherwise, came across as bland and aloof. Their many stories didn't interest me. Everything just seemed forced or fake to me.

Again, this could be all on my shoulders, but I spent far more hours than I should have reading this book, hoping the old spark and grace of BTB's skill would enthrall me again. It never did.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me the privilege of reading one of their e-ARCs. I wish it had worked out better for both of us!!

1949

Cecily Swann Ingham, the Seventh Countess of Mowbray, loves Cavendon Hall but wonders if they will be able to continue to support it. Cecily is married to Miles, the love of her life and the Earl of mowbray. Her brother, Harry, is the estate manager. The first Earl was Humphrey Ingham and he and his friend, James Swann, were business partners. Together, they made Cavendon Hall the glorious place it is today.

Now that the war is over, Cavendon and the entire country is facing loss due to a lack of money. Some members of the family have opened some commercial shops and offer house tours which has brought in much needed money. Cecily’s sister-in-law, Daphne, does not agree with her or her own sisters about this. Daphne wants the place to stay as it has always been. The family is also concerned that Daphne might be ill with Parkinson’s Disease.

More responsibility falls on Cecily’s shoulders and as the Countess, she needs to spend more time at Cavendon and not at her exclusive clothing shop in London. But she has plans to update her summer collection and call it a garden collection. This will hopefully make her designs more modern.

The story follows more new characters that are a part of the large Cavendon clan and their adventures in life.

This is the fourth novel in the Cavendon saga and I must say that it’s time to end it. The first book was delightful and that should have been the end of it. Unfortunately, as with many series, they become boring as they drag out more events with characters. I find it a shame when that happens. It’s like a TV series that has "stayed too long at the fair” and becomes embarrassingly boring. The author is a great talent, but I hope she will now begin a whole new story and put paid to this one.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A good historical romance always makes for a good read- and reading the blurb The Secrets of Cavendon, that was exactly was it promised. Packed with everything from romance and the history of the Ingham and Swann families on the Cavendon estate to the realities of being an aristocratic family in the lean times following World War Two, I picked it up with enthusiasm.
What I got back was a mixed bag. Confession: I have never read any of Barbara Taylor Bradford's other Cavendon books, but they cover the time between the early Edwardian period to World War Two, charting the lives of the Ingham and Swann families living at Cavendon, the Ingham's ancestral stately home. It's easy to tell that this book is part of a series, as it frequently mentions the history of the families, dropping lots of tantalising details about the lives of Cavendon's occupants and the effect that their past, and now-dead characters such as DeLacy Ingham- which piqued my interest no end and added to the Downton Abbey-esque feel of the book- it also goes even further back, exploring the intertwined histories of the two families who make up the main part of the book.
Though that was interesting enough, it did affect the plot slightly- and that was where this book, for me, started to lose interest. Though Barbara Taylor Bradford does a great job in exploring the complexities of life in the post-war period, charting Cecily Ingham's attempts to keep Cavendon afloat in an era of heavy taxation and a diminished aristocracy, nothing much happens in this story until a shocking murder- which is more than a third of the way into the book.
That would be fine if the characters in themselves were exciting enough to carry the story. Unfortunately, with the exception of Cecily, the protagonist of previous novels, they're not. Plot points that should be important, like Alicia, the young actress and niece of Cecily, brutally splitting from the man she's having an affair with, are brushed over in a few sentences, and I never felt the characters had distinct personalities of their own: to me, at least, they all appeared to look the same (gorgeous) and act the same (extremely polite and supportive of their other family members). It's a shame, because this story does have some very interesting bones, and if some more effort had been investing into building up the characters and giving them believable personalities then I would have been hooked.
Overall, then, this book was a bit disappointing. Though it's true that perhaps reading Barbara Taylor Bradford's other novels first would have set me up better, and invested me more in the storyline and people in it, I felt that the characters themselves let down what could have been a great book. Hopefully next time the story will be a bit more exciting!

Great addition to the series. Loved finding out where each of the characters has ended up.