Cover Image: The Legacy of Longdale Manor

The Legacy of Longdale Manor

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and will probably read it again in the future.

It is a novel about two women, 100 years apart. It gives insights into the lives of young Charlotte Harper who writes in her diary secrets and heartache in 1912 and Gwen Morris who finds Charlotte’s diary in 2012. The story takes place in the Lake District of England. It has a beautiful description of that area and draws the reader in.

I was first surprised by the back and forth between the stories, but very soon the time jumps became easier as I got more familiar with characters from both eras. The two main characters are very different, but they also have common traits, needs and struggles. The story flows well, there are no unanswered questions and the end is very satisfying.

Was this review helpful?

In The Legacy of Longdale Manor by Carrie Turansky, a masterful dual-time romance unfolds against the backdrop of England's Lake District. Art historian Gwen Morris and young Charlotte Harper, separated by a century, embark on intertwined journeys of healing, forgiveness, and love. As Gwen appraises treasures at Longdale Manor in 2012, she discovers Charlotte's journal from 1912, connecting their lives across time.

Both women grapple with trust issues, family secrets, and shattered faith, yet their paths ultimately converge toward redemption, highlighting the universal themes of resilience and the transformative power of love. Turansky's narrative prowess shines through as she crafts rich characters, a vivid setting, and a seamless blend of faith, making this novel a heartwarming exploration of human emotions and connections that transcend time.

Was this review helpful?

Carrie Turansky delivers another epic tale of love, loss, and faith in her latest novel, The Legacy of Longdale Manor.

This dual-time romance follows the lives of two different women. Gwen Morris is an art historian from 2012 who has been sent to Longdale Manor to evaluate items in the home that the owner is putting up for auction. While there, she finds a journal that Charlotte Harper wrote in 1912. Charlotte and her family are reeling after the sudden death of her father. They journey to the Lake District in the hopes that her grandfather will allow them to live with him at Longdale Manor.

The two women's lives parallel each other in a unique way. Both have secrets and trust issues. Both are struggling with their faith. And as luck would have it, they both find love.

I loved this novel from the first page to the last. This faith-filled dual-time romance is perfect for those who enjoy historical fiction and romance. I loved how the author used Charlotte's journal to reach into the future and bring a few surprises to Gwen. It was a very compelling read. I highly recommend it!

I received a copy courtesy of Bethany House through NetGalley and was not obligated to leave a favourable review.

Was this review helpful?

I thoroughly enjoyed this dual timeline romance set in 1912 and 2012. Both stories are well developed and I enjoyed getting to know Charlotte, Ian, Gwen, and David. The author does a good job of weaving her research into the narrative. I especially enjoyed seeing how the couples worked through obstacles and conflict to emerge stronger on the other side.

I received a complimentary e-galley from the publisher and NetGalley; all opinions are completely my own.

Was this review helpful?

Timeline split Romance: 1912-2012 England's Lake District

This was such a delightful read! The characters are full of depth and emotion. You see the richness that is displayed. The heroines in each timeline are quite distinct, but they share many similarities. Both are struggling with trust issues, Father issues which is understandable... The romance is sweet but complex, we see them trying to work through their differences and that is what made their relationship truly sing in so many ways. It's definitely not an easy road for either of them, but they find ways to work through the challenges that come their way and conquer them.

This book was pure bliss loved the writing, it flowed really well and was written in a way that you’re able to get lost in the story and forget that you’re reading this book.

This novel pushes back reminding us of forgiveness and reconciliation. I enjoyed the Christian addition to the story. Faith is woven into the story with gentleness. This a pure Christian romance where the story aligns with God's teachings and helps us better understand how to live as Christians, rather than just providing basic prayer guidelines.

“Time is fleeting, the days fade fast. Treasure faith and family, only they will last."

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Was this review helpful?

'The Legacy of Longdale Manor' is Carrie Turansky's first attempt at writing a dual-timeline novel and what a lovely accomplishment! Although the stories are 100 years apart she has flawlessly interwoven beautiful settings and intertwined captivating characters whose lives somehow touch one another.

Both heroines in each timeline are beset with secrets and difficult choices that haunt them—AND handsome, unpredictable men in their lives. For different reasons each strong, yet vulnerable damsel has trust issues—and rightfully so. Perhaps many an answer to their inner healing may be found in a one-hundred-year-old journal.

'The Legacy Of Longdale Manor' is a truly memorable novel that kept me on tenterhooks the entire time—replete with unforeseeable events, romance, forgiveness, and redemption. Beautifully written, Carrie Turansky!

“Time is fleeting, the days fade fast. Treasure faith and family, only they will last."

*I received a complimentary ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and was under no obligation to write a favorable review.*

Was this review helpful?

The Legacy of Longdale Manor, by Carrie Turansky, is a tale that will jump between the years 1912 and 2012. When art historian Gwen Morris stumbles upon a journal that is one hundred years old, she knows she has a tale that needs to be told. In the year 1912, Charlotte Harper has left behind documentation full of some painful family secrets. You wonder what additional problems this information may cause!

It is interesting to learn the connection between these two years so many years apart!

Was this review helpful?

Carrie Turansky has written a wonderful time slip novel about two women, 100 years apart. Open the pages of this book and enter the worlds of young Charlotte Harper who writes in her diary secrets and heartache in 1912 and Gwen Morris who finds Charlotte’s diary in 2012. The story takes place in the Lake District of England and Ms. Turansky’s description of the people and places will awaken a longing to visit the places in the pages of this book where life seems peaceful and simpler.
Time slip novels can be difficult to follow, but this book moves from Charlotte to Gwen so smoothly that you are never left wondering whose story you are reading. The characters are so different and yet they have so much in common you will find yourself hoping each one will find the healing they need. Charlotte and Gwen each have a romantic male figure in their lives with their own battles to fight. Both women struggle with father issues, forgiveness, and a shattered faith. The journey they take to heal their faith has been woven into the story with gentleness.
I highly recommend this book. I received an advanced reader’s copy from NetGalley and Bethan House. I was not required to write a review. The opinions are mine alone.

Was this review helpful?

This book is a Christian romance set in 1912 and 2012 in England. I felt like the 1912 story was the more developed story as we're able to see Charlotte and Ian grow in maturity and wisdom and fall in love as they spent time together. Many of the scenes in the 2012 story either showed Gwen and David in conflict due to different values or apologizing and learning to get along. Gwen helped David to see that sometimes he got focused on the wrong things and needed to take people's feelings into consideration. We're told they spent time working together on ways to preserve the historical aspects of the manor during the renovation. I would have liked to see scenes of their shared interests and collaboration, especially as that turned out to be an important point later.

Historical details were woven into the story and created a distinct sense of time and place without slowing the pacing. The characters came across as real, complex people who changed and matured through the events of the story. Any misunderstandings between the couples felt like realistic issues that needed to be worked through--and were-- rather than artificial conflict.

Gwen's father apparently abandoned her and her mother before she was born. Charlotte felt deeply betrayed by her father preaching one thing while engaging in a secret sin that she only discovered after his death. They both came to realize that only God is the perfect Father, and He can be fully trusted even in difficult times. They also had to forgive people who let them down. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable novel.

Was this review helpful?

This is a story of two women and a legacy that binds them together, even though a hundred years apart. In 2012, Gwen (an art appraisor) is sent to Longdale Manor in order to appriase and prepare the hundreds of antiques to be sold. It's also a "punishment" of sorts after botching a major art deal for her grandfather's company. She also is seeking to learn more about the father she never knew who came from this area. In 1912, Charlotte is at Longdale Manor not by choice, but by necessity after her father's unexpected death evicts them from their home and life they knew. She also is harboring a horrible secret--she discovered her father--a popular evangelist--had been having an affair for several years.

EAch of these women has hurts in their life because of the relationship with their father--Gwen's is one of growing up without one; while Charlotte's is learning her father was a liar and hypocrite. Through the course of the book, they each have to grow to understanding that while earthly fathers can fail you--your Heavenly Father never will. Gwen also learns of her connection to the legacy of Longdale manner through the journals she finds belonging to Charlotte.

Lessons of forgiveness. Healing. Damage of bitterness and secrets. So many things to uncover in this novel.

Honestly though, I just wasn't feeling it for this book. It didn't stand out above other books written in a similar manner. I didn't really connect to any characters. If it was possible, I'd probably give it a 3.5 stars but since it doesn't belong in the same category as other 4 star books and I'd just classify it as "good", I will give it 3 stars.

The author is a great writer. But I just didn't connect with this book.

**I received an ARC copy of the book from the publisher. All opinions are my own and I was not required to give it a positive review.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoy almost anything Carrie Turansky writes. I got sucked into this book without warning and found it utterly captivating. It is written in dual time with parallel love stories and parallel heart-breaks occurring one hundred years apart.

1912--Charlotte Harper's father has died while speaking and in going through his things, Charlotte finds that he wasn't the father she thought he was and became quite distrustful of men in general. When her mother has to sell the family home to settle her father's debts, Charlotte, her mother, and her little sister, Alice, move to the Keswick district of England. Charlotte's mother is hoping to reconcile with her father at Longdale Manor, but he all but closed the door in her face until he needed her help.

2012--Gwen Morris has made a huge blunder in her grandfather's art and antiques appraisal business. He sends her to Keswick to Longdale Manor to appraise and sort antiques and art that the owner wants to sell. During the time she spends at Longdale, the owner shares with her a journal she found that was written by Charlotte. The more Gwen reads the more she wants to know about Charlotte. At the same time, she wants to find out about her father and meet him, if possible. While hunting for her father, she comes across her grandmother who lives at the farm where Charlotte ended up, and she finds out that Charlotte is in her family tree.

Both Charlotte and Gwen find love in unexpected places and when they both were not looking for it. Both of their stories are so satisfying in the end, in spite of the hardships they go through getting there. This is definitely a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a love story worth telling to your children.

Bethany House Publishers provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Was this review helpful?

This was absolutely lovely. Everything I have ever read by Carrie Turansky is always a treat and of the highest quality, and this book was no different. What sets her apart is her breathtaking prose, her excellent characterization, and the quality of her historical plots. Combine that with the beautiful English countryside, romance and more romance, and a dual-time narrative and you are swept away yet glued to your seat! Absolutely wonderful! I recommend all her books, but I believe this one is my favorite and her best yet! I will definitely be buying a paper copy to have and enjoy as well!

Was this review helpful?

I very much enjoyed this book!
I like dual time line stories and this author did a great job in making them interact together in a way that felt seamless. She describes the characters and settings very well, without over doing it.
I loved the focus on forgiveness and the very gentle, yet direct references to faith and trust in God.
All of the main characters had issues that they needed to deal with concerning forgiveness and understanding for others. Each of them had heartfelt, prayerful conversations with God, which I think is very important to portray in a Christian novel. Each asked God to guide them in their decisions and ability to forgive.
I have not read anything else by this author, but this book will be the catalyst that makes me look into her other books!
Clean romance, with a small amount of kissing.
The subject of infidelity is discussed but not 'played out'. It is one of the main reasons for the need of forgiveness, and this forgiveness ends up having a beautiful ripple effect for generations to come.
I received a copy from NetGalley but am not required to give a good review. My opinions are all my own.
I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy Christian historical fiction with a bit of romance, and a very good message of Faith.
💜 💜

Was this review helpful?

THE LEGACY OF LONGDALE MANOR is a beautifully written dual timeline novel by CARRIE TURANSKY in which the characters in 1912 tie in very well with those in 2012. There are sweet romances in each timeline, and the theme of forgiveness and trust in God’s direction is strong as the charatcters, whose struggles and heartaches are well portrayed, work through their problems.The theme of God being the only perfect Father comes through very strongly.
In 2012 Gwen Morris, a junior specialist for art history and antiques, is sent by her grandfather, Lionel Morris, to Lilly Benderley, an old friend of his, to appraise the antiques at her home, Longdale Manor near Keswick in the Lake District, and prepare them for auction Lilly’s grandson David Bradford is planning to turn the beautiful manor house into a luxury hotel, thus saving his grandmother’s legacy.
After finding out that her father, who she has never met, may live in the area, Gwen is determined to find him…….
In 1912 Charlotte Harper and her family are left destitute at the death of her father, the well known evangelist, Henry Harper, who collapses at the Keswick Convention and dies soon after. Charlotte comes across some letters that show that her father was not the godly man she thought he was and keeps this secret from her mother and brother and younger sister. The family moves in with her mother’s friend Jenny Storey and her family on their sheep farm, hoping that grandfaher Benderley, who never approved of his daughter’s marriage to Henry, will take them in. Charlotte loves being on thr farm, and Ian and she become good friends, and possibly something more, but she is afraid of him turning out to be like her father…..
We see the trust issues throughout these two stories, and the effect that being fatherless has on a person. …..
This is a most enjoyable, thought provoking and inspirational novel, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

Was this review helpful?

The Legacy of Longdale Manor by Carrie Turansky features the Lake Country in England. Boy, do I want to travel to London. Turansky does a wonderful job at creating a setting that makes me feel like I am there and feeds my desire to want to visit England even more. With this beautiful setting, Turansky placed two hurting heroines in this serene setting to, hopefully, heal. The plot was original, predictable, yet hauntingly familiar. Turansky has a way of creating such a simple plot and allowing it to flow nicely, inviting the reader to sit and wash away their own struggles. While the story does feature Charlotte, an antique historian of artifacts, this thread of the plot was really not that important. I wanted more details of this and how to wrap this up with the Legacy of the Longdale Manor. Charlotte and Gwen both are hurting from their father figures and need to learn to lean own their Heavenly Father. However, the romance between the two time periods was a little unbelievable for me. I wanted more to the romance’s development. Too quick. Not enough of a relationship for me to buy that they were willing to have the happily-ever-after moment together. Overall, The Legacy of Longdale Manor featured hurtful characters who come together to try to find peace and tranquility within the lake country of England.

I received a complimentary copy of The Legacy of Longdale Manor by Carrie Turansky from Bethany House Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

Was this review helpful?

This was such a fantastic story! I loved all the characters and felt like they were family. The past and present collide pulling the reader in so deeply that it felt like I was on this journey. Brokeness and secrets are woven into the romance of the past and future. God's grace and mercy set the characters on a path that has the reader flipping pages all the while holding their breath to see where this rollercoaster of emotions ends. This is a beautifully written journey that sticks with the reader long after the book ends.
Was given a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

Charlotte and Gwen are two young ladies wrestling with very similar demons while trying to find God’s plan for them. The twist? They live 100 years apart. Can they each find their way back to God and their own happily ever after? Wonderful, charismatic characters. I rooted for them and their families. I laughed, smiled and cried for these characters. An excellent Christian story! I was sent an arc for review.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely adored this story!
In my opinion, it's not the things or home you leave behind. It's the people you love who leave their mark in this world. What a wonderful legacy to leave!
I usually don't like time slip novels, but when I saw this book with the beautiful cover, I just had to snatch it up!
Turansky has done such a marvelous job weaving past with present that I just now finished this novel.
I just couldn't put it down! It's definitely a page turner, especially if you're a historical lover like me! Just wow!
My heart went out to Charlotte. Some secrets are just best left alone, but others not so much like this one was.
Yes, this secret was what led to a little mystery, and that's what I loved about this book.
I had a feeling about how this book might turn out, but I kept reading anyway.
Here's a quote that I liked and a reminder that in certain situations we sometimes must be the bigger person in forgiving others
“It doesn’t seem fair that I must be the one to—”“Ian, life and love are not always fair. The servant leader must be the first to apologize, the first to do what’s needed to show they are sincere and worthy of restoring the relationship. Remember, the Lord said we are to be peacemakers and do our part
It turned out that I was right!
I can honestly say that this novel left my heart feeling full and satisfied.
This will be my favorite book by her. I must purchase it so I can add it to my keeper shelf.
5 stars for a job well done! I highly recommend it!
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own!

Was this review helpful?