The Housekeeper's Secret

A Novel

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Pub Date Aug 13 2024 | Archive Date Aug 27 2024

Description

"This BEAUTIFULLY-WRITTEN HISTORICAL is a SUMPTUOUS, PAGE-TURNING DELIGHT
filled with an enticing mix of FORBIDDEN ROMANCE and buried secrets.”
—Ellen Marie Wiseman, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Girls of Willowbrook

Duty, desire, and deception reside under one roof.

Standing in the remote windswept moors of Northern England, Coldwell Hall is the perfect place to hide. For the past five years, Kate Furniss has maintained her professional mask so carefully that she almost believes she is the character she has created: Coldwell’s respectable housekeeper.

It is the summer of 1911 that brings new faces above and below the stairs of Coldwell Hall—including the handsome and mysterious new footman, Jem Arden. Just as the house’s shuttered rooms open, so does Kate’s guarded heart to a love affair that is as intense as it is forbidden. But Kate can feel her control slipping as Jem harbors secrets of his own.

Told in alternating timelines from the last sun-drenched summer of the Edwardian Age to the mud-filled trenches of WWI, The Housekeeper's Secret opens its door to a world of romance, the truths we hold onto, and the past we must let go.

"RICH IN ATMOSPHERE AND BRIMMING WITH INTRIGUE, THE HOUSEKEEPER'S SECRET IS NOT TO BE MISSED!"
–Amanda Skenandore, award-winning author of The Nurse's Secret

"BRILLIANTLY RESEARCHED…I rooted for Kate, fell completely in love with Jem, and will hold their unforgettable story close for a very long time to come."
–Jenny Ashcroft, author of Island in the East and The Officer and the Spy

"This BEAUTIFULLY-WRITTEN HISTORICAL is a SUMPTUOUS, PAGE-TURNING DELIGHT
filled with an enticing mix of FORBIDDEN ROMANCE and buried secrets.”
—Ellen Marie Wiseman, New York Times bestselling author...


Advance Praise

"This BEAUTIFULLY-WRITTEN HISTORICAL is a SUMPTUOUS, PAGE-TURNING DELIGHT
filled with an enticing mix of FORBIDDEN ROMANCE and buried secrets.”
—Ellen Marie Wiseman, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Girls of Willowbrook

"RICH IN ATMOSPHERE AND BRIMMING WITH INTRIGUE, THE HOUSEKEEPER'S SECRET IS NOT TO BE MISSED!"
–Amanda Skenandore, award-winning author of The Nurse's Secret

"BRILLIANTLY RESEARCHED…I rooted for Kate, fell completely in love with Jem, and will hold their unforgettable story close for a very long time to come."
–Jenny Ashcroft, author of Island in the East and The Officer and the Spy

"This BEAUTIFULLY-WRITTEN HISTORICAL is a SUMPTUOUS, PAGE-TURNING DELIGHT
filled with an enticing mix of FORBIDDEN ROMANCE and buried secrets.”
—Ellen Marie Wiseman, New York Times bestselling author...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781250272621
PRICE $29.00 (USD)
PAGES 368

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Average rating from 297 members


Featured Reviews

Evocative of the upstairs/downstairs era. Seems like everyone has secrets, not just the housekeeper. Excellent characters, believable plot. Endearing characters too. Highly recommend.

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Who knew there could be so much drama at a remote Edwardian manor? The Housekeeper’s Secret centers around Kate, the beautiful, young housekeeper of the manor who harbors a huge secret. Her life is unremarkable until the elderly lord dies and his dreadful son becomes lord; introducing his even more evil valet to the manor. Also, a mysterious stranger, Jem, arrives out of nowhere and takes a position as a footman. Jem has a hidden agenda: to find out what happened to his younger brother when his employer was a guest at the manor. The last thing either Kate or Jem need is an illicit romance. However, their attraction cannot be denied.

The author does a terrific job of building suspense and moving the timeline of the story along by using alternating timelines: in letters written by Jem from the trenches along the front in World War I, and as they played out in the real time of the story—the summer of 1911. As the relationship between Kate and Jem developed, and answers to the mystery surrounding the night Jem’s brother went missing seem within reach, the revelations in Jem’s letters have the reader more and more anxious to find out what happened in those last days before Jem abruptly left the manor. And, what has become of Kate?

This is an excellent book. It is absorbing and perfectly paced with a satisfying ending. The insight into the inner workings of an Edwardian manor is interesting and seems very realistic. The majority of the characters are well developed and relatable. However, the evil characters are one dimensional and appear to be just thoroughly horrible people.

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Wow! This was a very well-written book! I loved the alternating timelines; that perspective enabled the reader to get a fuller picture of what was happening without spoiling any of either storyline.

The characters were great - Kate and Jem were very well-rounded and realistic characters. Supporting characters of Henderson, Eliza, Susan, Joseph, Miss Dunn, and Mr. & Mrs. Gatley were fleshed out enough that they were "real" without overshadowing the main characters of Kate and Jem.

I found myself very caught up in the story and was invested until the end. This was a beautiful love story with elements that added lots of rich layers to make it a very enjoyable read. This is one that I would definitely enjoy rereading one day in the future; I enjoyed it that much!

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Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press for an eARC ♥️♥️♥️

As a huge historical fiction fan, I was completely swept up in the story from the very first page. The way Iona Grey weaves together the threads of duty, desire, and deception is nothing short of masterful.

I adored Kate, the reserved and proper housekeeper, and my heart ached for her as she struggled to reconcile her feelings with the societal expectations of the time. And Jem, oh Jem! The brooding and mysterious footman who stole her heart. Their forbidden love affair had me on the edge of my seat, wondering if they'd ever find a way to be together.

The historical details were impeccably researched and added such depth to the story. I felt like I was right there in Coldwell Hall, surrounded by the opulence and grandeur of the Edwardian era. And the way the story unfolded, alternating between the past and the trenches of WWI, was simply brilliant.

In short, I'm utterly smitten with this book 🔥👍🏽

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