Giveaway and Review: "Wentworth Hall" and YA Historical Prize Pack

To celebrate the release of "Wentworth Hall" by Abby Grahame, I have my review of the book, an excerpt, and an awesome contest for 3 YA historical books!

"Wentworth Hall"
by Abby Grahame

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: May 1, 2012

Source: sent by publisher/publicist

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
 

Summary from goodreads.com:

Eighteen-year-old Maggie Darlington has turned into an entirely different person. The once spirited teen is now passive and reserved. A change Lord and Lady Darlington can’t help but be grateful for.

It’s 1912, and the Darlingtons of Wentworth Hall have more than just the extensive grounds to maintain. As one of Britain’s most elite families, they need to keep up appearances that things are as they have always been… even as their carefully constructed façade rapidly comes undone.

Maggie has a secret. And she’s not the only one… the handsome groom Michael, the beautiful new French nanny Therese, the Darlingtons’ teenage houseguests Teddy and Jessica, and even Maggie’s younger sister Lila are all hiding something. Passion, betrayal, heartache, and whispered declarations of love take place under the Darlingtons’ massive roof. And one of these secrets has the power to ruin the Darlingtons forever.

When scandalous satires start appearing in the newspaper with details that closely mirror the lives of the Darlingtons, everyone is looking over their shoulder, worrying their scandal will be next. Because at Wentworth Hall, nothing stays secret for long.

My Review:

Are you suffering from a serious case of Downton Abbey fever? Then "Wentworth Hall" is just what the doctor ordered! Its no question that this time period and setting is hot right now and there really aren't that many books that fit the bill. At first, I thought that the book was going to be a nice read, and a great way to revisit the Edwardian manor home era, but then the story really took off and secrets started spilling, and I was on the edge of my seat, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

The author did a great job of really describing the setting, as well as the clothing. I love historical costuming, so I really liked reading about the clothing the girls wore. And it never came across as frivolous, I think it really added to the atmosphere and setting.

I really liked Lila's character, the younger Darlington sister, she was much more relatable than the other characters. I did enjoy Nora, the maid, as well, she was such a gossip, but never in a mean-spirited way. At first, I couldn't believe how unlikable Maggie was, especially since it seemed like she was the most central character. But once the secrets came out, I really understood why she acted the way she did and also felt so bad for her.

I really enjoyed the satires of the family that someone from Wentworth Hall sent to a tabloid newspaper. The style was so funny, and seemed very typical of the time. Yes, it wasn't that nice, but at first it really was fluffy enough to be a great guilty pleasure. I also appreciated that they were full chapters of the satire instead of just snippets. This aspect really reminded me of the Gossip Girl books, but with a historical flavor.


Main Characters: 5/5
Supporting Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Romance: 4/5
Uniqueness: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Writing: 4/5


Bottom Line:  With this enjoyable read, we won't have to wait until next season to revisit an Edwardian manor house's secrets and mysteries.

Excerpt:

As part of the blog tour, I have a link to a 51 page excerpt of Wentworth Hall! 

http://www.scribd.com/doc/88290355/Wentworth-Hall-Excerpt

Giveaway:

I am so jealous of the winner of this contest! The winner will receive a Simon and Schuster YA Historical Prize Pack of THREE books!


"Wentworth Hall" by Abby Grahame
 "This Dark Endeavor" by Ken Oppel
"Changeling" by Philippa Gregory

GIVEAWAY RULES:

 

The publisher and publicist have generously provided a Simon & Schuster Historical Fiction Prize Pack to one lucky reader of my blog! The prize pack includes finished copies of "Wentworth Hall" by Abby Grahame, "This Dark Endeavor" by Ken Oppel, and "Changeling" by Philippa Gregory.

All you have to do is follow my blog publicly and leave a comment on this review with your email address! Please follow publicly or I can't tell that you are following :) Also, if you aren't comfortable leaving your email here, go ahead and leave a comment and then send me an email with your email addy

Extra Entries:
+1 Tweet this contest (leave link in comment)
+1 Post link in sidebar of your blog (leave link in comment)

Rules:

• US only
• Must be a follower to enter
• Extra entries are optional and can all be left in the same comment
• Leave a comment with your email address
• Books will be mailed out by the publicist, it is the publicist's responsibility to mail out the prizes. Please allow up to 8 weeks for delivery.
• Must be 18 or over 

• Ends Mon May 14

Thanks to everyone for entering! Good luck!