Summary:
Emma Jansen grew up on the Rolling Hill Estate. Rumored to be the inspiration for a beloved movie, the walls hold more than Emma bargained with when she comes back hoping to prevent it from being demolished. Emma revisits the house- which holds life altering secrets. She also revisits her two best friends and the complicated dynamic the three shared. There's a lot Emma didn't know- and she's about to find it all out.

Brenda Janowitz has done it again!! Once again, she's crafted a story you get lost it. She's created characters and storylines with them that you can't put down. The Audrey Hepburn Estate is a prime example of what I love about historical fiction. Brenda takes a subject you think you're pretty knowledgeable in and introduces you to things you never knew about it. She's so gifted at telling a story from an angle you wouldn't normally think about. She's so talented at writing a plot that you don't want to put down. And just when you think you have a lock on what's going on, she throws a plot twist to throw everything you thought out the window. I stayed up WAY past my bedtime because I didn't want to stop reading her words. I was hooked! I was torn between wanting to see what happened next and not wanting the book to end. I loved every bit of this book!

Emma grew up on the grounds of Rolling Hills. While she may have been the maid's daughter, she was best friends with the estate owner's grandson. She and Henry later add Leo to the mix when his father becomes Felix's (Henry's Grandfather/estate owner) driver. As you can imagine, the dynamic evolves over the years- in different ways. While hearts are falling in love and getting broken, secrets are being suspected. Is Felix who they think he is? How did the beloved chef really die? Why is Mila, Emma's mother, spending so much time with Felix? Assumptions are made, but it'll be decades before the truth behind them is uncovered.

Now adults, Leo is the owner of a company who has bought the Rolling Hill estate- in all it's disrepair. Emma comes back hoping to stop him from tearing it down. The course of this mission gets the three of them back together- and some dynamics die hard. Will there be a happier ending this time?

However, the past collides with the present when secrets are uncovered as the house is torn down. A subbasement holds far more than the shock of it's existence. What is found within these hidden walls changes the lives of these three forever. The truth is nothing like what Emma had once thought it was. It's far worse. Her life is never the same once the truth comes out.

If you love historical fiction, I cannot recommend The Audrey Hepburn Estate enough. Little Audrey Hepburn references are planted throughout the book, but the story itself was nothing short of amazing. I loved it. I couldn't put it down. I devoured it. I loved how Brenda crafted a story that taught me history I never knew prior to her book. Those are my favorite historical fiction books to read! It's what I love most about the genre. The direction she took is one I don't read very often- if ever. It's so deserving of a story to be told and she brings it to you out of nowhere!!

I really don't know what to think about his book. There were parts I really liked--especially the premise of the house representing the house in the Audrey Hepburn movie Sabrina and a love story to go with it. But then the plot took a swerve and became about Nazi and Nazi hunters. Then there was a whiff of a huge plot twist, only to die out in the end. I appreciated the epilogue of what happens with Leo and Emma, but I wondered what happened to Henry. I kept wanting more...but what was contained in the book was a pleasant love story (not counting the Nazi detour) and maybe that will have to be enough.

✨Book Review- The Audrey Hepburn Estate✨

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*I was provided this book free of charge by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I’m a big fan of Brenda Janowicz because of the detail she writes into her books and this one was no different. I actually liked this book more than the other book I read by her, the Grace Kelly Dress, because the plot twist in this book literally made it impossible to put down once I had about 150 pages left! I was hooked on the love triangle, and I’m not a huge love triangle fan, and I love when flashbacks are used to build up a character’s history slowly. I also was very impressed with the research and historic details that were included in this book. No detail was too small! This book was fantastic!

Also, I absolutely adore my Book Review sign from @bookish_signs! You can get your own from their Etsy (link in bio) and use my code Christy10 for 10% off! I’m a huge Gold fan, but you can customize your sign with whatever color you want!

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I really enjoyed this very unique story. As you follow three characters from when they are children into adulthood, you learn of their ups and downs and unique connections. Through a dual timeline, you are better able to see some of the thoughts they are feeling and experiencing and it makes the story come together both cohesively and beautifully alike. I found myself coming back to this story quickly and often as I was striving to learn what would ultimately come of the mystery that unfolds and is hinted throughout the book from the beginning. I believe the appeal of this story lies in the storytelling but also in the plot itself. Very well done and highly recommended!

The Audrey Hepburn Estate is the story of Emma, Henry and Leo. We follow these characters from childhood through adulthood. Henry is the grandson of the estate owners. Leo and Emma are children of staff members who grew up at the estate.

We read in dual timeline narrative, the relationships and mysteries of these characters. This was a great engaging story. I enjoyed the characters and Brenda Janowitz's superb storytelling abilities. I especially loved the author's notes that detailed all of the influences of Audrey Hepburn throughout the book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

"A true home is the life you create for yourself, not an actual place."

WOW! I don't even know where to begin! I absolutely loved this book!
If you are a devoted Audrey Hepburn fan who loved the movie "Sabrina" you will want to read this captivating and engaging novel.
Devastating secrets, betrayal, murder, lies, twists and turns, family wealth, forbidden love had me not wanting to put the book down. I could not turn the pages fast enough.
An added bonus was Brenda Janowitz's notes at the end. So much interesting information.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Grayson House for the opportunity to read this intriguing and fantastic novel.

The Audrey Hepburn Estate is Brenda Janowitz's latest gem of a novel. It is an engaging and thoughtful story about home, family, and love.

I liked the back and forth timeline aspect, as it allowed things to unfold at a nice pace. I didn't even know what to expect from this story and was definitely surprised. There's an interesting game changer that has relevance to current events and I didn't see it coming at all. The descriptions made characters and settings easy to visualize without taking away from the narrative.

I felt like Emma fluctuating between the two guys could get tiresome at times. I could understand why Leo was frustrated with her. Otherwise, she was a likable main character and I could relate to her in some ways, especially when she was younger.

Read the author's notes when you finish this novel, to learn even more about Audrey Hepburn and how she is connected throughout the pages. Overall, a really interesting novel and worthwhile read!

Movie casting suggestions:
Emma: Lily Collins (whose birthday is this weekend, oddly enough)
Henry: William Moseley
Leo: David Henrie
Samantha: Willa Holland
Francisco: Gabriel Chavarria
Stella: Riki Lindhome

Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book. This is the first time I have read this author and I will definitely read some of her other books. This was a great story. As a lover of both Audrey Hepburn and the movie Sabrina, I was drawn into trying this book out. The author did a great job tying both of those things into the story while also writing a gripping story about events from world war two. This book was filled with so many emotions and feelings, love, hate, entitlement, justice and second chances. I like the way she has the book take place in both the past and the present plus delves even further into history. This compelling story is one that you will not be able to put down as questions are answered and feelings are dealt with. I also enjoyed reading the author's notes at the end of the book which explained many things the author learned while researching this book. A great read from beginning to end!!

This was an amazing read. I highly recommend this for those who love historical fiction. This is on par with reading the christie affair, the seven husbands of evelyn Hugo. This book is a Must for 2023

This is a good book. The two main characters are Emma and Leo. They have known each other all their lives. Leo has loved Emma from the first time he meet her. Emma had some growing up and deciding what she wanted in life. Leo and Emma had some issues to get through and fall in love together.

Advanced Book Review! Thank you @netgalley, @graydonhousebooks and @htpbooks for sending me this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
This was my second book by Brenda Janowitz and my first was a five-star read (The Liz Taylor Ring) so I was so excited to get ARC approval for The Audrey Hepburn Estate.
The Audrey Hepburn Estate is a historical fiction book, told in dual timelines with family secrets and a large gilded age estate…see where I’m going with this? Of course this is the perfect book for me. I think this is ultimately a book about the meaning of home.
I loved that we got to see Emma’s relationship with both Henry and Leo throughout the years as they were growing up together and Brenda Janowitz keeps us guessing regarding who Emma is ultimately going to end up with. But this is so much more than a romance.
It seems like every book I read turns out to have a connection the Holocaust and this was no exception. I don’t want to give any spoilers so I’ll just say that it’s a bit different from the usual Holocaust story, but it’s also an important story to tell.
At the end of the book there’s an author’s note explaining all the references to Audrey Hepburn that I really appreciated, not knowing much about her life.
I’m excited to continue reading through Brenda Janowitz’s books and I can’t wait to see what she writes next and if she finds another Old Hollywood movie star to connect with. I guess now I’m also going to have to watch Sabrina with Audrey Hepburn to see what she was talking about in the book!
I give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

This was something I wouldn't have normally read. I'm more of a super romance focused and and this was so much more. There was some romance and mystery and the author has great writing style, something I would definitely come back to. I thin k the story was well thought out and the characters were great with great development. The relationship between the characters were amazing as well. Overall great read.

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley.
First, I have to say that I am a huge Audrey Hepburn fan so I wanted to request this book as soon as I saw the title. If you've ever watched Sabrina, then a lot of this book will remind you of that movie as well. I really appreciated the extra information at the end of the book about which items in each chapter pay homage to Audrey and Audrey-related materials. I thoroughly enjoyed this book which had the right amounts of drama and action.

This will be especially interesting for any Audrey Hepburn fan. I was hoping for a different ending, but having watched Sabrina a million times, I could see the writing on the wall. Still an enjoyable read.

‘The Aubrey Hepburn Estate’ by Brenda Janowitz was sweet, romantic, and a perfect nod to ‘Sabrina’ (my absolute favorite Hepburn movie). The prose was charming, the story engaging and fun, and I just thoroughly enjoyed getting lost in this one. Highly recommend!

Heartfelt shout out to Audrey Hepburn and the movie SABRINA. Compelling romance with secret identities, Nazis, and the power of home. I devoured this book in a couple of days. Engaging, magical with a very satisfying conclusion. I also loved the author's sharing of Audrey's trivia at the back of the novel.

Thank you to @netgalley and Harlequin for this ARC. Emma finds out that the estate her mom worked for all through her childhood was being torn down. When she arrived to the development meeting, it was being marketed as the house that the movie Sabrina, starring Audrey Hepburn, was filmed there. Knowing this was untrue and not wanting all her childhood memories to be erased, she was fighting the teardown in partnership with the local Historical Society. Little did she know, her two childhood friends from the same house were also included in the drama. The fight uncovers some unfortunate truths about all of them.
I requested this book not for the title but the author's name. I "assumed" this story was about Audrey Hepburn but was really about the secrets of the house and how it could relate to Audrey's life during WWII. Though it wasn't what I thought, it was still a good read! #TheAudreyHepburnEstate #BrendaJanowitz #April2023

I noticed that so many readers loved this book, I found it to be okay but not one of my favorites.
I didn’t care for the characters and it was a struggle for me to finish reading it.
It just wasn’t the right book for me.
My thanks to Netgalley for the copy. Opinions are my own.

Brenda Janowitz's novel, The Audrey Hepburn Estate, was delightful and informative. While I didn't love the romance part of this novel, the way Janowitz tied in the historical aspects had me, hooked, especially the references that were specific to Audrey Hepurn's history. They were nicely tucked into the story for any avid fan to find. If you are a fan of historical fiction, especially anything to do with Audrey Hepburn, or the author Brenda Janowiwtz, this is one you should read. Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with an ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

What a wonderful book. I loved it! The emotional tension between the characters was perfect. Part historical and part romance, this novel takes a reader in its grip. We watch the characters evolve from childhood to adulthood. Having read most of Ms. Janowitz’s novels, I think by far this is her most developed in plot and characterizations. I cannot wait for your next novel!