4.5 Stars

The Legacy of Longdale Manor is a compelling dual timeline historical fiction story with inspirational themes.

In this dual timeline story, we meet Gwen (from the present) who is an art historian and appraiser and Charlotte (from 1912) who uncovers a troubling family secret. Gwen has a family mystery to solve, and it appears that the answer is found in the distant past. Each timeline contains a romance and an old journal connects the characters in surprising ways.

In this multilayered story, one hundred years separates our main characters. Charlotte is hiding a family secret and Gwen strives to uncover a family secret. I love a dual timeline story because it adds to the complexity of the story. Often, I prefer one of the timelines over the other. While I enjoyed both in this story, I enjoyed the historical timeline a bit more because of the sweet romance. The present day timeline had conflict between the love interests (enemies to lovers) and it was more difficult to warm up to them. I also felt that more time was devoted to developing the historical romance as it was more complicated.

I thoroughly enjoyed both Charlotte and Gwen who were earnestly dealing with hurtful family situations. They were realistically drawn and likable.

The story includes rich themes of faith in God’s guidance, family, forgiveness, and healing as well as themes of trust, father/daughter and granddaughter/grandfather relationships, friendship, overcoming struggles, priorities, fathers who disappoint, and family drama. The romance is sweet and closed door.

The Longdale Manor in the Lake District of England connects the two timelines. The author describes the Lake District area in vivid and lovely detail.

I’m recommending The Legacy of Longdale Manor for readers who love gently-told inspirational historical fiction. Fans of dual timelines that connect in a unique way and who love strong women characters will appreciate this heartfelt and page-turning story.

Thanks #NetGalley @Bethany_House @AustenProse for a complimentary e ARC of #TheLegacyOfLongdaleManor upon my request. All opinions are my own.

This is a captivating dual timeline story set in England’s Lake District. In 2012, Gwen is an art appraiser sent by her grandfather to evaluate an estate that’s being partially liquidated to pay for updates and repairs. While she’s there, she reads a journal written in 1912 by a young woman named Charlotte who lived at Longdale Manor. There is romance and family drama in each timeline that kept the story moving at a steady pace. The family situations, while different, mirrored each other nicely. I loved the faith based elements and thought the whole book was really well done. This is the first novel that I’ve read by this author, and I’ll definitely be on the lookout for her previous books.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and Austenprose PR. A positive review was not required and all opinions are my own.

There is a lot to love in this book. Two stories are woven into one. Both stories include a romance, so if you love romantic stories, this is a great one for you. I appreciated the look at what unfaithfulness does to a man’s family and how it can ruin his witness with his children and sent their faith into a tailspin. I also really appreciated the thoughts about forgiveness that Mr. Donovan shared with Charlotte when she badly needed it. Mother’s reconciliation with her father was wonderful to read about, too. On the other hand, I don’t care for so much romance, and there were too many kisses or thoughts about wanting a kiss for my taste. I did love the setting, though, and the part of the story about sorting through the treasures of the old house! The way the two stories were woven together was fun to read about, as well.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishing, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

What a captivating first dual timeline story by Author Carrie Turansky! Her beautiful descriptions make the reader feel like they are there. I loved the settings at the sheep farm and Longdale Manor. Now I want to visit the Lake District in England and see it for myself! I was intrigued from the very first page. I love how a journal connected two women who lived a hundred years apart. One is searching for the father she never knew, and the other feels betrayed by the father she adored. Both women have a bit of a crisis of faith. I enjoyed both stories very much, and the beautiful faith thread woven through this story bringing forgiveness and healing.

I would have liked a little more time for the romance in the present day to develop. But I thoroughly enjoyed the journey of intrigue, faith, family, and romance in both timelines.

I highly recommend for fans of historical & contemporary romance!

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for allowing me to read an early copy. All opinions are my own.

I liked the way the author worded it: "comfort and wisdom can be passed on to those the Lord brings into our lives, and fatherhood, forgiveness, and holding on to your faith through painful times are lessons throughout this great story." Nicely transitions through the timeslips between great-great grandmother and daughter. They have a lot in common. Both of their journeys are heartfelt and touching. Great read!

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#TheLegacyofLongdaleManor #NetGalley #CarryTuransky #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #BethanyHousePublishers #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarHistorical

4.5 stars

An engaging and interesting dual timeline story that grabbed my attention and kept me flipping pages. While it's a gentle story, the mystery in both timelines is well built and suspenseful despite being relatively dangerless.

The Lake District setting has always been one of my favorite English settings and I loved how the location itself was almost a character of its own. The two sets of characters are equally engaging, although I was left wanting a lot more. I'd have liked this story if it was 500-600 pages and the characters all had more page time! A number of the elements seemed brushed over just because of space and I'd have liked those areas to be expanded and deepened.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free reading copy. A favorable review was not required.

"The Legacy of Longdale Manor" is a beautiful and delightful story written by author Carrie Turansky. The dual-timeline setting of The Lake District seen in the year 1912 and in modern day was expressed so well. The author has done wonderful work describing the natural beauty of the area as well as the historic buildings and locations. I felt as if I were there! This helps the reader to clearly see what is happening in the story and where it is taking place. As an Art Historian I love the art history elements that the author has so skillfully woven into this story. The characters feel three-dimensional and like real people along with personalities, thoughts, emotions, and personal difficulties of their own. As you the reader follow them all on their respective journeys towards love, faith, hope, and forgiveness— you will soon find each character has a place in your heart. I do not believe it is possible to not love these characters! The speed of the plot was just right, the author's writing style is smooth and bright, the romance is sweet with lots of emotional depth, and the story is original, beautiful, and inspiring. I cannot recommend this book highly enough! 5 very well deserved stars. Thank you very much to Austenprose PR, Bethany House, author Carrie Turansky, and NetGalley for providing me with the wonderful opportunity of being a part of this book tour and for providing me with both a digital and physical copy of "The Legacy of Longdale Manor" to read and review honestly.

The Legacy of Longdale Manor by Carrie Turansky.

Book 56 of 2023

📚About the Book📚

Two women--a century apart--embark on a journey to healing, faith, forgiveness, and romance.

In 2012, art historian Gwen Morris travels to England's Lake District to appraise the paintings and antiques of an old family friend, hoping to prove herself to her prestigious grandfather. While at Longdale Manor, she meets David Bradford--the owner's handsome grandson--who is desperate to save the crumbling estate by turning it into a luxury hotel. When Gwen stumbles upon a one-hundred-year-old journal and an intricately carved shepherd's staff similar to one in a photo of her parents, she's left searching for answers.

In 1912, after her father's death, Charlotte Harper uncovers a painful family secret she can only confess to her journal. She and her family travel to the Lake District to stay on a sheep farm, hoping eventually to find a home with Charlotte's grandfather at Longdale Manor, but old wounds and bitter regrets make it a difficult challenge. As Charlotte grows closer to shepherd Ian Storey and rebuilds her shattered faith, she must decide whether she will ever trust in love again.

📚Review📚
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book is a split time novel full of family secrets, redemption, faith, and forgiveness. It is about two woman searching for who they are and where they belong.

Charlotte struggles with a family secret that she feels she must hide to protect her family. In the end she learns that the truth will set her and her family free.

Gwen loves studying the past because hers is a mystery when it comes to who her father is and why her mother has hid his identity from her for so long.

I really enjoyed both timelines in the book and how the author wove them together. I would definitely recommend this book.

I was provided a copy of the book from the author/publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

3.5 stars

This book is two separate love stories in two different time periods. I think a lot of people will enjoy that element but I found that I didn't love it. My brain didn't want to switch back and forth that easily and I had to stop and think about what time period I was reading multiple times. There is a reason I don't read two books at the same time. I have a hard time keeping them straight. And that was my problem with this book. Because of that, I had a hard time getting invested in either story. I considered just reading the chapters of one story at a time but I feared I'd miss some connections between the two if I read it that way. But I probably would have liked either story better if read separately. That is just me though. Like I said, I think a lot of people will enjoy the way the book is set up and the connections between the two romances.

Heavy Christian themes with a lot of sermonizing on forgiveness among other things.
Potenial triggers: adultery, loss of spouse/parents, grief
No sex, language or violence
*I received a complimentary ARC through NetGalley and voluntarily chose to review it.

I love the setting in the Lake District in England. That's one of the things that attracted me to the book. Turansky's writing made me feel like I was there. I enjoyed the dual timeline and the strong faith thread throughout. The Legacy of Longdale Manor is a heartfelt story of imperfect people, God's grace, and forgiving the folks they love. I liked how Turansky had a character in each era who was the one who helped guide the others in a spiritual sense. If you enjoy a beautiful story in an amazing setting and is dual timeline, you'll want to read The Legacy of Longdale Manor. I received a free copy with no expectations. Opinions are my own.

The Legacy of Longdale Manor is a heart-tugging split-time tale. Carrie Turansky has such a beautiful writing style. Her themes of faith, family and forgiveness were so wonderfully woven together and truly inspiring. If I see her name on a book, I know it will be a treat. Don’t miss this one. It was a blessing!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions expressed are completely my own.

This book is told with dual timelines. Gwen is helping catalog some antiques at Longdale manor and finds a journal written by Charlotte. Charlotte and her family must leave their house and move to the Lake District. Both stories revolve around family especially fathers. It’s a really nice story with some romance and a Christian message.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

The Legacy of Longdale Manor is a dual timeline novel following the story of two women whose paths have brought them to Longdale Manor 100 years apart (1912 & 2012). This type of story always takes me a little more time to get into the story-- remembering who is who and figuring out how the stories will tie together and so on. There's a lot to wrap my brain around at times. Once I got everything straight, I found this was a really beautifully written story. Both Gwen and Charlotte have been hurt by their fathers. In 2012, Gwen never knew her father. In 1912, Charlotte's father has died, and she has discovered that he wasn't the man that she had always believed him to be. Despite the century between them, their stories are intertwined through this place and the hurts they have experienced from their earthly father. Throughout the story, we get to join them as they learn the truth and how to forgive. I found the message that while earthly fathers are human and may disappoint us, God never well is a lesson that is so very relevant to so many people- past, present and future too. Charlotte and Gwen's story showcased that beautifully.

If you enjoy dual timelines with a great message of faith, this is definitely one to check out.

**I received a complimentary copy for consideration. All opinions are my own.

It’s no secret that I’m a longtime Kate Morton fan. When I come across a book that has a dual timeline and a family mystery, you can bet I’m going to have to read it.

The Legacy of Longdale Manor is entirely compelling and engaging from the very beginning. Alternating between 1912 and 2012, the pages are brimming with endearing characters, gospel truth, and intriguing mystery. The themes of fatherhood and forgiveness are well developed in both timelines. Simply put, readers, I loved it!

Carrie Turansky is a new to me author and I will definitely be checking out all of her books.

Read if you like:
Historical fiction
Dual timelines
Family mysteries
Christian fiction
Kate Morton

Thank you to Bethany House Publishers, Austenprose, and Just Read Tours for a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

The Legacy of Longdale Manor

A truly captivating and heart-felt story. A journey intertwined with the present and the past.

The Legacy of Longdale Manor is another fabulous author, Carrie Turansky. It gives me another reason why she is one of my go to authors when it comes to historical fiction. I am a huge fan of dual timelines and love that she chose to tackle that genre in this new release. She does a fantastic job with these two stories and entwining them with one another. I loved all of the characters and I was deeply engaged in the mysteries and secrets discovered all throughout. It was great!

The Legacy of Longdale Manor will be getting a very well deserved five plus stars from me. I highly recommend it for fans of dual time line novels, as well as, clean historical fiction. As always, I will be early awaiting upcoming releases from the talented author, Carrie Turansky.

I received a paperback copy of Carrie Turansky’s The Legacy of Longdale Manor from the publisher, but was not required to write a review, nor a positive one. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.

Gwen comes to appraise art at Longdale Manor and in the process she hopes to learn more about the father who abandoned them before she was born. Charlotte discovers that her father, a renowned preacher, has been betraying her family with another woman. Separated by a century, both women struggle to come to terms with the mistakes of their fathers and not project those mistakes onto the men in their lives.

I enjoyed this story. The two time periods seemed separate at first, but I loved how they connected in the end. I also realized that both women were dealing with their fathers' betrayal as I was writing this review, so that's an added connection I didn't catch at first glance.

BOOK REVIEW - The Legacy of Longdale Manor - Carrie Turansky - 4/5 Stars

THE STORY
Carries Turansky's books are so comforting to read. They're the kind of book that make you release that contented happy sigh when you reach the end of the book. They're full of real relatable characters and deep thought provoking truths. I always enjoy dual time novels, as I love finding out all the little elements that connect the two storylines. Both Charlotte and Ian and Gwen and David were such human characters, with real flaws and relatable problems they had to overcome. The setting is picturesque, the little touch of mystery was tantalizing and the romances were lovely.

THE ROMANCE
The romances in this story are quite conservative compared to most books I've read but at the same time the felt more like how real relationships happen. Real relationships are made up of awkward encounters and misunderstandings and serious conversations before commitments as well as the romantic heartfelt moments and deep connections.

THE TRUTHS
I really admired the various characters self sacrifices throughout the story, the moments where they let go of their own wants to do what was right and needed. In this current world of instant gratification, where people want things and they want it now, self sacrifice is not something people practice much these days. It's so easy to become focused on ourselves and what we want, that we forget that what we want isn't always what is best for us, only God knows what we truly need. So we need to continually pray and ask Him to guide us through life and give us the strength sacrifice our wants to His will.

1912

When Charlotte Harper’s revered father dies unexpectedly, she discovers an awful truth he kept hidden from his family. When Charlotte’s mother takes her mourning children to the Lake District to stay with a childhood friend, Charlotte hopes to meet her estranged grandfather. Her mother hopes to reconcile with her father and find refuge in Longdale Manor.

Charlotte doesn’t expect to develop feelings for the son of their hostess, the handsome Ian Storey. She does discover a way to process her heartache, bitterness, and regrets through the pages of a journal. A journal which will one day make a difference in the life of another young lady.

2012

Gwen Morris makes a horrible and embarrassing error that costs her grandfather’s art auction business thousands of pounds. Her grandfather exiles her to the home of one of his friends in the Lake District to catalog pieces for auction. Gwen knows this is her last chance to prove herself if she wants to continue in the career she’s trained for her entire life.

When she arrives at Longdale Manor, Gwen meets the less-than-enthusiastic grandson of the owner. He becomes her ally in unraveling the mystery behind a hundred-year-old journal and an intricately carved shepherd’s staff. The same staff Gwen has seen before in the only photo she has of her father—a man she never met.

What I Loved About This Book

I love time shift novels where mysteries in the past help solve mysteries in the present. If you love historical romances with a strong faith element, you’ll love The Legacy of Longdale Manor. Readers who have experienced betrayal from a loved one or struggled to forgive someone will relate to Charlotte. And readers who have made a life-altering mistake will relate to Gwen as she struggles to reestablish her good name.

Fans of Kristy Cambron and Roseanna M. White will enjoy this book.

As this was a dual timeline book, I’ll say that I enjoyed the 1912 storyline more than I did the 2012 one.

In 1912, young .Charlotte has discovered her father’s shocking unfaithfulness to his wife….shocking, as he is a well-respected preacher and no one can imagine such an accusation, true though it is. Charlotte believes she’s the only one who knows and her family have to leave London and are taken in by a farm family near Longdale, the ancestral home of her mother. Her grandfather refuses to let them live there, but living with the nearby farm family turns out to be a blessing in disguise at least as far as Charlotte is concerned. She and the farmer’s son, Ian, develop a strong friendship which eventually blossoms into love. And…..the grandfather has a change of heart and allows his estranged daughter and family back to Longdale

The 2012 story also centers on Longdale, and a romance also occurs. This story just didn’t grab me as much as Charlotte and Ian’s. Both stories were nicely wrapped up by the author.

I received this book from the publisher via net galley in exchange for an honest review. Four stars!