Lanesbrough Hall

I thought this was an enjoyable read that although had some issues I didn't want to stop reading. I found the stroyline an intrigying premise and a compelling read, if not slightly predictable at times. I also thought the charcaters were well developed but could have been further developed in some ways. However, I still enjoyed it,

I usually don’t enjoy books with any fantasy or time travel aspects of the plot but Lanesbrough Hall is definitely an exception. This is the story of three women…Mimi and Isabelle, grandmother and granddaughter, supportive and loving friends….and Bonelle, Mimi’s estranged daughter, Isabelle’s estranged mother. Mimi was a huge part of Isabelle’s upbringing after her twin sister Chloe died and Bonelle had a breakdown that ruptured her relationship with her husband and daughter. After Mimi’s death, an adult Isabelle, now a physician, returns to their ancestral estate Lanesbrough Hall in Scotland to grieve and discover the family secrets that touched so many lives and lead to such love but heartache as well.

I thought the end was a little abrupt but I found the story to be emotionally engaging and well told.

A heartwarming story of the love between and grandmother and child that goes beyond the grave. Mhairi (Mimi) was raised and inherited Lanesbrough Hall after the passing of her family. Isabelle spent most of her childhood at the Hall after her twin sister, Chloe, dies and her mother, Bonelle, becomes mentally incapable of being a parent. Both Mimi and Isabelle find childhood love on this estate, both leave those loves behind to pursue another road, Mimi into a loveless marriage, Isabelle to become a doctor, a passion that has driven her since the death of Chloe.

After the death of Mimi, Isabelle, not Bonelle, inherits Lanesbrough Hall, with the caveat that she must live there for one year. With no job and no income to sustain her, the enduring love and the chance to find out why, brings Isabelle back to Scotland and the estate she loves. Finding Mimi’s diaries brings her the answers to the family secrets, but also gives her that chance everyone wishes for after a loved one passes, a connection to the hereafter. It won’t be easy for either of them to find closure with the past but love always makes it worthwhile.
Elisabeth Linley gives us a new take on the past present narrative that warms the heart and makes you wish that you could find an old diary and communicate with your lost loves. This book is special.

This was excellent! I’m sorry it took me so long to get to it. This was a very compelling read that I couldn’t put down once I’d picked it up.

A family saga, fateful secrets, and an ancestral home with a touch of magic, Lanesbrough Hall tells the compelling story of two women whose lives are connected across time and their journey of love... Wow what a book thank you ever so much for the opportunity to review. I could not put it down. Would definitely recommend to others!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
This book details a dual timeline saga between 2 female members of a family living at Lanesborough Hall. Mimi, the grandmother, holds her secrets close so that her daughter (Bonnelle) and granddaughter (Isabelle) have much to discover when she dies. They have a difficult relationship and the inheritance of the Hall becomes subject to legal action. All this was interesting for me but there's an added twist when Mimi and Isabelle are able to contact each other through Mimi's diaries - a wonderfully imaginative bit of fantasy! Additional characters are interesting in their own right, and the stories of the two women are fascinating, especially when Isabelle tries to influence Mimi and change the course of the family history. I thought it was interesting and unusual (even though I guessed one of the background twists) and enjoyed the book very much, completely recommend.

Set in Scotland this compelling family saga flits between past and present with Mimi, the heir of Lanesbrough Hall and her granddaughter Isabelle who is a doctor in London. When her grandmother dies she leaves the hall to Isabelle but there is a condition to the bequest. When Isabelle finds her Grandmother’s diaries she not only discovers long buried family secrets but also finds realises that she is able to communicate with Mimi through the diaries and finds herself advising her grandmother to rewrite the past to protect her family.

I enjoy family sagas and unlike many love triangle stories, I really didn’t know which way this was going to go as Elisabeth keeps the reader guessing until the very end. As well as the main story there are a couple of other love stories woven into the book and Elisabeth has a great way with words, pulling you into the scene and making the characters and places seem real. Exploring love, loss, intrigue and family relationships it is a captivating read and one that is really difficult to put down! (Always the sign of a good book).

Looking forward to reading more from this author.