Heidi Eljarbo
Historical Fiction Author
Secrets of Rosenli Manor
A gripping yet warm Victorian saga of old family mysteries
Secrets of Rosenli Manor is a delightful mystery about finding what was lost and the power of friendship. The sweet romance added a refreshing dimension to the theme of competent and capable women at a time when females were denied a proper voice. Eljarbo’s lovely writing brings the quaint Norwegian village alive through a cast of characters that will charm the reader from beginning to end.
—Julie Daines, bestselling author of Eleanor and the Iron King
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All of the author’s books are highly entertaining, but I must say that this one was the most engaging and entertaining book that I have read from this author, with her signature style of creating realistic characters with a mystery woven into the story.
This is the tale of Lilly, a young woman who is intelligent, talented and determined to forge her future in spite of her grasping and selfish father. Lilly fondly remembers going to visit Rosenli Manor as a child but has not returned since the death of her mother, so she is surprised when her beloved Aunt Agatha leaves the entire estate to her.
Thus begins the mystery of Rosenli Manor, with many unanswered questions in Lilly’s mind that she is focused on solving. As the new mistress of the manor, Lilly sets out to find out why her aunt would leave the estate to her and what her duties as the heir will entail. On that trail of discovery, Lilly falls in love (light and promising romance), receives numerous threats and becomes the proprietor of a large business previously owned by her aunt. Lilly’s innocence and belief in her fellow man is heartwarming if misplaced at times. Although her character is realistic, particularly of the turn of the century when the story is set, I did feel at times that she needed to wake up to the reality of the evil that was all around her.
Fortunately, as the story progresses, Lilly becomes more aware and a strong force to be reckoned with in the village of Glass Cove. The plot was fast paced with some twists and surprises along the way, leading the reader to discover along with Lilly who was threatening her and why she had to be constantly on her guard.
I enjoyed the language that was almost poetic at times and totally suited to the atmosphere of the book. I especially enjoyed getting to know the characters and look forward to the next books in this series. Everything about this book screams out that it was well-researched, so fans of historical fiction and women’s fiction will clamor to get this book and the ones that follow it as well.
-Review on BookBub by Vickie Watts