The laughter of summer lawn parties fades for the men and women of Summerset Abbey, as the rumble of cannon-fire sweeps across Europe. I haven't yet given up hope for the series and though I am optimistic about book two, A Bloom in Winter, I will certainly be approaching it with a moderate degree of caution.The thrilling conclusion to the evocative Summerset Abbey series, featuring two sisters and their maid as they navigate an uncertain world in the midst of World War I. Those characters to which it pertained were not fully developed in my mind and their sudden importance was particularly jarring.

The revelation surrounding Prudence felt rushed and disjointed. Perhaps the only thing as disappointing to me as Rowena's character was the ending. Where Victoria barely towed the line, Rowena jumped clear over it, frequently leaving me bored and yawning. More than that though, Rowena is entirely one dimensional. I think Brown was shooting for conflicted, but something must have been lost in translation as I found her apathetic, spoiled and indecisive. It would be a shame to see her continually lost in the shuffle. I can only hope we see more of her in future installments, that her character becomes more complex and that she enjoy the same prominence as her counterparts in Brown's future works. She blends too easily into the background of the story, her sweet and gentle demeanor overshadowed by her cast mates. In contrast Victoria, though interesting, is almost dull. Alone and without a male benefactor Prudence's position is precarious from the get-go and offers the most to the reader in terms of emotional drama, intrigue and movement.

All things considered it is probably an unfair assessment, but she is without a doubt my favorite of the three girls. I also greatly enjoyed the story as it related to Prudence. The stark contrast between the Buxtons, their household staff and the citizens of Summerset is abundantly clear from the first page to the last, as finite in her fiction as it is in fact. Brown favors history and for that, I am deeply appreciative. Lately I've come across a lot of historic pieces that blur the line between master and servant, choosing to disregard the social stratification that existed between the two. I desperately wanted to love this book, t he time period offers a wealth of material, but that being said, I found the piece much more of a challenge than I'd originally anticipated and didn't end it as satisfied as I'd hoped.īy far my favorite aspect of the book is the obvious care Brown put in to defining the social classes. Brown's Summerset Abbey several times and I think I've finally put my finger on the problem.

Summerset abbey by tj brown