As mentioned, Bridge to Belle Island made me excited about Julie Klassen again, so I'm setting out to reread some of her books. Pembrooke Park was the first I tackled, and it's pretty great--more a 4.5. It brings to mind Northanger Abbey and similar Gothic Regency tales, with a splash of The Secret Garden for flavor.
The characters are all three-dimensional, such that Abigail and William, while wonderful, don't stand out as the most developed the way a lead couple normally does. Don't get me wrong, though--they work great as a couple. I like how Abigail's practicality and acceptance of spinsterhood made her more open to William, a curate she might not have considered if she'd had the opportunities other ladies her age did. William, as a parson, has a strong faith of course, but Julie did well at making it an organic part of his character, while still making clear he and Abigail were attracted to each other. The romance isn't steamy, but Julie does go some unexpected places with it--read the sickroom scene for a daring example. However, what's even better is, Abigail and William come to love each other based on trust and friendship, not only attraction.
As noted, the secondary characters pop like nothing I've seen in a while. They also give Julie the opportunity to play with some tropes not always found in Regency fiction. For instance, I never doubted Abigail would choose William over Gilbert, but I liked the conflict and the way they were able to maintain friendship. Sometimes I wanted to shake my head, pat Gilbert on the shoulder and say, "She's just not that into you, dude," which again, normally doesn't happen with Regency women because their time period practically forces them to be desperate for marriage. Additionally, Julie does a great job with some mystery tropes, such as mistaken or secret identities, secret rooms, and double meanings or red herrings.
Speaking of the mystery in Pembrooke Park, it hits all the right notes. I wasn't sure what I was expecting from it, but what I got was a logical, yet engaging surprise, at every turn. Without spoiling anything, Leah Chapman was my favorite part of the mystery and maybe the entire book. It's not often authors give "spinsters" this type of development, especially if they also struggle with issues like social anxiety. I loved Leah's character growth and occasionally wished Pembrooke Park was her book.
Several subplots, small scenes, and less heard from secondary characters add to the book's enjoyable flavor. I loved the subplot between Lizzie and Jane, and the heartbreaking element of the truth about Miles. Rough-tongued but good-hearted Mac Chapman will forever stick in my memory as an unexpectedly noble character, servant heritage or not. His scenes with Leah were some of the most touching of the book.
The one and only reason I took a star was length--I don't think this needed 462 pages to tell a good story. However, if you've never read Julie Klassen before, Pembrooke Park is probably her best most recent one. If you have, or want to revisit, do give it a go.
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Wonderful mystery and romance. It grabbed my attention and kept it!
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