The Secret of Pembrooke Park Review!!!!!

The Secret of Pembrooke Park by Julie Klassen

+Julie Klassen

Book Description:

Abigail Foster is the practical daughter. She fears she will end up a spinster, especially as she has little dowry, and the one man she thought might marry her seems to have fallen for her younger, prettier sister. 

Facing financial ruin, Abigail and her father search for more affordable lodgings, until a strange solicitor arrives with an astounding offer: the use of a distant manor house abandoned for eighteen years. The Fosters journey to imposing Pembrooke Park and are startled to find it entombed as it was abruptly left: tea cups encrusted with dry tea, moth-eaten clothes in wardrobes, a doll's house left mid-play...

The handsome local curate welcomes them, but though he and his family seem acquainted with the manor's past, the only information they offer is a stern warning: Beware trespassers drawn by rumors that Pembrooke Park contains a secret room filled with treasure.

This catches Abigail's attention. Hoping to restore her family's finances--and her dowry--Abigail looks for this supposed treasure. But eerie sounds at night and footprints in the dust reveal she isn't the only one secretly searching the house.

Then Abigail begins receiving anonymous letters, containing clues about the hidden room and startling discoveries about the past. 

As old friends and new foes come calling at Pembrooke Park, secrets come to light. Will Abigail find the treasure and love she seeks...or very real danger?

My Opinion:
Wow!  I was grabbed from the book description, and what a great tale it leads to!  The beginning was a little slow for me, but then the mysteries, secrets, and twists started rolling and wouldn't quit!!!  I found, especially near the end, that I didn't want to put it down!  There are some dark moments, but the beauty of the story comes when the light of truth chases it away!!!  Abigail is a a dear character that I loved immediately!  You feel for her plight from the beginning and can't wait to see where The Lord leads her!  And so many other characters captured my heart early on such as William and his dad Mac!  The overall descriptions of the house, the beautiful doll house, and the other places in the book are amazing!  I could really picture it all in my mind!  The characters growth is awesome!  And I know that the Secrets are expected because of the title, but they are amazing!  I was able to figure the mysteries out right before the characters so I didn't feel completely left in the dark or too blown out of the water!  The messages are completely wonderful, one I loved the most was when they point out how God takes something bad and turns it into something good!!!!  I'm finding it hard to find words to describe this book without giving anything away, and I think it's because it left me kinda speechless!  :)  Faith, love, deception, danger, murder, mystery, forgiveness, loss, gain, and true treasure are all found in the tale and I HIGHLY recommend it!!! 
  
Songs: "Pushing Back the Dark" by Josh Wilson, "God-Shaped Hole" by Plumb, and "He Leadeth Me" by The Cluster Pluckers
Songs etc. May be changed and/or added in the future. ~ASC

Luke 8:17

~ASC

*I requested and received this book from Bethany House for the purpose of reviewing it.  This in no way affected my opinion and the above are my true thoughts and feelings about The Secret of Pembrooke Park. ~ASC