The Lady of Gladstone Manor

Jackson Belle, a famous architect and landscape designer is rather satisfied with his life. He loves his job and he’s been in a serious relationship with a woman he loves for the last three years. If only he could actually propose to said woman, everything would be perfect. But something is simply holding him back from uttering those fateful words.  Then one day, he takes a job, meets a woman, and suddenly life is brighter.

Brooke Langley has spent a lot of time in self-imposed exile. After a tragic accident that left her with scars, she retreated from life, spending all her time in Gladstone Manor, a place in which she knew great happiness as a child. But, her life changes for the better when she meets Jackson. 

The premise of the book is a bit unusual. Recluse heroes are a dime a dozen, but there are scarcely few heroines with said attribute. The story held a promise of being interesting. Unfortunately, it doesn’t deliver. The writing itself is awkward and the dialogue even more so,  it’s stilted as well.  One case in point, Jackson’s girlfriend who didn’t show her true colors until the time he fell in love with another woman - highly unbelievable and too neat.  As far as the the love story, it feels like we are being told instead of shown how they fell in love.  With the promising plot and characters, the book sounded intriguing. Hopefully the next one will be.

Ana Smith