A Refuge at Highland Hall: A Novel - eBook

The hardship and sacrifices of the First World War are illuminated in this poignant portrait of faith and family during 1915 Britain. Author Carrie Turansky weaves an inspiring and beautiful tale about Love's power amidst adversity, and the miracle of redemption when we allow God to guide our hearts. Carrie's keen eye for historical detail lends an atmosphere that will transport readers back to a time of lush simplicity reminiscent of Downton Abbey, and set against the backdrop of war. With an engaging cast whose courage and strength promise to rise triumphant, A Refuge at Highland Hall is a wonderful novel.

I have read the two previous books in this series from Carrie Turansky and they were both wonderful reads, however, for me this book was different.

My personal opinion was that this book was eerily similar to the tv show, Downton Abbey. What I mean by that is I thought quite a bit of it was very much inspired and somewhat changed to fit writing style, and yet some of the situations were very similar to those I've seen in that show.

I am not accusing her of having ripped off the tv show's script or anything of the sort, just I was looking for the different situations and experiences that I have read in her two previous books in this series.

If you like that show, you'll like this book to be certain. However, if you're looking for something a little different with a bit of a twist, I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book to you.

Note: I received a copy of this book for the exchange of a review. All views and opinions expressed are mine.

Carrie Turansky saved the best for last with A REFUGE AT HIGHLAND HALL. This story is fantastic!! I had difficulty in putting the book down. This book was a wonderful conclusion to the Edwardian Brides Series. I wish she could do a couple more in this series.

If you are a Downton Abbey fan you will love Refuge at Highland Hall -- and the entire series for that matter. This is the third book but reads well as a standalone though the author has done an incredible job of concluding this series. I'm all agog over how Turansky incorporated favourite characters from the previous books into this one. I had so much fun catching up with William and Julie and Kate and Jonathan. Thrilled me to my toes to be able to visit with dear friends from previous books so I was happy dancing all the way through this one. :-)

Captivating from the very first page, Turansky spins an intriguing and angst-riddled story. The historical detail is fascinating and I learned some things about World War I that I didn't know before. Fiction is my favourite kind of history lesson! And that war puts a damper on the first stirring of romance between Penny and Alex. They do a good bit of their courting through letters and as their feelings grow deeper times grow more desperate and suddenly a simple romance becomes impossibly complicated.

Brimming with love and laughter and faith (and more than a small amount of angst), Refuge at Highland Hall delivers the kind of story that brings the past to life.

If you are looking for a period drama to take you back to the past, look no further than the novel, A Refuge at Highland Hall. This is the third book in author Carrie Turanskys Edwardian Brides series and is the first book I have had an opportunity to read by her. Going into the third book, I was not sure how not reading the other stories would affect my enjoyment. When I first cracked open the book there was a two page list of characters. However, not to be dismayed I started into the book and was soon caught up with all the doings at Highland Hall during World War 1. This story follows a couple of romances and gives readers of the trilogy a chance to catch up with the lives of the previous characters. This started out a little slow for me but by the time I got about halfway through I was very caught up in the drama of these characters and what was happening in their lives. I have read quite a few WW2 stories, but I believe this may be the first I have read that dealt with WW1. And Ms. Turanskys attention to historical detail was quite mesmerizing. I look forward to more by this new to me author.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review. The opinions stated in this review are my own.