Poor Lachie – Lady Layla has stolen the spotlight lately by choosing what they read for #LambsForLiteracy. Now we have Wi-Fi access again, Lady Layla shares her review of A Room at the Manor, by Scottish writer Julie Shackman. Since Lachie’s Mahh is Scottish, Lady Layla thought it would be a nice to read a novel based in the family’s original homeland.
First impression: Mmm, those thistles on the cover look tasty.
Second impression: This book is going to mention food a lot – the cover features the words 'deliciously enjoyable'. I better grab a snack.
Third impression: Where can a Suffolk ewe get some of those fancy cakes?
It took a couple of starts to immerse myself in this story in comparison to some of our other recent reads, but it featured lots of cake and other baked goodies in the opening chapters so that got my tummy rumbling. Readers must have a delicious snack on hoof if you are prone to feeling peckish at the mention of crumbs.
The story kicks off with a proper sudden death and shocking final will. Fiction provides us with an escape from reality, and the plot is certainly a mix of modern Downton Abbey problems, Disney fairy tale dreams, and Scottish romance. There appears to be a fascination with Scotland among the Bookstagram community, so they will be glad to hear this book provides the Scottish backdrop for romance that readers desire. The symbolism of Scottish thistles throughout the story is significant, although I have been advised to NOT eat them by humans…
Many ewes could probably read this with a bucket of pellets (or glass of red) by the fire on a Friday night. This story had the vibe of an easy-to-watch Netflix rom – maybe it could be transposed to screen so I could force Lachie to watch it? There were a few surprises throughout the story (no spoilers, don’t worry), but the story adhered to genre expectations in regards to the problems the female protagonist encountered – numerous antagonists, a broody handsome stranger, sudden good fortune after enduring challenges. There were some flashbacks to previous generations which explained decisions by the deceased character. Not sure whether these benefited the storyline or not – eager to hear from any other ewes how they felt about them.
One of my main questions after reading A Room at the Manor is where does a ewe find such supportive, self-sacrificing ewe-friends like the secondary characters in this book? They almost felt a little unbelievable at times in that they were willing to sacrifice their own daily lives to assist the protagonist in achieving her dream. If anyewe knows where I can find some flockmates like them please drop me a DM because Lachie is driving me pellets at the moment.
Anyway, if you are after a fast-paced thriller with loads of car chases (like Lachie enjoys), you will not find it in this book. If you want something that works towards happier endings and fulfilling dreams, then this could be your Friday night wind-down.
If A Room at the Manor ignites your baking fairy, then check out my Lamington recipe from earlier this year.
Bahh!
Layla x
Lachie and Layla won an ARC of this book in a giveaway by Allen & Unwin by describing their dream job: Quality control assurers at a stockfeeders because it would allow us to ensure all products were up to scratch before being sold – plus extra lunch!
