TLC Book Tour: The Girl in the Castle (Deverill Chronicles #1) by Santa Montefiore

The Girl in the Castle
(Deverill Chronicles #1)
By Santa Montefiore

Format Read: Trade Paperback
Genre: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance
Rating: 3.5/5

I was sent a copy of The Girl in the Castle by Santa Montefiore from the publisher and TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.

About The Girl in the Castle

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (September 27, 2016)
 International sensation Santa Montefiore presents the first book in a trilogy that follows three Irish women through the decades of the twentieth century—perfect for fans of Kate Morton and Hazel Gaynor. Born on the ninth day of the ninth month in the year 1900, Kitty Deverill is special as her grandmother has always told her. Built on the stunning green hills of West Cork, Ireland, Castle Deverill is Kitty’s beloved home, where many generations of Deverills have also resided. Although she’s Anglo-Irish, Kitty’s heart completely belongs to the wild countryside of the Emerald Isle, and her devotion to her Irish-Catholic friends Bridie Doyle, the daughter of the castle’s cook, and Jack O’Leary, the vet’s son, is unmatched—even if Jack is always reminding her that she isn’t fully Irish. Still, Jack and Kitty can’t help falling in love although they both know their union faces the greatest obstacles since they are from different worlds. Bridie cherishes her friendship with Kitty, who makes her feel more like her equal than a servant. Yet she can’t help dreaming of someday having all the wealth and glamour Kitty’s station in life affords her. But when she discovers a secret that Kitty has been keeping from her, Bridie finds herself growing resentful toward the girl in the castle who seems to have it all. When the Irish revolt to throw over British rule in Southern Ireland, Jack enlists to fight. Worried for her safety, Jack warns Kitty to keep her distance, but she refuses and throws herself into the cause for Irish liberty, running messages and ammunition between the rebels. But as Kitty soon discovers, her allegiance to her family and her friends will be tested—and when Castle Deverill comes under attack, the only home and life she’s ever known are threatened. A powerful story of love, loyalty, and friendship, The Girl in the Castle is an exquisitely written novel set against the magical, captivating landscape of Ireland.

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About Santa Montefiore

Santa Montefiore was born in England. She went to Sherborne School for Girls in Dorset and studied Spanish and Italian at Exeter University. She has written sixteen bestselling novels, which have been translated into thirty different languages and have sold more than two million copies worldwide. Find out more about Santa at her website, and follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

I had seen this authors name around the book blogging community and on Goodreads and became intrigued by the fact that she is recommended for fans of Kate Morton. As she is one of my favourite authors, I knew I had to give Santa Montefiore a chance.

The downstairs-upstairs plotline appealed to me and made for an interesting comparison between the two classes. The Girl in the Castle is set during a time period that covered the years of World War I. However I was unaware of the important events that occurred in Ireland, while the fighting in Europe went on. Although this book is a work of fiction, it has piqued my interest to learn more about the suffering of the Irish people during this time.

Aside from the time period in which the characters in The Girl in the Castle lived, my favourite part was most definitely the setting. Santa Montefiore did a wonderful job of describing the beauty of the country. The pride her characters had for their country added so much to the Irish peoples fight for independence from Britain.

While I found the story to be interesting, this wasn’t a fast read for me. In fact it took me a lot longer to complete than I anticipated and this left me quite discouraged. The writing was beautifully done, however by the latter half of the book I began to dislike characters that I initially favoured.

Although I haven’t decided yet if I will continue on with the second book in this trilogy, I would like to give this author a second try. Even though The Girl in the Castle might not have been the perfect fit for me, I would still recommend in to other fans of historical fiction. Those who enjoy Downton Abbey may enjoy this book as well.