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Keeping the Castle #1
Keeping the Castle
Seventeen-year-old Althea is the sole support of her entire family, and she must marry well. But there are few wealthy suitors--or suitors of any kind--in their small Yorkshire town of Lesser Hoo. Then, the young and attractive (and very rich) Lord Boring arrives, and Althea sets her plans in motion. There's only one problem; his friend and business manager Mr. Fredericks keeps getting in the way. And, as it turns out, Fredericks has his own set of plans . . .
261 pages, Hardcover
First published June 14, 2012
55 people are currently reading
6077 people want to read
About the author
Patrice Kindl
10 books173 followersChildhood:
I was born in Alplaus New York in 1951, the youngest of four daughters. My father is a mechanical engineer, my mother a housewife. My family is very nice – I like them all a lot. As a child I loved animals and read obsessively.
We had (still have) a family cottage on Lake George. The people who live next door are life-long friends. On summer weekdays during my childhood there were ten females in the two houses, no males. As a result of this background I feel that I understand girls better than boys, which is why I write primarily for girls.
Education and other jobs:
After high school I went to Webster College in St. Louis, Missouri. Oddly enough, given the location, it was a well-thought-of theater school. I attended for a year and a half and then (this was the 60’s, early 70’s) dropped out and decamped for New York City and a real drama school (not a liberal arts college like Webster). I appeared in a few television commercials, waitressed, auditioned and did a little modeling.
After three or four years of this sort of thing I realized I was going nowhere fast. I came back upstate and worked, at first full-time and then, after I married and my son was born, part-time, as a secretary at a consulting engineering firm called Encotech. As a result, I am an excellent touch typist today, which is handy for a writer.
I only began writing seriously when I was in my late thirties and was first published in my early forties. While I worked on OWL IN LOVE (my first book) I became involved in a program called Helping Hands, in which I raised two monkeys to be aides to quadriplegics. You can check it out at www.helpinghandsmonkeys.org. You can see a photograph of Kandy on this page and Susi on the FAQ page.
Family:
My husband Paul is president of Encotech (that’s where I met him). My son Alex is 25. He and his art rock band Bible Study (no religious connotation) live with us part-time. They rehearse directly over my office, so it is lucky that I think they are great musicians (Click here to listen to one of their songs). The vocalist is one of America’s few female Master Falconers. When the band is in residence we also have several hawks or falcons.
I was born in Alplaus New York in 1951, the youngest of four daughters. My father is a mechanical engineer, my mother a housewife. My family is very nice – I like them all a lot. As a child I loved animals and read obsessively.
We had (still have) a family cottage on Lake George. The people who live next door are life-long friends. On summer weekdays during my childhood there were ten females in the two houses, no males. As a result of this background I feel that I understand girls better than boys, which is why I write primarily for girls.
Education and other jobs:
After high school I went to Webster College in St. Louis, Missouri. Oddly enough, given the location, it was a well-thought-of theater school. I attended for a year and a half and then (this was the 60’s, early 70’s) dropped out and decamped for New York City and a real drama school (not a liberal arts college like Webster). I appeared in a few television commercials, waitressed, auditioned and did a little modeling.
After three or four years of this sort of thing I realized I was going nowhere fast. I came back upstate and worked, at first full-time and then, after I married and my son was born, part-time, as a secretary at a consulting engineering firm called Encotech. As a result, I am an excellent touch typist today, which is handy for a writer.
I only began writing seriously when I was in my late thirties and was first published in my early forties. While I worked on OWL IN LOVE (my first book) I became involved in a program called Helping Hands, in which I raised two monkeys to be aides to quadriplegics. You can check it out at www.helpinghandsmonkeys.org. You can see a photograph of Kandy on this page and Susi on the FAQ page.
Family:
My husband Paul is president of Encotech (that’s where I met him). My son Alex is 25. He and his art rock band Bible Study (no religious connotation) live with us part-time. They rehearse directly over my office, so it is lucky that I think they are great musicians (Click here to listen to one of their songs). The vocalist is one of America’s few female Master Falconers. When the band is in residence we also have several hawks or falcons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,326 reviews
April 12, 2014
“I love you, Althea—you are so beautiful,” murmured the young man into my ear.Well, at least she's honest.
I looked up at him from under my eyelashes. “I love you too,” I confessed. I averted my gaze and added privately, “You are so rich.”
Unfortunately, I apparently said this aloud.
This book is reminiscent, however briefly, of Jane Austen's Emma, ruined by a love triangle and no romance. It is just darling, there are funnily "posh" names like Bumbershook and Throstletwist, a "Crooked Castle" with a moat (without fish---they've all been eaten), and a Happily-Ever-After. Unfortunately, it was bogged down by the lack of romance. This would ordinarily be a good thing, except, well, I read this book wanting a romance. Imagine that!
Snow will sometimes fall in June. Khanh will occasionally seek romance. Yes, it does occur, albeit rarely.
Frankly speaking, this is the extent of the romance within this book:
Guy: *SNEERS*
Girl: *mutters* Bloody prick
Guy: YOU ARE INCOMPETENT
Girl: I WILL NEVER MARRY YOU *bats eyelashes at someone else*
Guy: OMG WHY ARE YOU SO DUMB? Here, let me help you out.
Girl: YOU'RE STILL A JERK
Guy: I LOVE YOU
Girl: WAIT, WHAT? Oh, I love you too! ?_?
There is a love triangle in this book, and it pisses me off because there is no case for either of the young men involved. One is the perfect man, a handsome young Baron, a posher Mr. Bingley from Pride and Prejudice, if you will. The other a brusque, rude, ill-mannered jerk, the Baron's commoner cousin. The main character, the very Emma-like Althea has to choose between the two. This is a seriously sweet book, Althea is a very likeable character; she is vain, but completely pragmatic, she has to be, why?
The Summary:
Our only hope was in marriage. Mine.The lovely Althea Crawley hasn't a single pence to her name, therefore it comes as a rather monumental task for her to save their ancestral home. Or rather, ancestral wreck. Althea's wildly romantic grandfather built a castle by the sea only to see it crumble into dust and disrepair after he squandered his entire fortune on the castle, leaving nothing to the castle's upkeep---or his heirs. The castle may look like a wedding cake threw up on Camelot.
Indeed, much of the structure was nonfunctional in any but a decorative sense, with winding stone stairs leading to nowhere, murder holes so improperly placed that they could pose no danger even to the most oblivious of intruders, and a hodgepodge of towers and battlements sticking out at random.But it's their family home, and Althea is determined to keep it in the family. By whatever means necessary. And that includes some pretty unpleasant means.
“Perhaps I should consider an elderly suitor,” I mused. “They are more easily managed, I believe. And they often have defective hearing, which might be quite an advantage.”Althea is not alone, she's got a loving mother, a four-year old brother, and two wealthy (but unhelpful in any way) stepsisters named Prudence and Charity.
Hint: the stepsisters are neither prudent nor charitable.
Althea's one fault is that she has a tendency to speak before she thinks. Thus, the failed marriage proposal at the beginning of this review, but fear not, for Lord Boring is coming into town. Or rather, into Lesser Hoo. Lord Boring is the rather unfortunate title of a young Baron named Simon Westing. He's, well, perfect! Money, a title, and handsome to boot.
The knowledge that he owned this imposing house and extensive property could only enhance his fine face and figure, which were further flattered by his faultless evening dress.In contrast, his cousin, Frederick is a commoner, he's in BUSINESS (so lower-class), he's rude, ill-mannered, and to top it off...
He was an amazingly unattractive man.So now it's looking interesting. And to top it off, there's the Marquess. He's a little bit too old for her, and he's a peer. It doesn't look like Althea has much of a chance with the Marquess.
It was the black scowl he bestowed on my mother and me that ruined his looks and rendered him repellent.
If he did remarry, it would be expected that he would choose a woman from one of the great families of England, not an impoverished young girl from the back of beyond in a dilapidated castle by the edge of the North Sea.But one thing's for certain.
Life in little Lesser Hoo had become much more interesting of late.Similarities to Emma:
Everyone would be much better off if I arranged matters to suit myself.Emma is beautiful, rich, and without a care in the world. Althea's not that carefree. The only thing they have in common is their beauty and their tendency to take over peoples' lives.
Let them find out the solution themselves. With a little assistance from me, of course.
Althea didn't start off that way. She began the story with one purpose, to find an advantageous marriage. Slowly she realizes that she needs to manipulate the situation to get her stepsisters away, to get alone time with Lord Boring, which is simply impossible, since Frederick seems to be underfoot ALL THE FUCKING TIME.
“Why, oh why does His Lordship suffer the company of that odious man?”The more new people she meets, the more plans she has in mind. If she likes a friend, she feels the need to "help" that friend along with their relationship. Of course, everything should work out in Althea's interest first, but she's still got everyone's best interest at heart! Does it come as a surprise at all that Althea makes a series of regrettable decisions?
I stared at her, stricken. What had I done?Althea's Beauty: She is 17, she is beautiful, but her beauty is never directly shown in the book. I don't even know what she looks like, all we know is that she is tremendously lovely. She knows it, she wields her beauty with pride. Althea's beauty is the only thing she has.
I had always known, ever since I was thirteen years old and men first began to look at me, that beauty was power, the only real power (other than cash in hand) that a woman could possess. I knew it was transitory, and must be used shrewdly and well in the few years it lasted.She uses her beauty to find a wealthy partner, but she HAS to, so that's fine with me. She is never cruel, she never hates people needlessly. She understands that looks are only superficial, and they do not affect the person beneath. She befriends a plain girl, Miss Vincy, without ever judging her appearance.
She was a good and gentle creature, as well as a talented and intelligent woman, who would make the Baron a better wife than I. Beauty is a coin squandered by time, but Miss Vincy’s virtues would last throughout her life.The Romance: The most frustrating thing about the book, because there was so little of it. Lord Boring is rather...boring, it's true. There is nothing wrong with him, and that was what bothered me. There was nothing wrong with Lord Boring, so why is the book trying to enforce a love triangle on us?! Compared to him, Frederick was a jerk. He constantly refers to Althea as "Miss Hrrm" because he can't be fucked to remember what her last name is. He is shoddily dressed, he can't be fucked to wear normal clothing at a ball. He goes around desecrating her ancestral home...
“These portraits ought to be cleaned,” he said, ignoring my suggestion and fiddling with the painting of the little dog. “I believe that a penknife inserted here under the frame would allow us to see—”He pokes around ancient monuments around her home, like why the FUCK would you try to screw around with something like Stonehenge?! Frederick almost gets her brother and dog killed, only to complain about losing his boots in the process of saving them.
“Mr. Fredericks!” I cried. “Please!"
“Be careful of those,” Mr. Fredericks instructed, having thrust the second boot square into my face. “They cost a monstrous sum of money. No, don’t throw them, you’ll scratch the leather.”Sure, he saves them, but here's the thing, it was HIS neglect that endangered them in the first place.
Their romance isn't a romance in the traditional sense, not in the Regency sense. There's a lot of arguments and a lot of conflicts without a whole lot of emotion, so that things don't feel realistic when they eventually realize their feelings for one another. I wanted a sweet romance, but I just didn't get any of that. This book did surprise me, I didn't expect things to happen the way they did, so props for that, but otherwise, this is rather a disappointment, however cute it was.
June 18, 2012
It's as if I've been on a constant downer lately, I even manage to find bad stuff to say about books I really enjoyed and I'm starting to wonder if the problem is my own. That's why I'm being unusually generous and giving a book that never really grabbed me and one I struggled to finish three stars. Not because I've just decided to change what I personally require for my ratings, but because I wonder if some of my inability to appreciate the humour and attempts at subtle irony in this book are because of my current mood and a few other reasons I'll go on to discuss.
For a start, this book is set in nineteenth century Yorkshire with some walks on the moors and comments on places that left me feeling somewhat nostalgic. I would appreciate it if someone could comment and tell me whether we are told anywhere near the beginning that this was nineteenth century? I spent three quarters of the book trying to work it out, it seemed like the most obvious choice of time period for such a novel but I didn't notice a mention of it until nearly the end of the book. But it is quite possible that I was being extremely dense once again. Anyway, the author won some immediate brownie points with me for setting the story in my home county.
I think if ratings were on intention, this novel would easily get five stars from me. It's a book that I should absolutely love in theory: the setting, the Austen-style mockery of gender relations, the humour (because parts are very funny, the first page is one such part)... but I don't think the author succeeded. It took me a while to realise her novel was anything more than a piece of fluff with Cinderella-style balls, descriptions of beautiful women and their dresses, and bitchiness. This is the first modern day book I've read that tries to do irony like Austen, and not only was I not expecting it, I don't think it quite worked. Well, not for me anyway.
I wonder if making fun of nineteenth century ways holds as much charm when a modern writer does it? Austen's excellent writing aside, she was a master of irony - in fact, it has been suggested that irony was the shield behind which she expressed her radical ideas. When I read Austen, I find myself constantly smiling at this lady's brilliance, that she saw her society for what it truly was: a bunch of actors trying to adhere to a ridiculous set of unwritten rules in order to be deemed proper and refined. But she saw it when not so many people did. Nowawdays, it is of common opinion that nineteenth century behaviour was quite silly, it's not really groundbreaking for the author to poke fun at it. This is one possibility why the novel failed for me.
Also, I think Kindl focuses too much on humour and loses her characters and plot to it. I didn't care for the MC - Althea, or her mother, or what happened with Lord Boring, or what happened with Mr Fredericks. I didn't care. There's some seemingly pointless dawdling in the middle which is there so the author can maneuver the characters into a particular situation that will allow her to ironically explore gender relations. And perhaps I am just not educated enough in the ways of nineteenth century women but I find it hard to believe any of them had the kind of pro-feminist outburst that Althea has at one point. She basically stomps her foot and screams about how women are people too and deserving of respect, and then she screams about how they are not property (even though they are). I was confused by this, as much as I love the idea of a Victorian woman giving her patriarchal society the middle finger, these claims were rare in the 1950s - never mind the nineteenth century, right? Unless, of course, this was irony on top of irony... damn, my head hurts.
When I realised what Kindl was trying to achieve with this novel, I suddenly liked it a whole lot more. But the exaggerated characters which are supposed to make us laugh at the stupidity of how people behaved two hundred years ago are easily mistaken for another fluffy cheesefest. Now I believe that the author's choice of having a beautiful protagonist with two ugly stepsisters was probably all part of her ironic package. I think she was showing how shallow society was. I think.
And another reason I gave this three stars instead of two is because part of me wonders if this author is not at fault, but rather many others before her are. Let me explain. Even though Kindl creates exaggerated and ridiculous characters, I took forever to work out that she was being ironic. Thankfully, I'm not just completely stupid because other reviews of this book describe it as a fluffy and mindless read. However, I wonder if myself and others didn't get the joke because there are actually novels with characters just like this that are not being ironic. That put importance on beauty and dresses and they actually mean it. Like Gossip Girl and (as I've heard) The Luxe.
Perhaps if you pick up this book after reading my review, you will enjoy it more because you know what's going on from the beginning. Or perhaps you're just smarter and more astute than I am. I hope so, I really do, I like what Kindl was trying to do here even if it didn't work so much for me.
March 24, 2015
Fluff. Unsympathetic fluff, at that. I did not like Anthea, our "heroine" or care about her "plight" of not having enough money to support the desired lifestyle of the elite and having to get by with just her beauty, fancy house, loyal servants, and supportive mother.
January 29, 2013
This book is not going to keep you up at night, nor is it going to change your life. It won't make you think deep thoughts, or make you laugh out loud on every page. It probably won't make you cry either. If it does, well, I find chocolate always helps that.
There are a lot of things this book is not. Kindl isn't trying to be the next Jane Austen, and to say that this is a blatant ripoff (as I have seen in other reviews) is quite unfair. Keeping the Castle should be, in my opinion, viewed as a light satire. Our heroine Althea is pretty, and she knows it. She's opinionated, and she doesn't pretend to be otherwise. She's out to make a match for money, and she's doesn't hide that from many people, especially the reader. Our hero is brash, he has horrible manners, and he bloody well knows that too. :) There are evil stepsisters, for heaven's sake, and a lovable canine companion!
You know how the story will end. At just over 200 (small format) pages, it's hard to write in much of a complicated plot. However, I don't feel like I wasted a second of those few hours I sat down to read the book. It was thoroughly enjoyable, the kind of thing you read by the fire with a nice cuppa. It may be light and fluffy, but it's the kind of light fluff that keeps the pace moving, never gets boring, and holds your attention until the end.
In short, it's a very well written story. If you need a break between those 500 page behemoths on your "to be read" list, I would highly recommend it.
Just don't try to make it something it's not :)
There are a lot of things this book is not. Kindl isn't trying to be the next Jane Austen, and to say that this is a blatant ripoff (as I have seen in other reviews) is quite unfair. Keeping the Castle should be, in my opinion, viewed as a light satire. Our heroine Althea is pretty, and she knows it. She's opinionated, and she doesn't pretend to be otherwise. She's out to make a match for money, and she's doesn't hide that from many people, especially the reader. Our hero is brash, he has horrible manners, and he bloody well knows that too. :) There are evil stepsisters, for heaven's sake, and a lovable canine companion!
You know how the story will end. At just over 200 (small format) pages, it's hard to write in much of a complicated plot. However, I don't feel like I wasted a second of those few hours I sat down to read the book. It was thoroughly enjoyable, the kind of thing you read by the fire with a nice cuppa. It may be light and fluffy, but it's the kind of light fluff that keeps the pace moving, never gets boring, and holds your attention until the end.
In short, it's a very well written story. If you need a break between those 500 page behemoths on your "to be read" list, I would highly recommend it.
Just don't try to make it something it's not :)
February 18, 2012
I dare you to read the first page and not laugh out loud. If you like Jane Austen and Downton Abbey, you'll love this book. The surface story is about a cheeky young English girl in the 19th century who wants to secure her position (and her castle home) by finding a proper husband. The problem is that she too often says what she thinks, and even though she is beautiful, she scares away the few prospects her little village in Yorkshire has. Sounds like other stories, doesn't it? Well, don't be fooled by the surface. What lies underneath is humor, some subtle and some not-so-subtle, and a few twists along the way. The twists are inevitable, but not predictable, just the way twists should be. Overall, it's a fun read what will have you speaking with an affected 19th century British accent by the end. Or maybe that's just me.
January 19, 2019
Ahoy there me mateys! As usual the beautiful cover drew me in.
The blurb on the cover is "Will she marry for love, money - or both?" Well that piqued me interest. When I read the blurb, I realized it sounded like a take on Jane Austen's novels with some silly twists. Turns out it is a pride and prejudice retelling! I was in the mood for something light and as Jane Austen just turned 241 years old, it seemed appropriate.
I had such a good time with this one. It takes place in a small English town called Lesser Hoo. The main character is a 17 year old named Althea. She lives in a castle-by-the-sea that is literally falling apart. With no dowry and only her wits (and thankfully looks) to go on, she must marry rich for the sake of her brother and mother's future prospects.
This is not a deep book but a fun somewhat ironic one at parts. If ye are looking for a novel that mimics Austen's style of writing and societal commentary then this might not float yer boat. But if ye want a quick tale with an Austen flavor then give it a try.
Apparently there is a second book in the series called a school for brides: a story of maidens, mystery, and matrimony. Sign me up!
To see me other reviews visit https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
The blurb on the cover is "Will she marry for love, money - or both?" Well that piqued me interest. When I read the blurb, I realized it sounded like a take on Jane Austen's novels with some silly twists. Turns out it is a pride and prejudice retelling! I was in the mood for something light and as Jane Austen just turned 241 years old, it seemed appropriate.
I had such a good time with this one. It takes place in a small English town called Lesser Hoo. The main character is a 17 year old named Althea. She lives in a castle-by-the-sea that is literally falling apart. With no dowry and only her wits (and thankfully looks) to go on, she must marry rich for the sake of her brother and mother's future prospects.
This is not a deep book but a fun somewhat ironic one at parts. If ye are looking for a novel that mimics Austen's style of writing and societal commentary then this might not float yer boat. But if ye want a quick tale with an Austen flavor then give it a try.
Apparently there is a second book in the series called a school for brides: a story of maidens, mystery, and matrimony. Sign me up!
To see me other reviews visit https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
December 27, 2022
2022 Re-Read
This is going to sound really dumb but there are actually some really funny and ridiculous names in here. Which I guess I recognized in the sequel but somehow missed here? (And of course I don't have my copy by me so I can't give examples, but be sure to read with a sense of humor.)
2018 Re-Read - 4 Stars
Now that I've officially read I Capture the Castle, I find I like this one better.
This is a fun, original story with a likable, flawed heroine and a hero quite unlike most Regency heroes. (Bless him for it.)
It is clean, it is sweet, and it is definitely worth giving a read. (That said, beginning is kinda slow so push through.)
2014 Review - 3 Stars
A fast, enjoyable read that I did not find as Austen-drenched as it was presented. However, no loss as it is a fun, engaging story with a likable hero and heroine. I'd have liked more of the main couple but overall worth a re-read someday.
This is going to sound really dumb but there are actually some really funny and ridiculous names in here. Which I guess I recognized in the sequel but somehow missed here? (And of course I don't have my copy by me so I can't give examples, but be sure to read with a sense of humor.)
2018 Re-Read - 4 Stars
Now that I've officially read I Capture the Castle, I find I like this one better.
This is a fun, original story with a likable, flawed heroine and a hero quite unlike most Regency heroes. (Bless him for it.)
It is clean, it is sweet, and it is definitely worth giving a read. (That said, beginning is kinda slow so push through.)
2014 Review - 3 Stars
A fast, enjoyable read that I did not find as Austen-drenched as it was presented. However, no loss as it is a fun, engaging story with a likable hero and heroine. I'd have liked more of the main couple but overall worth a re-read someday.
September 11, 2012
A charming little book, very much in the style of an Austen novel. I keep seeing it called a combination of PRIDE & PREJUDICE and I CAPTURE THE CASTLE, which is very accurate, though Kindl certainly brings her own clever writing and plotting to the board.
September 11, 2021
{September 2021 Reread}
Mr. Fredericks >>> Mr. Darcy
{January 2020 Reread}
Loved this even more the second time around. 😃
Mr. Fredericks >>> Mr. Darcy
{January 2020 Reread}
Loved this even more the second time around. 😃
July 21, 2012
Althea Crawley is on a mission, a mission to marry money. It is the only thing that will save her family from ruin and save Crawley Castle - or "Crooked Castle" as it's affectionately dubbed - from falling into its own kind of ruin. Whimsically and stupidly built at the edge of a cliff above the North Sea by Althea's great-grandfather, it is impractical, draughty, cold, leaky, uncomfortable and downright ridiculous; but it is her little brother's inheritance and the only thing left to the family aside from a few little tenanted farms.
And Althea has the looks to succeed at her plan, too. Noted as the most beautiful woman in Yorkshire, at seventeen years old she has no competition. The only trouble is that she has a tendency to say the wrong thing, and speak her thoughts out loud, which does tend to scare off the young men asking for her hand.
And time is running out for Crooked Castle. Mould grows on the damp walls, there are some serious leaks in the roof, and they have barely enough to eat. It doesn't help that, in an attempt to revive their fortunes after the death of Althea's father, her mother remarried a man of means who, already ill on their wedding day, died not long after and left everything to his two mature, unmarried daughters, Prudence and Charity: now Prudence and Charity live at Crooked Castle, adding to the burden but rarely ever contributing to the castle's upkeep or the food in the larder. On occasion, Althea resorts to clever subterfuge to get them to loosen their purse-strings, but considering how insufferable the sisters are about giving up any of their fortune, it's rarely worth the effort.
But there's a bright light on the horizon, in the form of a new neighbour. Lord Boring has recently inherited his title from his old uncle who lived alone at nearby Gudgeon Park, which had fallen into a state of unloved grubbiness, and moved in with his mother and his aunt, a woman who had married a tradesman out of love. He comes with a party of other well-to-do people, as well as his cousin, Mr Fredericks.
Althea sets out at once to win Lord Boring, but so does her cousin Charity - though surely Lord Boring is too refined in his taste to fall for her! Her goal is further confounded by the presence of Mr Fredericks, who between damaging parts of Crawley Castle as he inspected it with a disparaging eye, and being all too free with his often cynical opinions, Althea feels herself becoming quite vexed with the man. Add to that the arrival of a rich young woman, Miss Vincy, whose parents are determined to marry her to Lord Boring, and Althea feels the need to concoct a new plan: marry Miss Vincy to Mr Fredericks, and then the field will be clear for her and Lord Boring! If only Althea could see things as clearly as she speaks them!
This was a very fun, light-hearted quick little novel, very much inspired by both Pride and Prejudice and, perhaps even more so, Emma. In fact, Althea is quite the Emma. It's not really a "regency romance", not in the Harlequin sense at least; it is romance in the Jane Austen sense: two people, plus supporting cast, who should be together, readers can see that they'll end up together, but they take their time figuring that out and have plenty of misunderstandings along the way. It's worked before and it works here, although it has a by-the-numbers feel to it at times. I would have liked it even more if it had been set a bit later than the Regency period; at first I thought it was early Victorian, and with the dilapidated castle as a backdrop, perched precariously at the edge of a cliff, the added atmosphere would have gone down really well.
Althea was a lively, intelligent but strangely unperceptive heroine (all the "plot twists" are readily apparent to us readers; I doubt they're meant as real twists, with such hefty clues left lying around). She's very much like Emma. What quickly becomes apparent to us readers she doesn't figure out for ages. That made her a bit frustrating, though there's nothing inherently contradictory about an intelligent but unperceptive person. She's well meaning, and I've never liked well meaning people: they tend to do more harm than good, and their good intentions tend to have selfish origins, plus being well meaning is a non-excuse for meddling and upsetting others. I always hate it when, after someone is hurt by someone else, you are told "Yes but she means well." As if that should excuse it. All "well meaning" people need a Mr Knightley to come along and hold a mirror up now and again.
In Keeping the Castle, such a role should go to Mr Fredericks, but he's his own character and doesn't meddle in anything. I loved Mr Fredericks (I've forgotten his first name just now), he's so blunt and honest and outspoken, and gets away with it in that way men could when women couldn't. Watching him criticise the castle on his first tour, damaging everything he touches, was funny but I also felt for Althea, felt protective of the castle and in that instant wanted what she wanted: to save it.
Keeping the Castle is a comic, character-driven story, wherein the characters may be familiar and ones you've read before in some form, but are given fresh life here. Between the small adventures, misadventures, buffoon-like characters and lively banter between Althea and Mr Fredericks, it's highly entertaining. I would have loved it to be a bit longer, a bit more in-depth, and to spend a bit more time building tension and chemistry between Althea and Mr Fredericks, but that's not to say it doesn't have that: again, it's more Austen-esque, but even P&P had an incredible, slow-burning sexual anticipation that really made the story simmer with tension.
If you're looking for a quick, funny read, especially in the summer, definitely pick up Keeping the Castle. It might not have a deep, lasting impression on you, but like the best kind of cake, it's very enjoyable while it lasts.
And Althea has the looks to succeed at her plan, too. Noted as the most beautiful woman in Yorkshire, at seventeen years old she has no competition. The only trouble is that she has a tendency to say the wrong thing, and speak her thoughts out loud, which does tend to scare off the young men asking for her hand.
And time is running out for Crooked Castle. Mould grows on the damp walls, there are some serious leaks in the roof, and they have barely enough to eat. It doesn't help that, in an attempt to revive their fortunes after the death of Althea's father, her mother remarried a man of means who, already ill on their wedding day, died not long after and left everything to his two mature, unmarried daughters, Prudence and Charity: now Prudence and Charity live at Crooked Castle, adding to the burden but rarely ever contributing to the castle's upkeep or the food in the larder. On occasion, Althea resorts to clever subterfuge to get them to loosen their purse-strings, but considering how insufferable the sisters are about giving up any of their fortune, it's rarely worth the effort.
But there's a bright light on the horizon, in the form of a new neighbour. Lord Boring has recently inherited his title from his old uncle who lived alone at nearby Gudgeon Park, which had fallen into a state of unloved grubbiness, and moved in with his mother and his aunt, a woman who had married a tradesman out of love. He comes with a party of other well-to-do people, as well as his cousin, Mr Fredericks.
Althea sets out at once to win Lord Boring, but so does her cousin Charity - though surely Lord Boring is too refined in his taste to fall for her! Her goal is further confounded by the presence of Mr Fredericks, who between damaging parts of Crawley Castle as he inspected it with a disparaging eye, and being all too free with his often cynical opinions, Althea feels herself becoming quite vexed with the man. Add to that the arrival of a rich young woman, Miss Vincy, whose parents are determined to marry her to Lord Boring, and Althea feels the need to concoct a new plan: marry Miss Vincy to Mr Fredericks, and then the field will be clear for her and Lord Boring! If only Althea could see things as clearly as she speaks them!
This was a very fun, light-hearted quick little novel, very much inspired by both Pride and Prejudice and, perhaps even more so, Emma. In fact, Althea is quite the Emma. It's not really a "regency romance", not in the Harlequin sense at least; it is romance in the Jane Austen sense: two people, plus supporting cast, who should be together, readers can see that they'll end up together, but they take their time figuring that out and have plenty of misunderstandings along the way. It's worked before and it works here, although it has a by-the-numbers feel to it at times. I would have liked it even more if it had been set a bit later than the Regency period; at first I thought it was early Victorian, and with the dilapidated castle as a backdrop, perched precariously at the edge of a cliff, the added atmosphere would have gone down really well.
Althea was a lively, intelligent but strangely unperceptive heroine (all the "plot twists" are readily apparent to us readers; I doubt they're meant as real twists, with such hefty clues left lying around). She's very much like Emma. What quickly becomes apparent to us readers she doesn't figure out for ages. That made her a bit frustrating, though there's nothing inherently contradictory about an intelligent but unperceptive person. She's well meaning, and I've never liked well meaning people: they tend to do more harm than good, and their good intentions tend to have selfish origins, plus being well meaning is a non-excuse for meddling and upsetting others. I always hate it when, after someone is hurt by someone else, you are told "Yes but she means well." As if that should excuse it. All "well meaning" people need a Mr Knightley to come along and hold a mirror up now and again.
In Keeping the Castle, such a role should go to Mr Fredericks, but he's his own character and doesn't meddle in anything. I loved Mr Fredericks (I've forgotten his first name just now), he's so blunt and honest and outspoken, and gets away with it in that way men could when women couldn't. Watching him criticise the castle on his first tour, damaging everything he touches, was funny but I also felt for Althea, felt protective of the castle and in that instant wanted what she wanted: to save it.
Keeping the Castle is a comic, character-driven story, wherein the characters may be familiar and ones you've read before in some form, but are given fresh life here. Between the small adventures, misadventures, buffoon-like characters and lively banter between Althea and Mr Fredericks, it's highly entertaining. I would have loved it to be a bit longer, a bit more in-depth, and to spend a bit more time building tension and chemistry between Althea and Mr Fredericks, but that's not to say it doesn't have that: again, it's more Austen-esque, but even P&P had an incredible, slow-burning sexual anticipation that really made the story simmer with tension.
If you're looking for a quick, funny read, especially in the summer, definitely pick up Keeping the Castle. It might not have a deep, lasting impression on you, but like the best kind of cake, it's very enjoyable while it lasts.
May 26, 2012
Seventeen-year-old Althea Crawley, the heroine of Keeping the Castle, is in quite a bind. The family estate of Crawley Castle is quite literally falling apart. There is no money to repair it - Althea's father died, leaving the family nothing, and when her mother later married a rich man, he died just a few weeks later, before he could help repair the castle, and leaving two more mouths to feed - Prudence and Charity, Althea's wicked stepsisters. If there is to be anything left of the castle for Althea's little brother, Alexander, to inherit, Althea must marry a rich man who will help her family. Unfortunately, there aren't very many rich, eligible young men in the small Yorkshire town of Lesser Hoo - until their new neighbor, Lord Boring, moves in.
The new Lord Boring is young and handsome and has inherited his uncle's title and home. As soon as she meets him, Althea becomes certain she must persuade him to marry her. After all, he's rich and handsome - the perfect husband! And Althea is young and beautiful, so surely she would make the perfect wife for him. But Althea's stepsister Charity has also taken an interest in Lord Boring, while the very rude Mr. Fredericks, Lord Boring's estate manager and cousin, always seems to be around to cause trouble.
Keeping the Castle is a delightful parody of the traditional Regency romance. It's cute, hilarious, and just so much fun to read. Most young adult books are very dark and can be depressing at times, and although I enjoy many of the "dark" books, it's also nice to read something that's light and fluffy from time to time. And Keeping the Castle fits that description perfectly. If you are looking for a light, charming, historical read, then I highly recommend Keeping the Castle.
The new Lord Boring is young and handsome and has inherited his uncle's title and home. As soon as she meets him, Althea becomes certain she must persuade him to marry her. After all, he's rich and handsome - the perfect husband! And Althea is young and beautiful, so surely she would make the perfect wife for him. But Althea's stepsister Charity has also taken an interest in Lord Boring, while the very rude Mr. Fredericks, Lord Boring's estate manager and cousin, always seems to be around to cause trouble.
Keeping the Castle is a delightful parody of the traditional Regency romance. It's cute, hilarious, and just so much fun to read. Most young adult books are very dark and can be depressing at times, and although I enjoy many of the "dark" books, it's also nice to read something that's light and fluffy from time to time. And Keeping the Castle fits that description perfectly. If you are looking for a light, charming, historical read, then I highly recommend Keeping the Castle.
August 14, 2018
An unexpectedly charming novel, but it definitely could've been longer to flesh out the characters and develop the relationships further. It definitely had the Jane Austen flair I've favored of late, drawing from both Emma and Pride and Prejudice with Althea's efforts to match-make and her antagonistic relationship with one Mr. Fredericks. This book was a delight, and though it doesn't number among my favorite Austen reimaginings, it definitely aided in pulling me out of my reading slump.
June 21, 2012
Original review posted on The Book Smugglers
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single girl in possession of a deprecated Castle and lacking a fortune must be in want of a rich husband. Althea Crawley is a seventeen—year-girl who is the main support of her entire family, the effective head of their household and the only hope they have to keep their Castle for her younger brother. As such, she must marry well and soon. Unfortunately for the Crawleys, despite her unparalleled beauty, Althea’s strong opinions and loud mouth often cause her problems and as it just so happens, she recently lost a most suitable suitor because of that. The family can barely afford to buy food but still, they soldier on, hoping for the best.
So when the young, attractive and rich Lord Boring arrives in the neighbourhood with a party of at least another 4 marriageable young men, the Crawleys go into overdrive in preparations for the upcoming season of balls and hunts. And at first, everything seems to be going really well for Althea and Lord Boring and a proposal is expected at any given time. But then why is he spending so much time with Althea’s stepsister Charity (the one with the money) and why does the insufferable Mr. Fredericks keep getting in the way and arguing so much with Althea?
Keeping the Castle is a mixed bag>. Parts of it are brilliantly funny and the book can be read easily in one go – it is short, sweet and romantic. The best thing about is Althea’s voice. At times extremely observant especially when it comes to the roles women play and the utterly unfair of men’s expectations toward women. For example when she makes this observation about one of her suitors:
I keep forgetting how ridiculously sensitive and illogical men were. He assumed that his fortune would buy a beauty; I assumed that my beauty would procure me a rich husband. It seemed much the same thing to me, but evidently what was permissible in a man was not in a woman.
But at other times, she could also be frustratingly oblivious especially when it came to Mr. Fredericks. I adored her competence at taking care of her house and family and her loyalty and dedication to them and to her friends.
That said…it is a truth generally accepted that I can and will enjoy a familiar premise and unoriginal tropes if a story truly shines through it. Unfortunately, Keeping the Castle despite its great main character wasn’t anywhere good enough to make me forget how utterly conventional of a Regency it was.
Everything about the story was predictable and recognisable – all storylines followed an established pattern, very similar to Jane Austen’s, Georgette Heyer’s and many a Historical Romance novels. The secondary characters are all stock Regency characters (the mother, the stepsisters, the villains, the hero) without any real depth. Althea and Mr Frederick’s dynamics and bickering very much the standard for this type of novel (and resembling Lizzie Bennet and Mr Darcy’s so much).
Although parts of it were admittedly delightful and if I am being honest, I did finish it with a smile on my face, Keeping the Castle is a book that plays it really, really safe and travels on extremely familiar routes. Sometimes the familiar is enough to offer comfort – and there is nothing wrong about that. But sometimes the familiar is just that: ordinary, conventional, mundane. Unfortunately this one fell into the latter type of familiar for me.
I don’t really have a lot more to say about it. I have mostly forgotten about it (even though I finished it two days ago). I do wonder: for those readers that haven’t read as many Regencies as I have, this could prove to be a complete delight. Because I did find sufficient things to enjoy (like Althea’s voice and the prose) and since I heard her other books are absolutely fabulous I went ahead and got me a copy of Lost in the Labyrinth. Let’s see if I can still become a fan of Patrice Kindl. Fingers crossed.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single girl in possession of a deprecated Castle and lacking a fortune must be in want of a rich husband. Althea Crawley is a seventeen—year-girl who is the main support of her entire family, the effective head of their household and the only hope they have to keep their Castle for her younger brother. As such, she must marry well and soon. Unfortunately for the Crawleys, despite her unparalleled beauty, Althea’s strong opinions and loud mouth often cause her problems and as it just so happens, she recently lost a most suitable suitor because of that. The family can barely afford to buy food but still, they soldier on, hoping for the best.
So when the young, attractive and rich Lord Boring arrives in the neighbourhood with a party of at least another 4 marriageable young men, the Crawleys go into overdrive in preparations for the upcoming season of balls and hunts. And at first, everything seems to be going really well for Althea and Lord Boring and a proposal is expected at any given time. But then why is he spending so much time with Althea’s stepsister Charity (the one with the money) and why does the insufferable Mr. Fredericks keep getting in the way and arguing so much with Althea?
Keeping the Castle is a mixed bag>. Parts of it are brilliantly funny and the book can be read easily in one go – it is short, sweet and romantic. The best thing about is Althea’s voice. At times extremely observant especially when it comes to the roles women play and the utterly unfair of men’s expectations toward women. For example when she makes this observation about one of her suitors:
I keep forgetting how ridiculously sensitive and illogical men were. He assumed that his fortune would buy a beauty; I assumed that my beauty would procure me a rich husband. It seemed much the same thing to me, but evidently what was permissible in a man was not in a woman.
But at other times, she could also be frustratingly oblivious especially when it came to Mr. Fredericks. I adored her competence at taking care of her house and family and her loyalty and dedication to them and to her friends.
That said…it is a truth generally accepted that I can and will enjoy a familiar premise and unoriginal tropes if a story truly shines through it. Unfortunately, Keeping the Castle despite its great main character wasn’t anywhere good enough to make me forget how utterly conventional of a Regency it was.
Everything about the story was predictable and recognisable – all storylines followed an established pattern, very similar to Jane Austen’s, Georgette Heyer’s and many a Historical Romance novels. The secondary characters are all stock Regency characters (the mother, the stepsisters, the villains, the hero) without any real depth. Althea and Mr Frederick’s dynamics and bickering very much the standard for this type of novel (and resembling Lizzie Bennet and Mr Darcy’s so much).
Although parts of it were admittedly delightful and if I am being honest, I did finish it with a smile on my face, Keeping the Castle is a book that plays it really, really safe and travels on extremely familiar routes. Sometimes the familiar is enough to offer comfort – and there is nothing wrong about that. But sometimes the familiar is just that: ordinary, conventional, mundane. Unfortunately this one fell into the latter type of familiar for me.
I don’t really have a lot more to say about it. I have mostly forgotten about it (even though I finished it two days ago). I do wonder: for those readers that haven’t read as many Regencies as I have, this could prove to be a complete delight. Because I did find sufficient things to enjoy (like Althea’s voice and the prose) and since I heard her other books are absolutely fabulous I went ahead and got me a copy of Lost in the Labyrinth. Let’s see if I can still become a fan of Patrice Kindl. Fingers crossed.
June 12, 2020
Imagine a book equal parts Pride and Prejudice, Emma and I Capture the Castle (note the homage in the title). Then imagine that either Katie Fforde or Helen Fielding had had the final editing, adding even more humor and wit. What you have is Patrice Kindl’s Keeping the Castle.
In this gem, 17-year-old Althea Crawley — a Cassandra Mortmain-like protagonist living in Regency England — knows that her face is her fortune. A great beauty, she lives in a great folly of a castle on a North Yorkshire cliff that’s crumbling around her. Without a “good” marriage, what will become of her widowed mother, her 4-year-old brother, their home and their tenants? So when the handsome Sidney, Lord Boring, inherits the restored nearby manor, Alethia sees this as the chance to save them all. But will her outspokenness and impetuosity get in her way?
I devoured this book. And it’s a testament to Kindl’s writing that I didn’t realize the parallels with Dodie Smith’s classic until after I finished the last delightful page. Loved it, loved it, loved it!
In this gem, 17-year-old Althea Crawley — a Cassandra Mortmain-like protagonist living in Regency England — knows that her face is her fortune. A great beauty, she lives in a great folly of a castle on a North Yorkshire cliff that’s crumbling around her. Without a “good” marriage, what will become of her widowed mother, her 4-year-old brother, their home and their tenants? So when the handsome Sidney, Lord Boring, inherits the restored nearby manor, Alethia sees this as the chance to save them all. But will her outspokenness and impetuosity get in her way?
I devoured this book. And it’s a testament to Kindl’s writing that I didn’t realize the parallels with Dodie Smith’s classic until after I finished the last delightful page. Loved it, loved it, loved it!
July 31, 2012
A brief but entertaining Austenian story about a quick-witted heroine, a not too sensible mother, two selfish step-sisters and the dilapidated castle in which they live. And, of course, the men they wish to marry.
While the backbone of the story is solid (along the theme of heart vs money) and the tone is witty and light, the novel is too short for any real development, making it a quick and satisfactory but not especially involved read. Most characters remain flat and stereotypical, perhaps with the exception of the central two. Yet even these are not explored in great depth, which will disappoint true Austen devotees. These may, however, enjoy the story as an entertaining interlude. www.GoodReadingGuide.com
July 19, 2012
It took me a very long time to warm to this book--fully half the book, I think. But once I got there, I warmed to it thoroughly and relished every delightful bit. I'm not a particular Jane Austen devotee, but this was enough Downton Abbey to satisfy (though a different era). The heroine was thoroughly unlikeable at first, but once she makes a female friend she becomes endearing--and I love that it's that making the difference. I could see where the plot was going immediately, but didn't quite know how it would get there, which was satisfying.
(ETA: snort. Let me add that every two star review here, and probably many of the threes but I didn't read them, misses the point completely; does not understand the light parody at play.)
(ETA: snort. Let me add that every two star review here, and probably many of the threes but I didn't read them, misses the point completely; does not understand the light parody at play.)
November 20, 2012
That two stars may seem, or even be a bit mean, but I'd have been more lenient had the book not aimed so high intertextually. I haven't read I Capture the Castle for a while, so am not totally sure how I'd rate it now, but I certainly remember the voice, which is wonderful. Even a good chunk of the people who dislike the book do it for other reasons, I'd guess. I found the voice here anything but captivating, and struggled for a bit until I came up with the word that best summed it up for me: coy. I hate coy.
And of course the second set of intertextual works is Jane Austen's. I'm not a real snob about Austen redos, pastiches or what-have-yous - Clueless is one of my favourite films, and I've enjoyed a few YAs that have based themselves on Austen novels in one way or another. All right, all right, I probably am an Austen snob. But one thing about Keeping the Castle ensured that that snobbery came rising up and overwhelmed me while reading. That was the romance, which took superficial elements of various Austen romances and mashed them together, without the core morality those novels contain. I know this sounds very stuffy, but I will argue with anyone who wants to deny that all Jane Austen's novels have that solid moral core (more or less hidden in the humour) until the cows come home. Or ears bleed from listening, whichever comes first.
Althea and the romantic hero (to avoid spoilers, though really, it's not necessary) weren't Elizabeth and Mr Darcy, although she misjudged him in a very obvious way. Althea wasn't Catherine Morland, though that silliness was present (and he *definitely* wasn't Henry Tilney!), and there was none of the clear-eyed social commentary which surrounds the somewhat icky romance in Emma. Frankly, the nearest to an Austen character Althea came in her motivation, if not her behaviour (or looks), was Charlotte in P&P, and that's not a good thing.
All in all, I found this a major disappointment, which didn't offer anything much by way of compensation.
And of course the second set of intertextual works is Jane Austen's. I'm not a real snob about Austen redos, pastiches or what-have-yous - Clueless is one of my favourite films, and I've enjoyed a few YAs that have based themselves on Austen novels in one way or another. All right, all right, I probably am an Austen snob. But one thing about Keeping the Castle ensured that that snobbery came rising up and overwhelmed me while reading. That was the romance, which took superficial elements of various Austen romances and mashed them together, without the core morality those novels contain. I know this sounds very stuffy, but I will argue with anyone who wants to deny that all Jane Austen's novels have that solid moral core (more or less hidden in the humour) until the cows come home. Or ears bleed from listening, whichever comes first.
Althea and the romantic hero (to avoid spoilers, though really, it's not necessary) weren't Elizabeth and Mr Darcy, although she misjudged him in a very obvious way. Althea wasn't Catherine Morland, though that silliness was present (and he *definitely* wasn't Henry Tilney!), and there was none of the clear-eyed social commentary which surrounds the somewhat icky romance in Emma. Frankly, the nearest to an Austen character Althea came in her motivation, if not her behaviour (or looks), was Charlotte in P&P, and that's not a good thing.
All in all, I found this a major disappointment, which didn't offer anything much by way of compensation.
May 21, 2013
Like a bonbon, pleasant enough whilest one is indulging in it but ultimately full of empty calories. For my taste it was too predictable, too much "Austen lite" and I never found the heroine or hero that engaging. It's written pleasantly but taken as a whole I was underwhelmed.
August 5, 2018
At Last - Jane Austen fan Fun for AUGUST with annual #AusteninAugust #bookstagram challenge with daily prompts, author visits, giveaways, JAFF, and book talk..
This novel being my 1st read and total enjoyment. Complexity of plotting our heroine devises in her effort to save their seaside castle, provision for family futures, and a worthy husband capable to take over future provision! An EMMA like delight.
You're invited!
Join us daily or as you're able ...
This novel being my 1st read and total enjoyment. Complexity of plotting our heroine devises in her effort to save their seaside castle, provision for family futures, and a worthy husband capable to take over future provision! An EMMA like delight.
You're invited!
Join us daily or as you're able ...
November 4, 2017
Loved this book! Feel-good romance that is a bit like a Pride and Prejudice and a bit like Cinderella.
April 27, 2017
Ok, it has a long long distance to I Capture the Castle (here why I love it) but I see that the latter was an inspiration. You can tell "Keeping the Castle" is a lighter/simpler version. Nonetheless I like it.
Althea was witty and headstrong. Mr. Fredericks was also headstrong and he didn't much care about manners. A clash had to occur. This is a funny love story with lovely characters and enjoyable atmosphere. I had some doubts that it could have taken place in Regency era (perhaps a half century later) but still, I really have a nice time.
The best summary gave QNPoohBear in the second paragraph.
I have one warning. Don't expect to much of this book. Because if you do you will end up with feeling like Emily May had. Just have a fun.
Althea was witty and headstrong. Mr. Fredericks was also headstrong and he didn't much care about manners. A clash had to occur. This is a funny love story with lovely characters and enjoyable atmosphere. I had some doubts that it could have taken place in Regency era (perhaps a half century later) but still, I really have a nice time.
The best summary gave QNPoohBear in the second paragraph.
I have one warning. Don't expect to much of this book. Because if you do you will end up with feeling like Emily May had. Just have a fun.
July 22, 2013
I thoroughly enjoyed this light-hearted and utterly charming Regency romance. It has been described as a cross between Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Dodie Smith's I Capture the Castle, two of my all-time favourite books. It's lighter and sweeter than either of these books, and much less serious in intent. The tone is comic, the characters are exaggerated for humorous effect, and the plot is one of mishaps, misunderstandings and muddles.
The heroine Althea Crawley is only seventeen, beautiful, impoverished, and a little too quick to voice her opinions - sometimes with disastrous attempts. She must marry well if her family is to keep their crumbling old castle ... but all Althea's plans to charm rich Lord Boring keep going awry.
Complicating her life are selfish step-sisters, a troublesome younger brother, a naughty puppy, miserable weather, a sweetly ineffectual mother, and the odiously interfering Mr Fredericks ...
Although the book is really a funny and romantic romp, there is just enough of an edge to give it gravitas. Althea is an intelligent and independent-minded young woman who really does chafe against the strictures of her society and her voice rings all too true:
I keep forgetting how ridiculously sensitive and illogical men were. He assumed that his fortune would buy a beauty; I assumed that my beauty would procure me a rich husband. It seemed much the same thing to me, but evidently what was permissible in a man was not in a woman.
Keeping the Castle was written with a teenage audience in mind, and so it is a swift and easy read (I read it in a matter of hours). However, I'd recommend it for adults as much as for teenagers, particulalry if you feel like a little sunshine in your day.
The heroine Althea Crawley is only seventeen, beautiful, impoverished, and a little too quick to voice her opinions - sometimes with disastrous attempts. She must marry well if her family is to keep their crumbling old castle ... but all Althea's plans to charm rich Lord Boring keep going awry.
Complicating her life are selfish step-sisters, a troublesome younger brother, a naughty puppy, miserable weather, a sweetly ineffectual mother, and the odiously interfering Mr Fredericks ...
Although the book is really a funny and romantic romp, there is just enough of an edge to give it gravitas. Althea is an intelligent and independent-minded young woman who really does chafe against the strictures of her society and her voice rings all too true:
I keep forgetting how ridiculously sensitive and illogical men were. He assumed that his fortune would buy a beauty; I assumed that my beauty would procure me a rich husband. It seemed much the same thing to me, but evidently what was permissible in a man was not in a woman.
Keeping the Castle was written with a teenage audience in mind, and so it is a swift and easy read (I read it in a matter of hours). However, I'd recommend it for adults as much as for teenagers, particulalry if you feel like a little sunshine in your day.
August 9, 2018
Just why doesn't Goodreads have a ten-star option?!
I can do nothing right now but this:
💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖
RTC. It deserves it.
Review:
Keeping the Castle is a humorous tale narrated by Miss Althea Crawley, one of Crooked Castle's five main inhabitants (not counting the servants, though they're not many), the other four are Althea's mother, her little brother Alexander, and her two unpleasant stepsisters, Misses Prudence and Charity.
Crooked Castle has never really been a true castle. It has everything the castles of legends have, but all those thing only exsist for the sake of existing, and not actually doing much in the way of keeping their exsistance . And the Castle, built on a precarious position by the sea, is in grave danger of tumbling into it any moment. And there is no money to save it.
And so, Miss Crawley makes it her mission to marry money.
A lot of people have compared this with Pride and Prejudice, and I'll say that there was indeed something of it's wonderful feel in Keeping the Castle, but I don't think you should go into this expecting something as deep and insightful as Austen's tale. That'll just spoil it for you. Comparing always does.
I don't believe I'm wrong in saying that to enjoy this book, you'd have to let go of your expectations for romance, because, to be honest, there is hardly any true romance here. There are no kisses, even if this book is actually about getting married. And I wouldn't call that last part a true declaration of love. Take my advice, and just go in for the fun, and you'd love it.
Filled with scrapes, embarrassments, and a lot of tumbles and falls and surprises, it's pretty plain I loved this one.
I can do nothing right now but this:
💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖
RTC. It deserves it.
Review:
Keeping the Castle is a humorous tale narrated by Miss Althea Crawley, one of Crooked Castle's five main inhabitants (not counting the servants, though they're not many), the other four are Althea's mother, her little brother Alexander, and her two unpleasant stepsisters, Misses Prudence and Charity.
Crooked Castle has never really been a true castle. It has everything the castles of legends have, but all those thing only exsist for the sake of existing, and not actually doing much in the way of keeping their exsistance . And the Castle, built on a precarious position by the sea, is in grave danger of tumbling into it any moment. And there is no money to save it.
And so, Miss Crawley makes it her mission to marry money.
A lot of people have compared this with Pride and Prejudice, and I'll say that there was indeed something of it's wonderful feel in Keeping the Castle, but I don't think you should go into this expecting something as deep and insightful as Austen's tale. That'll just spoil it for you. Comparing always does.
I don't believe I'm wrong in saying that to enjoy this book, you'd have to let go of your expectations for romance, because, to be honest, there is hardly any true romance here. There are no kisses, even if this book is actually about getting married. And I wouldn't call that last part a true declaration of love. Take my advice, and just go in for the fun, and you'd love it.
Filled with scrapes, embarrassments, and a lot of tumbles and falls and surprises, it's pretty plain I loved this one.
August 11, 2017
Cute! A little Dodie Smith, a little Jane Austen, a little Charles Perrault...not much else really, but it's more tart than sweet and we all had a good time.
March 27, 2012
Just a whole lot of fun.
December 25, 2017
This was such a cute and short read! Will definetly reread around Valentines Day. ❤😄
April 25, 2014
I started out loving this book. It's witty, playing off all the regency/fairy tale/Jane Austen tropes with sprightly verve. We have a crumbling castle, odious step-sisters (one with a penchant for decorating morbid quotes with sketches of death urns and wreaths), a Lord Boring, and Dr. Haxhamptonshire (which is pronounced Hamster), all gathered in the neighbourhood of Lesser Hoo, and the great house of Gudgeon Park.
It's delicious!
Our protagonist, Anthea Crawley, is beautiful, impoverished and charming with a managerial bent rivaling Emma Woodhouse. She's tremendously likeable, with a cynical inner dialogue that perfectly sets off her noble desires (saving her family and their dependents from the poor house). Her shrewd naivete is perfect for her age and limited experience, and sets her up for some heavy falls--which are delivered with flair and humor.
It's delightful reading, full of highlightable funny bits.
"Not for the first time I regretted the lack of an inquisitive and sophisticated male relation who could have enquired about the specifics of Mr. Fredericks's financial standing in the world. If only he had even a small independence! In that case . . . Why, in that case, I believe I would have done everything in my power to make him love me."
When explaining the problems of sleeping with her new and affectionate puppy:
"He would therefore drape himself over my head and sigh into my ear, causing me to dream of being engulfed by an infatuated fur-lined hat."
"So . . ." He thought this over. "If I lost my money, you wouldn't love me anymore?"
"If I became ill," I countered, "so that my hair fell out in clumps and my skin was covered with scabs and I limped, would you still love me?"
"Egad!" He stared at me, evidently attempting to picture this. He turned a little green.
"But," I said, "most likely those things will not happen. You are rich and I am beautiful. We should make an excellent couple. Our children will have my looks and your money."
Alas, . . .
Despite all these advantages, I was disappointed at the end of the book. The romance just didn't develop. And while I relish witty and sniping banter between the principals, at some point I need to feel their attraction, the giddy limerance that pulls them together and submerges everyone else, or the helpless longing that turns him morose and makes her water her pillow. These great, immensely satisfying clichés are crucial, and every bit as enjoyable as making fun of evil stepsisters and absurdly named hamlets sprinkled across England. And it's what you are buying when you open a romance. 19th century writers might be able to get away with mannerly declarations where the passion is all in the subtext (That's right, I'm accusing you, Ms. Austen and Mr. Trollope). In a contemporary writer, I expect something more. At least one kiss. Certainly not an unsatisfying
Whew. I feel better getting that out. I would still recommend this book to my Austen loving friends, as it's a fun, humorous read, so long as one is prepared to accept the frustrating ending or substitute an imagined scene of one's own.
It's delicious!
Our protagonist, Anthea Crawley, is beautiful, impoverished and charming with a managerial bent rivaling Emma Woodhouse. She's tremendously likeable, with a cynical inner dialogue that perfectly sets off her noble desires (saving her family and their dependents from the poor house). Her shrewd naivete is perfect for her age and limited experience, and sets her up for some heavy falls--which are delivered with flair and humor.
It's delightful reading, full of highlightable funny bits.
"Not for the first time I regretted the lack of an inquisitive and sophisticated male relation who could have enquired about the specifics of Mr. Fredericks's financial standing in the world. If only he had even a small independence! In that case . . . Why, in that case, I believe I would have done everything in my power to make him love me."
When explaining the problems of sleeping with her new and affectionate puppy:
"He would therefore drape himself over my head and sigh into my ear, causing me to dream of being engulfed by an infatuated fur-lined hat."
"So . . ." He thought this over. "If I lost my money, you wouldn't love me anymore?"
"If I became ill," I countered, "so that my hair fell out in clumps and my skin was covered with scabs and I limped, would you still love me?"
"Egad!" He stared at me, evidently attempting to picture this. He turned a little green.
"But," I said, "most likely those things will not happen. You are rich and I am beautiful. We should make an excellent couple. Our children will have my looks and your money."
Alas, . . .
Despite all these advantages, I was disappointed at the end of the book. The romance just didn't develop. And while I relish witty and sniping banter between the principals, at some point I need to feel their attraction, the giddy limerance that pulls them together and submerges everyone else, or the helpless longing that turns him morose and makes her water her pillow. These great, immensely satisfying clichés are crucial, and every bit as enjoyable as making fun of evil stepsisters and absurdly named hamlets sprinkled across England. And it's what you are buying when you open a romance. 19th century writers might be able to get away with mannerly declarations where the passion is all in the subtext (That's right, I'm accusing you, Ms. Austen and Mr. Trollope). In a contemporary writer, I expect something more. At least one kiss. Certainly not an unsatisfying
Whew. I feel better getting that out. I would still recommend this book to my Austen loving friends, as it's a fun, humorous read, so long as one is prepared to accept the frustrating ending or substitute an imagined scene of one's own.
July 26, 2012
KEEPING THE CASTLE is a quick, Austen-flavored story that you can breeze through in a few short hours. Is it a keeper? Well…I enjoyed the voice and the setup, but felt the story was too short to develop the characters and their predicaments into full and empathizable creations.
My favorite thing about KEEPING THE CASTLE was definitely its Austenian influence. Aptly described as a combination of Dodie Smith’s lovely I Capture the Castle (another book I loved) and Jane Austen’s works, KEEPING THE CASTLE features a spunky heroine whose extreme pragmatism is cause for many moments of laughs and head-shaking sighs. Althea’s practical nature make her the perfect foil for the social foibles that typically occur in Austenian novels, but it is when that delightful personality comes up against tired Austenian elements and a too-quick plot development that things stumble for me.
No matter how much I love Jane Austen, there comes a point where Austenian elements tire me out. Unfortunately, I felt like KEEPING THE CASTLE crammed all of the most recognizable elements of Austen’s novels into a quick 250 pages, resulting in sensory/familiarity overload for me. First, Althea seeks a rich husband (youth and attractiveness a plus but not required). Later, she attempts to matchmake between two of her new acquaintances. Okay, to be honest, I’ve only read two of Austen’s novels to their conclusions, but combining the most familiar elements of Pride and Prejudice and Emma into one story felt like overkill to me.
Additionally, the short length of the book prevented the characters and plot from developing thoroughly. It was hard for me to ever get a grasp on the attraction between Althea and Mr. Fredericks. Bickering couples are sometimes fun for me to read about, but unlike the change in Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy’s feelings toward and understanding of each other, Althea and Mr. Fredericks never seem to undergo the same kind of mental evolution. Secondary couplings are also barely explained, with the result that I flitted from one marital revolution to the other in a state of confusion and only polite interest, instead of emotional investment in the characters and their outcomes.
Overall, KEEPING THE CASTLE is a relatively fun and diverting read for a lazy afternoon (or a sleepless night, if you’re me), but it doesn’t as if it will be a staple of Austenian literature.
My favorite thing about KEEPING THE CASTLE was definitely its Austenian influence. Aptly described as a combination of Dodie Smith’s lovely I Capture the Castle (another book I loved) and Jane Austen’s works, KEEPING THE CASTLE features a spunky heroine whose extreme pragmatism is cause for many moments of laughs and head-shaking sighs. Althea’s practical nature make her the perfect foil for the social foibles that typically occur in Austenian novels, but it is when that delightful personality comes up against tired Austenian elements and a too-quick plot development that things stumble for me.
No matter how much I love Jane Austen, there comes a point where Austenian elements tire me out. Unfortunately, I felt like KEEPING THE CASTLE crammed all of the most recognizable elements of Austen’s novels into a quick 250 pages, resulting in sensory/familiarity overload for me. First, Althea seeks a rich husband (youth and attractiveness a plus but not required). Later, she attempts to matchmake between two of her new acquaintances. Okay, to be honest, I’ve only read two of Austen’s novels to their conclusions, but combining the most familiar elements of Pride and Prejudice and Emma into one story felt like overkill to me.
Additionally, the short length of the book prevented the characters and plot from developing thoroughly. It was hard for me to ever get a grasp on the attraction between Althea and Mr. Fredericks. Bickering couples are sometimes fun for me to read about, but unlike the change in Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy’s feelings toward and understanding of each other, Althea and Mr. Fredericks never seem to undergo the same kind of mental evolution. Secondary couplings are also barely explained, with the result that I flitted from one marital revolution to the other in a state of confusion and only polite interest, instead of emotional investment in the characters and their outcomes.
Overall, KEEPING THE CASTLE is a relatively fun and diverting read for a lazy afternoon (or a sleepless night, if you’re me), but it doesn’t as if it will be a staple of Austenian literature.
April 2, 2020
Cover Blurb: It’s a pretty purple color, has a castle, and fancy writing - yep, I like it! The cover is what caught my attention when I first saw it at the library, and I continue to likes it’s simplicity. But it does hint at a far more serious story than it really is.
What I Liked: Althea at first comes across as kind of an unlikable protagonist. Her reasons for marriage are mercenary, she’s the county’s “pretty girl,” and in short shares a lot of similarities with Jane Austen’s Emma Woodhouse. But Althea quickly grew on me - she was all of Emma’s good qualities, her purposes for marriage were, considering her situation, born from a practical mind, and she was funny. Her shortcomings weren’t annoying - they lent to the story’s satirical aspects. Both the male leads - Lord Boring and Mr. Fredericks - were wonderful characters. Lord Boring was a lot like Bingley, while Mr. Fredericks mirrored Mr. Darcy. And while the similarities between these characters was evident, they still felt like the Author’s own original creations and managed to also be very different from their Austen counterparts. Althea’s two stepsisters were terrifically horrid and an absolute blast, and every little side-character that was introduced burst with personality. There wasn’t a moment in this book where I wasn’t laughing.
What I Disliked: Nothing.
Believability: Comments pertaining to authenticity and the like mostly belong in the writing style.
Writing Style: It fits the story and the time period so well. The Author does a stupendous job in imitating Austen’s style. It’s witty and authentic, classic and very lovely. I loved how the story was a sort of blend of Emma and Pride and Prejudice, while also having pinches of Sense and Sensibility in it. None of it felt like a rip-off, as some Austen-inspired books do; it felt like an original idea, but the nods were evident and clever.
Content: None.
Conclusion: The end itself was predictable, sweet, funny, remarkably managed to be all three without being silly. I don’t normally feel giggly over book endings - usually it is a quiet, satisfied feeling. But I did get giggly over this book’s ending, and I honestly wanted to immediately re-read it as soon as I was done. This is an absolute new favorite - I loved everything about it.
Recommended Audience: Austeneers will eat this alive. More of a girl-read than a guy-read, unless you’re one of those rare guys who likes Oscar Wilde’s stories (it has similar humor). Appropriate for all ages.
What I Liked: Althea at first comes across as kind of an unlikable protagonist. Her reasons for marriage are mercenary, she’s the county’s “pretty girl,” and in short shares a lot of similarities with Jane Austen’s Emma Woodhouse. But Althea quickly grew on me - she was all of Emma’s good qualities, her purposes for marriage were, considering her situation, born from a practical mind, and she was funny. Her shortcomings weren’t annoying - they lent to the story’s satirical aspects. Both the male leads - Lord Boring and Mr. Fredericks - were wonderful characters. Lord Boring was a lot like Bingley, while Mr. Fredericks mirrored Mr. Darcy. And while the similarities between these characters was evident, they still felt like the Author’s own original creations and managed to also be very different from their Austen counterparts. Althea’s two stepsisters were terrifically horrid and an absolute blast, and every little side-character that was introduced burst with personality. There wasn’t a moment in this book where I wasn’t laughing.
What I Disliked: Nothing.
Believability: Comments pertaining to authenticity and the like mostly belong in the writing style.
Writing Style: It fits the story and the time period so well. The Author does a stupendous job in imitating Austen’s style. It’s witty and authentic, classic and very lovely. I loved how the story was a sort of blend of Emma and Pride and Prejudice, while also having pinches of Sense and Sensibility in it. None of it felt like a rip-off, as some Austen-inspired books do; it felt like an original idea, but the nods were evident and clever.
Content: None.
Conclusion: The end itself was predictable, sweet, funny, remarkably managed to be all three without being silly. I don’t normally feel giggly over book endings - usually it is a quiet, satisfied feeling. But I did get giggly over this book’s ending, and I honestly wanted to immediately re-read it as soon as I was done. This is an absolute new favorite - I loved everything about it.
Recommended Audience: Austeneers will eat this alive. More of a girl-read than a guy-read, unless you’re one of those rare guys who likes Oscar Wilde’s stories (it has similar humor). Appropriate for all ages.
October 17, 2015
The plots of Regency romances are becoming increasingly imaginative. I enjoy the originality, but sometimes this reach for the fresh comes at the expense of believability. In Keeping the Castle, Patrice Kindl teeters on the edge of this cliff but manages not to fall off.
Our heroine, Althea Crawley, is a beautiful young woman (despite the image on the not-so-beautiful cover of the edition I read—was the publisher hoping to capture a YA audience?) from an old but impoverished Yorkshire family, who believes she must marry money in order to rescue the family and its pseudo-castle from disaster. The heir is her young brother, Alexander; she also has a twice-widowed mother and two wicked stepsisters. Although the stepsisters have money, they will not share it, and with a vague and ineffectual mother it is left to Althea to try to keep the castle together.
A new neighbor arrives—the young, handsome, but unpromisingly named Lord Boring—and he brings with him several other gentlemen to offer various possibilities for Althea to make her provident match. Any more would be telling.
Kindl writes in a clear, elegant Regency style, and the words flowed gently. She has a better grasp of the reading material of the age than most authors in the genre, and I especially appreciated the literary elements of the book, as well as the strong historical research. Also many of the characters were vividly drawn, as was the castle’s disastrous condition. Although Althea is blatantly out to capture a rich man, I did not object to her as a heroine: her plight is so dire, and her sense of responsibility to her family and dependents makes her mercenary goal excusable. The ending is expected but I was not sure how we would get to it, which is surprise enough for me!
The one thing that was a little jarring for me was the tendency to use farce in many scenes, which for me sat uneasily with the serious premise and the lifelike characters. In a farcical novel I don’t expect to care about the characters, and in a novel with more serious themes (even if comic), I don’t expect to find slapstick. This was the one area in which I felt a modern sensibility was intruding on the period story. I hope Patrice Kindl will write more in this genre, and not hedge her bets by kidding away her real gifts.
Our heroine, Althea Crawley, is a beautiful young woman (despite the image on the not-so-beautiful cover of the edition I read—was the publisher hoping to capture a YA audience?) from an old but impoverished Yorkshire family, who believes she must marry money in order to rescue the family and its pseudo-castle from disaster. The heir is her young brother, Alexander; she also has a twice-widowed mother and two wicked stepsisters. Although the stepsisters have money, they will not share it, and with a vague and ineffectual mother it is left to Althea to try to keep the castle together.
A new neighbor arrives—the young, handsome, but unpromisingly named Lord Boring—and he brings with him several other gentlemen to offer various possibilities for Althea to make her provident match. Any more would be telling.
Kindl writes in a clear, elegant Regency style, and the words flowed gently. She has a better grasp of the reading material of the age than most authors in the genre, and I especially appreciated the literary elements of the book, as well as the strong historical research. Also many of the characters were vividly drawn, as was the castle’s disastrous condition. Although Althea is blatantly out to capture a rich man, I did not object to her as a heroine: her plight is so dire, and her sense of responsibility to her family and dependents makes her mercenary goal excusable. The ending is expected but I was not sure how we would get to it, which is surprise enough for me!
The one thing that was a little jarring for me was the tendency to use farce in many scenes, which for me sat uneasily with the serious premise and the lifelike characters. In a farcical novel I don’t expect to care about the characters, and in a novel with more serious themes (even if comic), I don’t expect to find slapstick. This was the one area in which I felt a modern sensibility was intruding on the period story. I hope Patrice Kindl will write more in this genre, and not hedge her bets by kidding away her real gifts.
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