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Fairbairn #1
The Fairbairn Girls
Romance, tragedy and family intrigue – fans of Downton Abbey will love this compelling tale from a best-selling storyteller
1891 : The rich, aristocratic Fairbairn family have occupied Lochlee Castle in Argyllshire for the past five hundred years, and the current head of the family, the Earl of Rothbury, along with his wife, sons and daughters, all seem set for a happy future, until they fall victim to a wicked curse.
Soon it seems the whole family is doomed, with tragedy and heartbreak around every corner. Can the surviving Fairbairns show bravery in adversity and carve out happy and successful lives, against all odds?
1891 : The rich, aristocratic Fairbairn family have occupied Lochlee Castle in Argyllshire for the past five hundred years, and the current head of the family, the Earl of Rothbury, along with his wife, sons and daughters, all seem set for a happy future, until they fall victim to a wicked curse.
Soon it seems the whole family is doomed, with tragedy and heartbreak around every corner. Can the surviving Fairbairns show bravery in adversity and carve out happy and successful lives, against all odds?
208 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2013
35 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
About the author
Una-Mary Parker
38 books11 followersUna-Mary Parker, now in her mid-eighties, has always had a passion for writing, working in Fleet Street and later as social editor for British magazine, Tatler. Her sensational debut novel, RICHES, was published to outstanding critical acclaim and became an international bestseller.
Her novels are aimed to attract women who relish romance, intrigue and passion. Now, nearly thirty years later, RICHES and Una-Mary's other hugely popular best sellers are entering the digital world and are being released as ebooks by renowned publisher Headline.
Her novels are aimed to attract women who relish romance, intrigue and passion. Now, nearly thirty years later, RICHES and Una-Mary's other hugely popular best sellers are entering the digital world and are being released as ebooks by renowned publisher Headline.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
September 10, 2017
Chronologically flickers back and forth from the 1890s, when the eight Fairbairn girls (and two boys) are young and hopeful to 1904 and beyond, as second daughter Laura, now thirty, contends with mysterious family problems which are slowly revealed as the book progresses. I tend not to love the whole “something is terribly wrong – but what? And who is at the root of it?” when combined with flashbacks to the idyllic past (“how will it all go so terribly wrong?”) and this is no exception. Competently written, although there’s the occasional “As you know, Bob” line of exposition, and most of the characters are superficially sketched. The title is misleading: this is entirely a book about Laura.
The book is vaguely well researched, but doesn’t quite achieve the necessary immersion in the era – things like someone discussing the nascent women’s suffrage movement and crediting Emmeline Pankhurst with the whole thing (there were several prominent women’s suffrage organizations that predated hers and were far more socially acceptable for upper-class women – I can’t quite credit that a Scottish noblewoman would have heard of Emmeline Pankhurst but not Millicent Fawcett), or servants routinely simply up and leaving a household during an episode of the master’s drunken rage and then returning when it was over. Additionally half the plot seems to revolve around . It’s also extremely dramatic. EXTREMELY dramatic. It’s a soap opera in book form.
It ends with , which is very 1970’s glamour novel. However, the general tone of the book seemed to veer back and forth between Downton Abbey-style Edwardian family saga and Woman Overcoming Obstacles And Making Her Own Way drama. I don’t think the two married very well.
The book is vaguely well researched, but doesn’t quite achieve the necessary immersion in the era – things like someone discussing the nascent women’s suffrage movement and crediting Emmeline Pankhurst with the whole thing (there were several prominent women’s suffrage organizations that predated hers and were far more socially acceptable for upper-class women – I can’t quite credit that a Scottish noblewoman would have heard of Emmeline Pankhurst but not Millicent Fawcett), or servants routinely simply up and leaving a household during an episode of the master’s drunken rage and then returning when it was over. Additionally half the plot seems to revolve around . It’s also extremely dramatic. EXTREMELY dramatic. It’s a soap opera in book form.
It ends with , which is very 1970’s glamour novel. However, the general tone of the book seemed to veer back and forth between Downton Abbey-style Edwardian family saga and Woman Overcoming Obstacles And Making Her Own Way drama. I don’t think the two married very well.
April 14, 2014
If I could, I would give this 3 1/2 stars, but since I can't, I'll round up. Overall, I really enjoyed the book. There were a couple small issues I had with it, but nothing too terrible.
The jumping back and fourth between years and locations kind of interrupts the story's flow and takes away from it a bit, but the tale as a whole is a good one. The ending seemed very rushed and unfinished. What happened to Laura and her daughter? Was she able to pull through and be successful once again? The author subtly implies that she is, but still...I prefer a solid ending.
I read and loved Ms. Una-Parkers 'Granville' series and was THRILLED when I was able to get this (being a UK author, some of her stuff isn't available for download in America). While I didn't love it as much as that series, it was nice to return to this author. She really knows how to set a scene and take you away.
The jumping back and fourth between years and locations kind of interrupts the story's flow and takes away from it a bit, but the tale as a whole is a good one. The ending seemed very rushed and unfinished. What happened to Laura and her daughter? Was she able to pull through and be successful once again? The author subtly implies that she is, but still...I prefer a solid ending.
I read and loved Ms. Una-Parkers 'Granville' series and was THRILLED when I was able to get this (being a UK author, some of her stuff isn't available for download in America). While I didn't love it as much as that series, it was nice to return to this author. She really knows how to set a scene and take you away.
June 21, 2013
I really enjoyed this book and reading the lives of the Fairbairn family. Was disappointed in the ending as it just seemed rushed and unfinished but the rest of the book was a great read.
February 29, 2020
This book was more interesting than I thought it would be. It's set in the 1890s to early 1900s Scotland & follows the Fairbairn family who live at Lochless castle which has been in the family for 500 years. It touches on some of the superstition surrounding the Rowan tree which it is believed can bring disastrous luck to the house if it is not treated correctly. While the story includes all or most of the family it mainly follows Laura, the second oldest daughter, & her unfortunate marriage to an alcoholic widower she met at her sister's wedding. Laura learns the trade of dress designer & seamstress from the family's seamstress while waiting for her first marriage which never takes place due to the death of her fiance. She takes the unusual step of moving away from home & setting up her own business, unheard of for a lady of her class. She becomes quite successful before she meets the man who was widowed by the death of his wife, 1 of her customers.
It's a few years into the marriage that the reader becomes aware that all is not well in her new family. It then is revealed that Walter is a hard core alcoholic who will drink anything (methalayted spirits, ink, etc) as well as various liquors when he gets on a drunk & turns into a creature capable of all kinds of bizarre behavior. The unspoken thought is was he responsible for his first wife's death.
The book ends with creditors seizing all of their assets leaving Laura to start over again to support herself & 3 year old daughter. This story is a true depiction of how alcohol & alcoholism can destroy the lives of everyone it touches.
It's a few years into the marriage that the reader becomes aware that all is not well in her new family. It then is revealed that Walter is a hard core alcoholic who will drink anything (methalayted spirits, ink, etc) as well as various liquors when he gets on a drunk & turns into a creature capable of all kinds of bizarre behavior. The unspoken thought is was he responsible for his first wife's death.
The book ends with creditors seizing all of their assets leaving Laura to start over again to support herself & 3 year old daughter. This story is a true depiction of how alcohol & alcoholism can destroy the lives of everyone it touches.
April 8, 2021
I enjoyed very much reading about the lives of the Fairbairn family. However I do feel there was potential to continue the story further? I would love to know what happened with Laura and Caroline, was she successful in creating a new dressmaking business? Did Laura and Walter get back together? There is so much left unanswered.
June 21, 2023
This book was disappointing. It altered from the past to the present quite nicely until about halfway through when it suddenly reverted entirely to the past. As it turns out , the earlier looks at the "present" were just foreshadowing to get you to buy the next book in the series. It was a pleasant read, but not interesting enough for me to fall for that and buy more.
June 19, 2017
meh - 2 stars is very generous
Good premise (think Love in a Cold Climate), poorly written. In fact, if you like the idea, read anything by one of the Mitford sisters (Nancy esp.) or for more of a satire, read Cold Comfort Farm
Good premise (think Love in a Cold Climate), poorly written. In fact, if you like the idea, read anything by one of the Mitford sisters (Nancy esp.) or for more of a satire, read Cold Comfort Farm
June 24, 2019
Много приятна семейна сага, без особени претенции и без прекалено много детайли. С удоволствие бих прочела и продължението.
November 23, 2020
Had its moments but just fair
Descriptives of the characters were okay. Ridiculous amount of tragedies. Predictable ending. Held my interest as hoped would get better.
Descriptives of the characters were okay. Ridiculous amount of tragedies. Predictable ending. Held my interest as hoped would get better.
February 1, 2021
Mills & Boon go to night-school.
February 26, 2015
Nice read. Short, no filler. I wish I could say more positive things about this book, because I did like it and I really enjoy Una-Mary Parker's writing. I also love it when writers don't overstuff their story with nonsense just to reach 400 pages.
It's an entertaining story about a family with nine daughters and two sons. There were too many siblings in the book, and I felt like you couldn't focus on all of them, and neither could the author. It basically became Laura's story, and not the Fairbairn girls' story. Some of the sisters became little more than afterthoughts, and I would have liked to find out more about many of them. The brothers are pretty much a waste of time, as they really didn't have a story.
I found that I couldn't really connect to the characters the way I would have liked. Some got on my nerves, like Georgie. She's the kind that I wish would never get anything good out of life; she was just awful.
There's lots of talk of money and jewels and clothes, I normally like this, but the Fairbairn family seemed especially spoiled and uppity, for the most part. Often times I felt they were more worried about which jewel to wear than people.
Laura had always been rich, and didn't seem to understand that when you have serious money problems, cutting down from 100 servants to 8 servants won't do a bit of good. Those servants have to be paid and housed.
Finally I really didn't understand why Una-Mary Parker decided to jump from the 1800's to the 1900's every other chapter or so. There didn't seem to be a good reason for it. The book would have read perfectly fine had it been written in the typical fashion. All that skipping around didn't change anything.
It's an entertaining story about a family with nine daughters and two sons. There were too many siblings in the book, and I felt like you couldn't focus on all of them, and neither could the author. It basically became Laura's story, and not the Fairbairn girls' story. Some of the sisters became little more than afterthoughts, and I would have liked to find out more about many of them. The brothers are pretty much a waste of time, as they really didn't have a story.
I found that I couldn't really connect to the characters the way I would have liked. Some got on my nerves, like Georgie. She's the kind that I wish would never get anything good out of life; she was just awful.
There's lots of talk of money and jewels and clothes, I normally like this, but the Fairbairn family seemed especially spoiled and uppity, for the most part. Often times I felt they were more worried about which jewel to wear than people.
Laura had always been rich, and didn't seem to understand that when you have serious money problems, cutting down from 100 servants to 8 servants won't do a bit of good. Those servants have to be paid and housed.
Finally I really didn't understand why Una-Mary Parker decided to jump from the 1800's to the 1900's every other chapter or so. There didn't seem to be a good reason for it. The book would have read perfectly fine had it been written in the typical fashion. All that skipping around didn't change anything.
March 13, 2013
Time period: 1891-1910 in aristocratic England, a family of 9 girls and 2 boys comes to grips with the changing economy and the downfall of the great mansions along with social changes of class and marriage.
The Downton-esque novel seems a little soapy at times. The girls are naive and silly and their parents stereotypic. I was disappointed as the frontpiece makes it look more of a suffragette novel but little is done with womens' votes. The title- happy sister all to willingly changes her attitude when a lower class suitor arrives, the murderous heir is easily disposed of later in the noveland the illegitimate first born son is never heard from again after a big build-up: just some of the many all too apparent plot twists. I was pretty disappointed.
The Downton-esque novel seems a little soapy at times. The girls are naive and silly and their parents stereotypic. I was disappointed as the frontpiece makes it look more of a suffragette novel but little is done with womens' votes. The title- happy sister all to willingly changes her attitude when a lower class suitor arrives, the murderous heir is easily disposed of later in the noveland the illegitimate first born son is never heard from again after a big build-up: just some of the many all too apparent plot twists. I was pretty disappointed.
May 18, 2013
I was completed enraptured by the lives of the Fairbairn family throughout the novel. Tragedy, romance, and aristocratic gossip around every corner. At times I was reminded of Downton Abbey. However, the ending of the novel seemed rushed and unfortunately was a disappointment.
January 11, 2014
The overall story was interesting, but the mechanism of flipping back and forth in time felt overworked to me. The transitions felt mostly disruptive to the story, rather than letting me really sink into the characters. It was alright, but not great.
January 3, 2017
Not the happiest of stories and the book kind of flounders around on who's story to tell. Somewhat confusing at times. The book just kind of stops at the end as if the author didn't know how to end it. It was just ok.
August 3, 2013
Fairly basic story line and writing. Ok but wouldn't recommend.
July 29, 2013
Enjoyed this book up until the final chapter, the ending was rather abrupt -- perhaps leaving the option of a sequel open?
August 9, 2013
started out promising and ended like a bad soap
January 12, 2014
Awesome book! It was a Christmas gift for me and I read it for only two days. It was really interesting. I really love stories for people's life in the beginning of the 20th century.
February 1, 2015
meh. potential to be good. but alas....
February 9, 2015
I liked this book, very Downton Abbey-like. The end was a disappointment, almost as if the author had got tired of writing, it felt very abrupt.
May 17, 2014
Was an ok book. Ending felt rushed.
March 5, 2016
A very nice read - couldn't put this book down.
May 3, 2017
This book is NOT DOWNTON ABBEY!..as some reviews suggested - made myself finish it!!...too choppy...disliked the back and forth in time...hard to care about any of the characters...just BLEAH!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews