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Dunstable Park House
For fans of Downton Abbey comes Dunstable Park House-A Victorian Time Travel, the latest e-novel from best-selling author, Therese Stenzel.
After her fiancé’s death, Brenna Keelin travels to England, stumbles up hidden stairs in a cathedral and comes out in 1871 Yorkshire. To keep from starving, she becomes a servant in a great estate. More than anything she wants to return to her modern life, especially in time for her sister's wedding, but falling in love has changed everything.
Lord Garren Buntingford left Scotland to take over an earldom. He has a lot to learn about the subtleties of being an aristocrat—and a title he never wanted. He desires to
return to his vast farm and family in Scotland until a beautiful housemaid is injured by a horse and he carries her back to the estate where she works in his arms.
Brenna must hide the truth about where she is from and find her purpose for being sent through time before the stairs will open again. But soon discovers that her calling is to help Lord Garren marry an aristocratic wife. Her heart is torn between fulfilling her call and a desperate passion for a braw Scotsman that society says she can never have. Both must choose between the home they long for and a forbidden love, between duty and devotion, the upstairs and the downstairs, all under the roof of Dunstable Park House.
After her fiancé’s death, Brenna Keelin travels to England, stumbles up hidden stairs in a cathedral and comes out in 1871 Yorkshire. To keep from starving, she becomes a servant in a great estate. More than anything she wants to return to her modern life, especially in time for her sister's wedding, but falling in love has changed everything.
Lord Garren Buntingford left Scotland to take over an earldom. He has a lot to learn about the subtleties of being an aristocrat—and a title he never wanted. He desires to
return to his vast farm and family in Scotland until a beautiful housemaid is injured by a horse and he carries her back to the estate where she works in his arms.
Brenna must hide the truth about where she is from and find her purpose for being sent through time before the stairs will open again. But soon discovers that her calling is to help Lord Garren marry an aristocratic wife. Her heart is torn between fulfilling her call and a desperate passion for a braw Scotsman that society says she can never have. Both must choose between the home they long for and a forbidden love, between duty and devotion, the upstairs and the downstairs, all under the roof of Dunstable Park House.
286 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 27, 2013
14 people are currently reading
153 people want to read
About the author
Therese Stenzel
9 books4 followersThings to know about me. I am a born again Christian and love the Lord with all my heart. I am married to Neal and have three kids, Jonathan, Benjamin, and Olivia. I have always had a love and a fascination with history. As a tween, I devoured the Little House on the Prairie series, probably reading them all ten times through! In college, I studied German and got to live in Germany for three months, and then later had a chance to travel in Eastern Europe for six weeks and taught English.
Because of my British born grandmother, my mother was obsessed with all things English, thus I picked up this wonderful obsession and have been reading history books on England ever since. I’ve made three trips to England, once with a motivational speaker company I worked for. The second on a, “Let’s make our married friends jealous” tour with another single girlfriend and we charged the whole thing on a credit card! And third time, on a business trip with my husband.
Because of my British born grandmother, my mother was obsessed with all things English, thus I picked up this wonderful obsession and have been reading history books on England ever since. I’ve made three trips to England, once with a motivational speaker company I worked for. The second on a, “Let’s make our married friends jealous” tour with another single girlfriend and we charged the whole thing on a credit card! And third time, on a business trip with my husband.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 3, 2016
I wish I could know well before half way through a book if the target audience is for pre-teens. My fault I suppose.
Besides serious editing errors, this book has so many flaws in the storyline that only pre-teens might not see through them.
The beginning with the time travel theme wasn't so bad, but it went down from there. I'm not even sure how to state all the flaws without giving away the story.
Okay, so I'll just say this will include lots of ***SPOILERS***
Brenna, who is on a present day tour in England, goes through some doors, without her tour group, goes up some stairs and ends up in the 19th century. She's apprehended by a time traveler who thinks his "purpose" is to round up time travelers so they don't ruin the time space continuum...very Star Trek.
She gets away, and is told she has to find her purpose while there in order to go back. Anyway she ends up in service at an estate. There she meets a man being trained for an English Earl position he inherited. The whole rest of the book is him pursuing her, her giving in and they smooch, he loves her, she tells him no (because she has it in her head that her purpose is to make him succeed as Earl instead of going back to his farm in Scotland), she encourages him to marry an aristocrat, then she pines for him, he chases her some more, they smooch, she pushes him away, he gets mad, she cries, she wants him to love her even though he's told her he loves her and wants to marry her, he's constantly wanting to protect her (from what?) and wants to know the secret she's keeping from him....and round and round it goes, with very little happening other than this ridiculous cat and mouse game...
Meanwhile she's sending letters to her sister in 21st century America through 19th century English mail... and her sister is getting them and Brenna is getting letters back from her sister through 2 centuries of mail time travel??? That's SOME mail service!!
Her fiancé in 21st century, who supposedly died in a boating mishap, ends up at the estate as a teenager. What he remembers is graduating from high school, going out on a boat and ended up in England 2 centuries in the past. But the boating accident really happened when he was a full grown adult architect. He does not know Brenna, but she knows him and even says they knew each other in high school... So why doesn't he know her when they see each other? He hasn't lost his memory!
Oh there are so MANY blatantly wrong things with this book that it would take way too long to innumerate them. I think the author just might be a talented writer, she just needed a group of unbiased people to read it, and give their opinion about some seriously necessary changes BEFORE it was published.
Oh my, the whole thing is so inane. Unless you are 15 and under don't bother. Personally I may have just insulted some 15 year olds.
Besides serious editing errors, this book has so many flaws in the storyline that only pre-teens might not see through them.
The beginning with the time travel theme wasn't so bad, but it went down from there. I'm not even sure how to state all the flaws without giving away the story.
Okay, so I'll just say this will include lots of ***SPOILERS***
Brenna, who is on a present day tour in England, goes through some doors, without her tour group, goes up some stairs and ends up in the 19th century. She's apprehended by a time traveler who thinks his "purpose" is to round up time travelers so they don't ruin the time space continuum...very Star Trek.
She gets away, and is told she has to find her purpose while there in order to go back. Anyway she ends up in service at an estate. There she meets a man being trained for an English Earl position he inherited. The whole rest of the book is him pursuing her, her giving in and they smooch, he loves her, she tells him no (because she has it in her head that her purpose is to make him succeed as Earl instead of going back to his farm in Scotland), she encourages him to marry an aristocrat, then she pines for him, he chases her some more, they smooch, she pushes him away, he gets mad, she cries, she wants him to love her even though he's told her he loves her and wants to marry her, he's constantly wanting to protect her (from what?) and wants to know the secret she's keeping from him....and round and round it goes, with very little happening other than this ridiculous cat and mouse game...
Meanwhile she's sending letters to her sister in 21st century America through 19th century English mail... and her sister is getting them and Brenna is getting letters back from her sister through 2 centuries of mail time travel??? That's SOME mail service!!
Her fiancé in 21st century, who supposedly died in a boating mishap, ends up at the estate as a teenager. What he remembers is graduating from high school, going out on a boat and ended up in England 2 centuries in the past. But the boating accident really happened when he was a full grown adult architect. He does not know Brenna, but she knows him and even says they knew each other in high school... So why doesn't he know her when they see each other? He hasn't lost his memory!
Oh there are so MANY blatantly wrong things with this book that it would take way too long to innumerate them. I think the author just might be a talented writer, she just needed a group of unbiased people to read it, and give their opinion about some seriously necessary changes BEFORE it was published.
Oh my, the whole thing is so inane. Unless you are 15 and under don't bother. Personally I may have just insulted some 15 year olds.
May 6, 2015
I read about 6% of this novel before giving up on it. It definitely needs the hand of a skilled editor.
August 30, 2018
Typos but really loved the story
The Book itself was wonderful but why the author does not address the typos and grammar is beyond me. I would not buy her books. Too bad because the story was great.
The Book itself was wonderful but why the author does not address the typos and grammar is beyond me. I would not buy her books. Too bad because the story was great.
March 7, 2016
Honestly, I’m on the fence with this one. The writing was subpar, and often littered with typos. It didn’t grip me like I’d expected from a time travel romance—one of my favorite genre’s, and I wasn’t a huge fan of the overall narrative voice. In fact, I very nearly put the book down in the first fifteen minutes.
But… I stuck it out, and in the end, I did enjoy the book, even if it wasn’t my favorite. It was a quick, light read, and though it was also light on historical world building and believability most of the time (something I generally look for in a time-travel romance), I did find it entertaining.
Overall, the story was… meh. It wasn’t awful, and it wasn’t great, but it was an okay read. If you’re looking for a light romantic read to peruse while sitting in a waiting room somewhere—this may be something you want to pick up. If you’re looking for a more intricate historical read… this may not be the book for you.
But… I stuck it out, and in the end, I did enjoy the book, even if it wasn’t my favorite. It was a quick, light read, and though it was also light on historical world building and believability most of the time (something I generally look for in a time-travel romance), I did find it entertaining.
Overall, the story was… meh. It wasn’t awful, and it wasn’t great, but it was an okay read. If you’re looking for a light romantic read to peruse while sitting in a waiting room somewhere—this may be something you want to pick up. If you’re looking for a more intricate historical read… this may not be the book for you.
June 22, 2014
I read this on the Kindle
I enjoy the Time Travel Genre & this book is in that Genre
It was a enjoyable book worth reading not the best time travel one i have read but not the worse
I did struggle a bit with the Servant side not how they were treated as such but the fact in the book it implied that they could not leave the service of one family & go for another as if they were slaves & owned by the family
In all the books i have read even historical ones this has never been implied or suggested, yes they can be cast out but the fact they couldn't leave that part didn't ring true
I also found the end rather rushed in that it didn't go in to depth of how some bits happen to other people in the book Cal for one also it sort of ended without much of a finish of what happen when what happen happens if that makes sense it needed a epilogue to finish it off
I enjoy the Time Travel Genre & this book is in that Genre
It was a enjoyable book worth reading not the best time travel one i have read but not the worse
I did struggle a bit with the Servant side not how they were treated as such but the fact in the book it implied that they could not leave the service of one family & go for another as if they were slaves & owned by the family
In all the books i have read even historical ones this has never been implied or suggested, yes they can be cast out but the fact they couldn't leave that part didn't ring true
I also found the end rather rushed in that it didn't go in to depth of how some bits happen to other people in the book Cal for one also it sort of ended without much of a finish of what happen when what happen happens if that makes sense it needed a epilogue to finish it off
July 15, 2014
2.5 - Just ok for me, not the best time travel I've read, but entertaining enough I suppose. I didn't like how the servants were almost considered as slaves. Like they had to get permission from one employer before working for another. I can see how the masters didn't want to steal servants from each other but it wasn't portrayed like that.
Moral Note: Mild talk of illegitimate children (calling them bast.... a few times) Other than than clean language, clean romance, very mild violence.
Moral Note: Mild talk of illegitimate children (calling them bast.... a few times) Other than than clean language, clean romance, very mild violence.
January 1, 2015
Scottish Flair, loved it
With characters from Scotland, England and New York your bound to like some of it. There is a lot of old dialect of the time. I fell in love with a Scottish man "Garren". His personality just came to life. The story evolved just a little slow. Hang with it. I loved it.
With characters from Scotland, England and New York your bound to like some of it. There is a lot of old dialect of the time. I fell in love with a Scottish man "Garren". His personality just came to life. The story evolved just a little slow. Hang with it. I loved it.
July 25, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I love a good time travel romance. Especially in Victorian or any other historical era. The characters seem real and carry themselves well. Loved the ending. Will try to catch more by this author.
January 23, 2014
Great read!
Not your normal predictable novel. Funny, cute and charming. I've read a lot of books but this one was captivating...Loved it!
Not your normal predictable novel. Funny, cute and charming. I've read a lot of books but this one was captivating...Loved it!
September 30, 2014
A sweet love story
This is a sweet love story, that was an easy and enjoyable . It could have been a bit more adventurous, thus a 4 star rating.
This is a sweet love story, that was an easy and enjoyable . It could have been a bit more adventurous, thus a 4 star rating.
April 14, 2015
Unstable Park House by Therese Stenzel
I had to give this book five stars, one of the best time travel romance novels I had ever read. Great storyline and beautiful ending.
I had to give this book five stars, one of the best time travel romance novels I had ever read. Great storyline and beautiful ending.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews