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Edenbrooke #0.5
Heir to Edenbrooke
Philip Wyndham has never envied his older brother for being the heir to Edenbrooke. He would much rather carve out his own destiny than live under the constraints of that position. But when his older brother dies unexpectedly, Philip's life is turned upside down as duty requires him to give up the life he planned. Philip takes on his new role as the most sought-after bachelor in London with alternating reluctance, boredom, and resentment. But all that changes the night fate leads him to an inn, where he meets the incomparable Marianne Daventry.
46 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 17, 2015
307 people are currently reading
7119 people want to read
About the author
Julianne Donaldson
14 books4,693 followersJulianne Donaldson grew up as the daughter of a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot. She learned how to ski in the Italian Alps, visited East Berlin before the wall came down, and spent three years living next to a 500-year-old castle. After earning a degree in English, she turned her attention to writing. She writes historical romance when she is not busy with her four young children and husband. Edenbrooke is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,218 reviews
May 13, 2020
OMG major fan-girling alert! Swooning! Self-fanning! Twirling! Giggling! AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
How on earth does Ms. Donaldson contrive to make Philip that perfect?? I mean, HOW??? He such a perfect embodiment of a Regency-era dream that it is impossible to settle for anything else. I am ready to marry him any day. That's all I have to say.
That, and also the fact that I think it grossly unfair of Ms. Donaldson to tease us with such a perfect, much too short prequel. Even I, a reputed slow reader, was able to finish in one sitting (I was able to make it last over two hours without even trying, but still).
Seriously, this author knows that anyone reading this will be begging for the whole of Edenbrooke to be written through Philip's point of view. Let's all admit it: Philip is the reason Edenbrooke is that good. Marianne could be annoying as hell, the secondary characters were meh, the writing was simple, there wasn't much Regency-feel to it, and the plot was pretty basic, but Philip, HE TOTALLY MADE THE BOOK!!
And now we only get a tiny little sliver of a portion of what he thinks while being with Marianne??! Cruel, cruel! I wish Edenbrooke had been written through Philip's eyes in the first place!
Fans of Edenbrooke, definitely do read this novella. It's short, but totally worth your time and money.
How on earth does Ms. Donaldson contrive to make Philip that perfect?? I mean, HOW??? He such a perfect embodiment of a Regency-era dream that it is impossible to settle for anything else. I am ready to marry him any day. That's all I have to say.
That, and also the fact that I think it grossly unfair of Ms. Donaldson to tease us with such a perfect, much too short prequel. Even I, a reputed slow reader, was able to finish in one sitting (I was able to make it last over two hours without even trying, but still).
Seriously, this author knows that anyone reading this will be begging for the whole of Edenbrooke to be written through Philip's point of view. Let's all admit it: Philip is the reason Edenbrooke is that good. Marianne could be annoying as hell, the secondary characters were meh, the writing was simple, there wasn't much Regency-feel to it, and the plot was pretty basic, but Philip, HE TOTALLY MADE THE BOOK!!
And now we only get a tiny little sliver of a portion of what he thinks while being with Marianne??! Cruel, cruel! I wish Edenbrooke had been written through Philip's eyes in the first place!
Fans of Edenbrooke, definitely do read this novella. It's short, but totally worth your time and money.
August 1, 2018
Okay, now I just want Ms. Donaldson to write an entire book from Philips point of view. It was so fun stepping into his shoes and seeing things from his perspective! I want MORE!!! I of course loved seeing his POV when meeting Marianne for the first time. Now, I guess I'll have to go read Edenbrooke again.
Fun short story that any fan of Edenbrooke will love!
Fun short story that any fan of Edenbrooke will love!
May 21, 2025
Philip, the gentleman you are.
June 1, 2018
This short novelette is kind of a gift for devoted fans of Edenbrooke; if you're not one of those, you can move right along. As of May 5 you can get both this story and the novel on a 99c Kindle deal, which is definitely the way to go if you like YA Regency romances. **somewhat spoilerish discussion below, though if you've read Edenbrooke there are really no surprises here**
The first half of this story gives us some background into Philip's life before he meets Marianne, the heroine of Edenbrooke. We get a childhood scene or two where we meet Philip's older brother Charles, the mean-spirited heir of the Wyndham family, and then jump to the time after Charles' untimely death, where Philip takes on the burden of being the heir of the family and having way too many marriage-minded young ladies, including Marianne's twin Cecily, chasing after him during the London season for all they're worth. The second half is the story of Philip's first meeting with Marianne at the inn, where the same exact story that's in Edenbrooke gets retold from Philip's point of view.
Fans of the novel will enjoy seeing what's going on in Philip's mind during all of these events. It was mildly fun but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone but fans, and even if you're a fan I wouldn't recommend paying more than a dollar or two for it.
The first half of this story gives us some background into Philip's life before he meets Marianne, the heroine of Edenbrooke. We get a childhood scene or two where we meet Philip's older brother Charles, the mean-spirited heir of the Wyndham family, and then jump to the time after Charles' untimely death, where Philip takes on the burden of being the heir of the family and having way too many marriage-minded young ladies, including Marianne's twin Cecily, chasing after him during the London season for all they're worth. The second half is the story of Philip's first meeting with Marianne at the inn, where the same exact story that's in Edenbrooke gets retold from Philip's point of view.
Fans of the novel will enjoy seeing what's going on in Philip's mind during all of these events. It was mildly fun but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone but fans, and even if you're a fan I wouldn't recommend paying more than a dollar or two for it.
November 24, 2018
I absolutely adore Edenbrooke, and to have a novella from the hero's perspective is a dream come true :) I loved the insights it gives into Phillip's life before he meets Marianne, and it helped me more understand him and his actions in Edenbrooke. Of course I wish there was more of him and Marianne together from his point of view, but I think it's pretty perfect for what it is. My imagination can fill in the rest ;)
January 14, 2016
Un saca-cuartos. Eso es lo que me ha parecido. Una desilusión
El relato es simpático pero para el precio que vale son apenas 54 páginas en las que se repite una de las escenas del principio de la novela pero vistas desde la perspectiva de Phillip, pero que pierde la parte de la gracia porque ya la conocemos.
Apenas las 15 primeras páginas son nuevas y nos muestran algunas de las razonees del porqué del comportamiento de Phillip en los primeros capítulos.
El resto un corta-pega
A no ser que tengáis realmente muhísimas ganas, me parece muy caro para lo que ofrecen
El relato es simpático pero para el precio que vale son apenas 54 páginas en las que se repite una de las escenas del principio de la novela pero vistas desde la perspectiva de Phillip, pero que pierde la parte de la gracia porque ya la conocemos.
Apenas las 15 primeras páginas son nuevas y nos muestran algunas de las razonees del porqué del comportamiento de Phillip en los primeros capítulos.
El resto un corta-pega
A no ser que tengáis realmente muhísimas ganas, me parece muy caro para lo que ofrecen
March 23, 2017
I should have read this before I reread Edenbrooke. I would have been able to read Philip with much more depth and understanding and Edenbrooke would have been a stronger read because of it. Either way, if you enjoyed Edenbrooke, I would definitely recommend splurging and buying this short novella.
November 17, 2015
Dear Phillip,
I wasn't sure you were worth $3.99; what, with only a little over 50 pages to your name. A high price to pay in my mind, but, financially sound or no, it was an easy decision. I have never been able to resist you, and now to finally get your own thoughts? Yespleaseandthankyou. It made this romantic's heart happy just to realize how much of a gentleman you are, outside and in.
I've missed you fondly,
Danielle @ Love at First Page.
P.S. For interested readers: we do get scenes between Phillip and Marianne, which I was initially worried about!
I wasn't sure you were worth $3.99; what, with only a little over 50 pages to your name. A high price to pay in my mind, but, financially sound or no, it was an easy decision. I have never been able to resist you, and now to finally get your own thoughts? Yespleaseandthankyou. It made this romantic's heart happy just to realize how much of a gentleman you are, outside and in.
I've missed you fondly,
Danielle @ Love at First Page.
P.S. For interested readers: we do get scenes between Phillip and Marianne, which I was initially worried about!
March 12, 2023
3.5☆
Está bien para entender el comportamiento de Philip pero fue muy breve y esperaba mucho más ☹️
Está bien para entender el comportamiento de Philip pero fue muy breve y esperaba mucho más ☹️
April 21, 2022
❝A trap closed around my heart, and in that moment, I was helpless. Whether she loved me for my money or myself, whether she loved me at all, whether her heart was even available for the winning . . . none of it mattered. I was smitten to the core.❞
This is definitely worth reading if you loved Edenbrooke! If you’d like to read a beautifully-written slow-burn regency romance, I highly recommend checking out Edenbrooke 🌟
July 26, 2019
Novella Philip’in ağzından olmasına rağmen tam puan veremedim. İnanın çok istedim ama olmadı. Çünkü halihazırda bir karakter ağzından okuduğumuz sahneleri sonradan diğer karakterden okumayı çok sevmiyorum. Ha bazı istisnalar var ama ne demiş büyük üstat Sagopa Kajmer? İstisnalar kaideyi bozmaz, kuru yanında yaş telaş yapmaz.
March 11, 2017
Quería más de mi amado Philip. :')
December 11, 2015
I devoured Edenbrooke years ago and couldn't wait to get my hands on this little gem of a novella to get a glimpse into Philip's head. I wasn't disappointed. Of course, I wish it was longer, but I enjoyed every minute of it and now I really want to re-read Edenbrooke.
I believe there are always two sides to a story and learning the background to Philip's life really helped me understand why he does some of the things he does. I found things to be humorous at times, but I also felt an undercurrent of loneliness, which really endeared him to me all the more.
If you haven't read Edenbrooke yet, and love a good, clean, Regency, pick it up and be sure to read this one as well so you have a better understanding of the entire story.
Content: Clean!!
*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review*
I believe there are always two sides to a story and learning the background to Philip's life really helped me understand why he does some of the things he does. I found things to be humorous at times, but I also felt an undercurrent of loneliness, which really endeared him to me all the more.
If you haven't read Edenbrooke yet, and love a good, clean, Regency, pick it up and be sure to read this one as well so you have a better understanding of the entire story.
Content: Clean!!
*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review*
June 24, 2016
En esta precuela, Philip Wyndham uno de los protagonistas nos narra en primera persona momentos anteriores a conocer a Marianne y una de las primeras escenas con la joven.
Este relato corto nos dejará con la miel en la boca puesto que se acaba en la escena de la posada pero es interesante porque nos deja conocer a Philip tanto en lo que concierne a sus sentimientos por Marianne como la relación con sus dos hermanos, en especial con Charles con el cual no se llevaba muy bien.
Además también nos revelará su edad cosa que no se mencionaba en la novela “Edenbrooke” y que creo que es importante para interpretar algunas de sus actitudes este dato no es relevante pero sí su vida anterior cuando estaba en el ejército y cuando aún no había entrado en él.
Sin duda merece la pena leerlo por conocer un poco más a Philip.
Este relato corto nos dejará con la miel en la boca puesto que se acaba en la escena de la posada pero es interesante porque nos deja conocer a Philip tanto en lo que concierne a sus sentimientos por Marianne como la relación con sus dos hermanos, en especial con Charles con el cual no se llevaba muy bien.
Además también nos revelará su edad cosa que no se mencionaba en la novela “Edenbrooke” y que creo que es importante para interpretar algunas de sus actitudes este dato no es relevante pero sí su vida anterior cuando estaba en el ejército y cuando aún no había entrado en él.
Sin duda merece la pena leerlo por conocer un poco más a Philip.
May 15, 2016
♥♥♥♥
AMOR de relato. En serio. Me he quedado con unas ganas locas de más. Es demasiado corto :( Philip me tiene loca, y casi me dan ganas de releer Edenbrooke de nuevo.
Para quienes no tengan el libro en papel todavía, estáis de suerte. La editorial va a reeditarlo e incluirá este relato corto desde el POV de Philip dentro del libro. No es más que la historia previa al comienzo de Edenbrooke desde la perspectiva de Philip y cómo conoce a Marianne.
Para quienes ya tienen el libro en papel, como una servidora, es una faena, porque me encantaría tenerlo en papel, pero paso de comprar de nuevo el libro para sólo 70 páginas más.
En fin...
PRECIOSO.
Me encanta Julianne Donaldson.
*No sé si escribiré reseña de este relato, porque apenas tiene un puñado de páginas, pero bueno.
AMOR de relato. En serio. Me he quedado con unas ganas locas de más. Es demasiado corto :( Philip me tiene loca, y casi me dan ganas de releer Edenbrooke de nuevo.
Para quienes no tengan el libro en papel todavía, estáis de suerte. La editorial va a reeditarlo e incluirá este relato corto desde el POV de Philip dentro del libro. No es más que la historia previa al comienzo de Edenbrooke desde la perspectiva de Philip y cómo conoce a Marianne.
Para quienes ya tienen el libro en papel, como una servidora, es una faena, porque me encantaría tenerlo en papel, pero paso de comprar de nuevo el libro para sólo 70 páginas más.
En fin...
PRECIOSO.
Me encanta Julianne Donaldson.
*No sé si escribiré reseña de este relato, porque apenas tiene un puñado de páginas, pero bueno.
April 27, 2016
This was a cute little prequel to Edenbrooke. It was fun to get into Phillip's head a little and see Mariann from his POV.
January 13, 2025
This, along with Edenbrooke, is a fun regency romance with good chemistry between Philip and Marianne.
November 18, 2015
This is a solid 5 star book that I loved every second I spent reading! It's short (a novelette, just as it claims to be), but so very, very well thought out. It brings a whole new dimension to Edenbrook, and reinforces my opinion that Philip ties with only one other for the greatest male lead character in a book- ever. He's just so human and relatable. I love seeing Marianne through his eyes. And I can't wait to re-read Edenbrook (for the fifteenth time) with this new perspective. Bravo Julianne Donaldson!
February 2, 2016
En realidad 4,5*
Me gustó conocer los pensamientos de Philip, como era antes de conocer a Mariane y sobre todo saber que sintió cuando la vio por primera vez. Como se empezó a enamorar de ella. ¿Lo único malo? es demasiado corto. Me habría encantado un libro entero desde el punto de vista de Philip.
Me gustó conocer los pensamientos de Philip, como era antes de conocer a Mariane y sobre todo saber que sintió cuando la vio por primera vez. Como se empezó a enamorar de ella. ¿Lo único malo? es demasiado corto. Me habría encantado un libro entero desde el punto de vista de Philip.
February 3, 2024
Es un relato muy corto sobre Phillips antes de conocer a Marianne (Edenbrooke)... Realmente finaliza prácticamente cuando se conocen continuando despues con el libro principal, pero yo no lo leería antes de éste porque revela demasiado de Phillips y podría cambiar la percepción de su personaje.
May 3, 2024
“But what is the heart of a man, if not his actions? His words? The way he interacts with the world around him? That is the measure of a man. That is why a gentleman should always be polite, helpful and respectful, honorable and true. A gentleman is held to a higher standard in the world because he has been given so much. It is a gentleman’s duty in life to improve the world around him, to make it a better place because of his influence.”
☕📚
📚By Julianne Donaldson
Ahhh, the prequel to what is probably, my top clean fiction book for 2024 so far!
WHAT’S TO LOVE? Two months ago, I announced on my YouTube channel that Book #1, Edenbrooke, was one of the books on my TBR. I had no idea what I was in for as it took me by complete surprise.
[If you watch my videos, you’ve heard me talk of it since then… ad nauseam]. 🙃😁
This fifty-three-page prequel glimpses into why our mysterious hero, Philip Wyndham, reacted as he did when meeting Marianne Daventry for the first time [in book #1].
This is exactly why I love only one POV in romance books!
Philip was a complete mystery in the first book. That’s one of the reasons it was so charming. In the end, he confessed a few things in book #1, but in this prequel, we get ALL THE TEA!
Marianne had absolutely no idea during their first meeting how his world had been turned upside down hours prior.
AND this prequel explains why Philip’s heart burned during the first conversation with Marianne when she said…
“Pardon me. I was under the impression that I was addressing a gentleman. I can see that I was, as you said, mistaken.”
I adore this book too! 💕
☕completely clean
☕no language
CAUSE FOR PAUSE? Absolutely no complaints - except that it was WAY too short! To my knowledge, this author has only written one other book [btw, it has been ordered and is on the way as I type]!
CONSIDER READING IF… you adore CLEAN regency romance books as much as I and can’t get enough, BUT are looking for a very original plot line that you can’t predict!
☕ I am stingy with my stars, but this one gets 5! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
☕📚
📚By Julianne Donaldson
Ahhh, the prequel to what is probably, my top clean fiction book for 2024 so far!
WHAT’S TO LOVE? Two months ago, I announced on my YouTube channel that Book #1, Edenbrooke, was one of the books on my TBR. I had no idea what I was in for as it took me by complete surprise.
[If you watch my videos, you’ve heard me talk of it since then… ad nauseam]. 🙃😁
This fifty-three-page prequel glimpses into why our mysterious hero, Philip Wyndham, reacted as he did when meeting Marianne Daventry for the first time [in book #1].
This is exactly why I love only one POV in romance books!
Philip was a complete mystery in the first book. That’s one of the reasons it was so charming. In the end, he confessed a few things in book #1, but in this prequel, we get ALL THE TEA!
Marianne had absolutely no idea during their first meeting how his world had been turned upside down hours prior.
AND this prequel explains why Philip’s heart burned during the first conversation with Marianne when she said…
“Pardon me. I was under the impression that I was addressing a gentleman. I can see that I was, as you said, mistaken.”
I adore this book too! 💕
☕completely clean
☕no language
CAUSE FOR PAUSE? Absolutely no complaints - except that it was WAY too short! To my knowledge, this author has only written one other book [btw, it has been ordered and is on the way as I type]!
CONSIDER READING IF… you adore CLEAN regency romance books as much as I and can’t get enough, BUT are looking for a very original plot line that you can’t predict!
☕ I am stingy with my stars, but this one gets 5! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
☕📚
November 30, 2015
The biggest problem I had with this novelette was that it was WAY TOO SHORT! I want more. Greedy? Maybe. But now that I've had a taste of Philip's side of things, I want it all. This novelette gives some insight into Phillip's life and how he came to be the heir to Edenbrooke and takes us up through his first meeting with Marianne. I loved it. Love, love, loved it.
BUT. I want more. I want the whole Edenbrooke story told from Philip's point of view. This little story filled me with longing to read Edenbrooke again, to go back and relive that fabulous love story all over. Sigh. This was a perfect little snippet. If you have read Edenbooke, this is a must read. If you haven't read Edenbrooke, you really should. It's one of my favorite books.
BUT. I want more. I want the whole Edenbrooke story told from Philip's point of view. This little story filled me with longing to read Edenbrooke again, to go back and relive that fabulous love story all over. Sigh. This was a perfect little snippet. If you have read Edenbooke, this is a must read. If you haven't read Edenbrooke, you really should. It's one of my favorite books.
May 16, 2022
3.5 ⭐️Philip was the only reason the book Edenbrooke was saved so this was def a good one✨ if only that whole book was in his POV because Marianne was just not it for me 😩
anyhow at-least we get this sliver of something from him ⚡️
anyhow at-least we get this sliver of something from him ⚡️
March 27, 2016
First of all, $3.99 for a 53 page novella is highway robbery. But anyway...
Rating this for what it is, a companion novella to Edenbrooke, not to be read as a standalone, it was really good! It added some additional backstory to Philip and allowed us to see more into his motivations. It ends after Philip and Marianne's first interaction at the inn.
Rating this for what it is, a companion novella to Edenbrooke, not to be read as a standalone, it was really good! It added some additional backstory to Philip and allowed us to see more into his motivations. It ends after Philip and Marianne's first interaction at the inn.
December 10, 2015
Fun to see things from Philip's perspective. It's been nearly 3 years since I read Edenbrooke but as soon as I finished this novella I started a reread of Edenbrooke.
Content: Clean
Content: Clean
March 9, 2019
3.5 stars
Well, I can see why people say this is cute, it has every element of Mr. Darcy vs. Elizabeth Bennett in it , the beginning was a bit dragging but the ending when Marianne meets Philip was really funny specially the dairy maid song LOL .. let's see how will the journey be from Marianne 's point of view
Well, I can see why people say this is cute, it has every element of Mr. Darcy vs. Elizabeth Bennett in it , the beginning was a bit dragging but the ending when Marianne meets Philip was really funny specially the dairy maid song LOL .. let's see how will the journey be from Marianne 's point of view
July 9, 2023
really cheesy but super cute 🥹
September 4, 2017
ha estado bien, es el POV de Philip hasta el momento en que se marcha de la posada.Gracias a esta novela entiendes un poco su bordería del principio.
December 5, 2016
Finally caved and bought this overpriced 50 page book. But I did really enjoy it! In fact I liked it so much I am going to adjust my review/rating for the main book it prequels.
Even though this is a prequel, I doubt it is meant to be read that way. I found it worked well as a kind of epilogue to the main book Edenbrooke.
This book starts several years before Philip and Marianne meet. It sets the background on Philip's frame of mind and character. Just why he was such an ass when they first met. Then it goes on to describe his fall into love with Marianne. It was delicious and very romantic!!
The POV is entirely Philip's just as in Edenbrooke it is all Marianne's.
I wouldn't recommend reading it on it's own though. Best to read the the other first.
Even though this is a prequel, I doubt it is meant to be read that way. I found it worked well as a kind of epilogue to the main book Edenbrooke.
This book starts several years before Philip and Marianne meet. It sets the background on Philip's frame of mind and character. Just why he was such an ass when they first met. Then it goes on to describe his fall into love with Marianne. It was delicious and very romantic!!
The POV is entirely Philip's just as in Edenbrooke it is all Marianne's.
I wouldn't recommend reading it on it's own though. Best to read the the other first.
June 5, 2016
I was so excited to read this novella but I have to say, it was way too short! How can anyone get enough of Phillip Wyndham? I know I can't. Once you read this novella you'll want to re-read "Edenbrooke".
I wasn't sure I liked the writing style in the first chapter but then it improved and took on the same flow as "Edenbrooke". I loved taking a peek into Phillip's mind and reading his point of view when he met Marianne Daventry for the first time at the Inn. Unfortunately, "THE END" came too soon.
More of Phillip Wyndham please Ms Donaldson!
I wasn't sure I liked the writing style in the first chapter but then it improved and took on the same flow as "Edenbrooke". I loved taking a peek into Phillip's mind and reading his point of view when he met Marianne Daventry for the first time at the Inn. Unfortunately, "THE END" came too soon.
More of Phillip Wyndham please Ms Donaldson!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,218 reviews