A Room at the Manor

by Julie Shackman

For all the readers who love Cathy Kelly and Maeve Binchy.

When her Maltese love affair turns sour, Lara McDonald returns to her quiet Scottish hometown of Fairview heart broken, yet determined - instead of looking for another PR position, she decides to follow her dream of baking. She impulsively takes the first job offered and finds herself working for local dragon Kitty Walker in her tea room True Brew.

Lara's life is full of surprises, however, not the least being an unlikely friendship forged with one of Kitty's elderly customers, the Laird Hugo Carmichael. The Carmichael family has lived at the beautiful Glenlovatt Manor for almost 300 years and, although in need of renovation, Hugo, his son and grandson currently make it their home.

There's something about Lara that Hugo likes, and when Hugo suddenly passes away, Lara is stunned to discover she is mentioned in his will. But not everyone is happy with the old Laird's faith in Lara.

A story of love, family, hope and trust, A Room at the Manor will delight every reader keen to find their place.

Genres: Romance, Audiobook, Chick Lit, Scotland, Fiction, Contemporary

288 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2018

Reviews

[Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
4.5 stars
A Room at the Manor was a perfect fit read for me. Julie Shackman incorporates all the good things that I love in life and my books in her novel. There is plenty of tea, tea rooms, delectable desserts, family secrets, an aristocratic setting, humour and a sweet romance in A Room at the Manor. Although it is only half way through the year, A Room at the Manor is one of my top romance reads of 2018.

An overseas love affair that has come crashing down is the catalyst for the main protagonist A Room at the Manor, Lara McDonald’s return home. Lara calls the quaint Scottish town of Fairview her home. When we first meet Lara she has a broken heart, but she is determined not to let it get her down. Instead she soldiers on, changing careers, swapping PR for baking, a dream she has always had, but has never been able to fulfil. Standing in the way of Lara’s ambitions is Kitty, the owner of True Brew, a local teashop in Fairview. Kitty is happy for Lara to play waitress rather than experiment with her baking. But good fortune comes Lara’s way when a chance encounter with an elderly customer and the friendship that follows results in a surprise opportunity. Suddenly Lara is thrust into a world and family far removed from her own. Glenlovatt Manor, a beautiful local stately home is now a big part of Lara’s life and along with Glenlovatt, comes the current Laird, as well as his son Vaughan. A Room at the Manor follows Lara’s rags to riches style journey from tea shop waitress, to the lady of the manor.

It is hard to resist a book that appears to tailored for you. As I mentioned in my introduction, A Room at the Manor combines all my favourite things – namely tea, yummy sweet treats, baking, a Cinderella romance and a stately Scottish setting. I loved A Room at the Manor, it was nicely written contained a straightforward plot and a fine set of characters to compliment the narrative. I pretty much had a grin on my face from the opening to the close of the novel. A Room at the Manor was such a feel good novel and the perfect winter treat. I couldn’t wait to get back to it and snuggle under the covers with my new friends from Fairview. Shackman makes sure that her characters feel like friends.

I seemed to fall in love with Lara, the lead of A Room at the Manor instantly. I sympathised with her predicament (a broken heart and unsatisfactory job). At every point in the novel I could feel myself cheering her on, hoping that she would make a success of everything in her life, love life and career. What was great about Lara was her attitude to life. She is creative, fierce, determined and tough. Lara also showed moments of genuine care, self-doubt and vulnerability. This is witnessed in her interactions with her family, friends, love interest, customers and passing acquaintances. Lara seems to add a ray of light to all those when comes into contact with and this contributes to our attachment to this protagonist.

Supporting Lara are a fantastic bunch of secondary characters that all seemed to occupy a place in my heart by the time I reached the close of A Room at the Manor (except for Kitty, True Brew’s battleaxe). Shackman’s dialogue and interplay between her characters was completely engaging. I also appreciated how each character had their own individual back story which filled in the narrative. There is also a great sub storyline involving a lost love and a deeply held secret, that has a direct impact on the present day.

Love plays a core role in A Room at the Manor. When we meet Lara she is heartsick, still dealing with the fallout from her Maltese love affair that went terribly wrong. Then our hopes in the love department are raised and we are gifted with a beautiful rag to riches, or Cinderella style love story. With the endearing Hugo, the Laird of Glenlovatt, cast as the fairy godfather, Vaughan, his grandson as the mysterious but handsome prince and Lara as Cinderella. Lara’s pathway to happy ever after is still fraught with plenty of tension, some quarrels, a few bumps, a love triangle and plenty of misunderstandings. We do have a strong indication that our leading lady will end up in the arms of her love interest, but the predictable element of this novel worked for me.

One of the aspects of A Room at the Manor that made it a winner in my eyes was the authentic Scottish setting. I just loved the rolling green hills backdrop. This is a setting that is vivid, authentic and straight from the heart. It also represented the closest thing I could get to making the trip over to Scotland (one day). Shackman infuses her novel with a good dose of tradition, Scottish culture, humour and rich landscape descriptions. It proved to be the perfect escapist read.

My final word to convince you to give this book your time is the sublime food based elements that come to play throughout this delightful novel. From the beginning, we are blessed with so many wonderful descriptions of baked treats. Shackman’s prose in this area is full of colour. My head was swirling and my mouth was watering as I took in the passages highlighting Lara’s baking pursuits. I adored the scenes detailing Lara’s experimentation with the different desserts she concocts. The only two drawbacks of this aspect of the novel was that I felt hungry all the time I was reading about Lara’s tea shop adventures! I also would have loved a supplementary recipe list included at the end of the novel of some of Lara’s favourites.

The added layer of a past romance and long-held family secrets, the gentle friendship between the elderly and the young, the benevolence of dear Hugo, all culminate to make A Room at the Manor a bewitching read. I recommend this novel highly, it will be sure to enthrall all contemporary romance fans and those who appreciate a little sweetness in their life.

*I wish to thank Allen & Unwin for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.

[Charlotte Annelise · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Room at the Manor is the first romance novel I have read set in Scotland and it was the perfect introduction. Most of the novel is set in a manor that is owned by Laird Hugo Carmichael, which is then inherited by his son and grandson when he suddenly passes away. Although Lara and Hugo did not know each other for long, he included her in his will by giving her an enticing opportunity. 

In the beginning, the readers see Lara working with Kitty, who is the harsh owner of the tea shop True Brew. I liked this part because it set the scene for Lara and showed how much she deserved to get out of her tense working environment. This is where Lara met Hugo, who quickly grew on me as he continued to show kindness for Lara. It was also fascinating to briefly read more about Hugo's life in a few scenes from the past. 

The story successfully combines tradition with the modern world – Lara is a fierce, independent business woman who puts her work first. This was admirable to see in a romance novel and it was also great to see her dominant attitude with the love interest. Although Vaughan comes across as mean-spirited, the dynamic that he shares with Lara is like a hate-to-love trope, which is my favourite trope. I loved how their relationship progressed because Lara clearly was more focused on her business, but was still interested in the arrogant grandson of the manor. 

The setting and description of cakes and pastries is what made the novel. I enjoyed the simplicity of the plot because it made the events easy to follow, which makes it the perfect vacation read. I am big on desserts and love high tea, so reading about what goes into the specifics of maintaining a tea shop was very fun. 

The secondary characters added a bit of spice to this already delicious read. Lara's mother was quirky and Lara's friend, Morven, was her hilarious sidekick. Lara's mother's boyfriend, Wolf, was also very interesting, as even he added some intrigue into the novel.  

A Room at the Manor is the perfect contemporary romance novel. I would recommend it to those who likes romance novels with unique settings. 

Thank you to Allen & Unwin for the advanced reader copy that I received unsolicited in exchange for an honest review.

[Lee at ReadWriteWish · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just checked and this book has fairly high rated reviews on Goodreads. I’m obviously missing something.

Lara returns to her hometown after being dumped by her boyfriend, gets a job at a local cafe, and meets Hugo, an elderly local aristocrat who mentions her in his will when he passes away. Hugo’s grandson, Vaughan, is instantly suspicious but obviously he finds himself attracted to Lara and is won over by her sweet nature. Besides the will conflict, Lara believes Vaughan is a player and engaged to a rich socialite, considering how often they’re pictured together in the newspapers. Sounds oddly familiar, doesn’t it? Yes, half of the Mills & Boon books of the 80s had the same plot.

Vaughan’s character is a Mills & Boon cardboard cutout, right down to his dark good looks and occupation (sculptor). I suppose I might have had more interest in him if he’d featured a little more. For a leading man, he doesn’t get many scenes.

There is a plethora of other supporting characters. The book was beefed up with boring scenes featuring them. Tedious conversations and mundane actions that made me want to scream. I don’t need a blow by blow of creating a website or whatever. This was a real sign there was no real plot to speak of and Spackman was forced to add things to reach a suitable word count. (If I was her editor, I would have culled and turned it into a novella.)

None of the supporting characters were so endearing either that I would want Spackman to make them the lead in a sequel.

The book is advertised as charming and funny. I wouldn’t say I felt either label fit. I agree it’s a clean romance but I don’t think this automatically makes it charming. I don’t remember laughing too much.

The Scottish setting is completely wasted too. It didn't really play any part of the book.

There is foodporn. Lara bakes and we get descriptions of the food. It didn’t save the dullness of the plot for me though.

A generous 2 out of 5

[Dale Harcombe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars.
Lara returns to her Scottish home town of Fairview, after her love affair in Malta is over. Determined to follow her dream of baking rather than go back to another PR job, Lara takes a job at True Brew, the local tearoom. Her boss, Kitty Walker is never satisfied with anything Lara does and after telling her she could do some baking, seems to resent it when Lara does bake goodies for the tea room. But some people love them. One of these people is a Hugo Carmichael, the former laird. Along with his son and grandson, Hugo lives at Glenlovatt Manor, which is sadly in need of renovation. Lack of money for the renovations is the big factor. When Hugo suddenly dies Lara finds herself included in his will. She is amazed when she hears what he would like to happen. Not everyone is as thrilled with Hugo’s last wishes as set out in his will. Will Lara take on the challenge? Will she be able to prove her doubters wrong and do what Hugo wants?
This is a pleasant read of friendship, family, love and hard work. Yes, the story is a little predictable and I wasn’t convinced about Vaughn. He felt rather like a stock cardboard cutout initially, but he gradually gained credibility. This was an entertaining read told with a gentle sense of humour at times. A couple of the unlikable characters did seem a bit over the top. Still I was happy enough to keep reading and enjoyed my time in Fairview, Scotland. If you are looking for a light easy read this may well fit the bill.

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Room At The Manor is the third novel by British author, Julie Shackman. Lara McDonald has dreamt of owning her own tea room, but working at True Brew for the sharp and sour Kitty Walker is frustrating and disheartening. So it’s almost unbelievable when she gets that opportunity through the will of the crusty old former laird of Glenlovatt Manor. There are conditions, of course, but Lara is determined to vindicate Hugo Carmichael’s faith in her, even if his moody grandson, Vaughan is against the whole idea.

That tea room is to be in the Glenlovatt Manor house, as part of a way to save the estate from the ruin about to envelop it. Lara and her best friend Morven are supported by the current laird and a team of carpenters and decorators, and once they open, eager bakers. Lara also has plenty of other ideas to help finance much-needed repairs and ongoing maintenance at the Manor, although it does mean crossing swords again with the dark, handsome and brooding sculptor.

Shackman’s protagonist is a once-bitten romantic who manages to follow her dream and, despite her wariness, find true love by the epilogue of the book. Her support cast are all appealing, except for those we’re meant to dislike, although nasty Kitty is so exaggerated, the reader will wonder that she keeps any customers at all. Most readers will pick up early on a clue as to Hugo’s mysterious benevolence: it all makes for a slightly predictable but sweet story.

The use of a thesaurus is much in evidence at the beginning: it really is quite acceptable to use the verbs to say and to walk multiple times, even on the same page; not all instances need to be substituted (tapping for walking, four times?). And it is to be hoped that the final edit will trim off the excessive use of adjectives and adverbs initially to a less copious level. What redeems the tale are the mentions of the many different mouth-watering cakes, slices, pies, pastries, scones, muffins and quiches. This is a clean, cosy romance that will appeal to a wide readership.
This unbiased review from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Allen & Unwin

[Theresa Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Room at the Manor is a truly delightful novel. With its romantic sparks, Scottish humour and mouth watering tea shop treats, this is a novel that will warm you through to your toes – and have you wishing you were a better baker than you actually are!

Lara is moving on with her life, but it’s not moving fast enough until the passing of the local former Laird, Hugo, gives it a definite boost with instructions contained within his will for Lara to turn a particular room in his family manor into a teashop. Showing great faith in Lara, I enjoyed watching Hugo’s wish come into fruition as she transformed from a frustrated waitress into a dynamo business woman.

I don’t read a whole lot of romance, but when I do, this is exactly the sort of story I hope for. Lara’s ambition and success were separate to her romance with Hugo’s grandson, one not dependent on the other, and I liked that so much. First and foremost, this story was about Lara taking the reins back on her own life, growing as a person, a friend, a daughter, and an employer. That she got to find love along the way was a nice addition to the mix.

Julie has a lovely tone to her writing, inflected with a dash of Scottish humour, with a smooth flow and engaging dialogue. There is a terrific cast of characters to keep this novel moving along, the dynamics between them all fresh and compelling. I liked the slight fairytale slant to this story with its rags to riches offering, its handsome prince and the magical ending. A gorgeous novel to curl up with this winter, but be warned, you will want cake. The creations Lara and her team come up with for the teashop will have you dreaming of cake long after you close the book. Highly recommended reading!


Thanks is extended to Allen and Unwin for providing me with a copy of A Room at the Manor for review.

[Gabrielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very nice warm and feel good book, a little cheesy in places , maybe a little too predictable. A great mixture of too nice and not very nice characters, with the mix of baking and heritage buildings.
It was enjoyable and a everyone lives happily ever after story.

[Genevieve · Rating 3 out of 5]

In A Room at the Manor we join Lara McDonald after she returns to her home town in Scotland, heartbroken from a failed relationship and having recently lost her job. She has a passion for baking and has taken a position at a local tea room in an attempt to bring her closer to fulfilling her dream of owning her own establishment.

Her ongoing misfortune is exacerbated by the owner of the tea room, Kitty Walker. Kitty is one of life’s mean spirited and miserable characters with a remarkable capacity to see the negative in every situation. She seems to derive a great pleasure in making Lara’s life as difficult and uncomfortable as possible. As the book progresses it becomes evident that she takes great pleasure in all misfortune as long as it befalls anyone but her.

While working in the tea room Lara meets Hugo Carmichael, the elderly former laird of Glenlovatt Manor, and they start to form an unexpected friendship. Hugo’s sudden death is a shock to everyone and Hugo’s family and Lara have the added uncertainty of a surprising inclusion in Hugo’s will. He has made provision in his will for Lara to open a tea room in Glenlovatt Manor. With this he hopes not only to help Lara fulfil her dreams but to reinvigorate the mansion by providing income to undertake significant and urgent repairs. While Hugo’s decision causes all round confusion, Lara decides to embrace the opportunity and make every attempt to honour Hugo’s wishes and validate his confidence in her.

There begins a journey that encompasses love, loss and new beginnings. As Lara embarks on the significant demands of establishing a new business, she finds herself reengaging with her mother, meeting her mother’s new partner and weathering the challenges of her rollercoaster relationship with Vaughan, the youngest generation of the Carmichael family. The story incorporates strong themes about community and is all bound in the complexities of family life.

I found Lara’s sharp and witty observations highly entertaining. The book wouldn’t have been the same without these, at times, biting contributions.

As someone who has a love of cooking I also found the descriptions of the cakes, pastries and slices a highlight in the book. Some of the flavour combinations Lara considers were inspiring and left me with an urge to grab the mixing bowls and a whisk to see if I could create them.

Throughout the book we were introduced to a large cast of characters with interesting and varied circumstances. It was unfortunate that there wasn’t the time to delve further into some of their stories. As I progressed through the book I did find that there was an aspect of predictability to some parts of the story.

Overall I found A Room at the Manor to be an easy and enjoyable book to read.

I was fortunate enough to win a copy of this book as part of a completion. My thanks to the publishers, Allen and & Unwin, for their generosity in providing that opportunity.

[Karen Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Room at the Manor by Julie Shackman is a delicious romantic romp set in contemporary Scotland and which tells the story of Lara McDonald who, after a relationship fails, returns to her home town of Fairview, near Glasgow. Broken-hearted, she takes a job with the catty Kitty Walker in her tea room called True Brew. Unhappy, but determined to heal, Lara befriends the local, elderly laird, Hugo Carmichael, sharing with him her hopes and dreams for a future she fears will never come to pass. When Hugo suddenly dies, Lara finds herself in a strange position: one of her dreams is about to come true, but as it unfolds, in ways she never could have imagined, she begins to wonder if the price is simply too high.

Filled with love lost and won, amazing recipes and descriptions of cakes, breads and slices which, I confess, had me rushing to the kitchen to bake (and eat) myself, the greatest threat this light, fun and always heart-rich tale poses is to your waist-line! The relationships Lara forges and those she resists are wonderful to behold, especially the one she has with her best friend, Morven and her prickly, militant mother. Slowly, as Lara begins to repair her heart, she finds it under threat again, only this time, she seems powerless to prevent herself repeating the same mistakes...

Told with pathos and humour, the story moves at a good pace and the characters crackle with vigour. The Scottish town of Fairview and the grand manor, Glenlovatt, and the food Lara and her friends make and consume also become characters and you’ll find it hard not to fall in love with them as well. As I was reading, it struck me that this would make a terrific Hallmark movie – which is interesting as one of Shackman’s roles (apart from author) is to write for greeting cards!

Recommended for lovers of romance, and those who want to escape into a good book, curling up by a winter fire or in some sand, beneath golden sun and heat, Shackman’s novel is a great companion.

[Gitti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lara hat eine schwere Zeit hinter sich. Ihr Freund, mit dem sie sich auf Malta eine Zukunft aufbauen wollte hat eine Neue und sie damit auch keinen Job mehr. Zurück in Schottland besinnt sie sich auf ihren Traum, Bäckerin zu werden. In ihrem Heimatort findet sie eine Anstellung in einem Café, allerdings ist die Besitzerin nicht begeistert von den Ideen, die Lara mitbringt. Da lernt sie eines Tages Hugo Carmichael kennen, der bald Stammgast im Café wird. Mit ihm verbindet sie schnell eine Freundschaft und als Hugo plötzlich verstirbt überrascht er Lara, indem er sie in seinem Testament erwähnt.

Sie soll auf seinem Gutssitz ein Café eröffnen, das zum Unterhalt des Gutes beitragen soll. Nicht nur Lara wird davon überrascht, auch Hugos Sohn und Enkel fallen aus allen Wolken. Notgedrungen raufen sie sich zusammen und Laras Traum von einem eigenen Café wird wahr.


Ich fand das Buch gut zu lesen, man ist schnell in der Geschichte drin und leidet mit Lara und ihrer wirklich anstrengenden Zeit als Angestellte mit. Ihre Chefin ist wirklich ätzend und so ist es eine echte Erlösung als Lara endlich selbstständig arbeiten kann. Die Gegend und besonders das Gut ist toll beschrieben, ich hatte sofort Bilder dazu im Kopf.

Was ich ein bisschen schade fand war, dass natürlich Probleme bei der Einrichtung des Cafés auftreten, diese aber immer wie durch ein Wunder gelöst werden. Lara ist irgendwie mehr mit ihren Beziehungen zu den Carmichaels, zu ihren Freundinnen und ihrer Mutter beschäftigt. Dabei wird immer wieder betont, dass Lara Tag und Nacht arbeitet. Nur leider bekommt man als Leser nicht viel davon mit. So gerät das Ganze irgendwie in den Hintergrund.

Schön wäre auch gewesen am Ende des Buches noch ein zwei Rezepte wiederzufinden, denn das was Lara da so gezaubert hat, klang ganz köstlich.


Aber alles in allem war es ein unterhaltsames Buch, an dem ich Spaß hatte.

[Linniegayl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't certain I would like this initially, as the hero was a real piece of work: grumpy, rude, and a real player, plastered over the tabloids with many different women. However, I was soon sucked into the story, primarily for our heroine Lara, and the wonderful elderly Hugo (who sadly dies very soon into the book). Eventually I came to love most of the characters (yes, even the rude Vaughn, our eventual hero).

The book is primarily about Lara's journey. At the beginning of the book she's in a miserable place in Scotland. Living back home after her boyfriend in Malta dumps her and she's lost her job, she's working as a waitress in a miserable tea shop owned by a horrid woman. Clearly Lara would do a fantastic job running the tea shop on her own -- she has great ideas to fix it up, is a much better baker than the owner, and is great with the customers. She meets Laird Hugo at the tea shop, and over a short period of time comes to care for him deeply. Neverthless, she's shocked when he leaves her a space in his mansion in his will with instructions (and funds) to create a tea shop there.

Most of the rest of the best features how Lara fits in at the mansion, gets the tea shop up and running, and slowly works her way into the lives on Hugo's son and grandson.

No, this definitely wasn't perfect, but I did enjoy it, and would love to see another book set in the same town featuring some of the women who work in Lara's tea shop.

[Deb M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julie Shackman has written a beautiful romantic comedy in her novel, A Room at the Manor. I was quite taken by the books cover, a beautiful heritage Scottish manor set amongst a sprawling garden with scotch thistles decorating the cloudy skies; so lovely.

We meet Lara McDonald, a young Scottish lady who has returned home to recover from a broken heart and is now working in a local café. Lara has a friendly and bubbly manner and boasts a talent for baking, all of which are lost on her spiteful employer, the ever-grumpy Kitty. Lara soon meets the Laird of Glenlovatt Manor and they bond over their love of baked goods. This friendship brings about some unexpected events and Lara’s dreams and broken heart are transformed.

This has been a wonderful book to read and in particular I have enjoyed the humour and romance that flourishes through the pages.

Thank you to Julie Shackman for writing this novel, you have a lovely writing style and I found this most enjoyable. Thank you also to Allen & Unwin, and Beauty and Lace Book Club for the opportunity to read this book, this is very much appreciated.

[Steffi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

Die Leseprobe zu "Das kleine Café im Gutshaus" hatte mich absolut verzaubert und ich wollte unbedingt weiterlesen. Auch mit Beginn der Lektüre war ich von der wundervollen Atmosphäre verzaubert und habe mich in dem kleine schottischen Ort Fairview sehr wohlgefühlt. Dazu die ganzen leckeren Köstlichkeiten, die Lara so zaubert.

Die Geschichte ist wirklich nett zu lesen, man fühlt sich wohl und es gibt auch die eine oder andere Überraschung im Verlauf der Geschichte, obwohl der Großteil schon sehr vorhersehbar ist. Dies fand ich aber überhaupt nicht schlimm.

Ein großes Manko liegt für mich leider in der Liebesgeschichte. Man weiß natürlich mit wem Lara am Ende zusammenkommen wird, aber für mich hat die Chemie zwischen dem Paar leider komplett gefehlt und insgesamt hat es sich dann sehr schnell entwickelt.

Wer Wohlfühl-Geschichten mit Familiengeheimnissen mag, macht mit dem Buch definitiv nichts falsch, aber es war für mich dann leider doch nicht das erwartet Highlight.

[Sara Whiley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice easy read

[Lydia · Rating 1 out of 5]

It’s a ‘tea shop’ romance- best read while camping.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ein fesselndes Buch zum Wegträumen.

[Ronja Las · Rating 4 out of 5]

Der Klappentext und auch das Cover verraten es ja schon.
Lara bekommt die Chance, ihren Traum wahr zu machen, und ihr eigenes Café zu eröffnen.
Ich finde es immer sehr schade, wenn in der Buchbeschreibung die Handlung schon vorweggenommen wird. Das nimmt doch leider viel von der Spannung.

Aber da der Roman locker und leicht geschrieben ist, konnte ich das einigermaßen verschmerzen. Auch wenn er keine allzu großen Überraschungen geboten hat, wer er doch sehr unterhaltsam.

Die Hauptfigur Lara hat mir sehr gut gefallen. Sie ist eine leidenschaftliche Bäckerin, ein Organisationstalent und dazu sehr tatkräftig. Es macht richtig Spaß sie beim Backen zu beobachten. Und das eine oder andere Mal ist mir tatsächlich das Wasser im Mund zusammengelaufen, so köstlich wurden das Gebäck beschrieben. Auch die Nebenfiguren sind sehr liebevoll und gut ausgearbeitet. Mit einer Ausnahme. Und das ist ausgerechnet Vaughan Carmichael, der Enkel des verstorbenen Gutsherren. Dieser Charakter ist leider bis zum Schluss ziemlich blass geblieben. Schade.
Die Liebesgeschichte zwischen Lara und Vaughan spielt in diesem Roman sowieso nur eine Nebenrolle. Das Ganze läuft irgendwie so nebenbei mit. Zwar ist Lara von Anfang an insgeheim fasziniert von dem gutaussehenden Mann, aber richtig nahe kommen die beiden sich eigentlich nicht.
Hier steht eindeutig nicht die Liebesgeschichte im Vordergrund, sondern das Café und das Gutshaus spielen die eigentlichen Hauptrollen. Beide werden wirklich liebevoll und detailliert
dargestellt und beschrieben.
Dazu verliert die Autorin sich ein wenig in den Nebenschauplätzen. Laras Mutter und ihr geheimnisvoller jüngerer Freund, eine ältere Dame, die vor langer Zeit in Hugo verliebt war oder auch die Familie, die einen Rundgang auf Glenlovatt Manor gewonnen hat. Vielleicht hätte man das etwas kürzen, und sich stattdessen mehr der Beziehung zwischen Lara und Vaughan widmen sollen.

Etwas gestört hat mich auch, dass sämtliche Schwierigkeiten mit dem Café und Glenlovatt so rasch und leicht gelöst werden konnten. Zu viele glückliche Zufälle. Wäre das echte Leben doch auch nur so einfach.

Aber insgesamt ein unterhaltsamer Roman, der mir trotz genannter Schwächen Spaß gemacht hat.

[yellowdog · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stilistisch gut, inhaltlich harmlos

Das kleine Café im Gutshaus ist ein etwas zu leichter Roman, aber nicht so schlimm wie bei Pilcher, es erinnert mehr an Maeve Binchy, aber Julie Shackman ist Schottin.
Immerhin ist der Stil geschmeidig und das bleibt auch in der Übersetzung von Anja Mehrmann erhalten. Originaltitel ist A Room at the Manor.

Der Beginn ist ganz gut gemacht. Die Hauptfigur und Icherzählerin Lara arbeitet als Kellnerin bei der schlecht gelaunten Kitty, ein echter Drachen. Dann lernt sie den Gutsherrn von Glenlovatt Manor, den Lord Hugo Carmichal kennen, ein 90 Jahre alter charmanter Mann und freundet sich mit ihm an. Als sie von ihm ein Gebäude erbt, um darin ein Café aufzumachen, ist das eine große Chance für sie. Ihre lebhafte Freundin Morven soll ihr dabei helfen. Lara hat Zweifel, ob sie es schaffen kann, stellt sich aber der Aufgabe. Und hier hätte man meiner Meinung nach mehr aus der Geschichte machen können, doch die Handlung fängt an, vor ich hinzu plätschern und die beginnende Liebesgeschichte wirkt wie Themenflucht.

Die Liebesgeschichte ist äußerst schwach, da mit Vaughan ein Unsympath da ist, der nicht zu Lara passt. Sein arrogantes Auftreten mit Höhlenmenschenattitüden ist schwer erträglich. Manche andere Figuren sind der Autorin besser gelungen.

Das Julie Shackmann schreiben kann, zeigt zum Beispiel die reichhaltigen Beschreibungen des Aspirations Arts Festival, bei dem Lara mitmacht oder auch die Passagen, die in der Vergangenheit angesiedelt sind und in denen Glenlovatt Manor schön herausgestellt wird.

Die atmosphärischen Beschreibungen entschädigen für Schwächen bei der Figurenentwicklung und den 08/15-Plot.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Beauty and Lace Book club and Allen & Unwin for this book to review.

While there isn’t anything new in this storyline, Julie Shackman makes it feel fresh with interesting characters and mouth-watering cakes. I must give a big thank you to the Author for not dragging us through the betrayal and heart-break that led Lara McDonald back to her small country home town. Instead picking up the story when Lara’s heart is on the mend and then bringing in the circumstances and friendships that allows her to turn her life around.

The pairing up of Lara and her new love is predictable and completely guessable, but the journey held my attention and had a few developments that had me doubting whether it would actually happen.

I must admit that I am also fascinated by historical houses and what families must do to save them (in terms of raising lots of money to maintain the house). This probably kept me more interested than the love story :)

A sweet story that kept me reading right to the end.

[Manuela Prien · Rating 2 out of 5]

Die Beziehung von Lara McDonald ist klaglos gescheitert und sie beschließt,in ihre Heimat Schottland zurück zu kehren.
Ihr Traum ist es Bäckerin zu werden und die entscheidet sich,eine n Job in einem Café anzunehmen.
Die Chefin steht nicht so auf neue Ideen,doch dann tritt Lord Carmichael in Laras Leben,der sehr liebenswürdig zu sein scheint.
Plötzlich stirbt der Lord und Lara erfährt,dass er sie in seinem Testament begünstigt hat.
Lara bekommt die Möglichkeit,ihr eigenes kleines Café zu leiten und alles könnte gut werden,doch da hat sie die Rechnung ohne den Enkel vom Lord gemacht...

Die Geschichte an sich ist eigentlich ganz nett,der Schreibstil ist flüssig und man kommt gut in die Story rein.
Leider fehlt es dem Buch an Spannung,teilweise ist es sogar echt langweilig.
Mit den Charakteren wurde ich absolut nicht warm.
Vieles ist zu vorhersehbar und die Geschichte kommt nicht glaubwürdig rüber.

Die Landschaft hingegen wird ganz gut beschrieben.

Eigentlich eine nette Idee,die aber nicht gut umgesetzt wurde.

[marlin1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a failed relationship in Malta, Lara McDonald returns to her Scottish home town of Fairwiew.
Wanting to follow her love of baking, she takes a position in a local teahouse but she’s often taken advantage of and putdown by her horrible boss.
Finding a connection with the elderly local laird Hugo Carmichael she is surprised when in his will, he leaves her a chance to run her own tea rooms in the Manor grounds.
But it also means she has to work with Hugo’s son and brooding grandson.

This was a lovely sweet romance to curl up with, reminiscent of the one’s I use to devour but just don’t seem to read anymore. If your looking for an easy, feel good book, with a cast of characters in a beautiful setting then A Room At The Manor might just fit the bill.
I just wish there was a recipe or two included, as there were some very enticing baked items....I did look up a recipe for Lemon and Thyme cake!

Thank you to Allen and Unwin for an ARC to read

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Room at the Manor by Julie Shackman is an easy to read romance novel. There is space for more developed characters in the novel particularly the main two people Lara McDonald & Vaughan Carmichael. Shackman’s characters are similar to what you’d find in a Mills & Boon book.

A jobless and broken hearted Lara McDonald returns to her Scottish home town. She takes the first job offered to her as a waitress in a local tea room. Here she is reconnected to her love of baking.

With the help of a generous elderly gentleman, Hugo Carmichael and an envious Tea room Boss, Kitty Walker, she sets out to open her own tea room at the Manor.

Hugo’s family are not particularly impressed by Lara’s involvement in their inheritance however as you can imagine those that despise each other most, end up falling in love and live happily ever after.

There’s no risk of being kept up all night as there is no passion present. A simple plot and well executed.

[aparagraphofbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meine Meinung zum Buch : 
Dieses Cover hat mich sofort in seinen Bann gezogen, gerade in dieser Zeit in der man sich sehnlichst den Frühling und Sommer wünscht, ist dieses Cover ein absoluter Blickfang. 

Und wie schön es die Autorin geschafft hat genau dieses Gefühl auch in ihrer Geschichte zu verpacken, denn diese ist ebenso leicht, locker und bezaubernd süß, wie man es von einem solchen Roman erwartet. 
Auch die Charaktere sind mehr als gelungen, sie sind gut ausgearbeitet, handeln authentisch und man möchte von der ersten Seite an ihren Weg begleiten. 

Alles in allem ist dies eine lockere Lektüre für zwischendurch, die einfach glücklich macht und mit einem klangvollen Schreibstil überzeugt, der die ganze Atmosphäre des Buchs zu unterstreichen weiß. 


Fazit: 
Eine wundervolle und leichte Lektüre, die glücklich macht und bestens zu unterhalten weiß !

[Catelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ich liebe Backen und ich liebe schottische Landhäuser. Und schon das Cover verspricht, was man hier bekommt. Einen schönen Liebesroman, der auf der Insel spielt.
Und ich mochte ihn wirklich. Sofort litt ich mit Lara, die unter ihrer Chefin und deren verstaubten Café sehr zu leiden hat und ihre Kreativität nicht entfalten kann. Ein zufällige, aber schicksalshafte Begegnung mit einem älteren Herrn eröffnet ihr die Möglichkeit endlich ihre Träume von einem eigenen Café zu verwirklichen. Und dass auch noch in einem so alten und wundervollen Herrenhaus.
Die beginnende Anziehung zwischen Lara und Gordon war meiner Meinung ein klein wenig konstruiert, aber ich mochte die Beiden einfach. Aber noch mehr haben mich die vielen verschiedenen Kuchen und herzhaften Kreationen begeistert. Nicht nur einmal lief mir das Wasser im Munde zusammen.

[Sonia Bellhouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 and a half stars from me.

Lara returns to Scotland from Malta, her life in tatters. Her fickle boyfriend found someone else, her PR career is also gone. She needs to start again. What she has always wanted to do is bake, but perhaps with more charm and warmth than Kitty Walker her current boss allows at True Brew Tearooms.
A friendship with the former laird Hugo Carmichael provides an unlikely means of escape as Lara takes to the new challenge with enthusiasm, not everyone is happy though.
The delicacies that Lara creates will have you drooling, (don’t read if you are on a diet!) While handsome bad boy Vaughan, makes Lara dream of more than baking.

[Lola & Puki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deliciously sweet and wistful with all the elements that I adore - flashbacks, romantic tension, loves of a lifetime and mouthwatering delectable treats. Julie Shackman vividly captures so much detail that I could easily picture myself wandering the beautiful gardens and impressive halls of the Glenlovatt estate or settling in for a comforting cup of tea and decadent slice of cake at Thistles. I enjoyed the varied and colourful characters and the themes of family and enduring love.

I give A Room at the Manor a 3.5 stars and look forward to reading more from Julie Shackman

[SteffiVS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nach einer gescheiterten Beziehung kehrt Lara in ihre Heimat zurück. Sie lernt den hochbetagten Hugo kennen. Als dieser unerwartet stirbt, spielt auch Lara in seinem Testament eine bedeutende Rolle.

Sehr viele Themen wird sehr gut umeinander gewoben. Die Liebe damals und heute spielt eine große Rolle, genauso Familie, Intrigen, Freundschaft und finanzielle Aspekte.

Das Buch ist sehr angenehm leicht geschrieben. Vieles ist vorhersehbar und auch die Geschichte hält nichts Neues parat. 

Trotzdem eine schöne leichte Sommerlektüre, da die Protas sehr sympathisch sind.

[Cheryl H · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Room at the Manor

I’ve ready all of Julie Shackman’s Scottish Escape books. I liked this book even more than those. My only problem was reading about tempting pastries in the tea room and getting hungry as I read. A nice unexpected surprise was the reference to purple thistles as a flower. They are pictured on the cover and play a significant part in the story. Where I live (northern Midwest America) I’ve always thought of thistles as an invasive ouchy weed that must be eradicated. Maybe I will think differently now.

[Zoe W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great easy reading. I've read some pretty heavy books (not just in page numbers) both for work and enjoyment over the last little while and this was an excellent come down from all of that. Shackman did a wonderful job of setting a lovely scene and engaging you in what felt like a real tea room and real historic home. The plot and characters where likeable without getting attached, and the story ended neatly. Thanks to Allen and Unwin for the advanced copy.