The Downstairs Maid

by Rosie Clarke

When her father becomes ill, Emily Carter finds herself tasked with the responsibility of providing for the family and is sent to work as a servant girl at Priorsfield Manor.

As she settles in to the family home, she strikes an unlikely friendship with the daughters of the house, as well as Nicolas, the Lord’s son. But there are others who wish to gain her attention, and as the threat of war comes ever closer, Emily finds that the wrong choice of suitor will have consequences...

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Romance, British Literature, Historical Romance

Audible Audio

First published April 24, 2014

Reviews

[MaryannC Victorian Dreamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, so I get why this could be labeled as a cheap comparison to Downton Abbey, because yes, there were characters in this book that I felt were so like those of DA's, but I saw this in a different light. Because I am going through some serious DA withdrawal now that the show has ended, this filled a bit of my hollow void. Obviously, there will never be a show or book that can compare to our beloved show but I enjoyed this reminiscent trip about a titled family with servants and drama. I liked the story's spirited character Emily Carter, who forges on despite her many hardships and disappointments. So, if perhaps you are needing a bit of a Downton Abbey fix right now, you might possible enjoy this for it's own merit as I did.

[Audra Lesosky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unsophisticated writing; one dimensional characters; highly derivative of Downton Abbey. Reads like a cheap romance novel. Story okay but unsatisfying.

[Rosemary Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Downstairs Maid is so well written that it could be not fiction but a biography. The reader’s first encounter with Emily Carter is when, on her mother’s instructions, she is hiding under the table, which is covered by a cloth. Her mother has ordered her to stay there until the talleyman who came to collect the rent has gone.

From the beginning of the novel the reader knows Emily’s rapacious mother is out for what she can grab financially, and that she does not love her daughter. However, Emily adores her hard-working father, a small-holder, who also buys and sells old furniture and bric a brac to make extra money.

When Emily’s father becomes ill she goes into service at Priorsfield Manor to pay the cost of her father’s medical treatment. She becomes friends with the daughters of the house and the earl’s son, but is always conscious of the gap between the servants and their aristocratic employers.

I particularly enjoyed the way Rosie Clarke captured the period before, during and after the First World War. For example:- “Emily went down the hill to Woolworth and popped in to look at the cosmetic counter. It smelled of the loose rose-scented bath salts you could buy by the pound and various cheap perfumes.” Another example is:- Harry’s mother “welcomed them in, drawing them to the big open fire that formed part of the modern range. Emily thought her smart oven with its enamel front was much nicer and would be easier to clean than their old-fashioned one, which had to be blacked every day.”

It was a pleasure to read The Downstairs Maid with its well-defined, believable characters and Emily’s trials and tribulations which led to a happy ending.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt this story had a lot of wasted potential. If the author had focused on the two people who were supposed to the the main characters and their "romance" it might have been great. Instead they only speak to each other a handful of times and supposedly fall in love during these random encounters. Then the author spends so much time on all this back story and other characters. Who cares about all these other suitors that she doesn't end up marrying and who never show up again later. There were so many seemingly random plot tangents that in the end didn't involve the heart of the story. I was more interested in the upstairs/downstairs way of life and that relationship. Instead 75% of the book is about her and her parents farming, running her second hand store, dysfunctional relationships with family members. Not to mention the daughters of the house and their dating lives. A bit of a mess.

[Jennifer Apple · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was on sale on Amazon, and I thought it looked interesting - a little along the lines of Downton Abbey. I really wanted to like this book. I almost quit reading halfway through, but I stuck it out. By the end, instead of wanting more, I was hoping for it to end quickly. It just didn’t flow well. The internal dialogue was repetitive and shallow. The story could have been so much better than it was, but it was just poorly written.

[Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Chick-lit trying to pass as an historical novel. The main character overcomes much adversity & finds her 'true romance' before, during & after WWI, thus "historical".

[Jeannette McCalla · Rating 1 out of 5]

Utter rubbish. The author repeats and repeats herself. So frustrating. Don't bother

[Tammy Jata · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story line was good, but the writing was terrible! There were so many cliches that it started feeling elementary. Not only that, for some reason the author thought it would be okay to tell us how so and so got ready for something or another and went to the carriage and got in, and then…and then… and then…Well then there’s nothing! As a reader, you are expecting something to happen.

…Will he dance with her at the ball that night?
…Did the meeting go well?
…What did mother say?

We will never know, because the very next sentence, the reader and the books character are back home again. This kind of leap happens over and over. Sometimes we find out what happened as the character reminisces. Sometimes we don’t. For example, one time Lizzie sneaks out to meet her boyfriend and to go to a dance. He tells her she looks beautiful and then says he has to return to the war. Lizzie hopes the night meant something to him. She gets out of the carriage and thanks him for the evening.

What? Where is this authors editor? The carriage never left the driveway and the evening is over. After all of the buildup to that evening, and Lizzie risking her mother finding out, we are left without a dance after all. It’s only later in her thoughts that we find out what happened, which wasn’t a lot actually. This kind of a gaffe is forgivable once, I suppose, but this happens over and over.

This is certainly no Downton Abby as others have said. So much could have been done with the plot and the characters, but most of the little anecdotes never came together. What’s worse is that characters profess their love for each other and get married all on one page. There’s not enough buildup to the relationship and to the wedding that follows, to make the reader even care. And the wedding? Well, wedding after wedding is just skipped over. I had to read one page three times to figure out if they got married. The couple discussed it and first thing we know the bride is taking her dress off and talking to her maid. The wedding is over. But when did it start? It didn’t. The author must have blacked out.

This is written on such a primary level I do not recommend it at all. This book should have never been allowed to go to press! Entire storylines are left dragging behind or totally choked off. Characters are underdeveloped. It’s cliche. It’s predictable.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rosie Clarke has written a captivating and compelling early 20th Century saga of family strife, class conflict, wartime devastation and forbidden love guaranteed to hold readers in thrall!

Farmer’s daughter Emily Carter has always wanted to make something of herself. Having watched her father scrimp and save through most of her life, Emily is determined to make her fortune and become a woman of independent means – even if it entails having to contend with her resentful mother’s barbed comments and heartbreaking remarks about getting ideas above one’s station! Despite her mother’s constant criticisms, Emily is adamant that she will not let anybody browbeat her or deter her from her quest to make her mark in the world. As she grows from a pretty girl to a beautiful young woman, Emily begins to attract the attention of many of the county’s young men, who all seem to want more than just friendship from her. Yet, she will not surrender her dreams and become a bitter drudge like her mother. Having inherited her father’s passion for antiques and developed a love for pretty things, Emily is delighted when her beloved papa saves enough money to open up a little shop in town. Finally, it seems as if she is going to prove everybody wrong and become a successful businesswoman – until a tragic twist of fate puts paid to all her plans and she ends up having to commit the ultimate sacrifice…

With her father at death’s door and the shop a drain on the Carter’s finances, Emily realizes that she must put her dreams on hold and do everything she can to ensure that the wolf is kept from the door and that the family does not go without. With a job as a downstairs maid going at Priorsfield Manor, Emily finds herself having to swallow her pride and go from a woman in charge of her own destiny to being at everybody’s beck and call. But she refuses to be beaten. Her diligence, intelligence and ability to excel at everything she does soon has her winning round all the other servants – who had initially treated her with barely disguised disdain. However, it is Emily’s beauty that catches the eye of the handsome Nicholas, son of the Earl of Barton…

Nicholas had been enchanted by Emily from the very first moment he had laid eyes on her. Irresistible attraction quickly gives way to a love that simply cannot be denied, but Nicholas is well aware of the burdens of duty that lie heavily upon his shoulders. As an aristocrat, he is expected to choose a suitable bride from his own class and not dally with a woman of inferior birth and circumstance. However, Nicholas soon realises that none of the women in his class match up to Emily Carter.
With the dark clouds of war gathering all around them, Emily and Nicholas find themselves torn apart by duty once again. But with the world becoming more dangerous and more unpredictable by the day, will they ever find their way to one another ever again? Or does their happiness come at too high a price?

Rosie Clarke has written a dramatic, emotional and engrossing saga that will capture readers’ attention from the very first page and keep them engrossed until the final full stop. Writing with flair, style and panache, Rosie Clarke exquisitely depicts a world on the precipice of great social and cultural change and brings to vivid and authentic life the first few decades of the twentieth century, where the working classes where shaking off the shackles of circumstance and seeking to become masters of their own destinies, while the aristocracy were realising that the conventions that had bound them for centuries were crumbling around them.

The Downstairs Maid has at its heart an indomitable heroine who holds her head high, triumphs over all the obstacles being thrown her way and does not let anybody or anything compromise her strength or her dignity. Emily Carter is a wonderful heroine with a heart of gold and a will of iron who, from humble beginnings, achieves every single one of her heart’s desires to become her own woman. Readers are sure to enjoy her touching romance with Nicolas Barton, will dislike and despair of Emily’s despicable mother and uncle and find the snobbish and supercilious Lady Prior highly amusing.

An outstanding historical saga that is absolutely impossible to resist, The Downstairs Maid is the first of what, I hope, will be many more wonderful novels by the hugely talented Rosie Clarke!

This review was originally published on Single Titles.

[Olivia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I gave up on this before I finished Part 1. The creepy, pedophile uncle was too much. As another reviewer said, I don’t want to be in his head. The storyline was ho-hum at best. I quit reading before the main character, Emily, even went into service.

[Trish · Rating 1 out of 5]

The writing wasn't good and the plot was predictable.

[Helen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slow moving tedious read, not helped by several typos early in the book

[Nicole Temple · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was super excited to read this book because I love Downton Abbey. This book held so much promise however the main romance seemed way too rushed. The author spent all this energy into telling the other stories and inter winding their stories into a great backdrop but that was it. Once the characters got together it felt like she was rushing to finish the book and I was left feeling cheated out of something that could have been great!

[Mark Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Upstairs, Downstairs wannabe

This wants to be more than it is; the protagonist is appealing, but never truly real. Not terrible, but enough egregious slips in tone to knock off another star.

[Katherine Coble · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF
Child molestation
Child abuse
Spousal abuse

All in the first wee bit. None of the characters are endearing and there’s so much melodramatic violence.

Don’t care to spend any more time with these people.

[Jeanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Simple - choppy writing - repetitive. The heroine too good to be true.

[Annathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Some books you just wish you never read.

[Virginia Tican · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emily Carter was beloved by her tragic farmer~father but was hated by her unnatural... amoral.... avaricious... and whore of a mother. Plus her uncle, her mother's brother, was lusting after her. It was only her father's love that was keeping her at home... so when he was diagnosed of consumption (what we now refer to as tuberculosis), her world had changed... for her beloved father's sake, she went into service at Priorsfield Manor as a skivvy. This book mirrors the end of an era for the privileged and the ruling class... the inevitable lessening? of the gap between the rich and the poor due to awareness of people's rights... and amidst all these, the usual human flaws stay the same ~ lust for the flesh, for money, for prestige and position in society, pride in one's ancestry, prejudice against the working classes, murder, rape, disgrace, scandal... etc. The Afterword summed it up correctly when amplifying Jonathan's thoughts regarding his own wife, Mabel who could no longer be able to give him children (even his fleeting thoughts of divorce) vis~à~vis Emily providing the necessary heirs as "women of her class so often did..." what would have been the difference between Mabel and Emily? Both were not members of the aristocracy... ergo, both were not 'one of them'... Money provided a finishing school education for the wealthy and successful merchant class where Mabel belonged... were Emily's father a successful and wealthy farmer, what would be the difference when both would be of the middle class? As if the bearing of no or more children had anything to do with one's social class... centuries of mind~set still to overcome... and change was quite slow but it did come.

[katie wachowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

All Dereks out there should be ashamed of themselves… /j

For real though, I feel like this is the kind of book where if you don’t get into it at the beginning, there is no hope! However at first, I read a slim portion of it and then thought I wouldn’t like it so I stopped for a few days. Once I got passed that, it was an easy read! Maybe it is the pace of which I read it, but things developed quite quickly, and it was nice how human the main character was? Like I could easily imagine her being a real person and living through her ever-changing situation. Overall it’s a pleasant read that I recommend to anyone if you like this sort of thing. It was nicely written and it’s the sort of thing I would like to see in the cinema etc!

However, it may be worth skipping if you get triggered by sa. Just a thought!!

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars is a little harsh, because I did enjoy reading this book. But so many of the plot lines ended unsatisfactorily. Derek didn’t get much of a comeuppance, Emily’s mother got NONE, despite being the world’s most horrible cow. Emily decided not to bother telling her husband’s family where she was living, despite not knowing for certain whether her husband was dead or alive. If you really loved him, you’d be desperate for any kind of news surely?? So many misunderstandings and not going to the police when they really REALLY should’ve. The last chapter had Jonathan contemplating a mistress, his wife being satisfied with a nephew instead of her own children, and no reprimands on Lord Barton.

[Mel Jenney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did really enjoy this book, reading Emily’s journey from being a poor farmers daughter, to a servant at a manner, to running her own pub, to eventually being reunited with the one she loves. Her story was truly heartbreaking, Emily had gone through more than any young woman ever should, but I thought it showed the realities of war. I liked how the narrative would switch between different characters so we as the reader often know more than the characters in the novel themselves!
At times it was more vulgar than I was expecting it to be, a brutal murder and depictions of rape, this book certainly didn’t shy away from tough social issues. Overall I really enjoyed this book.

[Rhona Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me I struggled with this book.

Normally, I like Rosie's books, but this felt very long and clumsy, and I missed the cheerful cockneys of her other books. It felt long and drawn out, I persevered, but still felt it was long and dull. Other people might not. I have not finished this book. I'd read a lot over a third, but I was waiting for something to happen.
It's okay, but a bit of a plodding book.

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emily doesn't have an easy life. It's hard, a lot of work, and done with little or no appreciation from those around her. In fact, her mother despises her. Emily does it all for her father. When he becomes ill, she does what needs to be done. She becomes a servant to a wealthy family. Life for Emily changes in ways she never anticipated. Her sense of right and integrity will be put to the test.

[Debra Reedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, never dull story. I actually think this story could have been continued into a 2nd book. I’d like to know what happened to Em, her family, and the rest of the characters over the years after the war.

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a bad story but the writing was immature at times; however, what I found most annoying with the convenience in the story… too much just happened so conveniently to push the storyline forward. I did basically enjoy it though.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved, loved, loved this book!

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, it fills my unrelenting need for downtown abbey

[c m bolton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Upstairs downstairs

I've enjoyed reading this book very much. Combined with history of the war and how the upper class live. A great read as all Rosie Clarke are x

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit like a soap opera or "The Perils of Pauline" but I have to admit I enjoyed this book and always looked forward to reading it.

[Ebony Irby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my second time finishing this book. It is VERY reminiscent of Downton Abbey, which made it all that more enjoyable.