Nell (The Highbrook Saga)

In The Calling of Highbrook, William, a lonely widower, meets Nell whilst walking on the moors. They fall in love, and move into beautiful Highbrook, their dream home. The birth of their son, Albert, not long afterwards should seal their happiness. 

But menace lurks at Highbrook, shrouding the family in a mystifying darkness for decades to come. 

As their lives begin to unravel, Nell is pushed into drastic action, hoping this will make life better for everyone she loves, especially her son. 

But her well-intentioned plan may unwittingly put Albert in grave danger and have irrevocable and far-reaching consequences. No-one can trust anyone at Highbrook, not even themselves.

Almost 20 years have passed since the traumatic events at Highbrook, the Hudsons’ brooding country mansion, and in the aftermath of World War II, the family are at last finding peace and contentment .

William is settled and appears to have put the past behind him, while Albert and Ava are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their first child. 

But in The Reckoning of Highbrook, appearances can be deceptive, and family relationships often harbour uncomfortable secrets. 

Albert is constantly looking over his shoulder, wondering if a figure from their past is about to unleash  more psychological havoc, and everyone is worried about William’s state of mind.

Against a darkening climate of deception, can a mother’s love deliver the happiness and redemption they all crave?

What readers say:

I was fully immersed in the story from the first chapter and completely captivated by the initial love story of Will and Nell. The book takes a much darker turn as you read further, and I was hooked.

A book you will find very hard to put down. You will get immersed in each character, their different thoughts and ways. A very powerful read. 

It is billed as historical fiction but actually ranges across genres of romance, relationships, psychological and thriller, so something for everyone. 

Annalise Patterson is a girl who rises to fame and fortune as the darling of London’s musical society.

When her beloved husband is taken seriously ill, she returns to their rural home to nurse him, only too happy to leave the bright lights behind.

But home is a place filled with fractured relationships, despair, and turmoil, and soon secrets emerge, which reveal everything she held dear is built on a lie. 

With her career and reputation in jeopardy, she resolves to uncover the truth and heal old wounds. 

Annalise is a woman ahead of her time who knows that family is everything … but blood is not always thicker than water.

Loved this for all the wonderfully drawn characters, even though the book is primarily about a young girl who leaves her home for the bright lights. It's packed full of emotion and tangled relationships, just like real life. It has an intriguing plot based on a secret which drives the plot along at a brisk pace and keeps you hooked until the twist ending which I didn’t see coming.
Highly recommend.

This is the second of Jo's books that I've read and I wasn't disappointed. No spoilers but I constantly kept thinking I'd worked this one out, then realised I'd gone down the wrong path completely! Jo adds her plot twists subtly, her characters are really likeable and her stories flow well. I've just downloaded two more for the darker nights ahead!

 Once started, I couldn’t put this book down. Great storyline and interesting characters. Looking forward to reading more of Jo’s books.

Serena Wilton-Robbins is a woman who knows true love is unconditional. So unconditional, she is prepared to put aside her own happiness and let go the love of her life.
A new century may have dawned, but in Yorkshire’s booming mill towns, extravagance still sits hand in hand with hardship and poverty.
Serena, daughter of a successful banker, has a privileged lifestyle, until a fateful romance turns her world on its head. Forced to make a life for herself and her baby daughter, slowly she succeeds, finding refuge at Mallerby Hall with Dawson Mallerby.
However, whilst Dawson may well be her protector, he is not hers to love. When her old life re-emerges, she is once again thrown into turmoil. Serena must then make a choice, between the man she loves, or carving a path through life on her own. 

A beautifully written love story on so many levels. An easy 5-star read and definitely one not to be missed. I read this book in just over a day, as I couldn't put it down. Brilliant storyline and amazing characters. Little Robin is simply unforgettable!

At face value this is an oft-told tale of a young woman's fall from grace and redemption but it is told with such passion and depth of feeling that, what is at face value a simple tale, is transformed into something much more. I find Ms Priestley's female characters really interesting, there's no one-dimensional, saccharine sweetness in these historical novels. Nell (The Calling of Highbrook); Annalise (The Strangers In Me) and Serena from Little Robin are real with many facets; likeable but flawed, unworldly but strong, kind-hearted but unyielding and tenacious when it comes to injustice. 

An emotional journey right from the start with so many twists and turns that I was gasping for air, anticipating what would happen next. A book I could not put down which was a total nail-biter and I absolutely loved it!

In 1921, Delfina (Della) is out of her depth. Her seemingly idyllic childhood is blighted by an embittered mother who resents her daughter’s opportunities in changing times.

Edward is a respected man from the village who falls in love with Della yet feels he may have led her astray. Freddie has been in love with her since school and betters himself before going on to marry her. 

As both men become increasingly obsessed with Della, their infatuation makes her life a misery, plunging the silly, young girl into a world of regret.

Lost in the turmoil, Della seeks solitude and meets an enigmatic stranger living in a woodland cottage. Sometimes, someone appears when you need them most, and Della’s companion is determined to help her relive the traumatic events and come to terms with her mistakes.

But time is running out for Della. Can the stranger succeed before the New Year is upon them? If not, it may well be too late.

What an amazing story, full of intrigue, secrets and regrets. Unforgettable characters and an equally memorable story. A deep and meaningful ending, which will stay with me for a long time. Brilliantly written.

Really enjoyed this book. It's a story about guilt and redemption; secrets and honesty, and ultimately about how we all have to leave the child within us behind as we grow up. That might sound a bit heavy but the characters and setting are so beautifully drawn, they are utterly real and authentic, and this makes it really accessible. There is an otherworldliness to this novel - no doubt inspiring the fairytale reference in the title - but don't be fooled, this is a novel of real substance that will keep you reading and wondering if the eponymous heroine has a fairytale ending.

An intense tale of love and heartache, with a mix of many different emotions. Certainly, a book full of suspense with a great finish. Well worth a read.

Everybody loves Pip Metcalfe. She’s gentle, she’s kind, and the whole village felt sorry for her when her Irish mother abandoned the family.
Outsiders are not welcome in Ackley, and four years after leaving the family home, Orla is found dead. With a village full of people who hated her, the search is on to find her killer.
Inspector Jarvis Blackburn knows that tracking down the murderer is the key to promotion. This would realise his lifelong ambition to become chief inspector, emulating his late father.
Pip and Jarvis join forces, finding themselves steadily changed by the experience and begin to wonder whether finding Orla’s killer will lead them to future peace and happiness after all. 

Yet love has a way of choosing the path we take, and both slowly discover they have no control over their future any longer.

A beautiful, enthralling, emotional historical romance/whodunit, which drew me in at the first few chapters, and kept me hooked to the very end. This book had me close to tears one minute and smiling the next! I loved it. 

A great piece of historical fiction unusually blending character romance with a twisty whodunnit. The characters and Yorkshire setting are very authentic and conjure vivid images; the plot is fast-paced and twisty and, as someone who nearly always works out who did it, it was a pleasant surprise not to figure this one out. An easy, very satisfying read. Highly recommended.

I have read all the books Jo Priestley has written and this is definitely the best so far. All her books flow and are easy reading and this one will keep you guessing. You will enjoy it.

Dolly Hunter and Harriet Scott: Two women connected by one special person, and Dolly is about to find out who … and why.

Dolly is in denial. The beloved town she has lived in all her life is crumbling around her, but her own house is standing strong. So, she can pretend all is well most of the time.

When a woman comes to town with her young daughter, it turns out she knows far more about sixty-four-year-old Dolly than she could ever imagine.

The newcomer’s arrival forces Dolly to face the heartache of past tragedies, but she is not a woman to be trifled with. 

As she finds out the hard way, sometimes you see the light for yourself, and other times somebody needs to shove you outside to take a look. Young tenacious solicitor, Harriet Ann Scott, is that somebody.

Can Dolly find it in herself to be the unlikely hero and mend her hometown before the opportunity is lost to them forever?

I absolutely fell in love with Dolly! Full of grit and determination, steadfastly loyal, and a force to be reckoned with, Dolly Hunter is a character who stays with you long after you have finished the book. This is such a wonderful read, and perfect for the festive season.

Full of Christmas sparkle and feelgood but will be a tonic all year round for those who like stories about people coping with adversity and triumphing through love, kindness and sheer bloody-minded refusal to give in.
It made me laugh, it made me cry and it made me root for the people of the fictional town of Wakeley; people I felt I knew and understood right away.
The author has a real gift for authentic dialogue, sprinkling the narrative with wonderful little idioms and turns of phrase that are better than a thousand fancy words at revealing the characters and their lives.
It's also very moving - the story hinging on how a tragedy affects people and the different paths they take to deal with such events - but not in a maudlin, depressing way. A magical read..

A Christmas tale like no other, a beautifully written story of heartbreak, true Yorkshire determination, and a magical taste of Christmas. Wonderful heartfelt characters which you can't help but feel you're a part of their lives, especially Dolly, a totally unforgettable person. A story of community spirit, traditions, a sense of belonging, and doing the right thing, albeit not always in the right way.
I would highly recommend this book and maybe like myself, when Christmas comes around, you'll find yourself, remembering, Dolly. 

Lawrence Armitage, charismatic manager of a renowned department store in Leeds, falls in love and marries shy Constance Crawford, a young woman recovering from a terrible trauma, resulting in the loss of her hair for a time.
Lawrence only has eyes for his wife and is oblivious to the attentions of his colleague, Daphne Farrington, who has secretly held a candle for him for many years.
When the truth emerges, Constance suspects she may lose everything and resolves to rebuild her confidence, resulting in her personal transformation.
So, if Constance and Lawrence are to find their happy ever after, they must learn to fall in love with a stranger … if they possibly can. 

 I loved that The Art of a Butterfly is based on a real love story. It gives you a strong feel for life in old England during the 1920s/30s and the characters are very believable. The love triangle unfolds steadily and there are many twists throughout. I found myself rooting for Constance and Lawrence and felt their journey was both emotional and thought-provoking. I am working my way through Jo Priestley’s books and thoroughly enjoying them. A must-read for any historical/romance fans. .

Loved this book. The story dances from character to character, revealing in each, their own internal struggles and choices; the plot is full of emotional depth and intrigue, and the vibrant setting of middle-class life in1930s Leeds provides a colourful setting for the events.
A brilliant read worth every one of its stars! 

 Told from all sides, this is a beautifully written book which is packed full of emotion, mixed loyalties, trauma, realities of war, and other real life experiences. An undeniable page-turner that you'll be unable to put down.

 Bridie Foxcroft is a girl who values family above all else, so when her brother marries her best friend, Edyth, her dearest wish comes true.
The Foxcrofts live in a beautiful, old house nestling beneath formidable stone crags, and Bridie loves nothing more than venturing up the hillside in all weathers to look down upon her home. She has even secured her dream job at Frobisher’s Doll Emporium, so life could not be any better.
Elliott Frobisher will one day inherit the emporium, and he has nothing but admiration and respect for the young woman with a kind heart, coated in commonsense.
But Bridie has a secret. She is in love with a man who is hated by the whole town, and her contented, sleepy life is about to become a thing of the past.
Finding our voice is so dangerous when speaking out against long-held resentments runs the risk of losing everything, and everyone, we hold dear.

 I loved this book. Jo Priestley's writing style soon had me immersed in the strong storyline. Having visited a mill (now a museum) in Yorkshire last summer, I was able to create the setting in my mind's eye. The community prejudice, family loyalty and ensuing reactions were completely believable. An absorbing read!

 This was a good, heart-rending story. I cried with Bridie when things were really at their worst and laughed with her when she found love. The writing was excellent and each character was convincing.  I shall look for more of Jo's books and I found this hard to put down.

 This is a skilfully crafted story with so much packed into its 200 pages. These days, a lot of historical fiction is laced with modern attitudes and thinking, but Bridie and the wonderful ensemble of supporting characters are drawn with real care and are completely authentic to the period. I especially loved reading the dialogue between them - the author has such a good ear for how real people speak - and we learn much about each person and their situations from these interactions.
Whilst very character-driven, there is a captivating storyline, and sub-plot which move along at a pace and keep you reading. I also loved the vivid descriptions of the town and its surroundings.
If you like Catherine Cookson, I think you will love this book. The romance at the heart of this novel is subtly balanced with other broader themes of change, family, relationships and social mores and this brings to life the ordinary people of this Yorkshire town.