Title: Keeping The Castle
Author: Patrice Kindl
Release date: June 14, 2012
Publisher: Viking Children’s Books
Pages: 224
Source: Publisher
Seventeen-year-old Althea is the sole support of her entire family, and she must marry well. But there are few wealthy suitors–or suitors of any kind–in their small Yorkshire town of Lesser Hoo. Then, the young and attractive (and very rich) Lord Boring arrives, and Althea sets her plans in motion. There’s only one problem; his friend and business manager Mr. Fredericks keeps getting in the way. And, as it turns out, Fredericks has his own set of plans . . .
Keeping The Castle is one of the best historical fiction novels I have read in quite some time. It’s full of romance, bickering, matchmaking, and humor. It’s the perfect read for a rainy day.
Althea is the backbone of her family. She knows she is the strongest of them all and the only one who can keep them all fed and a roof over their heads. She takes it upon herself to marry someone rich and she won’t settle for less. When Lord Boring moves into a residence nearby she sets out to catch him but it seems like everyone else has plans to keep them apart. Especially Lord Boring’s cousin, Mr. Fredericks.
Althea is hilarious. She has not had an easy life but she has managed to hold onto her humor and her wit. She plots crazy things, tries to matchmake where there is no attraction whatsoever, and manages to insult people every time she opens her mouth. She is the most lovable character ever! And the best thing is that she deeply cares for her family. She’s a wonderful daughter and sister. She’s extremely loyal and caring.
The rest of the characters are just as funny. Mr. Fredericks is absent-minded and contradictory. He and Althea do nothing but bicker. Lord Boring is surprisingly not at all boring. He’s a complete gentleman and very kind. Alexanda, Althea’s little brother, is a troublemaker but a total sweetheart. Prudence and Charity are kind of like evil stepsisters but very comical. And then there’s the puppy! Fido! Boy did I love him. So cute!
The story is fresh and full of twists. Once the story picks up it’s impossible to stop reading. There definitely isn’t a lot of action or suspense but that doesn’t matter. The story is gripping and readers will love the characters. It’s impossible to stop reading until you know if everyone gets their happy ending.
Overall, Keeping The Castle is a definite must-read for historical fiction fans. It’s such a cute book! I have to check out Patrice Kindl’s other books now.
Looking for more reviews of Keeping The Castle?
Rebecca’s Book Blog’s review
The Princess Of Storyland’s review
I just ordered this from Amazon…
Love the review! I’ve been wanting to read this book for a while. I love any historical fiction, especially when castles are involved. Goose Chase is a wonderful, funny book that I highly recommend. It has a similar feel to Enchanted by Alethea Kontis, and is exploding with fairy tale magic. You should check it out!
I’m tapping my foot impatiently, waiting for this one to come in at my local library (it just sounds so adorable!). Thanks for sharing your review!
ooooooo! Sounds good. It kinda sounds like a Jane Austen book. The name Lord Boring makes me laugh.
Hmmm. I’m really interested — I’ve seen gushing reviews and reviews that describe it as stereotypical Regency. It should be interesting…
The cover doesn’t seem to portray a historical fiction. Interesting plot line though, it seems. I will definitely consider reading this if you enjoyed it.
I definitely have to add this one. Great review. I enjoyed it.
Jenea @ Books Live Forever
The blurb didn’t sound that interesting to me, so I never gave this book another look. Now that I’ve read your review, I find myself interested in this book. I love good humor; and the fact that the main character is such a likeable character makes me want to read it. Thank you so much for this review! I’m going to add it to my goodreads list right away 🙂
Okay, can I just be honest and say I literally laughed out loud when I realized that a character is named Lord Boring? That in itself makes me want to read this book, but your review is more interesting. I’m not a huge fan of historical fiction. For most historical fiction books that I have stumbled across in the blogging atmosphere there have been mixed reviews. This one just seems to stand out from them though. It’s as if everyone loves it!
I’m also a huge character-driven gal. If I can’t love the characters (including the supporting characters) than I can’t love a book. However, if all the characters are lovable, I’ll probably love this book! You’re introducing me to a whole ton of books! lol
This sounds like a very humorous take on Pride and Prejudice!
I’ve never read humorous historicals, and just the fact that the rich guy’s named Lord Boring shows me how awesome this book is, especially since he’s not boring at all as you say 🙂
Lovely review 🙂