Wednesday 4 December 2013

Doubting Abbey by Samantha Tonge


Swapping downstairs for upstairs…

How hard can it be!? Look up the phrase ordinary girl and you’ll see a picture of me, Gemma Goodwin – I only look half-decent after applying the entire contents of my make-up bag, and my dating track-record includes a man who treated me to dinner…at a kebab shop. No joke!

The only extraordinary thing about me is that I look EXACTLY like my BFF, Abbey Croxley. Oh, and that for reasons I can’t explain, I’ve agreed to swap identities and pretend be her to star in the TV show about her aristocratic family’s country estate, Million Dollar Mansion. 

So now it’s not just my tan I’m faking – it’s Kate Middleton style demure hemlines and lady-like manners too. And amongst the hundreds of fusty etiquette rules I’m trying to cram into my head, there are two I really must remember; 1) No-one can ever find out that I’m just Gemma, who’d be more at home in the servants quarters. And 2) There can be absolutely no flirting with Abbey’s dishy but buttoned-up cousin, Lord Edward. 

 Aaargh, this is going to be harder than I thought…


I have just finished reading Doubting Abbey which is Samantha Tonge’s debut novel. I love the cover to this book it is very fitting for this time of the year, I was just hoping that although I have never seen Downton Abbey I would still understand this and enjoy it!

Gemma is as down to earth as they come she is a true commoner and very lovely with it. When she removes her amateurish make up she has an uncanny resemblance to her best friend Abbey, to help her best friend out she agrees to pretend to be Abbey and go to her families aristocratic family country estate and take part in a reality tv show Million Dollar Mansion.

Gemma has to learn how to be more lady like and blend in with the family, no one must know who she really is as the family really need to win the show to win the money for repairs that are urgently needed on Applebridge Hall.

This novel was not what I was expecting at all. Let me just put your mind at rest for those of you who like me have never watched Downton Abbey it really doesn’t have any effect on this book at all. I really enjoyed it. This really was a humorous read, Gemma is such a witty character who always seems to get herself into mischief, I never expected this book to be a witty read but it was the humour that kept me hooked.

As stuffy as Lord Edward was I still loved his character, his blog was a lovely touch and I enjoyed seeing him let himself live a little. The storyline was predictable but I still enjoyed watching the events unfold.

This is a fun light read but surprisingly not a quick read. I was hoping that the storyline was going to have a festive feel to the storyline but the book isn’t Christmassy at all so don’t expect this to get you in the festive mood but none the less it would still make a perfect gift as it can be read all year around.


This was a fantastic debut for Samantha Tonge and I look forward to more of her books. This is an unbelievable price on kindle at the moment so get in quick.

Festive Cover

Festive Storyline (0)


Over all Review





Kindle 

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