A gothic mystery with plenty of secrets to be unearthed

Dual timeline and fast read thoroughly entertaining

I really enjoyed this book. Lulu Taylor is one of my favourites, what a lovely book, full of intrigue, twists and turns. I would recommend this to anyone as the ending is definitely not one that you would expect.

A great festive book to get you in the mood for the winter months! I enjoyed the characters! Thank you netgalley for the review copy!

The Forgotten Tower is a dual time tale of past and present by Lulu Taylor.
In short, it’s a mystery about a castle full of dark secrets.
I’ve read and enjoyed many of Lulu Taylor’s books so was looking forward to reading this latest novel…unfortunately though I didn’t enjoy it as much as her previous works. It’s a compelling story focusing on family, loyalty and dilemmas…with a past secret which is slowly revealed. It’s a great start but it slowed down quite considerably which I did struggle with at times, however, happily the story regained it’s pace towards the end.
Big thanks to Lulu Taylor, Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.

Great story, with multi generations.al story. A great read and interesting characters. I loved the tower apartment from the story and would live to live in a castle!

There was much that I liked about this book - typical of the dual time line/historical fiction genre. It's story telling was effective and the characters believable. I wanted to find out how the past and present linked together. There were elements which did raise slight issues for me, however, including in relation to the trifle and the logistics of when the unpleasant father ate this (impossible to say more without spoilers) - just some ends weren't quite as neatly tied there as I thought they could have been. It also felt like the author was trying too hard to bring in issues of domestic abuse, child abuse and coercive and controlling behaviour into this book - and it didn't work so well for me with it being repeatedly raised in numerous families as it perhaps might have done if it had been a little more subtle.

Just to note that I thoroughly appreciated the opportunity to read this as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. but there were some annoying typos in the ARC I received - changes of the uncles name from Lionel to Leonard for example, and Mr Foster calling Humphries his name before Humphries had told him his name and there was no other way Foster could have known it. I note also that on Goodreads he is no longer Humphries?

Fantastic read. The past and present weave together effortless to follow the story of the Wakefields. Plenty of drama, mystery and intrigue to devour. I struggled to put this book down and thoroughly enjoyed it. The development of the story is a slow burn but worthy of the climatic conclusion.

Thank you Netgalley

This is my first book my Lulu Taylor and I was not disappointed. It is also my first gothic novel I think I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed it, it was so mesmerising and captivating throughout.

The book is wrote in duel time perspectives, between the past which is twins Miranda and Rosalind, their siblings and a person secretly inhabiting one of the towers. And present, a married couple Georgie the wife and Casper the husband who inherited the castle from Caspers great uncle with the intent of restoring it to its former glory. The castle links to the two stories, through the book other similarities come to light between these people. It is dangerous, mysterious and delightful!

It is beautifully in a way that is not confusing and is easy to follow.

*I was gifted this ARC Ebook by #NetGalley and #PanMacmillan for my honest opinions.

Not quite what I was hoping for from Lulu Taylor. This was slow and tedious and very confusing with lots of characters which I couldn't relate to. The dual time line was good but I found the characters shallow and not very likeable. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Behind closed doors...secrets unfold...

This is my second novel by Lulu Taylor and I thoroughly enjoy her style. A contemporary dual timeline story weaving together the past and the present to create a mesmerising gothic tale that is compelling and enthralling.

Georgie Wakefield's husband Caspar has just inherited his great uncle's crumbling estate Wakefield Castle and while it is her worst nightmare to move into the decrepit ruins, the will stated great uncle Archie's wishes in that they restore it to its former glory. Georgie has spent her life living behind the scenes and is more than happy to do so, so instilled in Wakefield Castle she finds a rhythm there and is pleasantly surprised that she actually enjoys it. In the attics, she comes across an ancient recipe book which she must decipher and adapt to modern cuisine and with it comes a mystery that she finds herself embroiled in.

It's 1939 and the country is on the brink of war. For those living at Wakefield Castle must find a new normal. Five siblings 18 year old Imogen, 16 year old twins Miranda and Rosalind along with their younger brothers Toby and Archie live in the castle with their grandfather and his sister great aunt Constance after the tragedy which claimed their parents'. When war is declared, the natural history museum sends one of its curators, Mr Arthur Humphries, to Wakefield together with some precious artefacts and fossils for safekeeping for the duration of the war. And then aunt Constance takes in a couple of evacuees from London, brothers Tom and Robbie Foster. The castle begins to come alive again with the laughter of children. But danger lies ahead as well as a secret being kept from them in the West Tower.

There was so much going on in this book I feel there might have been just a little too much. Georgie's childhood trauma, Pippa's marriage difficulties, Lady Viktoria, the famous TV chef Georgie creates recipes for along with the past timeline of a gothic mystery and a family trapped in the castle during the war. I enjoyed it, but I think there was just a little too much being crammed in. Having said that, the pace was rather slow around the middle, but it picked up again and was finished off nicely with a satisfactory epilogue. BUT...my biggest gripe is I still don't understand why the tower was fenced off and out of bounds for eighty years. And why it was left the way it was. That was never explained. And what happened to the poisoned jam? Even though it was given away, nothing happened.

Despite this, it is still a compelling read that really pulls you back in time. If you love dual timelines, then you will love this book. There is plenty of intrigue and secrets to keep you engaged.

I would like to thank #LuluTaylor, #Netgalley and #PanMacmillan for an ARC of #TheForgottenTower in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

A dual time line story. The husband of cookery researcher Georgie inherits Wakefield Castle. As she is exploring the castle she uncovers on old handwritten recipe book. The parallel storyline starts in 1939. A good read that chugs along nicely taking the reader with it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC.

The Forgotten Tower by Lulu Taylor

Georgie is reluctant to move when her husband inherits Wakefield Castle, but he is determined to restore its fortunes. When exploring her new home she finds an old handwritten recipe book which leads her to suspect that the castle hides secrets as troubling as her own . . .

In 1939, as war is declared, the Wakefield family open the castle to shelter unusual guests. As the Wakefield children learn to cope with the loss of their missing parents and the presence of newcomers, the castle becomes a refuge and a keeper of secrets.

The author has a certain way of writing such great stories , and this one is no different. Great characters , wonderful , almost ethereal settings and a plot you just want to fully immerse yourself in.
Perfect for this time of year to curl up with.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

This dual timeline story was an enjoyable read.

The two stories had lovely settings with mysteries to discover. One part was set at the beginning of the Second World War, whereas the other is set in the present.

I recommend this book.

A well written and riveting novel with gothic elements. Entertaining and well written. I thoroughly enjoyed it
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A fun read revolving around an old tower in a castle. I enjoyed the dual timeline. The present day one revolves around Georgie, the cookery researcher behind a TV chef, whose husband inherits an old castle, and her relationships. It weaves in expertly with the 1939 timeline about the castle inhabitants and the beginning of the second world war. The characters - especially in the 1939 - 40 story, were interesting and I enjoyed the mystery. A fun, cozy read, with an uplifting ending.

A beautifully written and atmospheric novel set in a castle. It is told across dual timelines and is the perfect winter read.

An easy read with a mysterious castle, dual timeline and mysteries of the past. A story to curl up with on a cold evening.

A very slow burn type of book. Very different from my usual sort of read. That said Lulu Taylor tells a lovely story or should I say two stories. One based in 1939, the other the present day. They are linked through the family castle which has been inherited by the present day characters. Both stories have similarities and the way they are woven together makes for an excellent and very enjoyable read. One I'm happy to recommend.5*
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Georgie's husband has inherited Wakefield Castle and she has reservations about moving in. She starts to go through the castle and finds an old cookery book.
At the beginning of the war the castle has several children living there and some have their own secrets.
Georgie needs to unravel all the secrets from the past to both lay the past to rest and to help herself.

I would like to thank the publisher Pan Macmillan for gifting me the arc epub version of this book.

This is my first read from Lulu Taylor. I have seen her books around and was always curious about them because of the very cozy and lovely wintry covers

I thought the 'The Forgotten Tower' was a family saga with a mystery or murder in the story but later I realized that it isn't any of those, not quite. It is just a slow-burned historical fiction mixed with present-day that reads like a family drama between two timelines. It is about family ties, the Second World War from afar, the war efforts arising out of the war, and adolescent trauma and abuse. The story reads like a charm and there was never really a dull moment even though the book is rather thick. While I was reading it on my Kindle it just felt that it took forever to finish.

The chapters are very long but thankfully it doesn't just stick to one scene; there are always things happening at every turn so there was never really a dull moment until about 50 percent of the book where it stalled a little but picked up again from 70 percent onwards and that was where the story turned more interesting. On the whole, I find the pacing and slow-burn plot development rather gripping and I really enjoy the story. The scenes were brought to life vividly and I found myself transported into another era reading how the family drama was being played out. The characters were well fleshed out and they were generally all very likable. Though I love a fast-paced read, for historical fiction books, being a bit slow burn just adds to the mood and flavor of the genre, and the author did a good job in portraying the characters and scenes very well.

The story is told in two timelines alternating between the modern day and during the Second World War period and both of them are narrated through the eyes of two female protagonists - Georgia and Miranda. I find the Second World War period timeline more engaging but I like both timelines, nevertheless.

The mysteries in the book weren't very intriguing. I guess I was expecting it to be a Kate Morton kind of book but sadly it wasn't. It is just family drama on the whole. And that is the reason why I could not give it a 5-star rating. I wish there was more mystery and skeletons in the closet being thrown in as the trope of the story is about a castle that stayed in the family for generations. Such a trope plot would have been the best opportunity to throw in more mystery and intriguing stuff but I guess Lulu Taylor wasn't really aiming for that in the story and a murder mystery wasn't her focus. Also, I don't feel that the two timelines are woven intricately together though they are a bit interconnected. I felt that the author was telling two separate stories using two balls of yarn instead of one to weave this story together. Don't get me wrong here. There are some interconnection but I wish that it could be more instead of just switching back and forth between the two timelines.

The ending was happy and satisfying. And there was a reveal in the epilogue which I felt added a nice touch to the conclusion.

On the whole, I did enjoy reading this book and will give it a 4 star. I think I might pick up another Lulu Taylor's book in the near future.