Book Review: The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling (The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place #1) by Maryrose Wood.

Found running wild in the forest of Ashton Place, the Incorrigibles are no ordinary children: Alexander, age ten or thereabouts, keeps his siblings in line with gentle nips; Cassiopeia, perhaps four or five, has a bark that is (usually) worse than her bite; and Beowulf, age somewhere-in-the-middle, is alarmingly adept at chasing squirrels.

Luckily, Miss Penelope Lumley is no ordinary governess. Only fifteen years old and a recent graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, Penelope embraces the challenge of her new position. Though she is eager to instruct the children in Latin verbs and the proper use of globes, first she must help them overcome their canine tendencies.  But mysteries abound at Ashton Place: Who are these three wild creatures, and how did they come to live in the vast forests of the estate? Why does Old Timothy, the coachman, lurk around every corner? Will Penelope be able to teach the Incorrigibles table manners and socially useful phrases in time for Lady Constance's holiday ball? And what on earth is a schottische?

Review:

A fabulously fun middle-grade series.  The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling is the enchanting first book in The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series.  This book is a delightful middle-grade read.  Miss Penelope Lumley, fifteen year old graduate of Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, is thrust into her first position as governess at the manor house of the wealthy Ashton family.  The children who are put in young Penelope's care, however are not the progeny of Lord and Lady Ashton, but orphans that have been recently forced, at gunpoint, to leave their home in the woods on the Ashton estate grounds.  Fortunately for the children, Penelope has a large heart and an even larger desire to take her role as governess quite seriously.  Armed only with her wits and the anecdotes of her former school mistress Agatha Swanburne, Penelope faces the challenges and mysteries of the incorrigible children.  Maryrose Wood weaves a lighthearted tale that will appeal to young readers and readers who remain young at heart.

I highly recommend The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling to readers of Victorian mysteries and middle-grade fiction.  The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling may appeal to fans of The Agency series by Y.S. Lee.

Note: I read much of this book out loud to my corgi and she *loved* it!  Wood's lyrical prose and the howling dialogue of the incorrigible children make this a fun book to read to others.

Source: This book was purchased by E.J. for review.


The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling on Amazon.
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Book Review: The Poison Diaries

The Poison Diaries (The Poison Diaries, book 1) by Maryrose Wood, The Duchess of Northumberland.

Jessamine Luxton has lived all her sixteen years in an isolated cottage near Alnwick Castle, with little company apart from the plants in her garden.  Her father, Thomas, a feared and respected apothecary, has taught her much about the incredible powers of plants:  that even the most innocent looking weed can cure--or kill.  So it is no wonder that she has always longed to explore the locked garden that is her father's pride and obsession--his poison garden, which contains exotic and local specimens of the most dangerous plants in the world.  But to Jessamine's frustration, Thomas forbids her from entering it.

But her life changes forever the day a traveler brings an orphan to their cottage, claiming that the young man has special gifts that Thomas might value.  Jessamine is intrigued by the stranger, who goes by the name of Weed.  His sensitivity to growing things is extraordinary, and he seems to have even more rare and specialized knowledge about plants than Thomas does.  As Jessamine begins to fall in love with Weed, she is drawn into a dangerous world of the poison garden in a way she never could have imagined.

Plants can be categorized as helpful or deadly, it is in their nature, but what excuse for the nature of man?  The Poison Diaries illustrates the dark side of humanity and the selfish, obsessive nature of man.  Some of the characters in this novel are horrifically cruel and yet Jessamine is a young, naive girl who has been sheltered all of her sixteen years.  When lonely Jessamine meets Weed their love blossoms, but can a love so sweet and pure survive amidst the harsh dark world in which they live?  The Poison Diaries was a dark, melancholy love story with an unusual paranormal twist.  Maryrose Wood builds a suspenseful series of events that leaves the reader breathless and wanting the second book in the series. 

I recommend The Poison Diaries to readers of fantasy, historical fiction, and especially to fans of paranormal romance.  Though this book has been categorized as young adult, this is a dark novel without the lightness that many YA readers may expect.

Source: This book was provided by the author or publisher for honest review.

The Poison Diaries on Amazon.
The Poison Diaries on Goodreads.