Towers of Brierley by Anita Stansfield

Towers of Brierley Reviews

• 
  Lover of Romance

  An amazing historical romance with lite christian elements. And one of my all time favorite historical reads. It has some mistaken identity tropes, secrets and a setting in the highlands. Highly recommend.
• 
  Rebecca

  Ahh, nothing like taking a walk down Memory Lane. This book was an old favorite, and I randomly got the urge to reread it once again.
  
  Wow. I was overwhelmed by ananchronisms, inaccuracies, factual errors, awkward writing, and flat characters. This was supposed to be set, according to the back of the book, in 18th century Scotland.
  
  18th century, remember, means 1700-1799 A.D.
  
  Then why is there a white wedding dress? "White became a popular option in 1840." (Wikipedia)
  
  Where did Gavin buy the shampoo from? "In the 1860s, the meaning of the word [shampoo] shifted from the sense of massage to that of applying soap to the hair. [...] Commercially made shampoo was available from the turn of the 20th century." (Wikipedia)
  
  Why does everyone have a gun and a surname? Now, I couldn't find any specific quotes about the gun issue from Wikipedia; it just feels wrong. And hey, I'm not writing a piece of historical fiction in which I want people to have guns, so it's not my job to research whether it's factually accurate. As for surnames, "By 1400, most English and some Scottish people used surnames, but many Scottish and Welsh people did not adopt surnames until the 17th century, or even later." (Wikipedia)
  
  Why did Gavin run to get the doctor instead of the midwife for a pregnancy matter?
  
  Why was everyone dancing the Highland Fling? "The Highland Fling is a solo Highland dance that gained popularity in the early 19th century." (Wikipedia) Speaking of which, how did Anya participate in said Highland Fling "each year during the second weekend of August, when the servants were given a day off to celebrate the declaration of Scottish independence"? "Scotland was an independent country from its foundation in the Early Middle Ages (traditionally 843) until 1707." (Wikipedia)
  
  What's up with the secluded cottage having a bathroom and Anya loving to soak in the bathtub? "[F]rom the late Middle Ages through to the end of the 18th century, etiquette and medical manuals advised people to only wash the parts of the body that were visible to the public; for example, the ears, hands, feet, and face and neck." And "Before the late 19th century, water to individual places of residence was rare." (Wikipedia)
  
  Gavin claims he went to America for a while and Anya wonders if it's as incredible as they say. I suppose that one's possible, but it seems really outlandish to believe that America would be this fabled incredibe place in 18th century Scotland, regardless of which part of the 18th century.
  
  Well, moving on from the anachronisms and glaring historical inaccuracies...half the story, or more, just takes place in the two main characters' heads. They are thinking about things, remembering things, realizing things, with nothing really actually happening in the story. Very frustrating. It's okay to show what a character is thinking sometimes, and it can even be helpful when used judiciously, but when that takes up at least half the text of the book, you've got a problem.
  
  Another quibble about the writing. A fancier word is not always better. When people talk, it's okay to just say "said" or "asked." It's better to use a plain, straightforward word than to try to fancy things up and end up using totally the wrong word. When Anya wonders aloud if she made the right decision by telling Gavin something, that's not something "she stated." No. To state is to declare something to be a fact. She's not declaring, she's musing, and it's not a fact, it's a possibility. In flipping back through the book to find more examples, I see that there were indeed plenty of "said" and "asked." But there were also too many instances where simpler would have been better; it's those cases, "she insisted" and "he demanded," "she admitted" and "he answered," that get old fast. People don't always have to "smirk," it's okay for them to just smile. It's okay for one or two characters to say "likely" instead of "probably" but not every character should talk like that. Most normal people (at least, in my experience) use probably and not likely in their conversation, so to have characters in a book come across as normal, they should too.
  
  Oh, and don't get me started on the ludicrous romance. Every time a main character said anything about love, I wanted to shout! "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." I used to think this was romance, this was true love. I'm glad I've learned through happy experience how silly it was to call this romance!
  
  Yup, nothing like a walk down Memory Lane.
• 
  Valerie

  I love this book; the setting, the time period, the suspense and the twists in the plot. I was glued to it when I first read it and I have loved re-reading it since then.
• 
  Bonnie (Joy In Becoming)

  This would have to be one of my favorite LDS romances because its talks about healing, forgiveness and that no matter your circumstance that we are all God's children who loves us and wants us to find true happiness.
• 
  Rachel

  TOTALLY LAME! Not even worth reading. I couldn't believe this was an Anita Stansfield book. I wonder if it might not be one of her first, before she began writing well?
• 
  Melissa

  Adult Romance. Probably one of the only Stansfield I really liked.
• 
  Patty

  A sweet book. The twist at the end really helped make it exciting.
  A clean Scottish historical romance, how nice!
• 
  Bobbie Bigler

  It was a good story and she really gets into the characters. I loved the mystery of it all and the emotional roller coaster but it kind of drug on for me it could have sped up a bit but others may not like that they may like all the details and writings about the normal days.
• 
  06madisonj

  The Towers of Brierley was a great book and I may just have to read it again.
  Anya is a young woman who is a scullery maid at Brierly. One day after a long stressful night she walks around the towers to the one with door that is always locked. She knows it'll be locked but just to see she pushes and amazingly it opens. Inside is all dusty and it makes her wonder. She starts to think about the night before and she ends up in tears. In this tower is where she meats Gavin for the first time. At first she thinks that it is Cedric, the current Earl of Brierly, but it is Gavin. They have a brief conversation and then Anya leaves.
  Gavin wonders about this girl and why she was in the tower that he grew up in but he quickly reminds himself that he has another task he needs to get to.
  As the story goes on Gavin is injured as he is leaving Brierly. He amazingly has enough strength to get back to the stables where his close friend Robbie works. Anya is also good friends with Robbie so in the mornings she will often go and talk to him. Well the night after the accident Anya goes into the stables and sees Robbie with Gavin. Anya jumps at the chance to take care of Gavin because it means that she can leave Brierley and not have to come back.
  Continuing on in the story Anya takes care of Gavin who is close to death and she knows it. While Anya is doing what she needs to do to take care of him she notices that he has a distinctive birth mark on his shoulder that her great uncle, the earl before Cedric, had. It makes her wonder and she questions who he really is.
  After Gavin finally wakes up he starts to talk to Anya and they get to know each other but he notices that there is something about her that he can't quite put his finger on. He notices that she has such sad eye. But when he asks her questions she avoids them.
  Moving way on into the book Gavin and Anya begin to get very close and enjoy each others company. Anya is finally trusting Gavin and giving him answers with out avoiding it. Anya and Gavin decided to get married but more there are some complications that they have to work out. I would tell you but that would ruin the book. Any way in the end they work to resolve the complications and things mostly work out.
  I really enjoyed reading this book. It was one of the ones that you are so in to it that when your mom tells you to put it down you don't even hear her. I think this book is intended for anyone who is interested in a good love story. Plus there is also some mystery that goes along with it. I think that this book could be put in present day but somethings wouldn't be the same like the maids and the nannies. If we were to place it in modern time it would be kind of like another cinderella but with different twists and turns. My favorite part of this book is that even thought things don't go as planned Gavin and Anya still manage to work it out. I think one of the themes in this book is that if you truly love someone you will find a way to make everything right. If I were to recommend this book to anyone it would be girls my age because its a good book with a good love story.
• 
  Rachel

  The best word I can think of to describe this book would be "interesting." It takes place in 18th century Scotland where our two main characters, Anya and Gavin, are haunted by painful and unknown pasts. When certain events bring them together, they both not only learn to come to terms with their pasts, but that only they have the power to shape their future.
  
  Plot/Story: this book definitely had some mature elements in it; I wouldn't recommend it for your young teenager. Fortunately nothing too graphic; I have pretty high standards, but I was comfortable enough to finish it. The plot was also not very predictable, which I appreciated. I kind of had some idea about how things would turn out, but I didn't know how.
  
  Characters: these characters are really well formed and very believable. It was easy to understand their pain, but a little hard to relate to them as I've never been in many of these circumstances. I loved watching the characters grow and develop, more so than in other "fairy tales" I've read. It was very easy to love characters like Gavin and Effie (a friend of Anya's), and hate characters such as Cedric and Una. My one complaint with Gavin and Anya is that the beginning of the relationship happened very fast and was quite passionate. One moment they are timid strangers and the next they are madly in love. That was a little fast for me to believe, but as the story unfolded I really got a sense for how strong and true their love was- which was much stronger than mere infatuation.
  
  Author: Anita Stansfield is an AMAZING author. I was very impressed by her writing abilities. One thing I liked was her ability to jump between characters without confusing me. Instead of sticking to one character's perspective throughout the book or chapter, she creatively yet naturally moves through the minds of her characters. One moment you know "her" thoughts and feelings, and the next moment you know "his" thoughts and feelings about the same issue, without having to wait until the next chapter.
  
  Is this book historically accurate? I have no idea, and I don't really care. Was it still intriguing and fun to read? Absolutely. Would I recommend it? Again, I have no idea. I'd have to know you really well to be able to say yes or no, so if you decide to read it: happy reading!
• 
  Kimi

  This was the first Sansfield book I have ever read. It was interesting to get the entire backstory of the characters. I am a little undecided if I really like knowing both sides of the story so in depth. Overall the story was fun.
  
• 
  Karin

  The summer that Dave and I lived at Oakridge at USU and just started dating, he used to tease me about my Anita Stansfield books, saying he found them under my pillow with tear drops on each page. It cracked me up. Ahhh, the Logan memories! I miss those days :)
  
  I've only read a couple of hers since we got married, but I always like them. I enjoyed this one, especially after finishing the Hunger Games series--I needed something light and romantic after that world of drudgery, ha ha. This was a fun, quick read. Thanks to Shawn for letting me borrow it!
  
  Make fun of me for reading her books, if you like, but I always find them satisfying :) I know her books aren't priceless works of genius in the world of literature, but lets face it--she knows how to write a good little romance story (and I love that they're always clean). I read the First Love and Forever series in high school, and I'm tempted to pick them back up again...
• 
  Chatharina

  Anita Stansfield was recommended to me by a friend and I enjoyed this book enough that I would recommend it to others if their tastes for books are consistent with the genre Covenant publishes.
  There were good things and less than good things about this book. Starting with the less than good: the dialogue between the main characters and the common folk nearly drove me up the wall. Accents are best done in movies. There were too many social issues that needed to be addressed, I think the story could have done without worrying about befriending a former prostitute or even the pregnancy after the incident of rape. I liked the way the perspective changed smoothly from Anya to Gavin throughout the chapter. Overall this story felt over complicated and was resolved too simply.
• 
  Paige Anthony

  I couldn't put it down. The time period was wonderfully set, the story bloomed again and again. I was so hooked finished it in one day! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this book. More romance than I usually like but it was sandwiched with such intriguing plot. The descriptions were perfect, enough to let me fill in the details but not overwhelming.
• 
  Cristine

  Second time reading this. Why? Because I had completely forgotten what it was about, but knew it was clean, and suggested it for book club.
  
  Wow. Yikes. Terrible. I ended up crazy skimming and if some dialogue seemed important I stopped (that rarely happened). The writing is so wordy and cheesy and painful and the setting so unrealistic and inconsistent that nothing but skimming was an option.
  
  In fact, most of the "good stuff" didn't happen until page 250.
  
  I feel embarrassed about suggesting this for book club. Forgive me! 20 year old me must have thought it was good, but 31 year old me hates it.
• 
  Tosha

  I LOVE Scotland historical fiction books. This isn't THAT. At 46% the story came to a happy ending, yet it just kept going. More secrets came out and the story wrapped all loose ends up, but the dialog between the characters just dragged on, and was super wordy. It was a clean read.
  
  I just purchased Anita Stansfield's newest release for my 15 year old. She got to the 3rd chapter and couldn't go on. She said it was just do descriptive. She gave it to her 16 year old friend who made it to the 5th chapter and put it down as well. It just has a lot of words and doesn't move forward very well.
• 
  Kristen Nelson

  A book of love and intrigue. Anya and Gavin have had their lives oppressed by the towers of Brierley - their home in early-1800's Scotland. Gavin has been given a chance at freedom and has tried to put his past behind him, but when he returned to Brierley after a ten-year absence, he finds his life in grave danger. Anya is a lowly servant living a punishing life in a Cinderella story; the great-niece of the wonderful, but murdered Earl of Brierley. She is sent to rescue Gavin and they eventually find something that neither has felt in years - love and trust. Together, they know that they must break the evil that has taken over Brierley, even if it costs them their lives.
• 
  Melissa

  I absolutely loved this book. I saw it at a friends house the other day and decided I want to read it again. This book is set in the Scottish Highlands back in the time of Kings and Queens, and Lords and Ladies. It is the story of a poor scottish couple who meet under unlikely circumstances, both with their own past issues, and their struggle to deal with their past while staying together and more importantly to accept what their future holds. I can't do it justice, I just highly suggest you read it.
• 
  Alexia

  I finished the book and again, I liked it. It was fairly well written although I wish there had been more character development. Also, I hate it when a story wraps up really fast, and there are details left out that would make the transition a little more smooth, especially when something unexpected occurs. She did not do that here, the ending came on sort of swift, and it left me a little... wanting. Over all it was a good story though, good people with a touch of religion. She did not over do that part. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a light read.
• 
  Camilla

  Sorry Andie....but I didn't love it. The pace of the plot was great -- it certainly kept me interested, which is why I gave a good review of it earlier. And I was really hoping she'd redeem herself by the end concerning her characters...but she just didn't convince me that her characters were REAL breathing beings. There was so much potential, but I just kind of gritted my teeth when the characters acted "accordingly to script" instead of offering a genuine, human reaction.
  This is a book I would have enjoyed before going through the English program.
• 
  Tianna

  Cheesy LDS romance. If you like that type of novel, this is a good book for you, but I wouldn't recommend it if you don't. Well, cheesy romance, anyway. It's not specifically LDS. It's set in Scotland and the servants speak in an accent, so sometimes you have to think about what is being said. It has a tinge of mystery to it as well. It is a good book about falling in love and learning to trust the other person with all of your secrets and to love unconditionally.
• 
  Melanie

  Ugh--I had a hard time with this book, but felt compelled to finish. I am giving it 2 stars instead of 1 because the plot did keep me reading. The story was intriguing, but the characters were so sappy, cheesy, and always delving into all their emotional "issues". It became very tiresome for me! The story had such potential, but as it unfolded I was increasingly dissapointed. It was all just too convenient. I would not recommend this book.
• 
  The Sweet Bookshelf

  I love Anita Stansfield and have been an avid fan for years. I have loved ALL of her novels. But "Towers of Brierley" was not up to par. I liked it, but it lacked the details and backbone that most of her novels possess. It was predictable and too short. Everything happened too fast making it unbelievable! Adding more meat to the story would have made it more enjoyable. Bottom line: not her best, but good if you want to sit down and read a typical romance novel.
  
• 
  Jami

  **Spoiler Alert**
  
  It was pretty good. I like period novels which is why I was drawn to this one. I liked the mystery of who Gavin was during the entire book although figured out he was Margaret's son half way through. The only qualm I have with the book is the main female character of Anya was always crying about something. But, honestly, that is typical Stansfield. I guess you take it with a grain of salt. But, overall I enjoyed it.
• 
  Megan Swanson

  The only other Anita Stansfield I've read was Where the Heart Leads. This book reminded me so much of Alene Roberts. There would be a spot where I would think it could be resolved and have everything come out into the open, but it would continue on, into things I wouldn't have thought about, but clearly needed to happen based on the earlier sequence of events. Everything was cleared up in the end though, and I loved it. Peg is especially hilarious. I love all of her comments about oatmeal.
• 
  Casey

  Liked the story but found it a little too sappy for my tastes and didn't like how everything tied up so nicely in the end. I LOVE happy endings, but not when everything seems way too convenient. I also started to get a little annoyed with Anya at times because of how emotional she was. One good thing about reading it though, was that it showed me how pathetic I probably am sometimes and has encouraged me to change! :)
• 
  Sariah

  Ick this was horrible. Just a tamed down version of a pathetic Harlequin Romance. So awful. This was my first Anita Stansfield book, and probably my last. Improbable situations, terrible dialogue, unrealistic and highly romanticized "love". No wonder so many marriages end in divorce if women think this is what love is supposed to be like. Puke. I actually threw this book away.
• 
  Andie

  I think this is my favorite of all the Anita Stansfield books that I have read. It may be because it was the first one that I ever read, or the fact that I grew really attached to the characters very quickly. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that enjoys fairly clean romance/historical fiction books.
• 
  Leah

  In high school I went through a romance phase and have always LOVED the story of romance. I wasn't a fan of all the descriptive sex, so I stopped reading them. I heard about anita a couple months ago and determined to try out one of her books. I've never read Christian romance before. I really liked it. Really. A good, fun, get lost in easy read.