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Cavendon Hall #2
The Cavendon Women
Cavendon Women, the stunning sequel to Barbara Taylor Bradford’s Cavendon Hall follows the Inghams’ and the Swanns’ journey from a family weekend in the summer of 1926 through to the devastation of the Wall Street crash of 1929. It all begins on a summer weekend in July of 1926 when, for the first time in years, the earl has planned a family weekend. As the family members come together, secrets, problems, joys, and sorrows are revealed. As old enemies come out of the shadows and the Swanns’ loyalty to the Ingham gets tested in ways none of them could have predicted, it’s up to the Cavendon women to band together and bring their family into a new decade, and a new way of life.
462 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2015
658 people are currently reading
2943 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Taylor Bradford
279 books1,930 followersBarbara Taylor Bradford was a British-American best-selling novelist. Her debut novel, A Woman of Substance, was published in 1979 and sold over 30 million copies worldwide. She wrote 40 novels, all bestsellers in the United Kingdom and the United States.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 344 reviews
July 15, 2017
This was definitely a huge disappointment after how good the first book in the series was! I was really looking forward to continuing the series but after this let down, I definitely won't be reading the final book!
The only thing saving this book from being one star is that it did manage to keep me somewhat entertained until about half way through. But from then on I completely lost interest and the story really started to go downhill!
The characters became extremely predictable and suddenly everyone was falling in love, left right and center... It was just all too perfectly set up and it quickly became extremely annoying. Quite honestly, I'm surprised I even managed to make it through to the end of the book, that's how annoyed I became with this book!
The only thing saving this book from being one star is that it did manage to keep me somewhat entertained until about half way through. But from then on I completely lost interest and the story really started to go downhill!
The characters became extremely predictable and suddenly everyone was falling in love, left right and center... It was just all too perfectly set up and it quickly became extremely annoying. Quite honestly, I'm surprised I even managed to make it through to the end of the book, that's how annoyed I became with this book!
January 16, 2016
I think I gave this book a fair shake at 31% completed before dropping it like a hot potato. It, unfortunately, has all the problems of book one and even slides down another notch by killing one of the nicer points of that same book. So here ya go on why I dropped this one…
The one bright point in this whole debacle of a book is the author still takes her time in the descriptions and beauty of 1920s rural England. The estate of Cavendon is beautifully described, and the fashions of the era are also lovingly brought to life. I could see everything in my mind’s eye, no problem.
Sadly, everything else in this book that I was exposed to sucks. The characterizations…. Oy vey! Just like in book one, everybody is two-dimensional (at best!) and stereotyped. There were no “Daphne” and “Hugo” equivalents in this book to save this side. Everyone was either super beautiful, courageous, loyal, and true to the family OR you were evil, ugly, and an egg-sucking traitor.
Even just having a dissenting opinion was enough to label you a traitor to the family and enough to get the cold shoulder from everyone. The individuals with this dissenting opinion was villainized and ostracized as soon as those opinions were voiced. Talk about “family loyalty”… I mean if you can’t have a different opinion and still feel loved with family members, than who can you with??
Then there’s the story itself. We’re right back to the inane melodramas of the first two thirds of book one, only without the powerful events like Daphne’s “devastating” event. The biggest plot points by the time I quit was petty theft and marrying outside your class. Maybe in another work, these might have been enough to carry the story, but not with this work or author.
I’m sorry to say that these two works were my introduction to the author. Sad to say, they don’t shine a good light on her as a writer. Maybe she was just in slump when these works oozed out of her pen, but don’t start with them if you haven’t read the author before. Horribly flat characterizations, inane plot points, and just bad writing bog this work down, like book one. Pass on this one.
Note: Book received for free from publisher in exchange for an honest review. (Again, very honest, was I!!)
The one bright point in this whole debacle of a book is the author still takes her time in the descriptions and beauty of 1920s rural England. The estate of Cavendon is beautifully described, and the fashions of the era are also lovingly brought to life. I could see everything in my mind’s eye, no problem.
Sadly, everything else in this book that I was exposed to sucks. The characterizations…. Oy vey! Just like in book one, everybody is two-dimensional (at best!) and stereotyped. There were no “Daphne” and “Hugo” equivalents in this book to save this side. Everyone was either super beautiful, courageous, loyal, and true to the family OR you were evil, ugly, and an egg-sucking traitor.
Even just having a dissenting opinion was enough to label you a traitor to the family and enough to get the cold shoulder from everyone. The individuals with this dissenting opinion was villainized and ostracized as soon as those opinions were voiced. Talk about “family loyalty”… I mean if you can’t have a different opinion and still feel loved with family members, than who can you with??
Then there’s the story itself. We’re right back to the inane melodramas of the first two thirds of book one, only without the powerful events like Daphne’s “devastating” event. The biggest plot points by the time I quit was petty theft and marrying outside your class. Maybe in another work, these might have been enough to carry the story, but not with this work or author.
I’m sorry to say that these two works were my introduction to the author. Sad to say, they don’t shine a good light on her as a writer. Maybe she was just in slump when these works oozed out of her pen, but don’t start with them if you haven’t read the author before. Horribly flat characterizations, inane plot points, and just bad writing bog this work down, like book one. Pass on this one.
Note: Book received for free from publisher in exchange for an honest review. (Again, very honest, was I!!)
March 12, 2015
As longtime followers know, I am ALWAYS on the search for something to fill the Downton Abbey void. So when this arrived in my mailbox, I was sure this was it. Fancy, amazing house? Check. Romance? Check. Inter-class relationships? Check. Intrigue, a wide selection of characters, and historical amazing-ness? Sadly, no.
The Cavendon Women starts off on a good note; Cecily, a fashion designer, going back home, to the place she fell in love. But the storyline falls quickly. You may have noticed that I don't have a summary in this review like I normally do. This is because I have literally no idea what the plot was suppose to be. (Maybe "The Story of how a bunch of rich people had sex and fell in love with the perfect people and nothing went bad that couldn't be fixed with a good attitude!")
So the characters: I immediately liked Cecily.... until I realized she and ever other female character were pretty much the same person! None of the characters had any depth to them, and there were way too many of them, so it quickly became confusing to read. And the sisters all had names that started with "D" so I don't even have to tell you how confusing that could be.
The book kept acting like something horrible, terrible, UNTHINKABLE(!) would happen, but nothing did. Ok, so someone died but it was glazed over so you didn't even feel that bad.
Positive things that could be mentioned is that fashion was spoken a lot about, and the author is very accomplished, even being given a OBE (Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to Literature.
The Cavendon Women starts off on a good note; Cecily, a fashion designer, going back home, to the place she fell in love. But the storyline falls quickly. You may have noticed that I don't have a summary in this review like I normally do. This is because I have literally no idea what the plot was suppose to be. (Maybe "The Story of how a bunch of rich people had sex and fell in love with the perfect people and nothing went bad that couldn't be fixed with a good attitude!")
So the characters: I immediately liked Cecily.... until I realized she and ever other female character were pretty much the same person! None of the characters had any depth to them, and there were way too many of them, so it quickly became confusing to read. And the sisters all had names that started with "D" so I don't even have to tell you how confusing that could be.
The book kept acting like something horrible, terrible, UNTHINKABLE(!) would happen, but nothing did. Ok, so someone died but it was glazed over so you didn't even feel that bad.
Positive things that could be mentioned is that fashion was spoken a lot about, and the author is very accomplished, even being given a OBE (Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to Literature.
October 13, 2015
Setting: England late 1920s
3 1/2..maybe Stars
The women of Cavendon have always stood up to be counted for in good times or bad, and in The "Cavendon Women" whether the Ingham family or the Swann's, owner or servant, there is no tougher times than the late 1920s.
The story opens with the Earl planning the first family reunion in many years, bringing Cecily Swann back to Cavendon.
When Cecily lost her childhood sweetheart, Miles Ingham, to another woman, Cecily heartbroken left for London, and became a renowned fashion designer, But when it is revealed the famed Cavendon jewels have been stolen and financial ruin is possible, the women band together to keep the family and their home together.
With their cleverness, the Cavendon women prove that loyalty, family devotion and love make them powerful indeed.
This is the sequel to Cavendon Hall...or maybe there will be a third book, but I enjoyed this one a tad better than the first. The things I liked were, characters that were appealing, strong loving women, a lot more power and emotion was put into the story as well than the first book. What I wanted more of was, historical detail to evoke the era as it would have added color and flavor to the story and all that was happening around these characters to round it all out. And although I didn't get that, the remarkable characters made up for it. But..barely
(There was also a nod to Emma Harte from A Woman of Substance)
3 1/2..maybe Stars
The women of Cavendon have always stood up to be counted for in good times or bad, and in The "Cavendon Women" whether the Ingham family or the Swann's, owner or servant, there is no tougher times than the late 1920s.
The story opens with the Earl planning the first family reunion in many years, bringing Cecily Swann back to Cavendon.
When Cecily lost her childhood sweetheart, Miles Ingham, to another woman, Cecily heartbroken left for London, and became a renowned fashion designer, But when it is revealed the famed Cavendon jewels have been stolen and financial ruin is possible, the women band together to keep the family and their home together.
With their cleverness, the Cavendon women prove that loyalty, family devotion and love make them powerful indeed.
This is the sequel to Cavendon Hall...or maybe there will be a third book, but I enjoyed this one a tad better than the first. The things I liked were, characters that were appealing, strong loving women, a lot more power and emotion was put into the story as well than the first book. What I wanted more of was, historical detail to evoke the era as it would have added color and flavor to the story and all that was happening around these characters to round it all out. And although I didn't get that, the remarkable characters made up for it. But..barely
(There was also a nod to Emma Harte from A Woman of Substance)
June 2, 2016
When we left the Inghams and Swanns it was after WW1. This 2nd book in what is soon to be a trilogy (3rd book due out June 7, 2016) continues a theme of family loyalties. It begins in summer 1926 through the devastating stock market crash of 1929, the major event signaling the start of a 10-year Great Depression.
This is a predictable and at times cheesy read, but that is to be expected when reading BTB books. It is decent escapist fiction with drama and romance and fine detailing of time and place. If you enjoy reading about privileged and beautiful people during the influential Roaring Twenties and a breezy story line, you should enjoy this. As with the first novel, I got confused with the numerous characters. It would be helpful if the next edition includes a list of characters in the introduction (or one can be found online?). I recommend others read the first read book in the series (Cavendon Hall) prior to reading this.
This is a predictable and at times cheesy read, but that is to be expected when reading BTB books. It is decent escapist fiction with drama and romance and fine detailing of time and place. If you enjoy reading about privileged and beautiful people during the influential Roaring Twenties and a breezy story line, you should enjoy this. As with the first novel, I got confused with the numerous characters. It would be helpful if the next edition includes a list of characters in the introduction (or one can be found online?). I recommend others read the first read book in the series (Cavendon Hall) prior to reading this.
September 27, 2018
In the immortal words of Luke Skywalker: what a piece of junk.
I wasn't particularly wow'd by Book 1, but this took bad writing, tell-not-show, "As You Know, Bob," & tedious Bertie Small-esque descriptive repetition to new heights. I can't even summon the effort to write the scathing review such god-awful prose demands. It was just plain bad. Really, REALLY bad. Also: naming four flatly-defined, visually-identical daughters such similar names (all starting with D *eyeroll*) might sound cute in theory, but in practice? So very confusing & bland. A book is NOT a tv show. Visual cues that work onscreen aren't a part of the reading experience, y'know?
If these samples are true to form, how BTB became such a 'beloved' author is beyond my comprehension. I still have my secondhand copy of A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE, & I'll give it a go because it's such a famous touchstone of 70s chick-lit soap, but BTB...you're officially on notice. The DNF is strong with this one. 😑
I wasn't particularly wow'd by Book 1, but this took bad writing, tell-not-show, "As You Know, Bob," & tedious Bertie Small-esque descriptive repetition to new heights. I can't even summon the effort to write the scathing review such god-awful prose demands. It was just plain bad. Really, REALLY bad. Also: naming four flatly-defined, visually-identical daughters such similar names (all starting with D *eyeroll*) might sound cute in theory, but in practice? So very confusing & bland. A book is NOT a tv show. Visual cues that work onscreen aren't a part of the reading experience, y'know?
If these samples are true to form, how BTB became such a 'beloved' author is beyond my comprehension. I still have my secondhand copy of A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE, & I'll give it a go because it's such a famous touchstone of 70s chick-lit soap, but BTB...you're officially on notice. The DNF is strong with this one. 😑
August 12, 2019
Heel vlot geschreven. Wel heel voorspelbaar, met enkele onverwachte twists. Dit boek gaat over de verdere lotgevallen van de families Ingham en Swann. Het boek begint in 1926, de inwoners van Cavendon Hall zijn de oorlogsjaren te boven. En....na vele generaties wordt de traditie doorbroken, er zijn Inghams die met Swanns trouwen! Hoewel er vele moeilijkheden zijn, komt door de sterke loyaliteit tussen de beide families, alles meestal op zijn pootjes terecht.
Het boek eindigt in 1929, bij de wereldwijde beurscrash. Alhoewel de Inghams niet failliet zijn, staan hen toch nieuwe uitdagingen te wachten, want ook zij zijn slachtoffer van deze gebeurtenis. Ik verwacht dat in een volgend boek zal beschreven worden hoe ze zich hier doorheen slaan.
Het boek eindigt in 1929, bij de wereldwijde beurscrash. Alhoewel de Inghams niet failliet zijn, staan hen toch nieuwe uitdagingen te wachten, want ook zij zijn slachtoffer van deze gebeurtenis. Ik verwacht dat in een volgend boek zal beschreven worden hoe ze zich hier doorheen slaan.
March 6, 2017
SERIE CAVENDON HALL n. 2
Rispetto al primo volume, su cui avevo alcuni dubbi, questo mi è piaciuto molto di più. Ma nonostante ciò, non sono proprio quattro stelle piene.
Sono passati sei anni e adesso siamo nel pieno degli anni 20 "gli anni ruggenti". Con la scusa di una riunione di famiglia Charlotte porta tutti gli Ingham e gli Swan sotto lo stesso tetto. Così Myles e Cecily si rivedono. E da qui parte tutto. Le protagoniste qui sono le donne di Cavendon. Bello davvero. Non me lo aspettavo. Finalmente ci lasciamo tutte le spiegazioni sul rapporto padrone/servitore fedele. E finalmente lasciamo spazio ai sentimenti, agli intrighi e al fascino della vita di quegli anni. Il libro anche se ha una trama intrecciata è molto semplice. Le situazioni si risolvono in un baleno. Ed è questo quello che non mi ha fatto dare le stelle piene. Materiale ce n'è, ma davvero a parte la situazione Miles e Cecily che dura tutto il libro, per il resto in due pagine viene risolto il problema. Cque come spegni cervello è perfetto. Descrizioni luoghi, vestiti e modi di vivere di quel tempo perfetti. E poi ora voglio sapere come va avanti. L'idea di scrivere la storia tutte le generazioni degli Ingham e degli Swan mi piace parecchio. Siamo passati dagli anni 10 del primo libro. Passando per la prima guerra mondiale e per arrivare ora al crollo della borsa del 29. E non finisce qui! Un terzo libro è già uscito e quest'anno uscirà un quarto. Devo recuperarlo al più presto!!!
Rispetto al primo volume, su cui avevo alcuni dubbi, questo mi è piaciuto molto di più. Ma nonostante ciò, non sono proprio quattro stelle piene.
Sono passati sei anni e adesso siamo nel pieno degli anni 20 "gli anni ruggenti". Con la scusa di una riunione di famiglia Charlotte porta tutti gli Ingham e gli Swan sotto lo stesso tetto. Così Myles e Cecily si rivedono. E da qui parte tutto. Le protagoniste qui sono le donne di Cavendon. Bello davvero. Non me lo aspettavo. Finalmente ci lasciamo tutte le spiegazioni sul rapporto padrone/servitore fedele. E finalmente lasciamo spazio ai sentimenti, agli intrighi e al fascino della vita di quegli anni. Il libro anche se ha una trama intrecciata è molto semplice. Le situazioni si risolvono in un baleno. Ed è questo quello che non mi ha fatto dare le stelle piene. Materiale ce n'è, ma davvero a parte la situazione Miles e Cecily che dura tutto il libro, per il resto in due pagine viene risolto il problema. Cque come spegni cervello è perfetto. Descrizioni luoghi, vestiti e modi di vivere di quel tempo perfetti. E poi ora voglio sapere come va avanti. L'idea di scrivere la storia tutte le generazioni degli Ingham e degli Swan mi piace parecchio. Siamo passati dagli anni 10 del primo libro. Passando per la prima guerra mondiale e per arrivare ora al crollo della borsa del 29. E non finisce qui! Un terzo libro è già uscito e quest'anno uscirà un quarto. Devo recuperarlo al più presto!!!
July 19, 2015
Is there a less than one star? Silly and directed at, I can't imagine. No character development. Starting a dramatic scene with what everyone is wearing, the colour of their eyes and the colour of the room was just ridiculous. Will never pick up a book by this author ever again. I was trapped in a car by the way, and it was read or be anxious about the traffic.
March 6, 2024
Waarom gebeurt er niets spannends? Alle problemen worden te toevallig en te gemakkelijk opgelost.
March 30, 2015
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway, and if I didn't feel that I owed it a review as a result, I likely wouldn't have finished it. When I pick up a book to read, I'm not inclined to be impressed by the author's NYT bestseller status or other laurels. Instead, I look for an engrossing story to capture my interest as I would in any book by any author, known or unknown. Even though I am a Downton Abbey fan and enjoy Edwardian romances, this book just didn't do that for me. The conflicts are almost nonexistent and are easily resolved, so easily that I almost wondered why the author bothered to introduce them. As a result, the characters' emotions come across as flat, because nothing really challenges them. It's all lightness and ease and fluffy fashion, food and weddings that's liberally sprinkled with repetition (how many times must I be told that Lady Gwendolyn likes to get right to the point?) and salt-and-pepper dialogue (as in please pass the salt and pepper--or tea, or may I take your coat?). I was bored. The writing is competent and the characters are fully drawn, though uninteresting, but the storytelling falls flat.
February 18, 2018
My God. I mean, just awful. What published author genuinely writes the sentence "And the sapphire earrings I gave you, when we were married, match your eyes"? The quality is something you'd expect from a sixteen-year-old attempting their first story. The characters are cardboard cut-outs of each other, all 'incomparably' beautiful and with no personality to speak of, and they all constantly find it necessary to explain to each other things that would be obvious to a character - like Miles explaining to his sister "I have to be here (some unnecessary gathering) because I'm the heir". As if any aristocrat in the 1920's would utter such a sophomoric, useless sentence. This is clearly an attempt to make a buck off the Downton Abbey-hungry American audience without actually having to reach a Downton Abbey level of sophistication in the writing.
April 18, 2015
The Cavendon Woman gave you a further look into Ingham and Swann families and how very intertwined the families have been for generations. Barbara Taylor Bradford gives us another wonderful saga of a family's hopes, dreams, sorrows and rise from the ashes of heartache. Love that spands time and brings these two families together by marriage and birth where Love prevails. I am hoping we get more of Cavendon Hall in future... The next generation of Ingham's and Swann's.
July 4, 2016
Gave up reading. This book was awful, boring and written so simply that I felt like concepts were being beaten into my head. WE GET THAT YOU LIKE BUFFET DINNERS.
May 29, 2016
Loved!
June 1, 2016
I began reading this straight away after finishing the first. It picks up six years after the first book and centers around Cecily Swann and Miles Ingham & their prior lost love. Miles wasn't much fleshed out as a character until the last quarter of the first book and neither really was Cecily, so there wasn't a lot of time for me to invest in their romance. I admit to being interested mostly in Cecily the business woman. Honestly, I wanted to know more about Deidre and DeLacy in the first book and was shocked when it's mentioned DeLacy's divorcing when I never even heard about who she'd dated or married to begin with. I felt cheated. Deidre was merely a feared spectre for Dulcie in book one so I was glad she featured more here.
I knew after reading the first book that any situation that would present itself that seemed insurmountable or wholly scandalous given the era, would work out pretty smoothly, so I didn't feel the sort of suspense I did when reading the first. The Inghams out progressive the Granthams with being able to throw off class convention & any kind of care about societal mores of the day. Will it all work out for the Inghams & Swanns? Yes. Almost perfectly and with minor exception. This is definitely the saga to read when you're feeling like you need some Happily Ever After in your reading life.
I did feel that if a character wasn't wholly on Team Ingham-Swann union, they were made out to be thoroughly unlikable. That didn't endear the couples to me or invest me in their destined love any more but rather diminished them a bit because I felt it was unnecessarily heavy handed. The freezing out of Lavina & what it took to get her back into their good graces & the subterfuge of reconciliation to converge on Felicity, reflected poorly on all of them, in my eyes. And the writing took another step saying that Lavinia was aging, losing her looks & apparently had no redeeming qualities her family could detect, when a man expressed romantic interest in her. This losing their looks thing was basically to be the same fate for Felicity and Clarissa when the plot decreed it for no other reason that to underscore why the Ingham men needed to be free of them for their true Swann loves. Sheesh. On the upside, characters always need flaws and this bit definitely fit the bill.
While the romances of the two main couples didn't much surprise, I was very invested in Deidre and DeLacy. I also had some interest in Dulcie but only insofar as another character displayed interest in her & as that was a Swann male, I shouldn't have bothered hoping she'd have any interest in him. That irresistible Ingham-Swann attraction & marrying only goes one way (though there is a long past relationship that's tossed in to give the Swann men a bit of cred & likely set up another plot for the next book). On the whole, I felt Dulcie was obnoxious in the first book and this book just solidified that I just don't like her nor do I find her as amazing as the other characters insist. Deidre and DeLacy's stories made up for just about everything for me here & I look forward to what's next (especially for DeLacy).
Like the first, this is an easy, breezy read and one I'm glad I bought. It that had me eagerly turning the pages to read what happened next and that's all to the good. As I read this over Memorial Day weekend, I'd recommend this as a good summer read.
I knew after reading the first book that any situation that would present itself that seemed insurmountable or wholly scandalous given the era, would work out pretty smoothly, so I didn't feel the sort of suspense I did when reading the first. The Inghams out progressive the Granthams with being able to throw off class convention & any kind of care about societal mores of the day. Will it all work out for the Inghams & Swanns? Yes. Almost perfectly and with minor exception. This is definitely the saga to read when you're feeling like you need some Happily Ever After in your reading life.
I did feel that if a character wasn't wholly on Team Ingham-Swann union, they were made out to be thoroughly unlikable. That didn't endear the couples to me or invest me in their destined love any more but rather diminished them a bit because I felt it was unnecessarily heavy handed. The freezing out of Lavina & what it took to get her back into their good graces & the subterfuge of reconciliation to converge on Felicity, reflected poorly on all of them, in my eyes. And the writing took another step saying that Lavinia was aging, losing her looks & apparently had no redeeming qualities her family could detect, when a man expressed romantic interest in her. This losing their looks thing was basically to be the same fate for Felicity and Clarissa when the plot decreed it for no other reason that to underscore why the Ingham men needed to be free of them for their true Swann loves. Sheesh. On the upside, characters always need flaws and this bit definitely fit the bill.
While the romances of the two main couples didn't much surprise, I was very invested in Deidre and DeLacy. I also had some interest in Dulcie but only insofar as another character displayed interest in her & as that was a Swann male, I shouldn't have bothered hoping she'd have any interest in him. That irresistible Ingham-Swann attraction & marrying only goes one way (though there is a long past relationship that's tossed in to give the Swann men a bit of cred & likely set up another plot for the next book). On the whole, I felt Dulcie was obnoxious in the first book and this book just solidified that I just don't like her nor do I find her as amazing as the other characters insist. Deidre and DeLacy's stories made up for just about everything for me here & I look forward to what's next (especially for DeLacy).
Like the first, this is an easy, breezy read and one I'm glad I bought. It that had me eagerly turning the pages to read what happened next and that's all to the good. As I read this over Memorial Day weekend, I'd recommend this as a good summer read.
June 13, 2015
I was so hoping this book would improve off of its prequel, but unfortunately, there was little difference. Yet again, the Inghrams and the Swanns are navigating the early decades of the twentieth century, and yet again things seem to magically go their way at the most convenient time.
October 11, 2015
"The Cavendon Women," by Barbara Taylor Bradford, is a book about super rich people complaining about how hard it is to not be super mega rich anymore and how expensive it is to run a manor/estate and "be on a budget" when they have literally millions of dollars worth of "investment" jewelry and art in their vaults. Gosh it's hard to be rich!
The language was incredibly stilted and repetitive and I gave up maybe a quarter of the way in. I kept going thinking the book might get better, but it never did. There's divorced couples, which should be interesting given the time and setting but it wasn't. There were people dealing with the devastating after effects of WWI and the Spanish Flu and that seemed like nothing more than scenery, not anything affecting the characters other than as a bit of bother (oh darn, my brother died in the war, now I'm forced to marry a bitchy heiress instead of my One True Love, how inconvenient). It's like the most boring parts of "Downton Abbey" and random "Masterpiece Theater" presentations, except the only thing we really know about the characters is the clothing they're wearing, their skin color (pale), their hair color (golden blonde or russet), and maybe their eye color if it's OMG LAVENDER!!!!! SO SPECIAL!
I imagine this book will be right up somebody else's alley and I wish you joy in it. I really like reading about this era, both the history of it and fiction set in it but this just really fell flat for me. I might enjoy it better if I'd read the book before it (I wasn't aware there's a book set before it, it didn't show up in the list of published works by the author in the book). Instead it gets a resounding "meh."
It's rare I don't finish a book. This one just feels like a waste of time.
The language was incredibly stilted and repetitive and I gave up maybe a quarter of the way in. I kept going thinking the book might get better, but it never did. There's divorced couples, which should be interesting given the time and setting but it wasn't. There were people dealing with the devastating after effects of WWI and the Spanish Flu and that seemed like nothing more than scenery, not anything affecting the characters other than as a bit of bother (oh darn, my brother died in the war, now I'm forced to marry a bitchy heiress instead of my One True Love, how inconvenient). It's like the most boring parts of "Downton Abbey" and random "Masterpiece Theater" presentations, except the only thing we really know about the characters is the clothing they're wearing, their skin color (pale), their hair color (golden blonde or russet), and maybe their eye color if it's OMG LAVENDER!!!!! SO SPECIAL!
I imagine this book will be right up somebody else's alley and I wish you joy in it. I really like reading about this era, both the history of it and fiction set in it but this just really fell flat for me. I might enjoy it better if I'd read the book before it (I wasn't aware there's a book set before it, it didn't show up in the list of published works by the author in the book). Instead it gets a resounding "meh."
It's rare I don't finish a book. This one just feels like a waste of time.
April 26, 2015
Cavendon Hall, England - 1926
Cavendon Hall is now 175 years old and consists of over 180 rooms. Charles Ingham, the Sixth Earl of Mowbray, is currently head of the family. A widower, he has one son and heir, Miles, and four grown daughters, Daphne, Dulcie, DeLacy, and Diedre.
For years and years, the Ingham family has been served by the Swann family and both families have always been true and faithful friends. To this end, Charles Ingham has fallen in love with Charlotte Swann and plans to marry her. His son, Miles, is estranged from his wife who left him and who never could conceive. He is in love with Cecily Swann but cannot persuade his wife to give him a divorce. The daughters all share beautiful blond hair and clear blue eyes. Each of them has established their own lives and are happy. The novel takes us through the daughters finding the man of their dreams. Along the way, the family meets with pain and sorrow, yet manages to stick together and maintain their close family and their huge home.
The book spans the time from 1926 to the disastrous financial crash of 1929. We get to know the members of the Ingham and Swann families and how their lives all intertwine. The Cavendon women prove themselves to be very strong and able to keep their family together as they enter the new decade.
This book is a follow-on to the author’s first novel, “Cavendon Hall.” I enjoyed that novel very much and truly looked forward to reading this new one.
Barbara Taylor Bradford is an author that does not disappoint. I am sure that readers will enjoy reading about this time period and the vast changes that occurred then.
Cavendon Hall is now 175 years old and consists of over 180 rooms. Charles Ingham, the Sixth Earl of Mowbray, is currently head of the family. A widower, he has one son and heir, Miles, and four grown daughters, Daphne, Dulcie, DeLacy, and Diedre.
For years and years, the Ingham family has been served by the Swann family and both families have always been true and faithful friends. To this end, Charles Ingham has fallen in love with Charlotte Swann and plans to marry her. His son, Miles, is estranged from his wife who left him and who never could conceive. He is in love with Cecily Swann but cannot persuade his wife to give him a divorce. The daughters all share beautiful blond hair and clear blue eyes. Each of them has established their own lives and are happy. The novel takes us through the daughters finding the man of their dreams. Along the way, the family meets with pain and sorrow, yet manages to stick together and maintain their close family and their huge home.
The book spans the time from 1926 to the disastrous financial crash of 1929. We get to know the members of the Ingham and Swann families and how their lives all intertwine. The Cavendon women prove themselves to be very strong and able to keep their family together as they enter the new decade.
This book is a follow-on to the author’s first novel, “Cavendon Hall.” I enjoyed that novel very much and truly looked forward to reading this new one.
Barbara Taylor Bradford is an author that does not disappoint. I am sure that readers will enjoy reading about this time period and the vast changes that occurred then.
February 9, 2016
I knew when I chose to read this novel that it would be light fare, probably peppered with silly soft porn lovemaking scenes with everyone following in love the first hour they meet. And it was. However, my rating doesn't reflect The Cavendon Women being held up to great literary standards. After all, sometimes you want cotton candy, and the writer did a nice job giving me time period details that I enjoy. It receives two stars from me because I compare it to its predecessor, Cavendon Hall. Once again, predictably light fare, but Cavendon Hall was not as repetitive, and I mean excessively repetitive...beat-over-the-head repetitive. Silly characters I expected, but these were just insipid. Why two stars, not one, then? It is because despite all the flaws of the series, I ashamedly admit I still will probably read the last novel of the series when it is available. So Barbara Taylor Bradford must have given something to these women, evidentally, that makes me want to check in on them...or maybe I just have a sweet tooth.
May 29, 2015
Do people honestly think this is a well written book? I read it because I stubbornly needed to know what happens with the characters, but the writing is just awful. Instead of letting the reader decide if someone is being truly genuine, the author says 'this character was being genuine'. Every major emotional obstacle is easily smoothed over. Haven't been friends for six years? Bring it in girl - I've missed you! Or hey, our sister is pregnant and getting married - to which the other characters reply by CHANGING THE SUBJECT. And the worst of it all is the world's most annoying nickname that didn't even exist in the first book - Daphers. Every time a character utters that nickname, it feels like forced intimacy. I sincerely hope this is the end of the line for the Cavendon women, but regardless, it's definitely the end of the line for Bradford and I.
July 13, 2015
Yet another disappointing read
Cavendon Hall, the prequel to The Cavendon Women, was sorely disappointing in my eyes. (My full review of Cavendon Hall here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...)
I picked the sequel up, praying for some sort of redemption on Barbara Taylor Bradford's part. I am sorry to report that my expectations were not met. Like the first book, there is no real conflict. The plot is predictable, details are repeated to no end, and dialogue comes off as pretentious. The characters had so much potential, but Bradford fails to develop them.
Cavendon Hall, the prequel to The Cavendon Women, was sorely disappointing in my eyes. (My full review of Cavendon Hall here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...)
I picked the sequel up, praying for some sort of redemption on Barbara Taylor Bradford's part. I am sorry to report that my expectations were not met. Like the first book, there is no real conflict. The plot is predictable, details are repeated to no end, and dialogue comes off as pretentious. The characters had so much potential, but Bradford fails to develop them.
January 1, 2018
I had the pleasure of reading CAVENDON HALL some years ago and decided to give this installment a go.
Ms. Taylor-Bradford did not disappoint.
I love the era in which the book was written. Aristocrats. Intrigue in the 1920's.
These elements and others made the book a breeze to read through.
Let it also be said that Ms. Taylor - Bradford is a literary giant without comparison.
Two thumbs up!
Ms. Taylor-Bradford did not disappoint.
I love the era in which the book was written. Aristocrats. Intrigue in the 1920's.
These elements and others made the book a breeze to read through.
Let it also be said that Ms. Taylor - Bradford is a literary giant without comparison.
Two thumbs up!
April 16, 2015
Once again, this author did not disappoint. This is the second book in what I hope is a continuing series (that is her pattern). I really couldn't put it down - great characters and nice to get back into all of their lives after reading the first book last year.
December 4, 2019
Enjoying the continuation of the lives of the Inghams (landed gentry) and the Swanns who are between stairs but working their way up. The introduction of Hartes Department Store (from Barbara Taylor Bradford’s A Woman of Substance series) just made it all feel so real. Looking forward to book 3.
April 14, 2015
Have Loved BTB since my first read "Woman of Substance" ... I am a fan of the ongoing Family Sagas, and I don't want the book to end
April 6, 2015
BTT has another success on her hands and I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment. I did win this book through a giveaway on BTT's Facebook page.
January 22, 2018
Love this series! If you like Downton Abbey, you will love this.
May 8, 2020
Long. Repetitive. Boring. Repetitive. Annoying characters. Repetitive. AND DID I SAY REPETITIVE?
April 15, 2020
This second book in the Cavendon Hall series advances the story six years to 1926, beginning with a family reunion at the Yorkshire estate. We learn so much more about the aristocratic Ingham family and the Swanns who have been by their side through thick and thin, upholding a bond first made 170 years before. At the age of 12, every Swann takes the vow "Loyalty binds me", and this pledge is tested as enemies appear who threaten the Ingham family and their estate.
This novel focuses on the strength of the Ingham and Swann women as they navigate a society that is rapidly changing, giving more opportunity to women. Bradford's style engages with an interesting plot and great detail, carrying the family through the great financial crisis of 1929. I am excited to continue the adventure!
This novel focuses on the strength of the Ingham and Swann women as they navigate a society that is rapidly changing, giving more opportunity to women. Bradford's style engages with an interesting plot and great detail, carrying the family through the great financial crisis of 1929. I am excited to continue the adventure!
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