The Audrey Hepburn Estate by Brenda Janowitz #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you HTP Books #partner,  for the advanced e-copy of The Audrey Hepburn Estate in exchange for my honest review. I borrowed the audiobook from the library.

Publisher: Graydon House / Harlequin Audio

Published: April 18, 2023

 

Summary:

When Emma Jansen discovers that the grand Long Island estate where she grew up is set to be demolished, she can’t help but return for one last visit. After all, it was a place filled with firsts: learning to ride a bike, sneaking a glass of champagne, falling in love.

But once Emma arrives at the storied mansion, she can’t ignore the more complicated memories. Because that’s not exactly where Emma grew up. Her mother and father worked for the family that owned the estate, and they lived over the garage like Audrey Hepburn’s character in the film Sabrina. Emma never felt fully accepted, except by the family’s grandson, Henry—a former love—and by the driver’s son, Leo—her best friend.

As plans for the property are put into motion and the three are together for the first time in over a decade, Emma finds herself caught between two worlds and two loves. And when the house reveals a shattering secret about her own family, she’ll have to decide what kind of life she really wants for herself now and who she wants to be in it.

 

My thoughts:

I’m a huge Audrey Hepburn fan, so requesting this book was a no-brainer! As soon as I saw the title, I knew I had to read it and I absolutely was charmed by this book – part historical fiction, part women’s fiction and part mystery. It was so good and I cannot recommend it enough!

This story is in part influenced by the movie Sabrina, which happens to be one of my favorites, set right on Long Island. I found myself completely engaged in this story and loved the way the author basically gave us a love letter to Audrey Hepburn’s life, even going so far as to include a detailed list of all the Easter Eggs you will find throughout the book at the end. I’ve seen many of Audrey’s movies, but this book left me wanting to watch them all again and then see the ones I missed.

I loved the way the story moved back in forth in time, effortlessly blending the historical fiction with the present. The way the mystery was woven in and how the secrets of the mansion kept coming out really kept you glued to the story and I found myself completely wrapped up in all that was happening.

I definitely suggest picking this one up, especially if you are as big a fan of Audrey Hepburn as I am. It is such a great story and the research that went into this book is impeccable! I can’t wait to see what Brenda writes next!

 

Audio thoughts:

I loved listening to this one. Cassandra Campbell, one of my favorite narrators, did an amazing job bringing this one to life. She was able to give each character their own unique voice and personality and her pacing and intonation was spot on.