The Wonder of It All by Barbara Taylor Bradford #bookreview #audiobook #series

Thank you Netgalley / Macmillan Audio, for the ALC and St. Martin’s Press, #partner for the finished copy of The Wonders of It All in exchange for my honest review.

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press / Macmillan Audio

Published: December 5, 2023

 

Summary:

From New York Times bestselling author Barbara Taylor Bradford comes the long-anticipated final novel in the House of Falconer trilogy.

James Falconer–a tycoon and a self-made man–seems to have the world in the palm of his hand. But the Great War looms, and James decides to fight for king and country. The fighting is bloody and brutal, and James returns a changed man, with wounds both physical and mental. His beloved wife is dead, but a new woman returns to help nurse him back to health.

Georgiana Ward once held James in her thrall, but years have passed and bitterness has set in. Still, the old attraction is there and James is determined to make amends to both Georgiana and his child Leonie–now a grown woman and someone he hasn’t seen in decades. Leonie is having none of it, and is embarking on a dangerous journey with a man who might very well destroy her. As James fights to return to the man he once was, he needs to find a way to heal his body, soul, and family.

Told with Barbara Taylor Bradford’s inimitable style and flair for period detail , The Wonder of It All concludes House of Falconer trilogy that has followed the story of this remarkable family from Victorian times to the 20th century.

 

My thoughts:

This is the third, and final, book in Barbara Taylor Bradford’s House of Falconer series and I absolutely loved it! There is just something so magical about her family sagas and I find myself completely swept up in their stories…and this one is no exception.

I personally think it would be beneficial to read this series in order. While this one does stand on its own, there are quite a bit of threads that are carried over that would make for a richer reading experience if you have already read the earlier books. But that’s just my opinion.

In this latest installment, the war has ended and James has returned both physically and emotionally wounded. As he is convalescing in the hospital and making plans for where to go next, he reconnects with his ex-wife and it is decided he will go there for to continue recuperating for a time. While there, he is hoping to forge a relationship with his estranged daughter.

As I have come to love with this series, this book is full of drama, secrets, some scandal, and of course a little romance. Nothing is easy, nothing comes without a price and it is so easy to become totally swept up in the lives of our characters. While it has been a while since the last book, I had no trouble falling back into the swing of things – that’s all due to the way the author writes. She just has this way of pulling you into their lives as if you’ve been there the whole time. It’s so easy to get lost in this book and escape into these characters’ lives for a while. Each character has their set of challenges and there are some obstacles along the way, but that’s what keeps things moving, and the twists and surprising developments really kept me glued to the pages.

While I’m sad to see this series come to an end, I’m excited to see what will be coming next from BTB…she is one of my very favorite authors! Perhaps while I wait, I’ll finally get a chance to reread A Woman of Substance, my very favorite book of hers!

 

Audio thoughts:

The audio of this one was superbly narrated by Joan Walker. Her enthusiasm truly came through and she gave each character their own unique personality. Her pacing and intonation was spot on and she made this book a pleasure to listen to.

 

Books in this series:

1. Master of His Fate
2. In the Lion’s Den 
3. The Wonder of It All