the thief of lanwyn manor by sarah e. ladd

Julia Twethwey came to Lanwyn Manor to escape her broken heart.

She didn't come to get caught between the miners and the mine owners. She didn't come to investigate strange noises in the manor at night. She didn't come to confront the thief stealing their valuables. And she certainly didn't come to have to choose between her aunt's preference of Matthew Blake and her affection for his twin, Isaac Blake.

Apparently, no one told the thief of Lanwyn Manor that.

This book is much like its first installment The Governess of Penwythe Hall. A gentle story that just kind of rolls along. Lots of loose threads dangle throughout the book, only to be woven in at the end. Just when you think things have leveled out, the stakes up just enough to keep the story going.

As a main character, Julia could be a bit annoying. A bit weak. But the longer I thought about it, and the more I read, I wondered if maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. After all, the whole story is about Julia discovering her weaknesses aren't such a hindrance as she thought. It's a good reminder for us as well.

The thing I found most interesting about this book was Matthew and Isaac's relationship as twins. They've been close all their life, but now their beliefs are taking them in different directions, directions at odd with each other. It's interesting watching them navigate this and makes for an interesting twist when a villain gets their identities confused.

For all the inspirational thoughts in this book, however, there is no mention of God. I missed it and hope to see it return in the final installment of this series.

Does it have weaknesses of its own? Perhaps. But The Thief of Lanwyn Manor still stole a couple hours of my time anyway. And I'm not sorry in the least bit.