The Cavendon Women: A Novel (Cavendon Hall Book 2) Kindle Edition

The Cavendon Women, a sequel to Cavendon Hall, fell flat for me. The Book is predictable, problems are solved too easily, and I had a great deal of difficulty distinguishing between the many characters.1926- 1929 – This family saga was built on the four Ingham sisters, all who emerge as strong and determined women, and the Swanns, who served them. The Inghams and Swanns have lived together for over 170 years and both families displayed an extraordinary amount of loyalty to each other. Cavendon Hall wasn’t what it used to be. The Great War had changed everything.My favorite character was Cecily Swann, a successful fashion designer. She not only sold her clothes in London, but also in America. She had a future filled with challenges and she’d become truly independent. Miles Ingham was a part of her past. He’d broken her heart when he married another woman, but she still loved him and didn’t think she’d ever forget him.And the story unfolds with various melodramas, complications, and romance. So much of the story came across as unrealistic, with pretentious dialogue, and excessive reiteration throughout. The ending did have some redeeming qualities, but again, problems were too easily wrapped up. My rating is 3 stars.

The Cavendon series is both interesting and inspiring. You get a look at the lives of families bound together by years of service and loyalty. It's hard to distinguish at times who is most bound as they both continue their pledge to each other through generations of Swanns and Cavendons. The Swanns love, protect and cover for so many of the Cavendons indiscretions without fail. But you also see how the families of differing stations grow to love and depend so deeply on each other. In this book we finally see a Swann break the chains of servitude and go into world and carve her way to economic success, power and fame. There is also power in love which refuses to give way to loss and tragedy in the case of the elder family members who secrets are revealed. Yet the loyalties and the love continue to bind these families together through even the darkest times. The various tragedies, the loss of love the loss of virginity and the loss of power are all twisted together to create a book that moves you emotionally and gives you reason to cheer for the the victors. In this case both families are redeemed and rewarded for their loyalty and faith and emerge even stronger and far more equal thatN ever before.

The Cavendon Women is the sequel to Cavendon Hall and once again this proves to be an unputdownable novel. Ms. Bradford is at the top of her game, writing her best series since A women of Substance and the Harte series. She continues here with the story of the Ingraham sisters; each story is compelling and she furthers the family story in the most compelling way. It is the kind of book you wish would not end. I look forward to the next installment. And just a note: if you are a book collector like myself you might want to check out the hardcover edition from the UK. It is a beautiful book and it lists all the characters in the beginning of the book which is helpful since there are so many characters. Because this is a family saga, I hope the next U.S. Edition will include a cast of characters as a preface to the book. In any event, read this book. It is excellent and a joy.

This is the second book in the series. The book can be read on it's own but I would recommend you read Cavendon Hall the first book in the series first. This book starts of in the mid 1920's. The plot is very well done and the story really draws you in to the lives of the English gentry and their loyal servants. A story with lots of drama, intrigue and romance but not without a bit of revenge and murder. The only disappointment for me was that problems created in the plot were solved almost as soon as they appeared. This made it feel a little bit unrealistic at times. On the other hand this is the second book in the series so I am sure the author is building up for lots more drama an intrigue in the next instalment. As usual a great read from Barbara Taylor Bradford.

It is summer in 1926 though the financial crash of 1929. Cavendon is getting ready for a big family weekend. The family gathers and are anxious to talk to the Earl about problems, joys, and family news of those that did not come. The women of the Ingham and Swanns' family have a strong bond among them. You will feel the joys and troubles they feel as they deal with the the family and Cavendon estate staying solvent. Another great book waiting for you to open and continue with the saga of the Ingham and Swann family.

Intrigue and grand drama continue to deliver. The Swann and Ingram family fight for their heritage builds drama. The connections to the Harte saga make for ever increasing credible historical fiction. Characters and a story to care for and about.

If you loved Downton Abbey. you will adore this series of three of the best books I have read in a long time. You will be turning pages as fast as you can read them and won't want to put the book down.

This is an amazing book. It is the sequel to Cavendon Hall, and I would recommend reading that one before Cavendon Women, as it sets the stage for both books. The time period is late 1800's into early 1900's, and takes place in England. Wonderful story, can't put the book down, great drama, romance, and suspense. I loved these characters as if I knew them personally and wish the author would make this a trilogy but I have not seen anything to that effect. I highly recommend this book. If you have followed Woman of Substance and the Harte series, Emma Hart is brought briefly into this book. You HAVE to read it.

Although I was not over-enamoured of Cavendon Hall, the first book in this series, I foolishly spent £4.99 on this second book in the series. Sadly this did not prove to be value for money.The story starts in 1926, despite the previous book ending in 1919 - and even then very few of the characters had been mentioned during the war years. So there was, in effect, a gap of about ten years. Very little was explained about what had happened to the family in the intervening years.The story plods along in a very boring and uninteresting way. It becomes a little more exciting half-way through, but soon reverts to its pedestrian mode. BTB is still besotted with many of her characters and their clothes, describing them as beautiful almost every time they appear.Several weddings occur and are mentioned briefly, but one is described in the minutest detail, including the wedding night, which was all a bit over the top.As in the previous book in the saga, BTB writes in a very stilted and detached way which, in turn, makes the characters communicate with each other in this way. Much of the story reads like a report, making it difficult to feel involved.I became annoyed by many words being hyphenated for no good reason, such as de-clared and some-times. The grammar was incorrect in places and there were some unbelievable scenarios, such as the retrieval of some pieces of jewellery, which were kept in velvet bags in a safe inside a cupboard, and yet needed two men with suitcases to take them away!A third book in this series, 'The Cavendon Luck', has just been published - at the preposterous price of £9.99 for the kindle edition. I don't think I would want to spend even 99p on it.

The follow up to 'Cavendon Hall', I purchased this book for Kindle after reading the first book in the series. I have not read any Barbara Taylor Bradford books since the 'A Woman of Substance' series in the 80's and I was pleased to discover that her style in this book is as good as I remember it.The story of the Inghams and Swanns at the fictional Cavendon Hall follows the lives and fortunes of an aristocratic family and their retainers through the first world war (Cavendon Hall) upto the end of the 1920's (Cavendon Women). In the same vein as 'Downton Abbey', fans of the TV series would probably enjoy this latest series of books from Barbara Taylor Bradford, I for one can't wait for the next installment in the Cavendon'saga'!

Once again this second book in the series is beautifully written but if it's fair to compare it didn't have the substance or the compelling force of the first in the series. Nonetheless, a great read but rather slower with superfluous trivia. What I found most compelling about the series is how the families show how the class system is broken down between the owners and servants - The Inghams and Swanns who mix and even marry. I loved all the historical references in both books.

Too sweetNot a BTB fan since Woman of substance but bought Clarendon Hall when sent as a special offer. The first book was so like DowntoN Abbey but less gritty. Felt it was so repetitive - all this talk about honour etcBought second book as I was curious as to how story developed, but it proved to be so sweet I developed toothache. Everyone is so beautiful, courageous, selfless, talented - the list is endless. There are a few bad guys but they are merely background characters and not developed.This is a very nice fairy tale about lovely people and barely a wicked witch in sight

Years ago I used to read Barbara Taylor Bradford's books about Emma Harte and her dynasty, however I haven't read any more of her books for a long time until I recently discovered the Cavendon Chronicles and they are just as good. Family saga, great cast of characters although it is sometimes difficult to remember who is who! I thoroughly recommend these books to you.