Title: Habits of the House  

Author: Fay Weldon

Genre: Historical Fiction  

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin  

Format: Paperback

Pages: 336

Rating: 3/5 stars

*Warning: Mature Content. Parents please be advised.*

Synopsis (Goodreads):

From the award-winning novelist and writer of Upstairs Downstairs, the launch of a brilliant new trilogy about what life was really like for masters and servants before the world of Downton Abbey

As the Season of 1899 comes to an end, the world is poised on the brink of profound, irrevocable change. The Earl of Dilberne is facing serious financial concerns. The ripple effects spread to everyone in the household: Lord Robert, who has gambled unwisely on the stock market and seeks a place in the Cabinet; his unmarried children, Arthur, who keeps a courtesan, and Rosina, who keeps a parrot in her bedroom; Lord Robert’s wife Isobel, who orders the affairs of the household in Belgrave Square; and Grace, the lady’s maid who orders the life of her mistress.

Lord Robert can see no financial relief to an already mortgaged estate, and, though the Season is over, his thoughts turn to securing a suitable wife (and dowry) for his son. The arrival on the London scene of Minnie, a beautiful Chicago heiress with a reputation to mend, seems the answer to all their prayers.

As the writer of the pilot episode of the original Upstairs, Downstairs—Fay Weldon brings a deserved reputation for magnificent storytelling. With wit and sympathy—and no small measure of mischief—Habits of the House plots the interplay of restraint and desire, manners and morals, reason and instinct.

Review:

I was really looking forward to this book. I read on a post that it was like Downton Abbey! But it was not as great as Downton Abbey and I was quite disappointed. It was still an enjoyable read, just not as exciting as I was hoping it would be.

The story is about an Earl and his family and staff. The Earl had a business deal that went wrong and he is short for money, so he is trying to get his son to marry and heiress so that the family can maintain their wealth and power. The characters were just ok. They were not very loveable and exciting, and I felt like the author was trying a bit to hard to make us like characters that were not super nice people. Even the serving staff wasn’t loveable and that’s where I was hoping the characters would come through. The plot also felt like nothing substantial happened, and every dramatic piece was added just for the sake of drama, and not real plot development. Yet like I said, there was enough to keep me interested in wanting to know what was going to happen! Which I consider good, but not great! I believe in making your own opinion, so if the synopsis interests you, then you should definitely read it!

Happy reading!