The Secret Countess Paperback – 26 Mar. 2015

Eva Ibbotson's historical romances follow a formula and this one is no different to the rest. But gosh do I like that formula. This book is the perfect fairytale for teens and adults alike, and is a great holiday read. The only thing about Ibbotson is that she uses a lot of very long sentences with a lot of adjectives, which can feel a bit pretentious at times. But the story is so nice that if you can look past that, you'll enjoy the book.

This was the first book I read by Eva Ibbotson, and I don't know if I'll read any more of her work. The Secret Countess follows Anna, a Russian Countess who loses everything and flees to England with her family, where she anonymously takes up the position of a maid.My main problem with this book is the main character, Anna. I find her extremely unrealistic and a bit of a bore. Though she is a countess, she is perfectly humble and finds the will to work hard with ease. I feel this diminished the potential the story had to be gripping. We all enjoy a good riches to rags story, where the heroine is put into an environment unfamiliar to her and is expected to work, which she would likely find difficult and off-putting, having everything handed to her on a plate before then. This leaves potential for important character development and adaption. However, this book does not take advantage of that element, and I feel Anna does not develop at all throughout the book. I also found that Anna was accomplished in many feats, e.g. ballet, foreign languages, music and even the housework skills she is expected to indulge in as a maid. She is pretty much perfect in every way, and has no obvious faults, which I find makes the story a bit boring. Anna is contrasted with the character of Muriel, who is explicitly evil. The author succeeds in making her easy to dislike. She is also the love rival, and being so explicitly evil, she makes Anna a very obvious choice for the love interest, which I feel makes the story even more boring. One part of the story which I found particularly disturbing was the character of Uncle Sebastien, an older man who is known in the house for inappropriately touching the young maids, though no one does anything about it except our antagonist, Muriel. There is about a page of the book devoted to his narrative of what comes off as a fetish for the young maids, which was rather disturbing. I only made it about three quarters of the way through the book, so I can't comment on the ending. I did find the story very descriptive and that the author was very good at setting a scene or an atmosphere. As far as plot goes, I felt this book did not really go anywhere, and therefore I did not really enjoy it. I think that is partly due to it not being what I expected from the blurb, which builds a lot of tension around the revealing of her secret. I ended up finding this part of the book disappointing. If you prefer a mostly lighthearted and descriptive story, then I don't doubt you could enjoy this book.

One of the best books I’ve ever read. Really wonderful reading, Eva Ibbotson will always be one of my favourite authors. Great for young people and adults.

This book is wonderful because it is written in the style of the time and the characters are each unique down to the crotchety, old gardener. The love story is well placed and the historical details told in Anna practical style hiding the hidden trauma behind the Bolshevik revolution and even the secondary romance is given room to breathe and feels real.This is now one of my 'rereads'. I love it so much I never get bored of it and always return to it if I need a quirky but satisfying romance. Could not recommend it more.

A romance yes, but literate without being precious and a delight with well rounded characters, original plotlines and in these coronavirus times, uplifting.

This is the most amazing book. I am a fan of Eva In Boston and have read many of her previous books. However this book is by far the best. It is emotional making you laugh, cry and feel an overwhelming sense of joy. Since purchasing this book I have read it a total of 3 time and I plan to read it again. I would recommend this book to everyone and anyone.Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Blurb sounds like a cheesy romance novel but this is so much more. Young adult and adult fiction. Brilliant story-line, charming, funny characters, laugh out loud moments. I come back to this book whenever I want cheering up. It's so well-written, and pacy and definitely worth a read or three.

Well read and enjoyable. This is a novel I knew already and I found that lots of little meaningful events had been abridged away and that spoiled the magical quality of the story. I knew when I bought it that it was an abridged version but I don't feel that that it was skilfully done. . .

It's not a hardcover book but the cover still provides some protection.Content:This is a romance story as it already says in the description. For those that already know Eve Ibbotson books, it's very typical with a sweet heroine opposed by this time a beautiful but cruel girl.For those who don't know Eva Ibbotson: Her romance novels circle around a socially fallen from grace (often fugitive around one of the world wars, more the 2nd though for obvious reasons) heroine that usually has beautiful hair and eyes and is in some ways very mature as they have been through hard times but still childish and naive in others. She draws people in not through beauty but her spirit and they come to her for comfort and everyone describes her as special. The hero usually has some kind of property that puts him above her in social ranking and he is sought after by another woman superior to the heroine in either beauty or money. If you don't like romance novels, don't buy this. If you sometimes do, there are no explicit sex scenes and the novels are written in a very sweet and adorable manner. So for romance fans, one definitely has to have an Eva Ibbotson book.

Un cuento casi de hadas, que guarda un cierto paralelismo con la Cenicienta. Como todos los cuentos de hadas, se lee con facilidad y engancha, aunque la heroína sea muy buena y la mala despreciable. El lenguaje es agradable y la lectura fácil y entretenida.

It will lift up your mood on a hectic day. Another lovely book from the author. Loved it 😊

A beautiful book. Enchanting. I read this with with relish and will, no doubt, read again.

Molto carino sia sotto il punto di vista della forma che della trama stessa. Divertente e romantico, non storicamente attendibile, ma di certo una lettura piacevole!

Sweet, wonderful, an absolutely perfect read for anyone who wants to laugh and be immeasurably cheered up. I definitely recommend it.

I have bought this book several times as I've gifted it to friends or family. I last read it a few years ago and it has been one of my favourites since that first time. This latest read has me feeling good all over again. I love the setting, which is in England just after the Russian revolution. The main character, a young Russian countess who is forced to work for a living, is charming and endearing with her positve outlook in the worst conditions. I loved the humour and was moved by some of the sadder moments. Highly recommend!

An old fashioned, charming love story which never feels out of date. Lovely (except the villaines), very special characters who feel like old aquaintances after a few pages.I Love all her books and read them during the last years several times. After owning them in paper, now I start collecting kindle editions because I want to be able to read them anytime anywhere.I recommend you to read her other books as well - including her charming stories for children - if you like this one.

My first time reading this author. I loved the book - so interesting, so well-written, such great characters. Well done!

I first read this story in the 80's not long after it was published.20 years later, I'm still a fan and have just bought the book a second time in English for me and French for my daughters!After the revolution, white Russians have fled for their lives any way they can and some have ended up as servants.Countess Anna is one of them. She goes to England and needing to work hides her nobility and manages to make the best of every situation with a loving attitude, even if her hands are raw from cleaning..Amusing dialogue and a touching, romantic tale, you will find this book difficult to put down until finished. Like me, you may want to read it again!

I read this book as a teenager, and I fell in love with it. So happy to have found a copy on Amazon.

Finally a book which brought smiles to my face and warmth to my heart... I thoroughly enjoyed the poetical descriptions, the fairy-tale story and the thrilling suspense in 'The secret countess' and absolutely recommend this wonderful book to anyone who wants an easy yet enticing book.

On ne s'ennuie pas et le roman est bien écrit. C'est une histoire gentille et sans grande prétention mais qui se lit avec plaisir.

c'est craquant - c'est attendrissant (pas idiot) - bien écrit (forme + fond) romance, bien sûr - mais aussi tendresse - et surtout (si morale il y a , morale légère - et d'autant plus efficace) un petit rappel discret que rien (jamais) n'est acquis : les renversements de situation, les vilains révolutionnaires qui vous piquent vos palais, vos bijoux (pas les miens - j'aimerais, surout en avoir à perdre) etc, etc, n'oubliez pas : ils ne peuvent pas vous prendre votre dignité ni votre valeur personelle, ce genre de chose, d'accord ? [sur fond de "no, no, they can't take that away etc"] - un week-end de pluie, une boîte de chocolats - hmmm

Eva Ibbotson was one of the reasons I started writing romance. Because she'd passed away, and it was hard to find the kind of books I loved best, I figured I might as well make up my own stories.Yes, it's a fairy tale. But it's wonderful. Ibbotson's beautiful writing, her spectacular attention to historical detail, especially the period surrounding World War II, and her rich characters make the book a joy to read. The heroine is brave and kind, and the hero is, too. Some of the scenes, like the one at the ball, are so good that you finish them and then go back and read them again to savor them. All her books are great, but this and The Morning Gift are probably my favorites.Also a fabulous book in audio--a go-to for a feel-good listen. Some people will call the books YA, but I wouldn't say so. A wonderful read at any age.