A true gem of a book, dipping from the life of George, a second son in the 1860s, to Cassie, who in the present day works in a leisure centre.  A brave telling of the emotions associated with adoption and when family is not entirely as first thought.
I really couldn't put this book down, and certainly didn't want it to end.

I cannot praise this book highly enough. It was a really engrossing read and I really enjoyed the split timeline in the story.  I have never read a book by this author before but will definitely add her to my list to watch for.  It was excellent from start to finish.  Truly a book that you can’t put down.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read a preview copy of this book.

The Forgotten Gift by Kathleen McGurl is an engrossing piece of historical fiction.

Right from the powerful prologue, the book piqued my interest as it did Cassie's. Who is this woman to whom George has bequeathed such a handsome sum every year? How is he related to Nathaniel, chaplain of Millbank Prison? 

This is the first time I am reading Kathleen McGurl. She is called the Queen of dual timelines. I have no doubt why. The dual timelines in the book are well-executed. Strands from both the timelines are taken and woven together seamlessly to craft an absorbing and smoothly flowing story. 

The entire book is intriguing. It compelled me to keep on turning the pages. However, there are twists galore starting from 70% resulting in a surprising climax. 

Further, all the characters felt real to me, but I liked George Britten the best. He was a sensible, loving, and kind boy, born to rich parents but unloved by both. Oh, the sacrifices he made which turned him into a man so soon.

Moreover, The Forgotten Gift deeply explores what makes a family - ties to the heart, or ties to blood? 

The story may be unoriginal, but it is very well-written. 

The Forgotten Gift turned out to be a particularly good read for me. It was not only a mystery well resolved but also an emotional and uplifting read. Most significantly, wicked people get their comeuppance here.

Recommended for lovers of historical fiction.

Interesting historical. The secrets and discoveries were fairly organic and, unlike the case with some dual timeline books, I found both perspectives to be enjoyable. 

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy for my review.

George Britten, second son to a member of England’s landed gentry, never quite felt like he belonged in his family. When a lovely new housemaid arrives at his family’s estate, Little did George dream of the effect she would have on his life.

In the present day, Cassie, a thirty-something single athletic club employee, finds a genealogy mystery when she finds George Britten’s name in her family history. As Cassie learns more if George’s story, she receives a surprising letter from a daughter she had given away for adoption shortly after birth. 

This fascinating story shifts back and forth between present day and 1800s England. It is a tale of family members lost and found, and life-altering choices made. Aside from a few out-of-place swear words, this book was a delight. It would make a fine addition to any historical fiction collection, especially appealing to those interested in genealogy research.

1861 and George falls head over heels in love with the new maid. She is beautful but cunning and is working out her own agenda. She is then poisoned and dies. George takes the blame, but who is he protecting and is sent to Millbank prison.

Present time and Cassie is researching her family history but it seems there are many untold secrets that begin to surface and which will turn her life upside down.

I love reading this type of historical fiction. This story is set over 2 timelines. Cassie is trying to trace her family tree. She discovers a lot about her family, both past and present. It is a well written emotional read which kept me hooked the whole way through.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I'm not normally a fan of historical fiction however this book drew my attention and did not let me down! A great mix of modern day woven in with the historic element. Great hook into the story and left you wanting that litlle bit more...

Thank up NetGalley for the early copy of The Forgotten Gift: What would you do to protect the ones you love? by Kathleen McGurl. It was a perfectly fine book, a story with redemption and acceptance. Still, I found it simplistic and not my style of book. I feel bad giving it only 3 stars as many who read this will find the story uplifting and exactly what they were hoping for. So if you are looking for a comforting, fast easy read this is just the book for you.

Be ready to be wowed and amazed and loose sleep as you stay up to reach the last pages!
You will just want to keep reading, but at the same time put it down so it lasts just that little bit longer!

Having read and immensely enjoyed The Secret of the Chateau by Kathleen McGurl, I was instantly excited and drawn to her new book. 
I didn’t think it could be better than the last but this one captivated me even more. 

As you learn the tales of George (1861) and Cassie (present day) you will fall in love with the characters (well most of them!) and want to know where the story leads. The book alternates between the two stories and you find yourself deeply submerged in both tales, and the overlap between them. 

I don’t want to give away the story, just that it tells of love and loss, families and friendships and you absolutely must read it!

This book is beautifully written, the difference between olden times and now so clearly conveyed it how it is written and the way people speak. 

I can’t give enough praise to this. I enjoyed it immensely and didn’t want it to end! Clearly a lot of thought and research went into writing this fantastic story. Congratulations Kathleen McGurl on another fab read.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and most importantly the author, for the chance to read this book, in exchange for an honest review.

A fast paced and very well written story.  I loved how it moved from George's story to Cassie's story and what remarkable and compelling these stories were.  I finished reading it in record time because it was impossible to put down.  I loved how the characters developed over time.  The ending was perfect.  Loved it.

This was a really interesting book! I haven’t read a lot of dual time line stories but if there anything like this then I will definitely read more! Really interesting characters and lots of good plot twists! Would definitely recommend

Date reviewed: October 14, 2020

When life for the entire universe and planet turns on its end and like everyone else you "have nothing to do" while your place of work is once again closed and you are continuing to be in #COVID19 #socialisolation as the #secondwave is upon us,  superspeed readers like me can read 300+ pages/hour, so yes, I have read the book … and many more today.

I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley, the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review.  

From the publisher, as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews, I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸.

What would you do to protect the ones you love?

1861. George’s life changes forever the day he meets Lucy. She’s beautiful and charming, and he sees a future with her that his position as the second son in a wealthy family has never offered him. But when Lucy dies in a suspected poisoning days after rejecting George, he finds himself swept up into a murder investigation. George loved Lucy; he would never have harmed her. So who did?

Now. On the surface, Cassie is happy with her life: a secure job, good friends, and a loving family. When a mysterious gift in a long-forgotten will leads her to a dark secret in her family’s history she’s desperate to learn more. But the secrets in Cassie’s family aren’t all hidden in the past, and her research will soon lead her to a revelation much closer to home – and which will turn everything she knows on its head…

Discover a family’s darkest secrets today. Perfect for fans of The Girl in the Letter, The Beekeeper’s Promise and The Forgotten Village!

Kathleen McGurl is apparently known for dual timeline stories and this one is certainly excellent - the plot is fast and enticing: in fact, I read it in one fell swoop. The timeline switching works well and it was utterly engrossing and responsible for the fact that I went to bed well after my usual bedtime.

One complaint- I am OVER the ubiquitous girl on the cover of the book with her back towards us - ditto the detective doing the same thing. Get creative, people


As always, I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I love emojis (outside of their incessant use by "🙏-ed Social Influencer Millennials/#BachelorNation survivors/Tik-Tok and YouTube  Millionaires/snowflakes etc. " on Instagram and Twitter... Get a real job, people!) so let's give it 🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧

I really liked this book. Two parallel stories that tie together with the back drop of adoption and birth parents. Well written and great character development. It has a little romance, suspense and sheds light on some important historical issues.

This is a dual time line novel  with interconnected storylines between the past and the present.  In the present day, Cassie has a keen interest in geneology and has traced her father's ancestors back to the 1870's , where she discovers George Britten' s will and is intrigued why he has bequeathed a some of money to a prison chaplain and a jewelled mirror , of some value to his wife. How would a gentleman as affluent as George be acquainted with a prison chaplain? It's a mystery she is keen to solve. 
        Each chapter  slowly unravels the mystery as we move between the Victorian era  and  the modern day  , with plenty of twists and turns along the way . There are paralells cleverly interwoven  between the timelines.  George reveals his story through journal entries , which was a nice touch.He is living under the roof of  his parents when he is first introduced, a very naive and unworldly but kindly youth.He is such a likeable character, unable to understand the uncaring and indifferent  attitude his parents have towards him but ever hopeful of winning their approval , especially that of his coldhearted mother. He falls under the spell of beautiful housemaid Lucy, who befriends him . His warmhearted feelings are not reciprocated on her part . When she falls ill and later dies , it is believed she has been the victim of poisoning and George is mistakenly prosecuted for the crime. 
     The descriptions of life in a Victorian prison are harrowing  and the vindictiveness of the guards was uncomfortable reading . 
      It took me a while to warm to Cassie's character. She has a very loving relationship with her parents and they are wonderfully supportive of her. As she uncovers the secrets of the past, she unwittingly uncovers a secret far closer to home. I was a little disappointed  at her initial reaction and although I could empathise I didn't like her much at that point of the story. She definitely redeemed herself by the end of the storyline.  
     This was a well plotted and researched novel that reminded me of Lucinda Riley and Nicola cornick in style..  I thoroughly recommend it .I was 
 Completely transfixed by the storyline  and didn't want to put it down once I'd started it.  It was finished within a day.

I enjoyed this book and the 2 stories that were somewhat interconnected being told simultaneously, much like with the seven sisters series by Lucinda Riley. I liked how the modern day version although personally I thought a tad unrealistic in terms of what ended up happening, I did at least enjoy how normal the family was and how it wasn't this upper class family who you couldn't relate to, as with the aforementioned Lucinda Riley series. My only complaint would be that the ending seemed a bit rushed with what happened with Andy and Cassie, and it feels as though that should've been developed a bit more, but the story of George had a perfect ending. All in all a good read I would recommend

Psssttt! Wanna know a secret? Then you’ll need to pick up The Forgotten Gift and let Kathleen McGurl tell you about two families and the deepest darkest secrets they want hidden.  

The queen of dual timelines has done it again; penned another intriguing historical fiction set in England. The novel opens with an extract from the last will and testament of George Thomas Bitten written in 1874. He bequeaths 100 pounds to the chaplain of Millbank Prison and a hand mirror with a silver frame inlaid with sapphires and pearls to Emily, Chaplain Nathaniel’s wife, in recognition of their friendship and support during George’s time of greatest need. Readers are immediately hooked: How does George know the chaplain of a prison? What did George experience that he felt the need to leave such a luxurious gift?

Next, we meet Cassie in present-day England. She’s a happy, genealogy obsessed 37 year old with a loving family, great friends and a “means to an end” job. Once she digs around and discovers her great-great-great-grandfather’s will online, she uncovers more than she bargains for and she’s not the only one hiding a secret! 

Readers then journey back to 1861 to the Bitten mansion and learn about Lucy, George’s recent infatuation. Sweet Lucy befriends this lonely English fellow and offers George everything he doesn’t get from his wealthy family; love and attention. Unfortunately, she’s poisoned just as their relationship gets serious and readers are swept up in a fury of allegations and a murder investigation. 

McGurl has successfully taken strands from George and Cassie’s lives and expertly woven them together in a devastating yet heartwarming account. In addition to her seamless and engaging storyline, the author has crafted believable characters who are courageous and kind. Readers will rapidly identify with them and experience the gamut of emotions as they deal with devastating and heartwarming life events. I feel like I’ve just enjoyed two amazing stories instead of one. You’ll need to read this beautiful and bittersweet tale to discover, not only how the mirror connects these two families, but also how in burying secrets, sorrow and heartache intertwine each. I don’t believe it’s a coincidence that this book is to be published on November 11th – Remembrance Day – with a title like “The Forgotten Gift.”

Not sure where to start with this. I've read some of McGurl's books before. This outstrips them all. A duel timeline narrative featuring George, in 1861, the unloved but far from unlovable younger son to afluent landowners. It switches between his narrative of events, which have devastating consequences, to modern day Cassie, a possible relative who has made some life choices that have resulted in her living the single life, working in a dead end job at a local sports centre. 
The writing is fantastic. The pace fast. The plot gripping. My late night bedtime read that is meant to help me drop off to sleep 😳 Anyone got any matchsticks?