Wentworth Hall

Maggie is the eldest daughter of the (formerly) wealthy Darlington family of Wentworth Hall, a sprawling and once glorious manor in the English countryside%E2%80%94yet she's in love with a lowly stable groom. Lila is her na%C3%AFve younger sister, jealous of Maggie's popularity with the boys, especially their handsome, rich visitor, Teddy Fitzhugh, to whom Lord and Lady Darlington hope to wed Maggie. Enter a bevy of servants with their own scandals, loves, and grievances, plus Teddy's nasty twin sister, Jessica, and readers are set up for nonstop period drama. Grahame's witty debut is a terrific start to a series in the vein of Anna Godbersen's The Luxe books, with a setting that will thrill Downton Abbey fans. A minor shortcoming: the satirical interludes, written anonymously by someone with inside knowledge of the Darlingtons' financial situation and published serially in a newspaper. While they supply additional intrigue as the family struggles to determine who the interloper is, they disrupt what is otherwise the delicious, gossipy, drama-filled life of the Darlington ladies and their counterparts in the servants' quarters. Ages 12%E2%80%93up. (May)