I received this Kindle book as part of a Library thing Member review offer. The somewhat basic story: Sophie and Hugo went to the same exclusive high school in Britain, Hugo's family are wealthy, Sophie won a scholarship to get there, Sophie has always thought Hugo and his friends held themselves apart from her and the only person she truly bonded with was Isha - an Indian girl. On the first day of university Sophie and her dog Charlotte meet up with Hugo who is also at the same uni. it's a surprise - this maybe the only uni Sophie can afford, but Hugo is here because he had glandular fever and fell behind in his studies so put in a poor exam performance (I can totally sympathise I lost 3 months in my final year of High school due to glandular fever - with the same result). Having received their room allocations, they end up taking the same lift - one of two, but this one has been decorated with gold doors and designs around it. When the door opens they are not on the 4th floor, but in England's green and pleasant lands, surrounded by trees, birds, a road just ahead and a lift that won't respond. They believe it is an Artificial Intelligence Installation the type you usually need to wear helmets to immerse yourself in. Eventually they leave the lift and, marking the spot, they head towards the road. A passer-by tells them the manor 20 miles away will take in strangers and they slog towards it over quiet roads, and between lush fields and hedgerows.

Eventually they reach the manor and are taken in virtually without question. This becomes understandable when they learn that the lady of the manor, Lady Anne, herself came through the lift, and that there three others who have come through at various times. The lift itself has never been seen on this side so no-one has been able to return home. It is quickly established they have traveled back in time, but why and how is still a mystery.

I am not going to reveal any more as the storyline is excellent and I was completely absorbed in the tale. The greatest learning curve is for Sophie, a young woman of 2010s who is now restricted to corsets, hobble skirts and social mores. Hugo copes slightly better and is a great help to Sophie as she finds he is a treasure trove of historical information which helps her understand why she has made certain faux-pas.

This is a meticulously researched book. I could find no errors in continuity - anything that seems so is quickly explained. Hugo and Sophie become friends with Lady Anne's son Freddy, even Charlotte gains a friend in the black Labrador Jack, but what is the mystery of the lift and why is someone writing to them to stay away from it (even if they could find it again).

This is the first in a series of books the Shorten Chronicles (Shorten is the name of the large town of the area, the Manor is near the village of Little Shorten). I so enjoyed this tale I have already recommended it to others and I look forward to the next volume in the series. Well done Rosalind Tate. ( )