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rewomer's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
mavisbird's review against another edition
5.0
I could barely put this book down! It captivated me from the first chapter and only got better from there. The pacing is excellent and the mystery and story weaving is done well. There are alot of twists and turns, but you get to peice things together as you go.
The only part that moved more slowly was the ending as things began to work themselves out, but the rest of it was just excellent! Highly recommend!
The only part that moved more slowly was the ending as things began to work themselves out, but the rest of it was just excellent! Highly recommend!
frankenshai's review against another edition
1.0
Meant to be the author’s first adult novel but definitely reads like YA…I would even say middle grade if it weren’t for the mature content matter. Couldn’t get past the first 20 pages
tatyanavogt's review against another edition
5.0
Lets just say I wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did. We've got a con-artist medium who is convinced to do a seance for a man who's wife did recently but he hasn't gotten over it because he believed she was murdered. I really liked the main character and was totally there for the ride when things went all over the place. I wouldn't say I LOVE the reveals but I still really enjoyed the book!
oatmilkchai's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.75
"I think the devil is already inside us. It’s there, behind the wrong choices we make, ensuring we sabotage any chance at happiness."
A Dreadful Splendour is a wonderfully crafted gothic mystery that ticks all the right boxes- it has all the right tropes and atmosphere. The romance felt good alongside the mystery, without overshadowing the central plot. The pace was also quite enjoyable, with an ending that really got me hyped up while also tying up loose ends in a way that felt satisfying. It can feel a little YA at times, but it was enjoyable all around!
danniphantomreads's review against another edition
5.0
A slow burn romance, a mystery, lies and deceit! This book had everything I was looking for and more! I really enjoyed this read, from beginning to end I was on the edge of my seat and wanting more. Quick read for me, read it in 1 sitting and want more!!! For fans of slow burn romances and murder mysteries!
Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow Paperbacks for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow Paperbacks for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
aprhodes's review against another edition
4.0
Quick Thoughts: I enjoyed this book. It reminded me of Simone St. James' early books, especially [b: The Other Side of Midnight|136167|The Other Side of Midnight (Midnight #1)|Sidney Sheldon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1172077093l/136167._SY75_.jpg|1030360] because of the spiritualist element. Like that book, this is a period setting (although this book is in the 1850s, not the 1920s), and has mystery and suspense with a touch of romance and a dash of supernatural. All of those elements are a win for me, but in this case, the parts were a bit more than the whole.
There is a good story here, but it feels overstuffed and some clunky dialogue prevents it from being a great book. Simplification would have helped this book immensely. There are six main suspects all of whom have their own backstories and 2-3 different, changing motives and it is a lot.
The end of the book was especially messy. I didn't really like who the main person turned out to be because their motives felt pretty unclear. Also, the logistics of the whole thing didn't track for me. This felt like the classic case of an author valuing surprise over logic for the big reveal. However, the setpiece of the ending confrontation was quite dramatic.
I also feel like the subplot with her mother should have been almost completely scrapped. It feels like the book is over, all ends have been tied up and then suddenly there is a whole new mystery, a new murder, and a new suspect that feels out of place. And then there is another whole plot with the mother's family that feels like the author is trying way too hard to a perfect HEA.
Overall, it felt like what this book needed most were a few more rounds of editing. However, despite all my criticism, this was still a four-star book for me. That is because I love the mix of romance (wish there was more here), mystery, and suspense in a period setting and I haven't found many books like this outside of Simone St. James. Especially those focused in a Gothic manor. So a book like this can have a fair number of flaws and I'll still enjoy it. If that describes you, then I would definitely pick this one up.
There is a good story here, but it feels overstuffed and some clunky dialogue prevents it from being a great book. Simplification would have helped this book immensely. There are six main suspects all of whom have their own backstories and 2-3 different, changing motives and it is a lot.
The end of the book was especially messy. I didn't really like who the main person turned out to be because their motives felt pretty unclear. Also, the logistics of the whole thing didn't track for me. This felt like the classic case of an author valuing surprise over logic for the big reveal. However, the setpiece of the ending confrontation was quite dramatic.
I also feel like the subplot with her mother should have been almost completely scrapped. It feels like the book is over, all ends have been tied up and then suddenly there is a whole new mystery, a new murder, and a new suspect that feels out of place. And then there is another whole plot with the mother's family that feels like the author is trying way too hard to a perfect HEA.
Overall, it felt like what this book needed most were a few more rounds of editing. However, despite all my criticism, this was still a four-star book for me. That is because I love the mix of romance (wish there was more here), mystery, and suspense in a period setting and I haven't found many books like this outside of Simone St. James. Especially those focused in a Gothic manor. So a book like this can have a fair number of flaws and I'll still enjoy it. If that describes you, then I would definitely pick this one up.
celestialbookwitch's review against another edition
5.0
What a book! I will honestly say I went into this with a bit of skepticism. It sounded intriguing but books like this usually fall flat for me. When I say this book hooked me!! It had me dying to know what happened next, gasping at twists and then gasping again when they were wrong and a new twist appeared. I did start to put the pieces together near the end but it still left me speechless. Such a fun read!!!
kathleenmcg's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I have not read a non-romance that I have enjoyed more than A Dreadful Splendor, in a long time. Yes, there is a romantic element, but that is not the center of the book. What the book is, is a mysterious ghost story, set in Victorian England, when the spiritualist era was gaining momentum.
Genevieve Timmons is caught by police waiting for her at the back door of a house she just perfomed a seance. She ask that the participants put their jewels in a bag, before the seance starts and absconds with. One particular policeman is particularly spiteful, treating her abominably, taunting that she is to be hanged. An elderly lawyer offers to represent her in court, if she woul'd go to an estate in the country, to convince a grieving earl, that his fiancée, who died on the eve of their wedding, is alright He continues to insist that she was murdered. The first night, at the estate, the earl catches Miss Timmons stealing silver candelabra. He knows what the lawyer, who is the family retainer, is doing, so the earl in turn blackmails her into using the seance, in which she is to con the earl, to help him arrange a con to catch the murderer.
The story unwinds with twist and turns. I first thought to compare the story to an onion, a peeling back of layers. An unfurling rose seemed like a good metaphor, but it, too, is in adequate. So we have a good old fashioned yarn that twists and turns, crosses and double crosses, as more is revealed in this book.
The author intersperses the journal of the deceased with the chapters. Due to primogeniture, the lady of the house, the daughter of the former earl, cannot inherit the estate on her father's death. A distant cousin, the current earl, was found before the old earl died, and the expectation was for he and the daughter marry to keep the estate in the family. The, now current, earl is certain that the daughter, Audra, was murdered. There is the ward of the previous earl, who lives on the estate, spooky staff, Genevieve's land lady to round out the characters. The awful policeman shows up on the estate, to add to the mayhem that eventually arises. The elaborate set up, puts Genevieve in close contact with the earl, as they attempt to solve the mystery of Audra's death, with the staff aware of every going on. Eventually, Genevieve finds herself in the crosshairs for murder.
I just loved the story. I had checked it out from the library as an audio book, and soon checked out the ebook, so that I could continue reading in the times I could not be playing the audio. Thankfully, I had the ebook when I finished the audio book, at 2am. My earbuds petered out right in the middle of the epilogue.
The book was cleverly written, and I want to go back over the text to read again how the events unfold to the climax. The book covered many romance tropes; slow burn, proximity, forbidden love, family secrets, and unequal social status. I am sure many mystery tropes are used, as well. Genevieve is the most fleshed out of the characters. The earl is a gentleman, with respectfulness, distance, yet chivalrousness. The relationship between the two main characters unfolds over the course of the book, neither able to fully act on a love relationship with the the burdens and secrets each carried.
I recommend this book without reservations. I wish that I had not taken so long to read it. I want to write more, but to tell more would I tend to think of movies in terms of how much it costs to watch them. In the book sense, A Dreadful Splendor is worth every penny of the hard bound price. I look forward to what Myers does next.
Genevieve Timmons is caught by police waiting for her at the back door of a house she just perfomed a seance. She ask that the participants put their jewels in a bag, before the seance starts and absconds with. One particular policeman is particularly spiteful, treating her abominably, taunting that she is to be hanged. An elderly lawyer offers to represent her in court, if she woul'd go to an estate in the country, to convince a grieving earl, that his fiancée, who died on the eve of their wedding, is alright He continues to insist that she was murdered. The first night, at the estate, the earl catches Miss Timmons stealing silver candelabra. He knows what the lawyer, who is the family retainer, is doing, so the earl in turn blackmails her into using the seance, in which she is to con the earl, to help him arrange a con to catch the murderer.
The story unwinds with twist and turns. I first thought to compare the story to an onion, a peeling back of layers. An unfurling rose seemed like a good metaphor, but it, too, is in adequate. So we have a good old fashioned yarn that twists and turns, crosses and double crosses, as more is revealed in this book.
The author intersperses the journal of the deceased with the chapters. Due to primogeniture, the lady of the house, the daughter of the former earl, cannot inherit the estate on her father's death. A distant cousin, the current earl, was found before the old earl died, and the expectation was for he and the daughter marry to keep the estate in the family. The, now current, earl is certain that the daughter, Audra, was murdered. There is the ward of the previous earl, who lives on the estate, spooky staff, Genevieve's land lady to round out the characters. The awful policeman shows up on the estate, to add to the mayhem that eventually arises. The elaborate set up, puts Genevieve in close contact with the earl, as they attempt to solve the mystery of Audra's death, with the staff aware of every going on. Eventually, Genevieve finds herself in the crosshairs for murder.
I just loved the story. I had checked it out from the library as an audio book, and soon checked out the ebook, so that I could continue reading in the times I could not be playing the audio. Thankfully, I had the ebook when I finished the audio book, at 2am. My earbuds petered out right in the middle of the epilogue.
The book was cleverly written, and I want to go back over the text to read again how the events unfold to the climax. The book covered many romance tropes; slow burn, proximity, forbidden love, family secrets, and unequal social status. I am sure many mystery tropes are used, as well. Genevieve is the most fleshed out of the characters. The earl is a gentleman, with respectfulness, distance, yet chivalrousness. The relationship between the two main characters unfolds over the course of the book, neither able to fully act on a love relationship with the the burdens and secrets each carried.
I recommend this book without reservations. I wish that I had not taken so long to read it. I want to write more, but to tell more would I tend to think of movies in terms of how much it costs to watch them. In the book sense, A Dreadful Splendor is worth every penny of the hard bound price. I look forward to what Myers does next.
chelsylynn91's review
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75