You know how at the end of Season 5 of Supernatural, things are pretty solidly wrapped up and the endings are at least mostly happy but also pretty sad in some ways but in a way that feels definite? And then just before the final scene fades to black that have to stick in that one little shot of “But what IF?” And undo all their hard work? That was the end of this novel. I loved it, it was a fantastic read, but skip the last chapter and the epilogue unless you want to be kinda bummed out.
Peak gothic, paranormal, haunted, cursed, witchy, romantic vibes! I love this book and I don't think Rebecca James has gifted us with any other books like this one which is crushing my soul this day. I will write up a full review for my Patreon on Monday! This is available on Kindle Unlimited but I just bought myself a paperback for my library. Literally every trope you could possibly want from a traditional (yet feminist) Gothic novel. xo
There is a definite gothic, ghostly vibe to the book but it just was too slow paced and the characters were not likable. I feel like the author could have made it more suspenseful and frightening, but instead the mood was drab and bland.
"The Woman in the Mirror" is a very compelling Gothic thriller. It has absolutely everything you need to create the perfect storm of dread and fear - a Gothic manor perfectly placed cliffside in England with the foggy moors as a backdrop. The author creates palpable tension and unease from the beginning and manages to keep it going through the entire book. The story is set equally in the 1940s and present day but I found the transitions to be smooth and easy to follow. Overall a very atmospheric read - perfect for dark nights with a comfy blanket and cup of tea.
The Woman in the Mirror had a lot of potential. I'm on a real gothic fiction kick and I loved the premise of the woman who has discovered that she has inherited a potentially haunted/cursed stately home in Cornwall. But then there were so many weird things going on.
The first was the way that the protagonist, Rachel, who was adopted as an infant, speaks about her (deceased) adoptive parents. She refers to them as "Maggie and Greg" and says, basically, that they loved her a lot and were fine parents but that they weren't really her parents so, meh. They have been dead for about a decade when this story takes place and she says something about how she mourned them at the time but she's pretty over it. WHAT.
Also, Rachel seems completely unable to exist without a man to be romantically involved with. She starts to fall for the local love interest, and seems to realize that her casual boyfriend back home in America isn't right for her, until that casual boyfriend shows up and changes her mind in about five seconds. And then when that boyfriend turns out to be a cold-blooded killer, she realizes that no, she wants the local love interest after all! How convenient!
There were some spooky bits here that I enjoyed, but mostly I was perpetually irritated with Rachel.
Also, what happened to Edmund? And why did the Woman in the Mirror curse ladies and not men, since it was a man who screwed her over? Smash the patriarchy, mirror-ghost-lady!
Thank you to Mintoaur Books for providing me with a copy of this novel for review purposes.
For more than two centuries, Winterbourne Hall has stood atop a bluff overseeing the English countryside of Cornwall and the sea beyond.
I hope you are ready for a chilling, modern gothic tale of family secrets and curses!
Plot:
This novel alternates between present day America and 1947 England.In presentday we meet Rachel Wright. Adopted at a young age and orphaned again as an adult, Rachel has few ties to the world. When an English attorney contacts her regarding the death of her real family, Rachel has to decide if she wants to know about her past.
In 1937, Alice Miller arrives at Winterbourne Hall, taking on position as governess. Alice begins to care deeply for the Captain Jonathan de Grey, and his twin children. Soon, though, things change. What was once a welcoming family and manor, soon turns into something malicious.
Rachel decides to visit her inheritance, Winterbourne, and find out about the family she never knew. But what she finds is a manor that has a life of its own, and the story is devastating.
Love. Rotten, stinking, hated love. Love is for fools, bound for hell. I detest its creeping treacheries. I resent the shell it made of me. My weakness to be wanted, my pathetic, throbbing heart…
Review:
This delivered more than I anticipated! There is a deep, creepy family legacy that is uncovered, and even with two character perspectives, James does an excellent job of slowly unraveling suspicious and creepy circumstances.
Rachel puts her life on hold to tackle the one thing that has haunted her her whole life - who were her parents? Where did she come from? Why did they give her up?
Even though her career is about to take off, she knows she cannot pass up the chance to finally answer these questions. Seeking closure, she packs up her life and heads to Winterbourne. There, she meets quirky townspeople, who leave her mystified further about her families history.
As she digs deeper into the heart of Winterbourne, as she investigates to find the truth, the closer she dances to danger- both past and present. The De-Grey family legacy is still strong....
There is not a lot more I can say without ruining key points in the novel.
However, I will say that this modern gothic suspense fiction touches on feminist issues, such as the treatment of women throughout history. There is also the theme of love, though not as you might be expecting. These themes add to the creep factor, as you consider what life is like for women in history when people turn against them.
I highly recommend this one for a stormy weather day, cozy on the couch and dig in, you won't be able to put it down.
I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on The Woman in the Mirror. Have you read this? Tell me what you thought!
