Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
Listened to the audio book. The more I listened the more I disliked this book. The characters are one dimensional. There are many “I saw that coming” moments. I kept listening in the hope that the story would finally grip me. Didn’t happen. 82% into the book and I gave up. I don’t care to know the final outcome. The book could have been good if it were tightened up a bit. Too much useless information.
Never would’ve picked this up on my own, read this for the book circle i’m managing at work. But it’s surprisingly good! Too dark for me to consider this a ”feelgood” tho.. Got really invested in the characters 😳
Eve Chase delivers a classic gothic romance set in a crumbling old manor house on the coast of Cornwall. There are dark family secrets, tragic deaths and the triumph of true love. Chase paints a terrifically moody atmosphere with menace and peril lurking around every corner. She leaves the reader little breadcrumbs along the way, allowing us to discover Black Rabbit Hall's secrets along with Lorna. There is even a ghost in the mix!
This has a very [a:Kate Morton|615274|Kate Morton|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1444262471p2/615274.jpg]-esque, Gothic-y feel. The story is nothing alike, but the feel reminded me of [b:The Distant Hours|6746018|The Distant Hours|Kate Morton|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358273860s/6746018.jpg|41374289]. I was really sucked into the life of Black Rabbit Hall in 1968. (Of course, they were so removed from the rest of civilization that it could have been 1938 or 1998!) The first person narration of Amber draws the reader in. At times she sounded a bit juvenile for a 15-year-old, but that could have been a byproduct of summers at Black Rabbit Hall suspended in time. In fact, I believe another character makes the same observation about her twin brother Toby. The plot is bookended by tragedy, first Momma's accident (which felt a bit abrupt to me) and then by another event. Since the reader is led to expect the second tragedy without knowing what it will be, the entire novel has an ominous yet frantic air. Come to think of it, Amber's first love feels a bit ominous and frantic too. As does Lorna's mental state. Ominous and Frantic could be the subtitle of this one! Chase's writing is gorgeous as well, and she had some wonderfully poetic and vivid turns of phrase that I enjoyed. A really pleasurable, absorbing reading experience.
Despite strong writing, characterization, plot and especially setting and tone, I couldn't go higher than 3 stars for two reasons. First, I was less drawn into the modern day story of Lorna. It wasn't because I anticipated where her story was going (though I did, and it was satisfying), it was more a flatness of character -- hers and Black Rabbit Hall's, which seems to have lost its spirit in the intervening years. (Although as I type this, it occurs to me that was the point!) I couldn't stand the second Mrs. Alton (also the point, I know), but worse than that was the fact that her motivation for being a rotten human being is just never clear. Her awfulness is more of a plot device, which was frustrating. And finally, the last chapter or two were way too conveniently-ever-after, one of my biggest pet peeves.
But despite these few weaknesses, this book was made for living in, and I loved every second of it. Eve Chase is going on my list of authors to snap up upon publication list with Kate Morton. Can't wait to see what she does next!
The fine print: received ARC from Edelweiss.
Despite strong writing, characterization, plot and especially setting and tone, I couldn't go higher than 3 stars for two reasons. First, I was less drawn into the modern day story of Lorna. It wasn't because I anticipated where her story was going (though I did, and it was satisfying), it was more a flatness of character -- hers and Black Rabbit Hall's, which seems to have lost its spirit in the intervening years. (Although as I type this, it occurs to me that was the point!) I couldn't stand the second Mrs. Alton (also the point, I know), but worse than that was the fact that her motivation for being a rotten human being is just never clear. Her awfulness is more of a plot device, which was frustrating. And finally, the last chapter or two were way too conveniently-ever-after, one of my biggest pet peeves.
But despite these few weaknesses, this book was made for living in, and I loved every second of it. Eve Chase is going on my list of authors to snap up upon publication list with Kate Morton. Can't wait to see what she does next!
The fine print: received ARC from Edelweiss.
I got this book free from FirstToRead.com
Despite not being my normal type of book I enjoyed this one. There were times when it trailed into gothic and suspense would build up and then just... release without much explanation. Many things were hinted at that ultimately didn't pan out which got confusing and made the whole book seem a little disjointed. Still, it was original and kept me reading which I can appreciate.
Despite not being my normal type of book I enjoyed this one. There were times when it trailed into gothic and suspense would build up and then just... release without much explanation. Many things were hinted at that ultimately didn't pan out which got confusing and made the whole book seem a little disjointed. Still, it was original and kept me reading which I can appreciate.
I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways. I was pleasantly surprised by how good this book was, and I really enjoyed it!
Honestly, this should never be compared to Kate Morton’s work. The writing was choppy and inconsistent (e.g., from smaller details like having a character put to wit shoes back on and then in the next paragraph we are told she was barefoot still and put her shoes on again, to bigger details in plot).
I love books involving time jumps, old houses, family secrets, etc. but there are ways to wind these themes together in a way that doesn’t feel like one is checking off a list of tropes. This book played on every single trope and poorly at that.
Characters were entirely one dimensional, plot was anticipated, and though everything falls apart in quick succession at the end, it’s all wrapped up in such “convenient” ways in the last few chapters.
I love books involving time jumps, old houses, family secrets, etc. but there are ways to wind these themes together in a way that doesn’t feel like one is checking off a list of tropes. This book played on every single trope and poorly at that.
Characters were entirely one dimensional, plot was anticipated, and though everything falls apart in quick succession at the end, it’s all wrapped up in such “convenient” ways in the last few chapters.