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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Kate Morton this was not.
More like 2.5 stars, but I rounded up to be generous.
More like 2.5 stars, but I rounded up to be generous.
Would have given it a 4, but the last few chapters felt forced. Otherwise, this was a thoroughly enjoyable, un-put-down-able, page turner of a summer read. Perfect for people who love historical fiction in gothic settings. Eve Chase's writing style is lovely and I look forward to reading more of her work.
I've enjoyed two Eve Chase novels. Both have been five star reads for me. The atmosphere she achieves with her work is second to none. I love the feel of these old manor houses and the secrets kept locked deep within, each coming to light in a brilliantly thought out and shocking way.
Lorna is getting married. She and her fiancé, John, decide to take a look at an old manor house to see if they'd like to hold their wedding there. Lorna gets the feeling that she's been there before. Secrets from her past are revealed one by one.
The Alton family spent summers at Black Rabbit Hall back in the late 60's. Amber, a fifteen year old girl, along with her twin brother, Toby, younger brother, Barney, and baby sister, Kitty, suffer the loss of their mother and must come to grips with a new stepmother, Caroline, and step-brother, Lucien.
The twists and turns of this gothic novel surprised me in many ways. Delightfully making my heart pound with the reveals.
If you haven't checked Eve Chase out, and you love gothic suspense novels, you will love her work. I also read The Daughters of Foxcote Manor and loved it equally.
Lorna is getting married. She and her fiancé, John, decide to take a look at an old manor house to see if they'd like to hold their wedding there. Lorna gets the feeling that she's been there before. Secrets from her past are revealed one by one.
The Alton family spent summers at Black Rabbit Hall back in the late 60's. Amber, a fifteen year old girl, along with her twin brother, Toby, younger brother, Barney, and baby sister, Kitty, suffer the loss of their mother and must come to grips with a new stepmother, Caroline, and step-brother, Lucien.
The twists and turns of this gothic novel surprised me in many ways. Delightfully making my heart pound with the reveals.
If you haven't checked Eve Chase out, and you love gothic suspense novels, you will love her work. I also read The Daughters of Foxcote Manor and loved it equally.
I loved this book!! I listened to the audiobook, which I recommend because the two narrators really help differentiate the two time periods and give each part its own feel. This was like a gothic romance novel combined with a family history drama. I will give one warning -- it's sad. Things happen in this book that are heartbreaking. You learn about one thing fairly early on but you don't experience it happening until closer to the end. I spent a lot of the book anxiously waiting for it to happen and hoping that it somehow wouldn't. I thought it was a beautiful ending. Not tied in a perfect happy bow b/c that's not real life, but as happy as it could be. I finished it yesterday and I still can't stop thinking about it and feeling a bit lost without it in my life anymore. I hugged my kiddos tighter and longer last night too!
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a bit of a rollercoaster read for me, in an up-and-down kind of way. There were moments where I was completely absorbed in the story, intrigued by the atmosphere and the intertwined lives of the characters. But then, just as quickly, I'd find myself losing interest, as the narrative dipped in and out of engagement throughout the book.
The setting is hauntingly beautiful and adds a touch of mystery, but in terms of plot, I found it somewhat predictable. I could see where things were heading, even if all the little details of the revelations weren't immediately clear.
While the book has its charms, the fluctuating pacing and mix of captivating and less engaging moments left me feeling ambivalent overall. It's definitely worth a read if you enjoy a good family saga with a gothic twist, but temper your expectations for a tale that fully grips from start to finish.
A mix of highs and lows for me, it might resonate differently with others. Give it a shot if you're curious about a story with secrets woven into the walls of a grand old house.
The setting is hauntingly beautiful and adds a touch of mystery, but in terms of plot, I found it somewhat predictable. I could see where things were heading, even if all the little details of the revelations weren't immediately clear.
While the book has its charms, the fluctuating pacing and mix of captivating and less engaging moments left me feeling ambivalent overall. It's definitely worth a read if you enjoy a good family saga with a gothic twist, but temper your expectations for a tale that fully grips from start to finish.
A mix of highs and lows for me, it might resonate differently with others. Give it a shot if you're curious about a story with secrets woven into the walls of a grand old house.
I've been trying to read this for a year. It's time to give up. I just can't. Color me finished at maybe 20% (hard to tell with this audiobook, but...).
I'm so tired of POV swapping novels. Just tell one story. Why do we need to bounce between plots? Is one not exciting enough for you? It doesn't help when both plots are perfectly infuriating.
The worst of the two is the modern one, certainly. She's all peppy and cheerful and quietly morbid. She thinks fights with her fiancee are hot stuff, because they're exciting and add a spark to life (??????????), but heaven help her if she starts to lose that fight because she'll burst into tears, which makes soon-to-be-hubber feel guilty and gives in to her every stupid whim. She's selfish, greedy, snobby, entitled, wants to be in this old, creepy, stupid house a thousand miles from civilization that's run by a perfectly terrifying old woman who basically wants to strangle our protagonist for her money so she can keep the decrepit, decaying, nasty manor in private hands. Listening to Lorna fumble her way through a wedding venue hunt transaction is like pulling teeth. She's so oblivious it hurts to listen to.
The historical stuff is much more enjoyable since there's, you know, actual plot happening with the death of the mother and how they deal with it, but maybe it's the audiobook narrator...I just can't listen to the squeaky children whinge. It's so grating. I can't make myself care.
I've got to quit. Whenever I see that I'm technically still reading this book, I think "Ohhh yeah." And then I try reading (well, listening) to a little more, and then I walk around for the next hour with a bad taste in my mouth. Brain. Whatever. I'm done. Telthor out.
I'm so tired of POV swapping novels. Just tell one story. Why do we need to bounce between plots? Is one not exciting enough for you? It doesn't help when both plots are perfectly infuriating.
The worst of the two is the modern one, certainly. She's all peppy and cheerful and quietly morbid. She thinks fights with her fiancee are hot stuff, because they're exciting and add a spark to life (??????????), but heaven help her if she starts to lose that fight because she'll burst into tears, which makes soon-to-be-hubber feel guilty and gives in to her every stupid whim. She's selfish, greedy, snobby, entitled, wants to be in this old, creepy, stupid house a thousand miles from civilization that's run by a perfectly terrifying old woman who basically wants to strangle our protagonist for her money so she can keep the decrepit, decaying, nasty manor in private hands. Listening to Lorna fumble her way through a wedding venue hunt transaction is like pulling teeth. She's so oblivious it hurts to listen to.
The historical stuff is much more enjoyable since there's, you know, actual plot happening with the death of the mother and how they deal with it, but maybe it's the audiobook narrator...I just can't listen to the squeaky children whinge. It's so grating. I can't make myself care.
I've got to quit. Whenever I see that I'm technically still reading this book, I think "Ohhh yeah." And then I try reading (well, listening) to a little more, and then I walk around for the next hour with a bad taste in my mouth. Brain. Whatever. I'm done. Telthor out.
I reserve the right to come back and change my rating from a 4 to a 5. I just need to marinate on things. Although i kind of had the “plot twist” figured out early on, it was still delivered in a way that was fresh. Most of my questions throughout the book were answered by the time it finished.