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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
I just finished this book today. I can't get over how great it was. Of course, at the center of it all, is a love story. But I don't mind that. I think these kinds of love stories allow you to feel a certain way and helps you understand yourself better. But aside from that, the three authors' writing blend seamlessly from one to the other. It was a cohesive piece that was captivating from the first page until the last. There was never a moment throughout this novel where I wanted to skip ahead out of boredom. I savored every last detail on every page not wanting the story to end. Although we reach a happy ending at last, Harry's final part broke my heart. It definitely left me wondering why things work out the way they do. On one hand, Olive and Harry pined for each other for the rest of their lives, but on the other, both of them created their own legacies apart from each other that ended up in a reunion decades later. This kind of writing, the kind that makes you feel, is what writing is all about; making the reader connect with the characters and the story in one way or another. This is a 5 out of 5 without a doubt.
This is my favorite type of book! A wonderful blend of historical fiction and a mystery to unravel. The story is told by alternating points of view of 3 characters during 3 different time periods in New York City - Gilded Age Olive, Jazz Age Lucy, and WW2 era Kate. All of the characters have a connection to mansion in Manhattan's Upper East Side and as the novel unfolds and secrets are revealed you learn how the characters are connected, the mystery of what happened to Olive and how those events influenced the lives of Lucy and Kate. I enjoyed this novel so much and I sincerely hope that these authors will collaborate on another novel again in the future!
This doesn't seem like the kind of thing I'd normally love - and I can nitpick about several details - but I was in a reading slump, hating everything, and it pulled me out of it.
It's designed to be a gentle read and tug on your emotions, so if you're feeling cynical (as I often do) put it off for another time.
It's designed to be a gentle read and tug on your emotions, so if you're feeling cynical (as I often do) put it off for another time.
I want to thank Penguin Group Berkley and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review. I have to confess, I had a few inner girl shrieks when I was approved to read this. Lauren Willig and Karen White are two of my favorite authors and I was intrigued to read a novel from the two of them together. Beatriz Williams did not disappoint as well. Stellar teamwork and story flow by the authors.
I typically shy away from any book that is coauthored. Other coauthored novels I have read were disjointed, odd, and seemed to fall apart as the story was told. The allure of two of my favorite authors writing together caused me to quickly get over that. I found the story to flow beautifully and creatively. It was well written and I was left marveling at the plot flow from three different writers. Exceeded expectations!
A love story spanning three generations and three couples. The Pratt Mansion was home to the affluent Pratt family, a boarding house for respectable women, and a hospital for wounded servicemen. Each generation part of an iconic time period that shaped America.
The design of the Pratt Mansion was flawless and inspired. Unfortunately, the architect was never paid for his designs. His daughter, Olive, is determined to seek the restitution owed to her family by the Pratts. Masquerading as a maid, Olive Van Allen gains access to the mansion and the family members of the Pratt family. Catching the eye of the younger, artistic Pratt son, Olive soon finds her loyalties are torn between what is owed to her family and what is owed to her heart.
Flash forward to 1892 and the Pratt Mansion is home to Lucy Younger (name changed to hide her German roots). She is a secretary at a legal firm and has aspirations for herself. Armed with some knowledge about her mother, Olive, that causes her to seek information on the Pratt family; Lucy seeks access to the files of their attorney. Their attorney has a few favors he needs from Lucy. He can't be in two places at once and needs Lucy to entertain a client for him. This isn't any ordinary client; this young art dealer from the South has his own agenda with the Pratt family and the mansion. Will their agendas collide or will bring the couple together in ways neither has experienced before?
1944- Lucy's daughter Kate is a bright female physician struggling to find her place in a male dominated career. Male chauvinistic doctors belittle her or sexually harass her and the nurses treat her as a pariah abandoning the field that is designated for females interested in medicine. On a rainy night, Capt. Cooper Ravenel is brought to the hospital's doorstep with a significant infection in his leg that causes his first attending to call for the OR to be prepped for leg amputation. He quietly makes a plea to Kate to not let them take his leg. Kate takes a chance and puts her skills to the test. In his belongings she finds a painting of a dark haired siren that looks like her. More troubling is that this siren is wearing the ruby necklace Kate has that was her mother's. The connection between Kate and Cooper is undeniable; however, the roots of the that connection lay in their past. Kate and Cooper put the pieces together of a mystery spanning decades, but as the story unfolds is history destined to repeat itself?
I felt like the book missed content and often repeated itself. I kept wishing for more and was easily confused at how the characters were supposed to relate to one another. Definitely preferred the other 2 books by these authors. Almost didn't bother to finish it.
This novel is a collaboration by three authors, Karen White, Beatriz Williams, and Lauren Willig. I'm a huge fan of White and Williams so I was very excited to get a copy of this. The Forgotten Room is historical fiction told in alternating chapters of 3 different generations of women from the same family. They are all tied to the Pratt House in New York and the family that resides there. At the top of that house, there is a room that holds the secrets of their past. I enjoyed this book. My only complaint was that I had to keep going over the family tree in my head because I would get confused. At one point, I almost stopped to write it down. The relationships are a bit intertwined and confusing but it all ironed out in the end.
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.
A light romance novel that moves through time with hidden objects and a family mystery? Sign me up! The Forgotten Room was exactly as advertised, and written in a way where the different author styles worked seamlessly together. If you like romance with a historical bent - or just want some general escapism this is the perfect book.
This book was just ok for me. Im not always a huge fan of historical fiction, but this I saw this one had a mystery and I was interested.
Except...I guessed the answer after the 3rd chapter or so and the big twist was just there was no twist.
I also didn't super love the love stories. I felt like I was told that the characters fell in love, I didnt really feel it. It was partly because we were jumping from person to person and I didnt really get to see a lot of moments between our couples.
Overall the story was just mediocre for me, though I wanted to like it more
Except...I guessed the answer after the 3rd chapter or so and the big twist was just there was no twist.
I also didn't super love the love stories. I felt like I was told that the characters fell in love, I didnt really feel it. It was partly because we were jumping from person to person and I didnt really get to see a lot of moments between our couples.
Overall the story was just mediocre for me, though I wanted to like it more
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
Have you ever read a book that captured everything so perfectly? Well, this is that book for me. The Forgotten Room is a beautiful book that tells the story of a love that knows no bounds.
I was fascinated by the plot of this book and it was amazing to see the twists and turns in this book. The characters were intriguing and I didn't want the book to end. I took my time with this book. I usually devour these kind of books but I had to slow my pace to truly appreciate the minute details that we woven into this book.
Even though I own an ARC of this book, I will have to buy it. This was just one of those books that needs a spot on my bookshelf.
Have you ever read a book that captured everything so perfectly? Well, this is that book for me. The Forgotten Room is a beautiful book that tells the story of a love that knows no bounds.
I was fascinated by the plot of this book and it was amazing to see the twists and turns in this book. The characters were intriguing and I didn't want the book to end. I took my time with this book. I usually devour these kind of books but I had to slow my pace to truly appreciate the minute details that we woven into this book.
Even though I own an ARC of this book, I will have to buy it. This was just one of those books that needs a spot on my bookshelf.
Probably more of a 3.5. I did like how it kept me guessing at the genealogy, so I was always trying to figure out if cousins or 2nd cousins were going to marry or if no one was related. That's all in the fun. And since this novel tackles THREE generations that all kept their secrets from each other, unlike most novels that have one generation just looking back on one other, it was ambitious. It was also well done. I just can't give it a 4 because it's not amazing literature. You need to be a fan of the authors of genre to appreciate it.