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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
I really liked my first Victoria Holt novel, "Mistress of Mellyn" but was disappointed in this one. I didn't like the story as well, and thought it was somewhat predictable.
One of my favorite gothic romance titles. This was an author my mother introduced me to when I was in middle school (so I wouldn't read Danielle Steel). I have read many of Holt's books, but this is my favorite of them all. It made me want to visit Cornwall, because it seems so mysterious.
So good. I just finished and I *can't* even with how good this book was. I didn't see the ending coming, and was kept in suspense the whole time. It takes a skilled hand to combine romance and gothic thrills the way Victoria Holt has in this book.
dark
mysterious
Victoria Holt was an incredibly prolific writer, writing under several pseudonyms - most prominently Victoria Holt, Jean Plaidy, and Philippa Carr. Victoria Holt was her pseudonym for writing Gothic romance and these books are wonderful and old-fashioned and fun to read. I remember staying up all night at my Mississippi grandmother's house when I was in high school reading The Legend of the Seventh Virgin and loving every minute of it. I've also read The Mistress of Mellyn although I thought it was just okay. I grabbed this one because I'm reading books published in my birth year and I'm glad I did.
This was great fun! The plot obviously owes a lot to Rebecca, although to Holt's credit her heroine is much less whiney and annoying than Du Maurier's - I never once had the desire to smack her around. The Cornish setting combined with mysterious and dangerous happenings, family surprises, sexy nurses and governesses with husband-stealing on their minds, and (I kid you not) evil twins - this makes for lots of Gothic fun and some chills and thrills. Great escapist reading.
This was great fun! The plot obviously owes a lot to Rebecca, although to Holt's credit her heroine is much less whiney and annoying than Du Maurier's - I never once had the desire to smack her around. The Cornish setting combined with mysterious and dangerous happenings, family surprises, sexy nurses and governesses with husband-stealing on their minds, and (I kid you not) evil twins - this makes for lots of Gothic fun and some chills and thrills. Great escapist reading.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Reminiscent of one of my all-time favs "Rebecca", I enjoyed this book greatly!
This is probably the 2nd or 3rd book by Victoria Holt that I am reading even though I love Gothic romance genre but somehow Victoria Holt's books has not captured my interest as much as all the other authors in this genre. I can still go back to read Phyllis A Whitney's or Mary Stewart's books anytime with utter glee and rapture and I think it's mostly my fault because Ms. Holt's Bride of Pendorric was absolutely delightful if one loves reading these kind of books. But there was an element of spark missing so it was making me feel bored rather than happy with the usual large mansion, creepy atmosphere, distant husband and menace around the heroine milieu.
This was such a good gothic romance/mystery. Favel was more sensible than most of the Gothic heroines and the atmosphere of the house and the town Pendorric was in was described really good. I could not solve the mystery until the 90% mark which is impressive considering the book had cliches. But the cliches were inserted into the book professionally.
I would advise this book to mystery lovers because the Favel and Roe's romance is not the main story in the book.
I would advise this book to mystery lovers because the Favel and Roe's romance is not the main story in the book.
Gothic novels are my thing, and I'm a big fan of Victoria Holt. Bride of Pendorric was a nice surprise -- family secrets, paintings of unfortunate brides, twins (twins run in the Pendorric family) - including the identical pair nicknamed Hy and Lo, nieces of Favel's new husband. This book kept me guessing, with plots and twists throughout. Very long chapters (only 7 chapters!), but I was engrossed by this story, and by the Pendorrics, who live in an incredible castle, that is almost like a character itself...