iamajellydoughnut 's review for:

Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase

3.0

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As seems to always be the case with these dual-timeline books, one story wins out over the other in terms of plot, characters, and intrigue. The other story was lackluster and contrived, and Lorna was simply grating as a character. The only relief to that timeline was the presence of Caroline Alton, a figure who I thought was handled most unjustly over the course of the story: yes she is manipulative and grasping, but at the core of it she was just a scorned woman hoping to make something better of her life, with a scumbag who had left her in the first place to boot! I had more sympathy for her than for Amber, in all honesty. And I can't abide the sappiness and implausibility of her and Lucien's relationship, and that it was sustained, and lasted, very nearly from cradle to canes. That the incest was fabricated by Caroline was such a cop out; the story would have been better had it been true. (Or maybe I just despise happily ever afters.) And the twist was rather poorly concealed, or maybe I just saw it coming—otherwise why give the POV narrative to Amber instead of Peggy, right? The 1960s narrative was much more compelling and would have served as a strong story on its own. Taken together with Lorna's contrived narrative and it suffers.