sarah_reading_party 's review for:

Ashton Hall by Lauren Belfer

3.0

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What a great book to read in the fall, specifically around Halloween! This book had just enough mystery and atmosphere to be a tad bit creepy/haunting without being scary or filled with horror. At the core, this book had a past/present divide - the modern day story centered around Hannah and her son Nicky, as well as her husband Kevin and her "father" Christopher. Hannah and Nicky entered the past as they stayed with Christopher at Ashton Hall in England, and discovered more about the past than they expected. This book was layered, and while I truly enjoyed the past mystery/drama, I was less captivated by Hannah's story in the present. The writing was great and the sense of place was strong, so I really enjoyed that. This wasn't my favorite book but I am glad I read it and had a hard time putting it down. I will be thinking about the themes of family, faith (specifically the Catholic vs. Protestant division in the Tudor era), and women's roles in the coming days.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.