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A review by dmniccoli
Parting the Veil by Paulette Kennedy
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
I stayed up much, much too late to finish the ARC I received of PARTING THE VEIL, and I have no regrets.
This feminist and queer gothic romantic thriller was a fantastic read. It has beautiful prose and an atmosphere that I really sunk my teeth into—it’s the kind of writing that feeds you.
As the mysteries of Lord Havenwood and Havenwood Manor unfolded, there were lots of discernible clues for the reader, and yet the twists were expertly built to a very satisfying conclusion—one I’d guessed, another I hadn’t, but no less enjoyed. I had so much fun digging into each scene trying to figure out if my theories were correct.
And because I’m a romance writer and reader I would be remiss not to point out how much I loved the romantic elements. I’m still thinking about Malcolm’s letter to Eliza. Short, sweet, but packing heat (fans self).
Fellow romance lovers, please note that the steamy scenes (and there were a lot of them) were fade-to-black. I would have LOVED open door scenes, but then again I’m the type of reader who doesn’t think you can have too much spice ;) While romance isn’t the central plot, especially in the second half of the book when the mystery and thriller elements come to the forefront, it is the backbone, as another reviewer pointed out. Still, the story ends happily and hopeful and I absolutely adored it.
I was told this book would be a treat and a dark delight and it thoroughly was! This was a fabulous debut, and I cannot wait to read more by Paulette Kennedy.
Thank you Paulette & Lake Union Publishing for the ARC!
CW:
Please note and read with care.
This novel includes subject matter such as domestic abuse, addiction, suicidal ideation, pregnancy/child loss, murder, mental illness, implied incest and sexual abuse, as well as racism and misogyny that is reflective of the time period.
This feminist and queer gothic romantic thriller was a fantastic read. It has beautiful prose and an atmosphere that I really sunk my teeth into—it’s the kind of writing that feeds you.
As the mysteries of Lord Havenwood and Havenwood Manor unfolded, there were lots of discernible clues for the reader, and yet the twists were expertly built to a very satisfying conclusion—one I’d guessed, another I hadn’t, but no less enjoyed. I had so much fun digging into each scene trying to figure out if my theories were correct.
And because I’m a romance writer and reader I would be remiss not to point out how much I loved the romantic elements. I’m still thinking about Malcolm’s letter to Eliza. Short, sweet, but packing heat (fans self).
Fellow romance lovers, please note that the steamy scenes (and there were a lot of them) were fade-to-black. I would have LOVED open door scenes, but then again I’m the type of reader who doesn’t think you can have too much spice ;) While romance isn’t the central plot, especially in the second half of the book when the mystery and thriller elements come to the forefront, it is the backbone, as another reviewer pointed out. Still, the story ends happily and hopeful and I absolutely adored it.
I was told this book would be a treat and a dark delight and it thoroughly was! This was a fabulous debut, and I cannot wait to read more by Paulette Kennedy.
Thank you Paulette & Lake Union Publishing for the ARC!
CW:
Please note and read with care.
This novel includes subject matter such as domestic abuse, addiction, suicidal ideation, pregnancy/child loss, murder, mental illness, implied incest and sexual abuse, as well as racism and misogyny that is reflective of the time period.