A review by jo_cbooks
Vale by Tess Bentley

challenging dark emotional slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.75

Vale is a Victorian era romance about grief, fear, betrayal, and redemption. Following 36-year-old Vale as she is ripped from her modern life by magic to being her 18-year-old self in Victorian England, she must navigate the loss of her two children and adjusting being a young woman in the 19th century, as well as an old family curse tied to the man who has become her protector. 

When I started the book I was expecting a lot more Outlander vibes as opposed to delving into the struggles of a woman being stripped from the life and children she knew. The rawness of Vale’s emotions and the growth that she shows throughout the book regarding her situation was refreshing. Some very heavy topics were main themes in the story and I felt that the portrayal of the internal struggle caused by Vale’s abuses and losses was presented in good depth and not brushed to the side. There was so much character development in the story, not just from the main characters but from minor characters as well. I enjoyed being taken into the mind of someone trying to reconcile what they have been taught about history versus what they were witnessing. The romance was tender and respectful yet also sultry. 

I did find that halfway through the book there was quite a lull—in that way it felt like I was reading a Jane Austen novel. I think that things slowed down a little too much in the middle before picking up briskly in the last portion. I was able to predict a lot of the events that unfolded which left me more wanting to get to the “action” rather than anticipating what was to come. 

Overall, for a person who loves historical fiction set in Victorian times with a touch of gothic/witchiness, I think Vale is a great fit! Please do check trigger warnings. 

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC!
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