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lynguy1 's review for:
Secrets of the Chocolate House
by Paula Brackston
Secrets of the Chocolate House by Paula Brackston is a well-written, entertaining mix of Historical Fiction and Fantasy that kept me engaged throughout the book. While it is the second book in the series, it worked as a standalone novel. I believe most readers would benefit from reading the series in order as there are references back to events in the first book of the series. However, this did not diminish my reading pleasure.
The novel takes place in and around Marlborough, a market town in the English county of Wiltshire in a mix of contemporary times and the latter part of the first decade of the seventeenth century. Xanthe and her mother Flora now live in Marlborough above their antique store, The Little Shop of Found Things. Xanthe’s parents are going through a divorce, money is tight and Flora is suffering from arthritis. Xanthe has found that she can time travel to address injustices. Objects sing/whisper to her. When a copper chocolate pot calls to her, she knows that she will once again be time traveling.
Paula Brackston does a great job in giving the reader a sense of both time and place. Her descriptions help the reader to travel with Xanthe. There is history, suspense, danger, deceit, uncertainty, a villain, hope, friendship and much more.
I wish that Xanthe was a stronger female protagonist. She is still somewhat unsure of herself whether she is in contemporary times or in the seventeenth century. However, there are hints of changes and I expect this is one thing that the author will address in future books.
Readers that enjoy time travel and history should enjoy this novel. I look forward to reading more books by Paula Brackston.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Paula Brackston via Net Galley for a free electronic copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
The novel takes place in and around Marlborough, a market town in the English county of Wiltshire in a mix of contemporary times and the latter part of the first decade of the seventeenth century. Xanthe and her mother Flora now live in Marlborough above their antique store, The Little Shop of Found Things. Xanthe’s parents are going through a divorce, money is tight and Flora is suffering from arthritis. Xanthe has found that she can time travel to address injustices. Objects sing/whisper to her. When a copper chocolate pot calls to her, she knows that she will once again be time traveling.
Paula Brackston does a great job in giving the reader a sense of both time and place. Her descriptions help the reader to travel with Xanthe. There is history, suspense, danger, deceit, uncertainty, a villain, hope, friendship and much more.
I wish that Xanthe was a stronger female protagonist. She is still somewhat unsure of herself whether she is in contemporary times or in the seventeenth century. However, there are hints of changes and I expect this is one thing that the author will address in future books.
Readers that enjoy time travel and history should enjoy this novel. I look forward to reading more books by Paula Brackston.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Paula Brackston via Net Galley for a free electronic copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.