afwyt's review
5.0
Emily Carpenter, the queen of southern gothic fiction.
Again, as I've mentioned in previous reviews of her work, Emily is an 'auto-buy' author for me. She never disappoints.
This sequel was truly captivating. I really felt like I was a part of the story, following along with each of the characters. I have no complaints, the writing really allows for your own imagination to take over...it's a wonderful experience.
A big thank you to Emily Carpenter for doing what she does. Her work is magical - literally. :)
Again, as I've mentioned in previous reviews of her work, Emily is an 'auto-buy' author for me. She never disappoints.
This sequel was truly captivating. I really felt like I was a part of the story, following along with each of the characters. I have no complaints, the writing really allows for your own imagination to take over...it's a wonderful experience.
A big thank you to Emily Carpenter for doing what she does. Her work is magical - literally. :)
marlina10's review
4.0
This book was an excellent blend of mystery, suspense, and drama. Several times it made me stop and think about how many stories our parents and other elders must have about their lives, that we've never heard. Told in a dual timeline, this book follows the stories of Dove Jarrod, a renowned faith healer and her granddaughter Eve Candler, who is the only one in her family who knows the truth - that Dove was a con artist. Rumors have abounded for years that Dove also may have been in possession of a valuable old coin, possibly by illegal means, but it has never been found. As Eve tries to learn the truth about her grandmother and the location of the missing coin, she must be wary of others who will stop at nothing to hide the truth or find the coin for themselves. Reading this took me back to the days when I loved Nancy Drew mysteries as a young girl.
kimberlyf's review
4.0
told from multiple pov with multiple timelines: dove, the grandmother from 1930-1934 and eve, the granddaughter in present time
it hooked me from the beginning. the story opens years after doves death, with eve shooting a promotional documentary for the re-opening of a psychiatric hospital, under her late grandmother’s foundation.
it’s clear that Dove was hiding a lot of secrets about her past and Eve is intent on uncovering them in order to hold her family together.
read if you enjoy slow burn, southern gothic mysteries with generational family drama and little sprinkles of the supernatural
it hooked me from the beginning. the story opens years after doves death, with eve shooting a promotional documentary for the re-opening of a psychiatric hospital, under her late grandmother’s foundation.
it’s clear that Dove was hiding a lot of secrets about her past and Eve is intent on uncovering them in order to hold her family together.
read if you enjoy slow burn, southern gothic mysteries with generational family drama and little sprinkles of the supernatural
ashleysumm's review
5.0
Dove confessed to Eve that she was a fraud and couldn't give her a miracle, but her greatest miracle was yet to come...
Eve Candler is the granddaughter of renowned faith healer and evangelist, Dove Jarrod, previously known as Ruth Davidson. For many years, Eve has harboured a great deal of resentment for her long-dead grandmother, as she is the only one who knows Dove darkest secret... or so she thinks. When Dove's legacy is threatened, Eve must race against time to protect her grandmother's reputation and bury her secrets once and for all. What Eve doesn't realize is that not everything is as it seems, and Dove isn't the only one with secrets...
I fully expected to love this novel, as I have recently read three of Emily Carpenter's books and I am officially a die hard fan! I love how Emily's carefully detailed descriptions allow me to see the full mental picture of each character and scene in her writing. As I read Reviving the Hawthorn Sisters, I quickly began to piece together connections between past and present characters and was fascinated to see how everything would come together in the end. I definitely was not disappointed, as every piece of the puzzle came together in a chilling climax and absolutely beautiful ending.
Eve Candler is the granddaughter of renowned faith healer and evangelist, Dove Jarrod, previously known as Ruth Davidson. For many years, Eve has harboured a great deal of resentment for her long-dead grandmother, as she is the only one who knows Dove darkest secret... or so she thinks. When Dove's legacy is threatened, Eve must race against time to protect her grandmother's reputation and bury her secrets once and for all. What Eve doesn't realize is that not everything is as it seems, and Dove isn't the only one with secrets...
I fully expected to love this novel, as I have recently read three of Emily Carpenter's books and I am officially a die hard fan! I love how Emily's carefully detailed descriptions allow me to see the full mental picture of each character and scene in her writing. As I read Reviving the Hawthorn Sisters, I quickly began to piece together connections between past and present characters and was fascinated to see how everything would come together in the end. I definitely was not disappointed, as every piece of the puzzle came together in a chilling climax and absolutely beautiful ending.
_myliteraryobsession's review
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
thebrownbookloft's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. I got this through Kindle unlimited. It was a decent story, it just didn't do much for me, personally.
crabbytaco's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Forced institutionalization and Incest
bobachel's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
3.0
Finished reading: October 12th 2020
"Sometimes you've got to tear something down before you can build it back up again."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! **
Spoiler
I've enjoyed Emily Carpenter's books in the past, although I confess that I haven't read Burying The Honeysuckle Girls yet myself. I didn't realize this newest story was set in the same era, but fortunately Reviving The Hawthorn Sisters works perfectly well without reading that story first. I was intrigued as soon as I read the blurb; both the historical setting and Dove's character sounded absolutely fascinating. And while somehow I didn't enjoy the story as much as I thought I would, I can't deny that the premise alone will make the heart of any historical fiction fan beat faster.
Like I said, I really liked the premise and idea behind this story. Especially the historical part set in the 1930s; you can clearly see that the author researched the era thoroughly and the descriptions make it feel as if you stepped into a time machine. I also liked the symbolisms and the significance of and reference to the hawthorn tree throughout the story. It's always a nice touch when the title can be connected to the story in multiple ways! I do have to say that I found parts of the story to be quite slow and even repetitive. This haltered pace made it harder to properly enjoy the story, and the repetitions did the same... Especially the whole mention of the coin over and over again became really annoying.
The story uses a dual POV structure as well as a dual timeline. We have the part set in the 1930s with Dove, and the part set in the present with Dove's granddaughter Eve... Dual timelines can be tricky for me, as I tend to prefer one over the other, and that is exactly what happened here. I found Dove's POV to be considerably stronger and way more intriguing than the present timeline. Not only is her character and development that much more fascinating, it is the historical setting that steals the show and Dove just seems to be so much more important as a character in the first place. Eve came over as a bit bland in comparison, and I found the present POV in general to be quite slow and repetitive with the coin hunt and constant repetitions of how she feels about her grandmother and her having to care for her family. She definitely lacked that spark her grandmother seemed to have...
I wasn't a fan of the whole religious angle, but I know that is a personal pet peeve of mine and I probably should have investigated more before reading this story. Luckily Dove's chapters weren't just focused on the religion, and boy has she an absolutely fascinating history! I definitely applaude her resourcefulness and ability to survive. It was interesting to slowly uncover her secrets through Eve's POV in the present, although I did see quite a few of the plot twists coming. The ending was also a bit too convenient for me... All in all sadly Reviving The Hawthorn Sisters wasn't my favorite title of hers, but that might just have been me. Most people do seem to enjoy this story better, so if you enjoy historical fiction and don't mind a slower pace and repetitions in parts this might just be a great read for you.
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.