hmwhitten's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
annsbibliotherapy's review against another edition
4.0
"Fred has a girlfriend" I had no idea how terrifying those words could turn out to be. A child with a unique look at the world makes a terrifying discovery and integrates himself and his mother on the case to solve a mystery over 500 years in the making.
This is one of those rare books where the setting is a character of it's own and I loved it, the descriptions of Ashton Hall, the village, all of the places that Hanna and Nicky see, Castles to Cotttages, the setting is vibrant and comes alive under Lauren Belfers masterful storytelling.
The natural flow of this book allows for seemless transitions between the current world and the late 1500's which is no easy task, and while there are a lot of almost educational moments I found it helpful as I'm sure not everyone has firsthand knowledge of the things used in the Edwardian era.
From murder to affairs, priests hiding rooms to hidden passages, children with special needs to children that are just a handful this book has a little something that will interest anyone who loves a good, well written, engaging story.
There are so many questions this book poses and doesn't fail to deliver answers that will leave you mind blown wondering how you never saw it coming.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I truly enjoyed this book and would happily read anything else this author writes.
This is one of those rare books where the setting is a character of it's own and I loved it, the descriptions of Ashton Hall, the village, all of the places that Hanna and Nicky see, Castles to Cotttages, the setting is vibrant and comes alive under Lauren Belfers masterful storytelling.
The natural flow of this book allows for seemless transitions between the current world and the late 1500's which is no easy task, and while there are a lot of almost educational moments I found it helpful as I'm sure not everyone has firsthand knowledge of the things used in the Edwardian era.
From murder to affairs, priests hiding rooms to hidden passages, children with special needs to children that are just a handful this book has a little something that will interest anyone who loves a good, well written, engaging story.
There are so many questions this book poses and doesn't fail to deliver answers that will leave you mind blown wondering how you never saw it coming.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I truly enjoyed this book and would happily read anything else this author writes.
s_woodcox's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
txmxy's review against another edition
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
manugareau's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
jenmoody23's review against another edition
2.0
This book is marketed as a gothic mystery, but that is not what I got. Instead it is a slow paced fiction novel. That in itself wasn’t terrible, but the way relationships are portrayed was. Our protagonist who has a special needs son is very weak when it comes to him and her manipulative husband. Also, adultery is portrayed to be excusable in certain circumstances her and I’m not ok with that. All of these things combined made this not the boom for me. If I was not reading an ARC for review, I would have dnf’d this one. I gave this two stars instead of one because the historical part about the Tudor era of England was of interest to me.
shxlby98's review against another edition
3.0
This is a very very slow atmospheric read. There were times that I thought the plot would never pick up and I would be stuck but it picked up at the end.
Perfect for a slow winter evening but not a beach read
Perfect for a slow winter evening but not a beach read
cate_with_a_c's review against another edition
2.0
UGH
Who talks like this? Who talks like the main character would.
It’s cool she basically wrote an Autistic child, but everything else was whiny. I found myself skipping over parts because it trudged along.
Who talks like this? Who talks like the main character would.
It’s cool she basically wrote an Autistic child, but everything else was whiny. I found myself skipping over parts because it trudged along.
kelsey_vanna's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
murphy_overbooked's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Blood, Violence, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Mental illness