jody_j's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this book
The cover is what captured my eye on this but and then when I read the description it sounded like a book I would not want to pass up and I am so glad that I did. I was on the edge of my seat and could not hardly put the book down to sleep in the evenings because I was wanting to know so bad what was going to happen next I just couldn't wait. I recommend everyone to read this book not just young adults adults as well you won't be sorry you did. đź’ś
The cover is what captured my eye on this but and then when I read the description it sounded like a book I would not want to pass up and I am so glad that I did. I was on the edge of my seat and could not hardly put the book down to sleep in the evenings because I was wanting to know so bad what was going to happen next I just couldn't wait. I recommend everyone to read this book not just young adults adults as well you won't be sorry you did. đź’ś
jasnacholera's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
merieshenanigans's review against another edition
4.0
This book certainly exceeded my expectations.
GILT HOLLOW is the first novel I have read by Lorie Langdon, and I enjoyed it enough to be sure that I'll soon be picking up her other works. This book is a Young Adult Mystery/Romance of some sort, although I have heard it been called a Thriller (?). And yes, it was very thrilling, page-turning read.
The story is set in the small fictitious town of Gilt Hollow. Its cozy autumnal background made for a perfect October read, which I happened to partake by chance, by the way. Langdon is very skilled at writing descriptive and realistic scenes, which only helped to make the story feel even more comfortable. Despite its whole dark-mystery-thriller-feel, I mean.
The characters were awesome. Both Willow Lamott and Ashton Keller have earned award medals from my heart :) Willow made a likable protagonist, and she was very relatable. Ashton, on the other hand, was yet another dark and brooding hero on my shelf of romantic stories... *thoughtful realization* BUT THAT'S OKAY, BECAUSE HE WAS AWESOME. Also, I loved Lisa's character and I really wish she had some more screen-time!!
The villain(s?) was (were?) perfectly villainous! And a little over-the-top too, actually, but of course that would have to be the case to fit in with the storyline. Which is fine by me.
Some of the content was a little suggestive, but it was kept to a slight minimum and nothing really happened, only hinted at. There was some violence, but it was not elaborated on or glorified, even though it could be considered a little graphic for some. However, overall it was a fairly clean read, so, four stars.
GILT HOLLOW is the first novel I have read by Lorie Langdon, and I enjoyed it enough to be sure that I'll soon be picking up her other works. This book is a Young Adult Mystery/Romance of some sort, although I have heard it been called a Thriller (?). And yes, it was very thrilling, page-turning read.
The story is set in the small fictitious town of Gilt Hollow. Its cozy autumnal background made for a perfect October read, which I happened to partake by chance, by the way. Langdon is very skilled at writing descriptive and realistic scenes, which only helped to make the story feel even more comfortable. Despite its whole dark-mystery-thriller-feel, I mean.
The characters were awesome. Both Willow Lamott and Ashton Keller have earned award medals from my heart :) Willow made a likable protagonist, and she was very relatable. Ashton, on the other hand, was yet another dark and brooding hero on my shelf of romantic stories... *thoughtful realization* BUT THAT'S OKAY, BECAUSE HE WAS AWESOME. Also, I loved Lisa's character and I really wish she had some more screen-time!!
The villain(s?) was (were?) perfectly villainous! And a little over-the-top too, actually, but of course that would have to be the case to fit in with the storyline. Which is fine by me.
Some of the content was a little suggestive, but it was kept to a slight minimum and nothing really happened, only hinted at. There was some violence, but it was not elaborated on or glorified, even though it could be considered a little graphic for some. However, overall it was a fairly clean read, so, four stars.
sastarasta's review
5.0
Got an ARC of this beauty as well! Read about 40 pages and adored them!
One of the many books that I picked up recently and loved! SO good! Lorie Langdon is one of my favorite authors and I've loved every book by her that I have read. It was spooky and impossible to put down.
One of the many books that I picked up recently and loved! SO good! Lorie Langdon is one of my favorite authors and I've loved every book by her that I have read. It was spooky and impossible to put down.
errantdreams's review against another edition
3.0
At the beginning, Ash and Willow each seem angry at the other–Ash because Willow never wrote to him, and Willow because he never wrote back to all the letters she sent. Gee, seeing a pattern here? The only thing that annoyed me about it is that it was such an incredibly easy thing to clear up, if either one of them had the simple presence of mind to say, “why didn’t you reply to my letters?” I hate artificially drawn out conflicts.
I almost felt a little too empathetic in Willow’s case. It was obvious she was going to get hurt emotionally and probably physically, and of course since this is high school there’s always a humiliation piece or two. (I am not fond of that sort of plot.) For a short while I didn’t want to read any further because I didn’t want to see how she’d get screwed over. This does, however, speak well of the characterizations.
Once Willow and Ash warily circle the wagons, they have to figure out who really killed his friend. It doesn’t help that the head of the police has it in for Ash and is keeping an eye on him at every chance.
On a side note: Need a way to quickly establish a growly male as having feelings? Make sure he likes fuzzy animals. (Yes, I’m being sarcastic.) It’s kind of second nature for authors at this point.
A number of the things Ash and Willow did seemed reckless and ill-advised; maybe the author was trading in on the fact that his characters are so young.
NOTE: Free book provided by publisher in return for honest review
Original review on my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/2016/08/review-gilt-hollow-lorie-langdon/
I almost felt a little too empathetic in Willow’s case. It was obvious she was going to get hurt emotionally and probably physically, and of course since this is high school there’s always a humiliation piece or two. (I am not fond of that sort of plot.) For a short while I didn’t want to read any further because I didn’t want to see how she’d get screwed over. This does, however, speak well of the characterizations.
Once Willow and Ash warily circle the wagons, they have to figure out who really killed his friend. It doesn’t help that the head of the police has it in for Ash and is keeping an eye on him at every chance.
On a side note: Need a way to quickly establish a growly male as having feelings? Make sure he likes fuzzy animals. (Yes, I’m being sarcastic.) It’s kind of second nature for authors at this point.
A number of the things Ash and Willow did seemed reckless and ill-advised; maybe the author was trading in on the fact that his characters are so young.
NOTE: Free book provided by publisher in return for honest review
Original review on my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/2016/08/review-gilt-hollow-lorie-langdon/
tomesandtextiles's review against another edition
Ashton Keller has spent the last four years behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit. He returns to Gilt Hollow to reclaim his good name and Willow, the girl he left behind. But you know that they say, you can never go home again….This tale of murder, mystery and betrayal in a small town will keep you on the edge of your seat.
For full review check our website: https://yawednesdays.com/2016/09/16/first-reads-friday-gilt-hollow-by-lorie-langdon/
For full review check our website: https://yawednesdays.com/2016/09/16/first-reads-friday-gilt-hollow-by-lorie-langdon/
canadianbookworm's review against another edition
3.0
http://cdnbookworm.blogspot.ca/2017/02/gilt-hollow.html
nicolemhewitt's review against another edition
4.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Gilt Hollow feels more like a YA romance with a bit of mystery thrown in than like a true mystery, which suited me just fine. (In fact, that’s the way I prefer my mysteries since the romance element typically holds my attention more than the actual mystery does.) I cared a lot more about Willow and Ashton’s personal journeys than I did about who specifically killed their friend. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely plenty of clues to the mystery woven into the story, but those weren’t the aspects of the book that kept me flipping the pages (and I did keep flipping the pages—I think I read the book in two sittings).
What Fed My Addiction:
Bad boy with a heart of gold.
Ashton fits this trope perfectly. And, sure, it’s a trope, but it’s one that works for me when it’s done right. I felt like Langdon did it justice. In this case, we have Ashton, who’s been wrongly convicted of a crime and spent years in juvie because of it. Ashton is a truly good person, which is established right from the very start, but his time in juvie and his anger over what he’s been through has left him with some rough edges. Ashton isn’t the type of bad boy who’s just a plain jerk but the main character falls for him anyway because he’s swoony. Willow’s feelings for Ashton are complicated because she has history with him and has always stood behind him, but she does see an undercurrent of danger in him that makes her nervous and makes her doubt him a bit.
Misunderstandings that actually make sense.
This is another trope that can sometimes bug me a lot, but that Langdon managed to weave into the story in a way that made sense. We find out right from the very beginning that Willow and Ashton have some hostility between them based solely on a misunderstanding—Ashton is upset that Willow cut all ties with him and abandoned him when he was convicted, and Willow is upset that Ashton never responded to any of her letters. It’s obvious that something is amiss here: If Willow was writing him, why didn’t he get her letters? Now, it sometimes bugs me when a simple misunderstanding creates all the tension in a relationship, but in this case it sort of made sense. After all, both Willow and Ashton had years to stew on their side of the story and things between them were understandably awkward and somewhat hostile when Ashton returned—it made sense that they wouldn’t instantly confront each other in the midst of that awkwardness to talk about their feelings. And the mystery of what happened with the letters was just one more piece of the total mystery pie. (Yeah, that’s a weird metaphor, but I’m going with it.) Like I said, I was more invested in the relationships than the actual mystery, so mysteries surrounding their past were more interesting to me than those surrounding the crime.
Teen angst that didn’t feel unwarranted.
Sometimes I love a little bit of teen angst—those elevated emotions that made everything feel a little more desperate and painful. In this case, those emotions seemed completely valid and believable. After all, the stakes were really high—Ashton had gone to juvie for a crime he didn’t commit, and now was being threatened, along with Willow. No one is overreacting here because at least one person already died. It’s not so crazy to think that it could happen again. And it was completely understandable that Willow had both doubts and strong feelings about Ashton given their history. Her confusion is justified, and that made me sympathize with both her and Ashton all the more!
What Left Me Hungry for More:
The mystery.
The first half of this book didn’t feel like much of a mystery at all. Sure there was some question as to who was trying to get Ashton to leave town and who was threatening Willow, but the book didn’t seem to focus on that as much as the relationships between the characters. And because of the circumstances when Daniel died, there’s really only a very short list of people who could have been involved. Because of that, when you find out what actually happened, it doesn’t feel particularly surprising—though there are some details that make it more interesting, for sure. I was perfectly satisfied with the mystery aspect of the book, but true sleuths might be disappointed with the lack of true twists.
If you’re a fan of YA contemporary romance and enjoy a mystery twist to your stories, I’d definitely pick this book up. I got very attached to these characters early on and flew through the book. I give it 4/5 stars.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
Gilt Hollow feels more like a YA romance with a bit of mystery thrown in than like a true mystery, which suited me just fine. (In fact, that’s the way I prefer my mysteries since the romance element typically holds my attention more than the actual mystery does.) I cared a lot more about Willow and Ashton’s personal journeys than I did about who specifically killed their friend. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely plenty of clues to the mystery woven into the story, but those weren’t the aspects of the book that kept me flipping the pages (and I did keep flipping the pages—I think I read the book in two sittings).
What Fed My Addiction:
Bad boy with a heart of gold.
Ashton fits this trope perfectly. And, sure, it’s a trope, but it’s one that works for me when it’s done right. I felt like Langdon did it justice. In this case, we have Ashton, who’s been wrongly convicted of a crime and spent years in juvie because of it. Ashton is a truly good person, which is established right from the very start, but his time in juvie and his anger over what he’s been through has left him with some rough edges. Ashton isn’t the type of bad boy who’s just a plain jerk but the main character falls for him anyway because he’s swoony. Willow’s feelings for Ashton are complicated because she has history with him and has always stood behind him, but she does see an undercurrent of danger in him that makes her nervous and makes her doubt him a bit.
Misunderstandings that actually make sense.
This is another trope that can sometimes bug me a lot, but that Langdon managed to weave into the story in a way that made sense. We find out right from the very beginning that Willow and Ashton have some hostility between them based solely on a misunderstanding—Ashton is upset that Willow cut all ties with him and abandoned him when he was convicted, and Willow is upset that Ashton never responded to any of her letters. It’s obvious that something is amiss here: If Willow was writing him, why didn’t he get her letters? Now, it sometimes bugs me when a simple misunderstanding creates all the tension in a relationship, but in this case it sort of made sense. After all, both Willow and Ashton had years to stew on their side of the story and things between them were understandably awkward and somewhat hostile when Ashton returned—it made sense that they wouldn’t instantly confront each other in the midst of that awkwardness to talk about their feelings. And the mystery of what happened with the letters was just one more piece of the total mystery pie. (Yeah, that’s a weird metaphor, but I’m going with it.) Like I said, I was more invested in the relationships than the actual mystery, so mysteries surrounding their past were more interesting to me than those surrounding the crime.
Teen angst that didn’t feel unwarranted.
Sometimes I love a little bit of teen angst—those elevated emotions that made everything feel a little more desperate and painful. In this case, those emotions seemed completely valid and believable. After all, the stakes were really high—Ashton had gone to juvie for a crime he didn’t commit, and now was being threatened, along with Willow. No one is overreacting here because at least one person already died. It’s not so crazy to think that it could happen again. And it was completely understandable that Willow had both doubts and strong feelings about Ashton given their history. Her confusion is justified, and that made me sympathize with both her and Ashton all the more!
What Left Me Hungry for More:
The mystery.
The first half of this book didn’t feel like much of a mystery at all. Sure there was some question as to who was trying to get Ashton to leave town and who was threatening Willow, but the book didn’t seem to focus on that as much as the relationships between the characters. And because of the circumstances when Daniel died, there’s really only a very short list of people who could have been involved. Because of that, when you find out what actually happened, it doesn’t feel particularly surprising—though there are some details that make it more interesting, for sure. I was perfectly satisfied with the mystery aspect of the book, but true sleuths might be disappointed with the lack of true twists.
If you’re a fan of YA contemporary romance and enjoy a mystery twist to your stories, I’d definitely pick this book up. I got very attached to these characters early on and flew through the book. I give it 4/5 stars.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
ceruleanjen's review against another edition
5.0
Plot:
The plot was right up my alley--a teen has just been released early for jail after serving time for supposedly killing his friend and returns to his hometown to find the real killer. His longtime best friend, Willow, must deal with his return and also finds herself wrapped up in the mystery of who was really responsible for the murder that happened over four years ago.
I haven't read many YA thriller/suspense and while some parts were predictable, some weren't. There's also a big focus on character development and relationships, which really helps with the overall plot. It felt realistic.
Setting:
Gilt Hollow is a neat little town and kind of reminds me of a city nearby me. The Keller house sounded really awesome and I loved the spooky Halloween atmosphere. Really added to the plot and overall tension. The author did a great job painting the scenery--it felt real.
Characters:
While the plot and setting won me over, the characters is really what makes this story shine.
Willow, the protagonist, felt like a realistic girl for the most part. She's had a rough four years since her best friend was sent off to jail and also lost her father before that. Her family struggles to make ends meet and she has a problem holding down a job or making friends because she stood up for the innocence of her friend.
She came across as your average, girl-next-door type of character. I admired her loyalty, liked that she made simple mistakes, and wears her heart on her sleeve. The only thing I didn't like is that a few points she becomes sorta "Mary Sueish" when a few guys/all the guys think she's the most beautiful girl in the room--though this could also be Ashton exaggerating? I do like that Willow has panic attacks and a way to get herself through them--it's something I've never seen in a book before.
Ashton is the boy who is released from jail, Willow's longtime best friend, and love interest. While he can come across as rash and spiky, deep down he's a good person. He just has a habit of jumping to conclusions, resorting to violence (taught to him in juvie) and trying to keep things to himself instead of getting help.
He's a bit on the cocky side but also has a vulnerable side. He has a lonely past where rich parents basically ignored him and complicated feelings when it comes to Willow and her family. I really liked him and he made a great love interest. He also has one of the best Halloween costumes ever later on.
I felt Lisa was a good side character and while she was ignored in favor of Ashton once or twice, for the most part Willow stuck by her (and vice versa). She was really sweet, cool, and supportive.
Brayden was also another character I kind of liked, though I suspected he could be involved with the murder somehow.
I felt Willow's mom, little brother, and the pastor came across as realistic and not too absent from Willow's life.
Relationships:
I loved Willow and Ashton's relationship because it was super complicated and also pretty intense. They were friends for a long time, went without speaking for years, and are finally together again. There's a lot of emotion, hurt, and confusion mixed with obvious attraction. I like that they don't try to hide the attraction they have for one another but that they also don't bring a lot of attention to it as they're still trying to figure things out. It felt realistic.
Willow and Lisa made good friends, and I liked the relationship Willow had with her quirky mom. I also liked the little odd acquaintance with Mrs. M.
Writing/Voice:
The writing was very easy to get wrapped into and if not for real life, I probably would have finished this a lot sooner. The plot is interesting, the setting comes to life, and the characters are easy to connect to.
Ending:
I was hoping for more of a plot twist because while I had a guess on who the real killer might be, I also wasn't shocked by who it was, either. Everything made sense, but it was slightly disappointing. The "fight" scene was intense, though.
The epilogue is cute and wraps up what happens in the aftermath of the climax nicely.
Overall, I loved this and will definitely check out more from this author. 4.5 stars.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for this review. These opinions are my own; I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated for this review.