Jane Eyre redone with witches and fairies. Not 5 stars but entertaining and nicely paced. Spooky, good world building that is gothic but MUCH less doomJane Eyre redone with witches and fairies. Not 5 stars but entertaining and nicely paced. Spooky, good world building that is gothic but MUCH less doom and gloom than the original. Wish Rochester had been more moody like original book. Villain a little obvious but still good because more questions need answering. Action tight and to the point.
Just an all around enjoyable read. Loved Jane! Safety absolutely fine. A definite reread for me....more
Alright, maybe not 5 stars but this just turned my crank when I was feeling down. It had that 'gothic' feel at the start when she is new to the small cAlright, maybe not 5 stars but this just turned my crank when I was feeling down. It had that 'gothic' feel at the start when she is new to the small community of Teekkonlit Valley. So much mystery surrounding her. A definite feeling of Us and Them. Not that they are unfriendly (well not all of them) but they keep her apart. Grace herself has mysteries too. She's the ice queen. Running from a crazy ex. It leaves you lots to mull over. It's not a super hard mystery. But the detail remained elusive for long enough to keep the mystery alive. There's a bit of 'Northern Exposure' humour to the locals, but not pushed too far.
Caleb is a dick for the first 3rd, but their connection devolves into a one-upmanship relationship because she just isn't going to turn the other cheek. After a while it started to remind me of Curran and Kate's courtship (minus the swords). Cute and contentious. It was also a nice arc of Caleb bringing the warmth of life back to Grace who was numb from her psycho ex.
What really pulled me into the story was the attention to details.
Safety is good. (view spoiler)[Caleb dated an 'outsider' 5 years earlier who used him and toss him like a dirty tissue. So he's prejudiced against outsiders and shy to open himself to love again. There's no deets from before Caleb and Grace's ex's. He gets a wee bit jealous a couple times over Grace (hide spoiler)]...more
Damien the mysterious doctor with a penchant for secrecy, and Darcie the girl with nothing to lose.
Darcie hasn't eaten in 2 days and sleeps in doorwaDamien the mysterious doctor with a penchant for secrecy, and Darcie the girl with nothing to lose.
Darcie hasn't eaten in 2 days and sleeps in doorways when she gives up hope and visits her sister's brothel. Her sister gives her some money and the name of man who owes her a favour... Dr. Damien Cole. A serial killer is on the loose and I got a little tired of her feeling 'the shivers' every time she went for a walk. But this is a gothic story after all. The first third was so predictable I was tempted to quit. But the story got better. I did guess who the villain was and who the mysterious woman in the miniature were from the get go. The villain at the end was kinda ridiculously OTT. But it was still entertaining and the romance was sweet.
safety is good (view spoiler)[ she's the usual virgin. No real deets on him. He was a bit of a rake years ago but there's no mention of anyone lately. (hide spoiler)]
It's a gothic murder mystery with ghosts and time travel and NO double standards. I loved it!
The MCs are now 38 but they have known each other for overIt's a gothic murder mystery with ghosts and time travel and NO double standards. I loved it!
The MCs are now 38 but they have known each other for over 30 years... over 100 years ago. Now Bronwyn has inherited the Victorian Manor where it all took place, and it's infested with ghosts that won't leave her alone. Like most ghosts stories, Bronwyn needs to find out who the ghosts are and how they died to help them into the hereafter. But not all the ghosts are keen to be helped. And what does William, her childhood friend and teenage love, know about these ghosts?
I loved how their reunion 23 years after they were estranged, was brought about by a wee kitten that tumbled from his time to hers. The kitten weaves a sweet thread through the whole story. The mystery was well done. I did not guess it early even though for a while I was sure I knew who it was.
The ghosts were suitably spooky and enigmatic for most the story but near the end they became more like 'Ghostbuster' ghosts. Which was a little silly I thought. But that's the only complaint I have.
Safety is fine. No double standards here! (view spoiler)[William never married although he was briefly engaged to a girl his mother chose. He has luck with the ladies but there's no details given and he doesn't have anyone when they meet again. Bronwyn met Michael in college and they married. But he died of brain cancer a few years later before they have kids. That was 8 years before the story starts. She hasn't dated or anything since his death. Both MCs are 38 yrs old now but in good shape. I was glad that William wasn't jealous of Michael so there was no angst tied to her lost love. William was just a really nice guy... after he gets over being pissed at Bronwyn. (hide spoiler)]...more
. This book was a belly flop for me. This is the book where Brisbane and Julia finally get together. But not only did the romance fall flat, the mystery. This book was a belly flop for me. This is the book where Brisbane and Julia finally get together. But not only did the romance fall flat, the mystery wasn't very mysterious. It was Gothic, for sure. And after reading this, I'd love to see the Moors someday myself. But I guessed much of the intrigue long before I should have.
Anyways, word is that Brisbane has been gifted an estate on the wild Moors of Northern England. It's a falling down ruin, and the original owners are still in residence. A few odd women who are the last in a long line of inbred blond twits. Julia arrives with Portia and Valerian to lend a hand, but really to force Brisbane to address the elephant in the room, aka, their feelings for each other. But there's another elephant in the room.
As usual, the story would have had much less mystery if Brisbane had just shared his thoughts with Julia. But of course, he is incapable of giving anyone that kind of trust. I did like some of the side characters and how they interconnect. But I still think Brisbane is an asshole.
Safety is fine (view spoiler)[No hint that Brisbane has been with anyone since he saw Julia last. Julia is now 30. So time is a wastin'. There is a woman he knew from the past who infers that they shared a young love back then. This is the furthest thing from the truth. (hide spoiler)]
OK now I am going to rant a bit about Brisbane and what a disappointing romantic lead he is. (view spoiler)[ I could easily list on one hand the number of things Brisbane has said to Julia that could even remotely be construed as kind, let alone tender or romantic (and that's counting all 3 books so far). Now I don't mind an H that is kinda stiff and finds sharing difficult. But he has to at least make a fucking attempt at it. Even if it's in actions and not words. But his only somewhat romantic actions are to have given her a necklace (granted we later find out how important it was to him,) and a good luck talisman. When he kisses her it is more about lust. Plus his reason for not wanting to be with her is just stupid. It's stupid sounding even for men of that generation. Why can't she just give her money away if she wants. According to him, this would solve his issues with her being rich while he is relatively poor. There is no bending for Brisbane, but in a marriage of the hearts, both should be able to compromise. In the end the author uses a deus ex machina solution to their impasse that was unsatisfying. And Brisbane on finding out he will be wealthy and can therefore wed Julia says, 'Shall I get down on one knee?'. Really?! That's the most romantic thing he can think to say??? Over the grave of his mother when Julia throws herself at him. He should just get down on his knee and thank his lucky stars that she loves his sexist ass. The author suggest that maybe he is more romantic in the fade to black part. WTH? Then he claims to have known he would love her since the moment they met because he had had a vision. I cry bullshit. This is about as convincing as all those harlequins where the H says he loved the h from the beginning despite the crappy way he treated her throughout the book. Actions speak louder than words dude!
There's a silly letters written by Julia, and another by her maid, by way of an epilogue. (hide spoiler)] I am interested to see if their dynamic will improve in the next book now that they are man and wife....more
. Emma by Kathryn Le Veque ** 2 stars. Tip of the hat to Poe's 'Eulalie' This is my first read by this author and I was underwhelmed. The read was short,. Emma by Kathryn Le Veque ** 2 stars. Tip of the hat to Poe's 'Eulalie' This is my first read by this author and I was underwhelmed. The read was short, which would have been fine if it had been structured better. Now I've not read Eulalie so I don't know if the poor structure was a reflection on that tale... But, it was odd that the prologue was so long and never revisited, and ended up having almost nothing to do with the rest of the story. Even the portrait they go on about in the prologue is only a superficial connection, and ended up being kind of a red herring. I wish the author had spent those pages adding depth to the rest of the tale. It was kind of ridiculous how much of the story was about the set up, so that the follow through was over in a few pages. Don't blink cause the story is over...
Aislin by Meara Platt no stars, Inspired by Poe's poem, 'A Dream Within a Dream' DNF about 2/3 in. I just couldn't get into this one. Set on the British coast across from Ireland where smugglers abound. William has lost his recent memory and thinks his older brother is dead. He goes looking for a woman (Aislin) he remembers as being important. She keeps her cards close to her chest, but obviously knows most of the answers. I set this one down and after a while, forgot I was reading it...
. I really didn't think much of this one for the first 14% until the seance. The seance scene itself was really quite brief and not much happens, but t. I really didn't think much of this one for the first 14% until the seance. The seance scene itself was really quite brief and not much happens, but the fallout from it was insidious and alarming how fast the sense of wrongness escalates to an outright threat.
Victoria is a well to do young widow who has been corresponding with a man (Frederick) from Canada. Taking a chance on love she travels to Toronto to meet his family and spend some more time with him to see if they would make a good match. Fred's aunt has set up a seance as entertainment for the second evening and a couple other guests arrive to partake. After the gypsy medium leaves though, they all find they are snowed in... for days and days. So you have a large old house where a short list of characters are trapped together and strange things start to go wrong. Is it really ghosts? If so, who are the ghosts and who are they targeting? Or is it someone wanting to 'gaslight' the others. A group of people who seemed nice enough when she first arrived begin to show other sides of their characters.
I found it very hard to put down after the first 3rd. SO if you want to read something a little spooky with some mystery, then this is a nice little read with a sweet ending. You could call it an HFN but it felt more like an HEA.
. Well that was different... But I still loved it!!! (But I do NOT recommend the audiobook. The reader kinda monotoned and uninspired.)
CO walks us throug. Well that was different... But I still loved it!!! (But I do NOT recommend the audiobook. The reader kinda monotoned and uninspired.)
CO walks us through the nitty gritty of divorces in the early 1800's. Apparently divorced women back then didn't live long... But luckily for Anne, her solicitor is a kind man and manages to find an estate for which she is the closest relative to inherit. So at least she has a house for herself and her maid, a rather taciturn young woman. BUT it turns out the house out on the lonely moors is haunted by some pretty mean assed murderous ghosts.
I sure did feel for Anne. She has had the shit end of the stick for years. Every time her teenage son was in the story I just wanted to cry for her breaking heart.
This story is big on ghosts and even does some world building for them. The atmosphere was visceral and the characters are anything but jollie. Just as it should be for a gothic romance. At first Ann is dubious about the ghosts, but then I could really feel her fear and had to turn on more lights.
Not your stereotypical HEA but I thought it was perfect. It would have been a 5 star read, but every time I think of her son, i feel sad.
safety is good (view spoiler)[she was married but there was no love and he didn't make an effort in bed. The H's sex life with his wife was much better, but he never loved his first wife either. So I didn't feel that Ann was second best at all. (hide spoiler)]...more
. His thoughts as he wanders off after his proposal to her; "And he might, he thought, even come to love her. That was, to love her insofar as he was c. His thoughts as he wanders off after his proposal to her; "And he might, he thought, even come to love her. That was, to love her insofar as he was capable of it. He rode home through the shadows, smiling."
Aubrey is a charming, beautiful, wealthy man. And he wants to marry Eve, when they've only just met. Eve is pretty, even very pretty, but she's not beautiful and she's not wealthy and she's not really anything special... So why does Aubrey cross a crowded ballroom to sweep her off her feet? This is a question that will nag at Eve throughout the story. After they marry, and after they arrive at his estate in the north, and after she meets his sister, when she had no idea he had one.
Although it's not spelled out til 3/4 in, Aubrey is not a man. And throughout the story, he definitely doesn't act like a man. There's always a feeling of disconnect and a rather placid quality to his character. Some of this is the author's writing style, but some of it was his 'species'. He was OK, and I enjoyed his fall into love, but it was all so... placid.
I loved the h; Eve. She was AWESOME. She was honest to the point of bluntness and didn't play head games or hold grudges or any of the other annoying things that h's do in other books. And that is part of the reason Aubrey loves her too.
There's a sweet little epilogue (view spoiler)[with the baby. (hide spoiler)] Safety is good (view spoiler)[Aubrey has been married several times in his 300+ lifetime. He didn't love any of them, but he was true to them while they lived. He has been with countless women over the years. But he has never loved before. Eve is of course a virgin. But not a shy one ; ) The story has fairly explicit sex. (hide spoiler)]...more
A decent gothic story but super light on the romance. Even though the suspense was pretty good, there were too many things that didn't appeal to me.
AldA decent gothic story but super light on the romance. Even though the suspense was pretty good, there were too many things that didn't appeal to me.
Aldine marries Heinrich shortly after meeting him. He carries her away to his ancestral home in the Black Forrest. (cue spooky music) Heinrich seems like a really nice guy but his family isn't so nice. His mother is a control freak. His brother doesn't seem to think much of her. His half brother is confrontational. His sister-in-law is friendly but likes to drop comments meant to hurt her or scare her. Heinrich is away so much that he isn't much help.
Then Aldine finds out that she isn't his first wife... or even his second.
I guessed the bad guy in the first quarter but still liked the build up to the big reveal.
The ending was good, but a bit of a let down romantic-wise (view spoiler)[ While I think the MCs will live happily ever after, and eventually there will be ILYs, there were none in this book. There is some sexy times about 2/3 in and Heinrich always takes Aldine's side, but they really didn't have much of a connection in this story. Realistic I'm sure, but not very satisfying for my romance hungry soul. (hide spoiler)]...more
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Books:
genre-gothic
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