Category Archives: Historical Fiction

All the historical fiction genre book reviews.

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Review: The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron

Title: The Butterfly and the Violin
Author: Kristy Cambron
Series: Hidden Masterpiece
Rating: ★★★★★

The Butterfly and the Violin

By now, it should be no surprise that I’ll read anything that is related to history. Second only to the turmoil of the European royal families, World War II era works fascinate me. The extreme honor and horror that came out of one war has always pulled at my heart. When I read the description for The Butterfly and the Violin and read there would be a connection, I knew I had to read it. My only hope was that Cambron would be able to weave the past with the present in a beautiful way. She succeeded.

The Butterfly and the Violin tells the story of two women, separated by decades and only connected through a painting. Sera saw a painting when she was younger that connected to her in a powerful way. She grew up thinking about that painting, and as an adult, she devotes much of her time to searching for that painting. Adele is the star of Austrian high society. She plays violin for the Vienna Philharmonic until it is discovered she helped smuggle Jews out of the country with a fellow musician. She is sent to Auschwitz, where her only chance of survival is her ability to play violin. As long as she can play, she has a chance.

Adele is the woman in the painting. Her story, from beginning to end left me feeling raw. She begins the novel with such hope and love, and being in the concentration camp clearly begins to strip her of that. She realizes that she didn’t know as much about the world as she thought she did. She knew how horrible the world had become, but it hadn’t really clicked in her mind yet. It’s one thing to know, but it’s another thing to actually understand. Decades later, as Sera searches for the painting with the aid of William Hanover III, the painting causes Sera to search herself for how she wants to fit into the world. It was wonderful how these two women were connected.

The story itself was beautiful. Adele’s fall from glory may have caused others to give up on finding anything good in life, but it didn’t for her. She found reasons to continue trying to live. Even in the direst of situations, she tries to find a glimmer of hope. Sera has focused for so long on her career and this painting that every other aspects of her life have fallen to the background.

The only part of this book that had me really worried was the fact that it is a Christian book. Both women address God and question His role and purpose in their lives. Without becoming too preachy or heavy, Cambron placed little pieces of Christianity throughout the book. Especially in Adele’s case, her faith made me think. She is a Christian woman in a camp built to destroy Jews. There could have easily been added tension there, but from the beginning it is clear that Adele does not care what religion a person is, as long as they are kind and moral. The religion was perfectly woven into the story, in my opinion.

The only thing that bothered me was I wanted more of Adele’s story. Not because I felt like it was needed, but because I wanted it. Every time something happened to Adele, the time would switch and I’d be left wondering what would come next for Adele. Sera’s story was great and well written, but just because I’m a history nerd, I wanted more of the historical story. This complaint really has no reflection on the quality of the story. It’s just my personal preference bleeding in.

The Butterfly and the Violin is a beautifully written story about two vastly different women tied together by one of the worst times in human history. This is a wonderful book for anyone who loves history, and even if you don’t, Adele’s story of love and bravery will bring you nearly to tears by the end of the novel. It’s lovely and gorgeous, even in the face of the ultimate ugliness.

If The Butterfly and the Violin sounds like a book you’d like to read, you can purchase it here:
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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Thomas Nelson Fiction, for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Sisters of Treason by Elizabeth Fremantle

Title: Sisters of Treason
Author: Elizabeth Fremantle
Rating: ★★★★

Sisters of Treason

I am a self-proclaimed history nerd. The History Channel (before it turned into vaguely history related reality show channel), and more recently H2, are the channels I spend the most time watching. I will read almost any historical fiction novel I come across. I like to read history books for fun. When I was supposed to select history classes to fill a requirement for my college degree, I asked if I could take more history classes and have them count as electives. They do.

But despite knowing of the Grey sisters, I admit to only reading extensively on Jane Grey. Her life was one that saddened me immensely. I hadn’t thought to read of the two other Grey sisters. So when Sisters of Treason appeared, I knew I had to read it. Sisters of Treason looks at the lives of the two younger Grey sister and how Jane’s short rein as queen impact them for the rest of their lives, despite not playing a part in the plot.

Katherine is the middle sister and ruled by her emotions. She wants to love and to be loved. She flirts whenever she can, but loves with all she has. She loves court life, but doesn’t want to follow in Jane’s footsteps. Despite having the reputation of being the superficial and not as bright sister, she is smart and can see the world in a way her family can’t. She wants to trust, but knows she can’t.

Being the youngest, and being physically deformed burden Mary. Instead of looking at life as being completely unfair and giving up on everything, she learns to make up for her physical looks with her intelligence and wit. She sees the world in a more pessimistic view than Katherine does; yet she rarely wallows in it. She wants to be seen for more than her looks, and despite knowing that her future does not hold everything she wishes it would, she finds a way to make each day important.

The story of these sisters breaks my heart. Because they represent a threat to the throne, they are never safe from the wrath of the queens, or from people who would rather see them on the throne. Katherine has no aspirations to be anything more than a courtier. Mary wants nothing more than a quiet life away from court. They just want to be safe and have a life that makes them happy. Their stories, both fictionalized in Sisters of Treason and true to history, show that to be close to the crown is to always be at risk. The closer they are to power, the more jeopardized their lives are.

Sisters of Treason is a fantastic look and examination of the lives of the younger Grey sisters. They are never able to escape their family’s treason, and their lives are forever changed. The pressure they are under made me feel for them, and wish they were anyone but themselves. Yet, they are content with the people they are, despite having treason hang over their heads. This is a wonderful historical fiction novel and definitely worth a read, if you enjoy the genre or the time period.

If Sisters of Treason sounds like a book you’d like to read, you can purchase it here:
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Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: The Boleyn Reckoning by Laura Andersen

Title: The Boleyn Reckoning
Author: Laura Andersen
Series: The Boleyn Trilogy
Rating: ★★★★★

The Boleyn Reckoning

Okay.

Deep Breath.

Okay.

I’ve had a little while to compose myself, and I thought sleeping on it would make the jumble of thoughts in my head make sense. But I woke up just as jumbled and happy and sad and emotional as I fell asleep. I knew going into The Boleyn Reckoning that my heart was going to get crushed. There were too many possible ways for things to go wrong and only a few ways for things to go right. I thought I was prepared. I don’t think I’ve ever been so wrong.

Dominic and Minuette are married. William doesn’t know; he still believes he’s betrothed to Minuette, despite her commoner birth. William has just survived the smallpox, but it’s left him physically and emotionally scarred. Elizabeth is feeling the tensions rise along the Catholic and Protestant division in England and she knows there’s only so much time before something snaps.

I continue to love Minuette, although her character undergoes a major transformation in this novel. She is used to be the lighthearted one of the group, the one that provides happiness to everyone else. Her happiness comes second to her friends. She’d do whatever necessary to make the lives of her friends easier. In the past, this only meant being there and providing light. In this novel, it means burying pieces of herself, making her nearly unrecognizable to her friends. She becomes hardened by life, and even though pieces of the old Minuette are there, she’s forever changed by the events of the novel.

Dominic is still one of my favorite characters. He’s loyal, even to the end. His one act of disloyalty is marrying Minuette, but I can hardly fault him for doing what his heart wanted him to do. Loyalty to Minuette won out over loyalty to William in that moment. Yet, through the rest of the novel, he remains focused on supporting William and being the friend William needs.

William. Oh, William. Being King has changed him, and not for the better. The power and paranoia has gone to his head. He gets rid of every threat, whether it is necessary or not. He is more vengeful than in the past. But he’s also hurting. The three friends he thought he could count on forever-Minuette, Dominic, and Elizabeth-have betrayed his trust in different ways. He feels isolated and alone, without the support he depended on to rule fairly.

Elizabeth really finds her power in this novel. She’s always been a strong woman, but she has to take even more control in this novel. She has to decide which she loves more, her brother or her country. She’s forced to take actions that go against William, but will serve the country better. But through it all, she wants to remain friends with Minuette, As Minuette rises higher and higher within the court, it’s clear Elizabeth is mourning the loss of a friend. They are still around each other, but Minuette has become protective of herself, and that ends up blocking Elizabeth from being close.

The plot of the novel had me tense. I actually snapped at people when they tried to talk to me. I had to know what was going to happen. Tensions were so high and William had become so mad with power that I was almost afraid to but the novel down. I was anxious and I cried. I had to set the book down and take some deep breaths. I even screamed into a pillow at one point. I was on edge up until the last pages. And I loved it.

I am going to miss Minuette, Dominic, Elizabeth, and William more than I can put into words. This is the first alternate history series that I wish had been more true than not. I was so invested in these characters that it’s hurting a little to say goodbye right now. This is a series that is a definite must read for anyone who loves history, but also likes to ask What if? I loved this series and can’t wait to read more from Andersen.

If you’d like to read The Boleyn Reckoning, you can purchase it here:
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Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Laura Andersen for advanced copies of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

 

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Review: Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman

Title: Prisoner of Night and Fog
Author: Anne Blankman
Series: Prisoner of Night and Fog Series
Rating: ★★★★

The time period between the First World War and the second has always fascinated me. The environment that Hitler had in order to make his rise to power had to be just right. Prisoner of Night and Fog looks at pre-World War II Germany through the life of one of the Nazi Party’s girls. She’s held in high regard because her father died for Hitler. She’s never questioned what her father was fighting for. That all changes when she learns that the story of her father’s death might not be the truth.

Gretchen has always believed in Hitler and his ideals. Her father died to protect him, so she sees no reason to think Hitler’s wrong. She’s not quite like other Nazi’s though. She still has compassion, and that gets her in trouble one evening. When a Jewish reporter sees her try to stop her brother from beating a Jew, he begins to reach out to her. He claims the story she’s been told about her father’s death is wrong. She doesn’t want to believe him, but when things start pointing her towards the truth, she questions all the beliefs she’s grown up with.

I enjoyed Gretchen’s character. I’ll admit that I was worried. How can you take a person who so strongly believes in what Hitler talks about and make her likable? Or if she’s really that ignorant, why should we think she’s trustworthy? But Blankman pulled it off. She made Gretchen just ignorant enough, just compassionate enough, that her transformation from Hitler’s pet to Hitler’s despised felt real. It was clear that she wasn’t sure how she was supposed to feel about Daniel. In the beginning, it was clear that she believed Hitler’s statements about the Jews. She had grown up being told they were horrible and subhuman. But when she sees that’s not really true, she has to reexamine everything she’s thought.

Daniel was fantastic. It’s clear that he knows Gretchen’s thoughts can’t change overnight, but his belief that she needs to know the truth makes him stick with her. He starts to change her mind about the Jewish population, proving that Hitler is wrong. When he exposes just how deep Hitler’s hatred goes, it’s a shock to Gretchen, but Daniel waits until she can come to terms with everything she’s learning about. He’s strong and wants to fight what’s coming in the best way he knows how.

I was fully engaged in the plot. There was history mixed with new characters. Seeing Germany struggle and how Hitler took advantage of that was really interesting. Not only that, but to see Gretchen have her dreams and goals, yet also see them fall apart right in front of her broke my heart.

I’m incredibly happy the story isn’t over yet. Gretchen and Daniel still have so much to do and so many stories left. This series will definitely be one I watch. The history was what made me pick Prisoner of Night and Fog up, but the characters are what kept me reading.

If Prisoner of Night and Fog sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
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Thank you to Edelweiss and Balzer + Bray for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Title: The Winner’s Curse
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Series: The Winner’s Trilogy
Rating: ★★★★★

Okay. I had to sleep on this review. I couldn’t pull my thoughts together enough after finishing the novel. My jaw was on the floor and my head was a mess. In the best way, of course. The Winner’s Curse is a book I never thought I needed to read. I wasn’t sure Rutkoski could make me feel the relationship between slave and owner was a real one. There’s so many ways it could have felt wrong, but it never did.

Kestrel is the daughter of the general’s daughter. She’s part of the town’s elite, but that doesn’t mean she is treated differently than other people. She must either join the military or marry. She doesn’t want to do either. On a whim, she purchases a slave one day. This goes against everything she feels is right, as she’s one of the few people in the city that feels like owning people isn’t right. But Arin, called Smith in the beginning, comes to her home and the two form an odd relationship. Arin is not what he seems and in him, Kestrel finds someone she doesn’t have to hide from.

Kestrel was an amazing character. She’s not a fighter. She’s a strategist. Her abilities with weapons go about as far as protection, but she’s able to strategize and analyze situations better than most people. She’s not a boy-crazy teen. She sees through flirtations and knows her feelings on the people she’s grown up with. She begins to doubt herself when Arin challenges her feelings and beliefs. Despite not being as confident in herself as she was in the beginning, she never loses the belief that she can accomplish whatever she needs to. She is constantly strategizing and figuring out her next best move.

Arin is just as amazing. He’s definitely not what he seems, but it provides his character the ability to change. He’s a slave, a resident of the city from before the people were conquered and either killed or sold. He has harbored an anger and resentment towards the people who reduced his people to slaves for 10 years. I did have a hunch about his role in the novel, but that didn’t make me love him any less. His growth from the time Kestrel buys him to the end of the novel is fantastic. I really can’t say much about why I love his character so much without giving away events of the novel, but I can’t wait to read more about him.

This novel has twists and turns all the time. Just when I thought I had things figured out, something new was thrown in the mix that left me reeling or picking my jaw off the floor. Like my hunch with Arin, I had thought I knew how the story would go. I was right about some things, but Rutkoski threw me for a loop at times. I was on the edge of my seat. I didn’t want the novel to end, but when it did, I was shocked and needing more.

The Winner’s Curse is one of the best world-building books I’ve read. You’re thrown right into the action, but never feel like an outsider. The characters are fantastic and the growth from the beginning of the novel to the end was superb. Rutkoski has an amazing series on her hands and I’m really looking forward to reading what comes next for Kestrel and Arin.

If The Winner’s Curse sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
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Audible
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IndieBound

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Review: The Midnight Witch by Paula Brackston

Title: The Midnight Witch
Author: Paula Brackston
Rating: ★★★★

Brackston is no stranger to writing witch novels. She’s set one in the 17th and 19th century, and now she tackles the time around World War I. I think Brackston’s writing style is one that you definitely have to like, but she can write an amazing novel. The Midnight Witch took a little while to get going, but once it did, I couldn’t put it down.

Lilith is the daughter of the 6th Duke of Radnor. Her father is also the Head Witch of the Lazarus Coven. When he dies, Lilith’s brother becomes the 7th Duke of Radnor, and she becomes the Head Witch. From the beginning, her reign in challenged. People aren’t sure if a young female can truly lead the coven. But she has support and eventually gains the respect of the other witches. At the same time she’s learning how to lead, a group of sorcerers are trying to get the Elixir, the secret the Lazarus coven protects. She’s also learning what it’s like to fall in love for the first time. With the threat of war looming, Lilith must learn how to balance all areas of her life before everything she works to protect is gone.

I like Lilith. She knew what she wanted, and even though she had moments of self-doubt, she never backed down when she knew her choice was right. She’s up against great odds, in all areas of her life, but she tries to keep that from overwhelming her. She learns to balance her duties and her desires well. She’s not the typical woman of the time and she knows what it’s time to adjust her ways of thinking to fit the times.

Bram, the love interest, wasn’t my favorite, but he wasn’t horrible. He was devoted and hopelessly in love, even if it felt like it happened a little fast. This might be because we don’t get to see all of their interactions before they declare love, so it didn’t bother me too much. Louis, the man Lilith is engaged to, isn’t too bad either. It’s easy to see how much he loves and cares for her. They’ve grown up together and that’s given him the time to develop feelings for her. It’s clear to see both men will help Lilith in whatever way they can, whenever she needs them.

The storyline was interesting. It started a little slow, with a lot of set-up taking place. I can appreciate it, but it still felt a little slow. Once things began happening, however, I couldn’t stop reading. I had to know what was going to happen next and there was never an easy time to stop. There was always a reason for me to keep reading.

Brackston has another great book on her hands with The Midnight Witch. It might take a little while to get into it, but once you get drawn in, it’s hard to break away. The Midnight Witch takes on a different tone than her other novels, but it’s still just as wonderful.

If The Midnight Witch sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
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Audible
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IndieBound

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen

Title: Lady Thief
Author: A.C. Gaughen
Series: The Scarlet Trilogy
Rating: ★★★★★

Sometimes I get really angry when I finish a book. So angry I can’t speak for a while. When I get this kind of anger, it’s not because I didn’t like a book. It’s because I liked it so much I’m mad I finished the book. And in the case of Lady Thief, I’m mad I didn’t make myself wait because now I have another break between books.

Scarlet’s secrets are out. She’s not Will Scarlet, boy thief. She’s Lady Marian, Lord Gisbourne’s betrothed. He’s hunted her down and she was forced to marry him to save Robin. She refuses to play wife, though, and returns to her band, knowing that she loves Robin and he loves her. But when Lord Gisbourne returns and makes a deal with Scarlet, she knows better than to trust him; she just can’t see what he’s planning. And with Nottingham in need of a new sheriff, there’s even more at stake.

Scarlet is forced to fight in a different way in Lady Thief. She can’t rely on her experience on the streets. She’s expected to play the part of noblewoman and there’s no place for knives and fighting there. She must think of different ways to fight back and give Robin the best chance she can. The court of Prince John can’t think of her as a noblewoman, but as nothing better than a commoner, someone not worth their time or respect. She finds an ally where she least expects it and uncovers a secret that makes her question everything about her.

The moments between Scarlet and Robin are, for the most part, wonderfully sweet. They love and respect each other, something difficult to find in that time period. Robin is fighting his demons, though, and not every moment is sweet. He has problems that are unknowingly taken out on Scarlet, something he can’t forgive himself for, nor should he. The struggle between them is real and it’s going to be difficult to find their perfect happiness. I have hope that they will continue to fight for each other and the life they want to create together.

Scarlet blew me away. I’ve been anxiously waiting for Lady Thief to be released and it didn’t disappoint. I finished and felt that wonderful anger, the kind that lets me know I just finished an amazing book that I didn’t want to end. Gaughen has a fantastic series on her hands and I’ll be not so patiently waiting for the conclusion. This is a must read novel and series.

If Lady Thief sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

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Review: The Taker by Alma Katsu

Title: The Taker
Author: Alma Katsu
Series: The Taker Trilogy
Rating: ★★

The Taker is not the novel I thought it would be. Sometimes that’s a good thing. Unfortunately, in this case it meant I was let down and just wanting to finish the book. I have this problem where I have to finish a book, even if I don’t enjoy it. I can’t give it an honest review if I don’t read the entire story and I always hold out a small bit of hope that things improve. Those are the only two reasons I stuck with the book until the end.

Luke is an ER doctor in a small town, working a normal night shift, when the police bring in a girl accused of killing a man. When Luke agrees to help the girl, she tells him her story, one that spans 200 years. She lived in the town when it was founded and fell in love with the son of the town’s founder, Jonathan. He’s not one to settle down and when Lanny finds herself in some trouble, she is sent to Boston. Feeling alone, confused, and betrayed, she finds Adair and falls into his lifestyle. She lives a life of excess, but when Adair finds out about Jonathan, he demands Lanny bring Jonathan to him. She’s trapped and can’t disobey him as much as she wants to. The story is told from the present day and from Lanny’s past.

Sometimes, if a story just isn’t for me I can still find enjoyment in the characters. I couldn’t in this book. Lanny was nearly a doormat, pinning for someone she knew she’d never have. She doesn’t stand up for herself and while some of that is due to the time, she just felt flat to me. Jonathan is nothing that a love interest should be. He’s manipulative and uses Lanny for his personal reasons without even considering giving her up so she can try and find a way to be happy. Adair has no redeeming qualities, as far as I’m concerned, and I really don’t think there’s any way Katsu could make me like him at all. Some of the secondary characters were interesting, but they weren’t enough to make up for everyone else.

The story itself has two personalities. Some of the beginning and some of the end were good to read, but the middle was just not for me. A lot happened that just didn’t seem to make sense in the grand scheme of the novel. It felt like it was there for shock value and not for actual plot or development. Lanny’s story could have been told without all of it.

I was really hoping The Taker would be something great. The book description was not what was in the novel. The characters are unlikeable, the plot was full of unnecessary details, and I just didn’t enjoy reading this book. I am sure this is a book that some people will like, but I am definitely not one of them. I won’t be continuing the series, either.

If you’d like to purchase The Taker, you can do so here:
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Audible
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Review: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Title: Cruel Beauty
Author: Rosamund Hodge
Series: Cruel Beauty Universe
Rating: ★★★

I am confused on how to rate this. There is no denying that Hodge created a beautiful, interesting world with an interesting history. The characters are flawed, yet wonderful. The ending felt a little fast, but I still liked it. I’m not quite sure that it’s “Graceling meets Beauty and the Beast,” but it’s still a captivating read.

Nyx has known for most of her life that she would be the sacrifice. Here sister is the beloved daughter and she is the useful one kept at a distance. She knows she will be married to the Gentle Lord, the one who rules all demons. She knows she is expected to destroy him, and in the process either be trapped with his forever or die. Nyx has never felt loved or valuable to her family, something that plays an important role later in the story. She’d developed a tough skin and an even tougher heart. She knows that if she doesn’t let herself care for anyone, no one can use that against her.

Nyx fascinated me as a character. Her father has never shown her much love, instead showering her sister with affection while training Nyx to be the revenge he desires upon Ignifex. Nyx and her sister were part of a bargain their father struck with Ignifex, but it cost him his wife. As revenge, Nyx is supposed to marry and destroy him and his castle. Her father’s desire for revenge leaves no room for compassion and love for Nyx. She’s angry and hurt. She wants someone to feel for her situation. She feels like she is not a person, just a tool.

Ignifex somehow breaks her down and reveals a different side to Nyx. She suddenly has someone she wants to care for. She’s meant to destroy him, but finds common bonds that make that task difficult. The main fault I find between Ignifex and Nix is that they barely spend much time together before it becomes love. I wish the relationship had been developed a little more right from the beginning.

The world building was done well. There’s some Greek mythology mixed with the Beauty and the Beast elements. My favorite piece was the castle, though. It’s forever changing, revealing new secrets and hiding others constantly. I loved reading Nyx’s wanderings of the castle. Everything was so vividly described I could picture it all easily. The castle is its own character.

In the end, despite how I loved individual pieces of the novel, I didn’t fall head over heels in love with it. It was good, yes, but not amazing. I think the Beauty and the Beast elements will really draw people in. It’s a lovely and well-written novel, just not exactly what I thought I was getting into. Still worth a read for the imagery alone. Everything else is just an added bonus.

If Cruel Beauty sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Audible
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

Thank you to Edelweiss and Balzer + Bray for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: The Splendour Falls by Susanna Kearsley

Title: The Splendour Falls
Author: Susanna Kearsley
Rating: ★★★

I love how Kearsley can blend history with the present in such a way that it all flows perfectly from one story to another. The history is such an important piece of the present, setting up situations and characters that draw me right in. The Splendour Falls not only has that perfect mix of the times, but it has a murder mystery and a missing person case wrapped up in there as well.

Emily Braden is convinced by her cousin to join him in France. It will be a vacation for her while he gets some research done. When she reaches the hotel, her cousin is nowhere in sight and no one seems to know where he is. This is nothing new for Emily’s family, as her cousin has a habit of not being the most reliable, so she doesn’t worry too much. She starts getting to know the others staying in the hotel, all the while wondering about her cousin’s whereabouts and thinking about the history of the town she’s staying in. There’s a lot of mystery surrounding the events of the past that still has an impact in the present day.

Just like in the other Kearsley novels I’ve read, the characters are unique and amazing. Even Garland, the woman who doesn’t think before she speaks, is a fascinating character to read. Each character has a personality that differs from every other character. It’s easy to see them existing in real life, not just in the pages of a novel. They’re real, with dimensions and flaws, and each one serves a greater purpose in the novel. I might love the way Kearsley weaves history into the present, but it’s her characters that make her books excellent.

The murder/mystery/missing person aspect of the novel was very well done. For once, I didn’t see the twist coming. I figured there’d be one, but my guesses were way off. There’s a lot of cover-up and things hiding beneath the surface. I spent half my time reading trying to figure things out. I do wish there had been a little bit more of the historical mystery written about. It’s there to drive the characters along, but it stays mostly in the background.

The romance of this book is in the background. It doesn’t play a major role, but it’s always there, hovering at the edges. I’m glad that it wasn’t a major focus. It allowed me to fall in love with every character and with the setting.

The Splendour Falls has everything that I enjoy about Kearsley’s novels. When I pick up one of her books, I trust that I’m going to love it. Even if the historical angle doesn’t appeal to you, the characters make this book worth reading.

If The Splendour Falls sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Audible
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

Thank you to NetGelley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.