Susanna Kearsley - Bellewether

It's late summer, war is raging, and families are torn apart by divided loyalties and deadly secrets. In this complex and dangerous time, a young French Canadian lieutenant is captured and billeted with a Long Island family, an unwilling and unwelcome guest. As he begins to pitch in with the never-ending household tasks and farm chores, Jean-Philippe de Sabran finds himself drawn to the daughter of the house. Slowly, Lydia Wilde comes to lean on Jean-Philippe, true soldier and gentleman, until their lives become inextricably intertwined. Legend has it that the forbidden love between Jean-Philippe and Lydia ended tragically, but centuries later, the clues they left behind slowly unveil the true story.
Part history, part romance, and all kinds of magic, Susanna Kearsley's latest masterpiece will draw you in and never let you go, even long after you've closed the last page.

Comment: I wasn't thinking about reading this book so soon but I've finished reading the list of titles I had scheduled for August and I still had days before September so this is another one I added to my reading list out of plan. Since I love the author's writing, it was certainly not difficult to do it.

In this recently published new book, we meet Charlotte, a museum curator who moved to a new city after the death of her brother. This way, she has a new challenge and she can look after her niece.

In her new job, "Charley" as she is called, is charged with the task of putting in evidence local hero Benjamin Wilde, a man who lived in the 1750s, and the importance of his old house, now turned into the museum.

In the meantime, Charley finds evidence about Benjamin's family members and how decisive they also were to the true story of the facts surrounding the house and those who lived there. Although some people don't want to know it, there some truths to uncover after all this time and the lives of the Wilde family members can be fascinating...

I was quite glad I read this book. It's quite an experience to spend time with a story that captivated you and makes you want to keep reading and this one is all that. The writing is as expected and offers a lot of well thought and executed scenes.

The theme was also interesting as the war between French and British on American soil back in the 18th century isn't something I tend to read about that often.

This is - as expected in something by this author - a dual timed story. We have the story of Charley and what she is going through in present day and we also have the POVs of Lydia Wilde (sister of Benjamin) and of Jean-Phillipe, a Canadian military man who is considered a prisoner of war after the French side loses a battle and who must stay at Wilde's house due to politics.

The three voices of these characters alternately tell us what happens as the secrets of the past are discovered in the present day tale.

As usual, I tend to enjoy one of the sides of the story more and, to not go far from my taste, I liked the present day story better. I guess part of it is natural preference for the heroines of the present this author writes about: shy, reserved, competent but with some vulnerability that makes me feel empathy towards them.

Then, the tale of the past is something that happened and we can't really see how other choices would have worked out, since it's done. It was sweet and fascinating to read about all the things addressed in that part of the book but still not as amazing to me. Plus, one theme is slavery and that really annoys me to no end considering it happened but we can't just change it for better.

Charley is a great heroine and I liked how she acted, how she behaved. It was also cute to see her developing romance with Sam, a constructor working on the Wilde house.

As for Lydia, she is also an interesting woman of her time but I confess I felt she was more distant and not just because of the time settings.

This story provides a lot to learn from, not only about the French-British war and what it entailed exactly for those not directly affected by it, but also about modern day issues like how does a museum work. I liked details about these subjects even if, at times, it wasn't always that interesting to the plot on hand although I can say the author knows what to include and not and most time, everything feels like having a good purpose to have been included.

All in all, a good novel, still not my favorite by her, but very well done and executed. Plus, the cover of this Sourcebook edition is simply perfection!

Grade: 8/10

Susanna Kearsley - A Desperate Fortune

For nearly 300 years, the mysterious journal of Jacobite exile Mary Dundas has lain unread — its secrets safe from prying eyes. Now, amateur codebreaker Sara Thomas has been hired by a once-famous historian to crack the journal's cipher. But when she arrives in Paris, Sara finds herself besieged by complications from all sides: the journal's reclusive owner, her charming Parisian neighbor, and Mary, whose journal doesn't hold the secrets Sara expects.
It turns out that Mary Dundas wasn’t keeping a record of everyday life, but a first-hand account of her part in a dangerous intrigue. In the first wintry months of 1732, with a scandal gaining steam in London, driving many into bankruptcy and ruin, the man accused of being at its center is concealed among the Jacobites in Paris, with Mary posing as his sister to aid his disguise.
When their location is betrayed, they’re forced to put a desperate plan in action, heading south along the road to Rome, protected by the enigmatic Highlander Hugh MacPherson.
As Mary's tale grows more and more dire, Sara, too, must carefully choose which turning to take... to find the road that will lead her safely home.

Comment: I'm a fan of this author so it was no hardship to pre order this book months before its release date. I was very curious about it and even more so when I've read some reviews stating how interesting the main character was and how different. This month I had to read it.

 

As always this is a double timeline story, part of it set in contemporary times and the other in the 18th century, featuring Jacobites again, one of the author's trademark themes.

Sara Thomas is the contemporary heroine who's been hired to decipher the diary of a young woman, Mary Dundas, to help an author writing a new book. Sara has Asperger's which offered an unique POV on things.

Mary Dundas, the historical heroine, is living with her aunt and cousins until the day her older brother asks her to meet him and she fully expects to live with him and his family after years of not even a letter. On purpose or not, her presence has a secondary goal and Mary sees herself as part of a scheme to hide a man from dangerous people.

The two stories mix while Sara tries to uncover Mary's secrets and both their fates seem to be connected to special men that they meet on their new journeys...

 

Once again I was marveled by the author's writing style and the evocative feeling I get when I'm reading. I think she makes it possible for the readers to be part of the scenes we're seeing in out heads and at the same time it's almost like there's nothing better than to sit for a while and immerse ourselves in her story.

Ms Kearsley does write beautifully.

 

Personally, when it comes to these stories where the action takes place in dual times, I seem to always prefer the contemporary story and characters. At least I've noticed that of all the stories with this scheme, I tend to be more interested in how the contemporary characters act and I what they do, rather than the historical ones. I don't know, both are equally well written, but somehow the contemporary details captivate me more.

 

With this book, the same happened, although the historical part did catch my attention and I was very curious to see when certain things happened, namely the romance.

In terms of plot, both were interesting, although all situations are presented in very subtle ways. This is good on one hand because we can judge for ourselves, but at the same time I wish some things were more obvious in happening because certain things, I think, could be better understood with some more clarity. In the historical setting the mystery is done on purpose of course, there's where the biggest plot issues have to be found, but sometimes subtlety made the story drag and I did think for a couple of times that a bit more decisiveness would be appreciated.

When it comes to the contemporary setting, I liked it and was so very curious but it seemed that nothing was really explained, only talked about and speculated...maybe if the romance had a bit more focus...

 

The romances are one of the most important aspect of the books.

The historical romance was very subtle and with hidden meanings here and there. Sweet and brave but not obvious. The contemporary one seemed fast for the author's style, but one has to read between the lines to grasp the meaning of many scenes and how important certain things are. Nothing is explicit but it's beautiful.

 

The characters were ok, not my favorites of all her books, but I did enjoy spending time knowing and reading about them. Of course the heroines are the figures that standout...

Mary Dundas was brave and practical and I liked that she didn't rely on tears or false emotions to get her goals. I really liked how she took things into her heart, she might suffer but she never used that as a means to an end. She deserved her HEA in the end. Her hero isn't easy to like but we learn things that make us realize how suited they are.

Sara Thomas I was very curious about, especially because of her Asperger's and how would that affect her life. I liked knowing more about that and how she grew up with that syndrome, how that affected her life...it allowed me to learn more which is good. Her romance with Luc seemed fast and in the end there's something that seems too easy to be believable but that's fiction for you.

Nevertheless, I think I'd have liked to see more about her and her situation, how others around her deal with her, I think what we see compared to things we learn happened to them is too small an amount to have a precise idea.

 

All in all, I enjoyed the novel, the subjects the author introduced and developed. I also liked she mentioned characters from other novels - although I didn't recognize all - and that we have a very glimpse of her intents when writing. She writes polished, well structured and fascinating books. Will await for more, without a doubt.

Grade: 8/10

Susanna Kearsley - Season of Storms

In the early 1900s, in the elegant, isolated villa Il Piacere, the playwright Galeazzo D'Ascanio lived for Celia Sands. She was his muse and his mistress and the inspiration for his most stunning and original play. But the night before she was to take the stage in the leading role, Celia disappeared.
Now, decades later, in a theatre on the grounds of Il Piacere, Alessandro D'Ascanio is preparing to stage the first performance of his grandfather's masterpiece. A promising young actress--who shares Celia Sands' name, but not her blood--has agreed to star. She is instantly drawn to the mysteries surrounding the play--and to her compelling, compassionate employer.
And even though she knows she should let the past go, in the dark--in her dreams--it comes back.

Comment: This was the last book by this author I had to read. I know she has a couple more stories from the beginning of her career but those aren't as easily found as the most recent ones..maybe one day. Anyway, this was the last book and I'm glad I waited because it's truly beautiful and has all the plot elements in the correct doses to be remarkable.

This is the story of Celia Sands, she is a young actress, doing minor roles here and there, trying to make ends meet. She just lost her roommate, she doesn't know how to pay the rent in the future and her only consolation are her two dads, because her mother never cared for her unless it was a good part to play, so Celia was educated and raised by the gay couple that took care of her. One of her dads wants to retire and somehow Celia is told to accept an invitation to be in a play written decades ago by an Italian author who made the play to his mistress, actually named Celia Sands as well. This is part of the reason why Celia was invited but she proves her talent once there.
In the meantime, many characters are introduced, other actors and the grandson of the play writer, someone reserved but that draws Celia's eye from the start. But Celia is in to discover many things, not only about the play and the disappearance of the first Celia, but mainly about her own life.

Like I said, I was really happy with this novel. I think it was one of the author most successful ones, at least to the way I see things. I thought it had all the right amounts of elements to make this a good story. It has the intrigue, the mystery, the main story line, the drama, the incredible news and the romance. Whereas in some of her other books the romance was too short or too subtle that it didn't even seem important, in this case it's more along the lines of my favorite book of hers, where e do see a bit more romance developing. I loved this and I thought Celia's relationship with Alex was wonderful, still innocent and based on looks at first, but quite real in the end, and most certainly powerful in the epilogue.

The plot focuses around the play, many say it wasn't the same author who wrote this and other darker works, but throughout the book we see pieces of history saying it was indeed by D'Ascanio. The story starts from the arrival of the actors in Italy until the play is finished. There's some mystery in the middle, concerning the disappearance of Celia the first and what could have been her fate and also about the dealings of the D'Ascanio grandson and his selling of the palazzo where they are. I think there are many intrigue scenes and settings to fulfill the plot lovers. Of course, some personal questions are targeted here as well, and we learn a lot about the characters.
There are sad moments, beautiful moments and many things to be found out. I really loved every moment, except a little thing.

I'm really happy with this one, I think it's one of the author's best works, somehow, everything fit in place for me and the story worked pretty well. It's one of those books you can open any time and there are countless scenes to be marveled at.
Overall, an amazing book, I only hope future stories by this author will be as great!
Grade: 9/10

*
Note: Now that I've read all her published (and available) books, here is the list by order of my preferences:
The Shadowy Horses - not commented here
Season of Storms
Mariana
Splendour Falls
Every Secret Thing
The Rose Garden
Named of the Dragon
The Firebird
Sophia's Secret

Susanna Kearsley - The Rose Garden

"Whatever time we have," he said, "it will be time enough."
Eva Ward returns to the only place she truly belongs, the old house on the Cornish coast, seeking happiness in memories of childhood summers. There she finds mysterious voices and hidden pathways that sweep her not only into the past, but also into the arms of a man who is not of her time.
But Eva must confront her own ghosts, as well as those of long ago. As she begins to question her place in the present, she comes to realize that she too must decide where she really belongs.
From Susanna Kearsley, The Rose Garden is a haunting exploration of love, family, the true meaning of home, and the ties that bind us together.

Comment: This is another book by ms Kearsley I've read. This is one of her most recent ones and has a different twist, although it embraces the idea of time travel just like all the others that, somehow, have a connection to the concept of past meets present and vice versa.

This is the story of Eva Ward, she returns to Cornwall after her sister dies. She decides to spread her ashes in the place where they felt more at home while children. While there, Eva starts experiencing time travel, she goes back in time and meets the owner of the house where she's staying in the present and falls into the action taking place in the 18th century concerning two brothers and their smuggling. Things aren't as simple and as time oes by, Eva develops fellings for David, a man from the past, while her situation in the present also gets confusing. How will things end for Eva and those around her, in both times?

The night I've finished the book I stayed awake for a long time thinking about this because I couldn't sleep with thoughts about some scenes from the book still in my head. It was quite disturbing, not in a bad way, but it touched me in such a way, I can't help feeing overwhelmed by what it meant, what it could mean if it were possible....it was a bit hard to digest, especially for me, I hate goodbyes...

Well, the story is very rich in details, mostly because it follows two different action settings although they touch each other in a certain way, mostly because Eva researches the past after her travels there and she is curious to know more about what happens. One of the main ideas discussed here can be the fact not knowing is a blessing because fate will happen anyway and it's heartbreaking to know and not being able to avoid it, like Eva experiences herself.

The plot is easily followed. I think the author purposely meant for the reader to feel Eva's divided attention to what was happening and to her conflict feelings. Eva has everything here but it's in the past she finds what's missing in her life. However, if things remain as they are, her life will always be the same...or not? As the plot moves forward many things start to come together like pieces of a puzzle and we learn why determined actions and things are mentioned or happen. It's quite the clever writing tactic and I think myself a distracted reader because I only saw it when it was being explained. 
Towards the end we know more about the time travel experience. I confess some difficulty to bear in mind all those concepts but the main idea remains and after all said, done and explained, Eva has to make a choice, one readers likely know well before that moment, but that will still be quite the shock, because of several factors.

I've finished this disturbed because, like I said, I hate goodbyes and it's obvious, as the plot develops that a goodbye will happen eventually, although we never know for sure. To this day, I can still see the last scene and although this has an HEA, I thin it's disturbing enough to remain in one's mind.

I had the idea this book was more focused on the action, on the actual decision and conflict than any other by her. All the others are easy to accept and to read and put aside because the action never changed even if it was dual. I think this book can be seen as very romantic and timeless...but for me, it has that extra thing that now I can't seem to let go. Some books will do that to you.

I liked this one, it's very detailed, rich and emotional. Too emotional in the end I thought. But still amazing. Plus, the cover is so beautiful...I really have the opinion the best covers are with landscapes and something not almost naked people!
I have one left by her, I hope it's as fantastic as this one!
Grade: 8/10

Susanna Kearsley - Named of the Dragon

The invitation to spend Christmas in Angle, on the Pembrokeshire coast, is one that Lyn Ravenshaw is only too happy to accept. To escape London and the pressures of her literary agency is temptation enough, but the prospect of meeting Booker Prize nominee James Swift - conveniently in search of an agent - is the deciding factor.  On holiday she encounters the disturbing Elen Vaughan, recently widowed and with an eight-month-old son whose paternity is a subject for local gossip. Elen's baby arouses painful memories of Lyn's own dead child/ and strange, haunting dreams, in which a young woman in blue repeatedly tries to hand over her child to Lyn for safekeeping.
Who is the father of Elen's baby? What is the eerie, monstrous creature of Elen's dreams that tries to ensnare her son, and what makes her so sure that Lyn has been sent to protect him?  As she begins to untangle the truth behind the stories, the secret she discovers leads Lyn to an encounter with the past that will change her life forever.

Comment: This is another book by this author that I had to read. I'm a fan of her style and by norm she comes up with an intriguing story with some mysterious elements to make the reader captivated. I had hopes for this one.

This is the story of Lyn Ravenshaw, she's a literary agent and she agrees to a holiday with one of her writers at the house of another writer she might bring to her list. Still, this isn't Lyn's main goal, only to escape her family during a time where she's reminded about what he lost.
While there Lyn meets several people, among them Elen, a young mother that brings memories to Lyn and someone who asks her for help although they just met. Something strange is happening but will Lyn follow her instincts and help?

I enjoyed this book. It's one of the author' first works, but it's already obvious her talent for storytelling. The opening paragraph is wonderful and evocative, which I really hoped would be indication of a good story. I wasn't wrong, because I felt immediate empathy towards her and her past. She is a character that had some bad experiences but in this holiday some of her fears will be over for she's going to battle them in order to help someone. At the same time, some mystery is going on and the plot is focused on poetry and the meaning of some things. The poetry mentioned in the book is directly related to what is happening and it's interesting to see how the author uses real poetry and information to suit the developments in her fictional story and how well these two thing work out.

Lyn is a likable character. She's just a normal person dealing with many issues, but she doesn't let what is around her to shape her. I liked her personality and thoughts. As always, this story has a romance and I found it slightly better than the romances in previous books (except Shadowy Horses, still my favorite book by her) because is was more obvious at times and the end, despite not being detailed, was enough indication to make the reader dream of a HEA, while in some of the other books this would be harder to see.

Like I said, there's a lot of poetry talk in the book. Being a story about writers, I was quite happy with what we could learn and nothing was said in such a way the reader would feel bored or out of his depth. I liked how the little things, like simply the character's names weren't left to chance an were actually picked especially for this novel. It feels like nothing is random and this, in a way, makes the story feel more constructed, elaborated, like th author really wanted to put it in the best way to be experienced.

The plot follows a certain path and at some point we believe something to be obvious, but apparently it wasn't. Someone was against a person and I was quite surprised to see the identity of the guilty part. I didn't expect that, so even better, the mystery solution wasn't as obvious as that.

This book was good, enjoyable, had all the elements to work out and it's the author's trademark in style and prose. I was happy with it.
Grade: 8/10

Susanna Kearsley - The Firebird

Nicola Marter was born with a gift. When she touches an object, she sometimes sees images; glimpses

of those who have owned it before. It’s never been a gift she wants, and she keeps it a secret from most people, including her practical boss Sebastian, one of London’s premier dealers in Russian art.
But when a woman offers Sebastian a small wooden carving for sale, claiming it belonged to Russia’s first Empress Catherine, it’s a problem. There’s no proof. Sebastian believes that the plain carving — known as “The Firebird” — is worthless. But Nicola’s held it, and she knows the woman is telling the truth, and is in desperate need of the money the sale of the heirloom could bring.
Compelled to help, Nicola turns to a man she once left, and still loves: Rob McMorran, whose own psychic gifts are far greater than hers. With Rob to help her “see” the past, she follows a young girl named Anna from Scotland to Belgium and on into Russia. 
There, in St. Petersburg — the once-glittering capital of Peter the Great’s Russia — Nicola and Rob unearth a tale of love and sacrifice, of courage and redemption…an old story that seems personal and small, perhaps, against the greater backdrops of the Jacobite and Russian courts, but one that will forever change their lives.

Comment: This is the most recent story by this author. I got it mostly because I wanted to have all the books by the author but I picked this one sooner than other boos she wrote first because it has a character as protagonist that showed up in my favorite book by her, The Shadowy Horses. I was so curious to see if because of him, other beloved characters would show up too...

This is the story of Nicola and Rob. Rob is a policeman and her has psychic powers. He's the child from the book I mentioned who played an important part then. Now I was happy to see he's a good man, fair and friendly. He and Nicola had a relationship but Nicola wasn't ready for it and they broke up two years ago.
Nicola also has some psychic power and she finds out something about a client of the gallery of art where she works and wants to help her, but she thins she couldn't on her own. She asks Rob for help and together they unravel what's behind a small fire bird and what it meant...

I was quite curious about this story and how a character I've known would be like in the protagonist seat and most important, how he would be like as a grown up. I was quite happy with this, because little Robbie, now Rob, is a good man and he uses his powers in a very open way and has the respect from being a good person. Although his life isn't explored much we get the idea he's dealt well with challenges he had and he embraces his psychic powers proudly.
This is the main conflict int he contemporary storyline, because Nicola doesn't want to talk or to show her powers in any way. This was the main reason they broke up and now that she needs Rob's help, those feelings come to life again but this time love does speak louder and obviously they get their HEA. Still, I thought it was subtle -as per author's trademark - but convincing. I'd still have liked to see some more about this, I always think some things could be a bit more explicit, more discussed or enriched. But it's not bad, no.
And why? Because there's the other storyline that presents and interesting opposition to this one, or we can look at the similarities, it depends on who reads it.

The story from the past is set in Russia, mostly, and it's about Anna, she is the daughter from the main couple of Sophia's Secret. The author really tidied loose points here...anyway, Anna travels to Russia after an indiscretion in the convent where she was and because of something she said, an uncle is punished. She runs away and is helped by mr Gordon, he's an official in the navy and works in Russia. Anna grows up like his adopted daughter and also in the party of King James of Scotland, a theme from Sophia's Secret too. This part f the story was harder for m to get into, but the more I read, the more interesting it became, mainly after Anna falls in love. 

The author has a good talent to merger past and present but I admit I usually prefer the contemporary side because I feel she takes too much care about the past things and not as much with the present and I thin it should be the opposite. Ok, this is a personal preference, but I really do. The past always seems to have the stronger focus, though, so in a way, it's more detailed and presented to the reader...I think they are no doubts she is a god writer, preferences apart.

This book also allowed me to learn new things, always a good thing. I think the environment and the way things were linked together worked well.
So, this book teaches us  good lesson about how to be patient, how to trust and how sometimes the unexpected can be a good thing. I'll cherish this book, for sure, even though I still prefer the other one best.
Grade: 8/10

Susanna Kearsley - Every Secret Thing

'No one lives for ever. But the truth survives us all'. Kate Murray is deeply troubled. In front of her lies a dead man, a stranger who only minutes before had approached her wanting to tell her about a mystery, a long-forgotten murder. The crime was old, he'd told her, but still deserving of justice. Soon Kate is caught up in a dangerous whirlwind of events that takes her back into her grandmother's mysterious war-time past and across the Atlantic as she tries to retrace the dead man's footsteps. Finding out the truth is not so simple, however, as only a few people are still alive who know the story - and Kate soon realises that her questions are putting their lives in danger. Stalked by an unknown and sinister enemy, she must use her tough journalistic instinct to find the answers from the past - before she has to say goodbye to her future.

Comment: This is another of the books by the author I have. As soon as the last published one arrives, I'll have a full collection of Susanna Kearsley books. As it happens with everything, I prefer some to others, but overall, all of them are a worthy story to enjoy.

Every Secret Thing is a mystery novel. It doesn't have any paranormal element like the others do and apparently it's the first of a trilogy, which isn't completed yet. Or written as far as I can tell. This story is about Kate Murray, she's a journalist that one day meets a man who tells her about a murder that happened years ago. But before ate can find more, the man is killed in front of her. Then, she starts a voyage through the places connected to that man until she finds out about the murder and the guilty one behind it.

I liked this one. At first it didn't seem that special and I confess I had some trouble concentrating. But then I took some time to just read instead of multitasking and the story started to have more deep than what I thought. This is a mystery and it has the deceiving slow pace and the expected fast pace at some points to prove it. I liked how the author wrote things in a way that seems so simple but has some depth attached to things, like motivations and secrets.

My favorite thing, though, was that part of the action took place in Portugal. It's so funny and special to see places you now in books written by authors whose work you like...it's not the same to read books by Portuguese authors, whose take on the country's reality is something you don't find any "newness" in, but when is someone without prior knowledge, someone from a different place and reality...and the author has talked about several details of the places in Portugal where the action happens and I know them too, I actually live close to one and it's fascinating to see a place I'm so familiar with in the foreign pages of an international book. It really feels special.

The characters are easy to relate to. Even the ones that don't seem as important. The story has the author's characteristic double time frame, a story nowadays and scenes from things of older years. The two story lines develop at the same time and are obviously related. I found myself so sad over the older story...it has sad scenes of things done but not said, of things given up and sacrificed...it's a true lesson to thin you could change your life with a word but sometimes it's a conscious decision to remain silent. It's really tough to thin about the "too late" when we can no longer say or do what we want, after such long time has gone...
Anyway, sadness apart, the reader easily sympathizes with the characters and their struggles as well as their losses and it makes us feel more conscious about our own lives. I thin the author has done a great job with this book.

I still have books by her to read, I plan to space them a bit ore in the future, but I see myself devouring the remaining ones as fast as I went though this one and the previous ones.

Susanna Kearsley - The Splendour Falls

Emily Braden couldn't resist the invitation to join her charming but unreliable cousin, Harry, on a visit to the town of Chinon—where, according to legend, Queen Isabelle hid her treasured jewels during a seige in the 13th century. But when Harry vanishes and Emily begins to search for him, she uncovers the mystery of a different Isabelle. A mystery that dates back to the German occupation during the Second World War. As Emily explores the city, with its labyrinthine tunnels and ancient history, she's drawn ever closer to the mysterious Isabelles and their long-kept secrets.

Comment: So far, the books by Susanna Kearsley have been very interesting. She has a way of writing that is very appealing to me.

This is the 4^th book by her I read. So far all the books follow a certain idea, there’s a story happening and there’s also a subtle paranormal element in, like the veracity of reincarnation or a medium or even the memories of past lives. In this one, things are way subtler.

This book presents us Emily. She is invited by her wild cousin to visit the place where King John and his wife lived in France. She is in need of a vacation and she enjoys that moment of history so she accepts. Of course, her cousin isn’t waiting for her as promised but she doesn’t find it strange because it’s his usual behavior, to do as he pleases. She checks in to the hotel and decides to wait for him. In there she meets a cast of characters that intrigue her and that bring her up to date to the conversations and new friendships, even an unwanted attraction from her part.

I liked how the author has created this story. As usual, things are inserted slowly, the action doesn’t rush and we even have a hint of romance. This story, however, is different from the others because is focuses more in the current mystery than in the happenings from old times. It’s a bit more like suspense than a contemporary. I liked it, because after two books very similar (Mariana and Sophia’s Secret), this was quite the fresh surprise.

Like usual, the characters offer many different takes on behavior. I was very glad to see so many personalities at the hotel, the loud American woman, the apparently quiet subservient husband, the funny guy, the serious melancholic one, the friendly waiter, the strange neighbor, and so on. The author has put into action so many different people to interact and build up an interesting story that, I have to be honest, surprised and intrigued much more than what I imagined.

The action moved along a way I wasn’t expecting. A thing or two happened I was really surprised to see happening. So, this story felt quite strong for me because it seemed apparent, considering her other books, the pace would be sedate, simple, peaceful…and this book had some scenes where things were much unexpected. The mystery wasn’t the most fanciful I ever read, but it suited this story very well.

In the end, we even have a surprise or two, concerning the action. This added up to the characters’ feel, I mean, we have our doubts about who might have done this or that but overall, I think the author has done a great job mixing things and making them interesting. Her talent shows, for sure.

What I think she could do better and something I find faulty in almost every book (in three of the four I’ve read), is her exaggeration in the subtlety of romance. We know it will happen and that the main character in the end will have an HEA somehow, but, came on, she could be a bit more obvious about it without ruining the story or the flow of it. In this book in particular, she could have done more, because if felt rushed at the very end and I wish we could’ve gotten more scenes with them, and even more so, more scenes where we could actually “see” their feelings more, instead of just knowing they might have it because it’s where it leads to.

Anyway, this didn’t spoil the book for me, and in the end I had a great time reading it and getting to meet everyone and everything. Great book, overall.

Susanna Kearsley - Mariana

The first time Julia Beckett saw Greywethers she was only five, but she knew that it was her house. And now that she’s at last become its owner, she suspects that she was drawn there for a reason.
As if Greywethers were a portal between worlds, she finds herself transported into seventeenth-century England, becoming Mariana, a young woman struggling against danger and treachery, and battling a forbidden love.
Each time Julia travels back, she becomes more enthralled with the past...until she realizes Mariana’s life is threatening to eclipse her own, and she must find a way to lay the past to rest or lose the chance for happiness in her own time.

Comment: I've picked this book because I've read some excellent comments about it and I wanted to see for myself. I've enjoyed the author's style and writing rhythm in the previous two books by her I've read so I was actually with pretty good expectations about this one as well.

When she was a child, Julia Beckett saw a house during one of the trips she did with her family and she fell in love with it at first sight. She felt compelled to that house and she didn't know why but several years later she is back and buys it. Soon, some strange things start happening to her and she has flashes where she becomes someone else, from centuries ago, and lives moments in that other person skin. Dealing with what she thinks is madness and her everyday life, no wonder Julia feels her emotions are getting the better of her, but as she realizes what is happening..how can she pretend it isn't real?

 Wow. I really liked this book. I think it's very similar to Sophia's Secret (or Winter Sea) that I've read some months ago, but I have to say I preferred this one. The basis of the two are the same, a young woman seeking refuge in a special, more rustic place, to work and meeting interesting people with past experiences taking up parts of her daily life making her see what was happening centuries ago. But the similarities stop here, because the details change. Sophia's Secret was more about memories in the things, about someone else and Mariana is more centered in the reincarnation theory. Personally I liked this one better because Julia didn't think of somebody else back in history, she was that person. Very enthralling I assure you.

I'm very curious about reincarnation and I actually have read several books by Brian Weiss, M.D. on the subject and how people can see their past lives through hypnoses. It's very interesting and although it's not the same in this story I couldn't help but feeling curious about the book even more after knowing this fact.

Julia feels very conflicted about what is happening to her today and what was happening to Mariana  centuries ago. There comes a time she can't be objective about the two lives and even those around her see the difference. 

I was eager to know who was in her life today as well, as the past lives theory says we surround ourselves with the same people over and over, although they can play different roles in the different lives and Mariana was deeply in love with someone and I really wanted to see who that person was in Julia's life. She thought someone and the clues did point out to him, but I have to be honest, it would have been too easy so I suspected someone else...I even think after a while it become a bit obvious but I also believe the author was a little bit too subtle in that because even after the end I still think the clues to that weren't that easy to figure out and I can't help feeling disappointed about the rushed way we saw how things really were.

The story was engrossing and the writing was simple but fluid, as usual. I'm very happy to read the books by this author and I think she does a great job with the character's details and experiences. It's all very compelling. In this one I was also very interested in what was happening with both times, th present and the past whereas in Sophia's Secret the story in the past wasn't that interesting for me. Mariana was the first to be written and I think she really got a wonderful story the first try.

This was a great book as well and to this day I still can't help but think about how it ended, although that part could have been a bit longer just to reassure the reader of how things are. Still, an amazing read, without a doubt.

Susanna Kearsley - Sophia's Secret

History has all but forgotten the spring of 1708, when an invasion fleet of French and Scottish soldiers nearly succeeded in landing the exiled James Stewart in Scotland to reclaim his crown.
Now, Carrie McClelland hopes to turn that story into her next bestselling novel. Settling herself in the shadow of Slains Castle, she creates a heroine named for one of her own ancestors, and starts to write.
But when she discovers her novel is more fact than fiction, Carrie wonders if she might be dealing with ancestral memory...making her the only living person who can know the truth of what did happen all those years ago - a tale of love and loyalty...and ultimate betrayal.

Comment: Years ago I've read a book by this author and I loved it. It was The Shadowy Horses, a great romance. I don't even know why it took me so long to try something else but this was the time.
Sophia's Secret was first published as Winter Sea. After reading the book I understand the original title but I think the second is best suited simply because it's more obvious. The first one is a reference to something in the book, but I don't think it's such a pertinent detail.

The story is divided in two, the present and the past. In the present, Carrie is a writer of historical romances and her research takes her to Scotland to write a story set in 1708. But as long as she learns about that time and those who lived it, she starts having very vivid scenes from things and people from that time which leads her to think she might have an ancestral memory. This means she is the only person who can really know what happened all those years ago in precision. At the same time, her personal life changes too after she meets the owner of the cottage she is renting and his two sons.
I'd say there's a bigger percentage of historical scenes in the past, which explains the second title better. Personally I would have preferred to see more of the actual time scenes because for me they were more interesting, although i understand the fascination with the historical side. But I was really more curious about Carrie herself and her life.
All characters are very intriguing because there's always a certain sense of mystery around them, the author doesn't give us all at once and after reading the book there's still things we can't help but imagining, so this makes us intrigued but delighted too and it's like we know there's something else in there but despite not knowing, we still feel we've had enough. It's just that there's something else mysterious almost in our grasp...
The story is good too, like I said, personally the present is more interesting foe me, but the historical one is quite rich in details and sequence. We can see the author has done her research. The end of the historical part is unpredictable and I was very surprised although after reading it I can't imagine why I didn't think of it. The ending of the present part is more expected but still cute.
I recommend this to everyone who likes history and a sweet romance to balance the more precise parts of a book. It was very sweet.
I still prefer the first book by the author I've read, but I'm now determined to buy the rest and try them all.