Another recommendation from Modern Mrs. Darcy's 2021 Summer Reading List. Billed as a Gothic novel, my reader's heart thought, "Yea! It'll be like Rebecca!!!"
Well.....not really.
I mean, there is a creepy house with a name. And a Master of said house with a mother that is whacko. And a disappearance, and a heart that gets sucked under. So there's that.
But my main problem here was the main character. Freya travels to England after her sister has committed suicide, and stumbles into a mansion near the site of her death where she sees a portrait of her sister. All the flags are flying high here, so to speak, but yet Freya still gets pulled in to a romance with the mysterious man who lives there. I was yelling at her. I was hopeful for her. But....she had no backbone whatsoever. Ugh.
I didn't hate this book, but it was not as good as it could have been. What DID happen to Stella? Was she murdered or did she leave this life the only way she thought she could? Why did Freya stay as long as she did? Is Cory so mysterious after all, or is he just a plain old jerk? What role did Cory's mother play? Is he a victim or victimizer? I would caution that there are triggers here for partner abuse; not the physical violence kind, but the cut you down to nothing/controlling kind. Hard to read, and most successful in its atmospheric fog. I will say all's well that ends well so if you can make it through, there is a tiny bit of redemption there for this reader who likes a happy ending. Or, at least not a thoroughly tragic one.
Tell that to Stella.......
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