Review: deep revelations of shocking secrets that kept this from being a great story and left it in the good range.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 12 17, 2013
When you see gothic historical romance, instantly the mind brings forward Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights, both of their time yet containing all of the expectations one hopes for the genre.  I was hoping for similar in this title, and in some respects, the story did not disappoint.  With a less-than innovative or original premise, and the loss of a subplot that was only resurrected near the end, however, the story lacked that certain tension and deep revelations of shocking secrets that kept this from being a great story and left it in the good range.Early on the pacing feels rushed, the heroine is jilted by her fiancé, and unable to save her family or reputation without taking employment as a governess.  The hero has a young son with a deceased wife, and has isolated himself from society and the child.  Pushing to throw the two together with a rather improbable accident and rescue, the story quickly moves to the isolated home where sightings of the dead wife are said to be rampant.While I didn’t find any particular reason to dislike either of the main characters, neither was developed in a way that gave me the sense of needing to know them, or really investing in their story: the more intriguing element was the child and his fear of his father.  An element that never really was explained well, nor did the ‘revelations’ provide great insight.  As the tension should have built, it waned, and there was a curious lack of information relating to the sub-plot which would have added to the intrigue and tension. Instead, it was hurriedly dealt with at the end of the story, without a real resolution that felt as if It were given its proper due.There wasn’t anything truly horrible here; there just weren’t any great moments aside from the lush descriptions of the scenes, rooms and countryside that informed the reader’s sense of place.  I  would expect that many will like the non-confrontational style and characters that are exactly as one would expect, without great moments of emotion, but for me it was disappointing.I received an eBook copy from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.