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My rating: 4 of 5 stars


After reading The House On The Hill by Irina Shapiro, I realized WHY o WHY this book kept popping up in few lists as a MUST-READ recommendation for me. It had all the tropes that usually captures my interest, dual-time line, ghosts, romance and of course that cover image is enough of a sell, in my opinion. YES, of course, there’s numerous covers with a similar image of a woman with the background of a house but I do fall for it ALL THE TIME 🙄 🙄 🙄.

It’s been a year for Lauren but she’s yet to come to terms with the pain and grief of her husband’s death. Holland House in Cape Cod was a refuge to find her voice again and to let go of the past. The house however has other ideas as Sophie Holland begins to show herself and the author takes the reader into the 1720’s to the life of Sophie and her love Teddy Mercer. What follows is a tale of star-crossed lovers unable to join together and live as one, Sophie’s abuse at the hands of her husband and her determination to accept the black hands of fate that is woven in their lives.

As Lauren finds comfort with Dr. Ryan Kelly, she looks forward to move on in life and write this fascinating tale of the Hollands.

The story is definitely interesting, Lauren’s heartache in the events that followed her husband’s death and her acceptance of the cold facts of life was brilliant. Sophie’s eternal wait for Teddy has been described quite lovingly. It was in fact Sophie’s narrative that holds the reader in thrall as the incidents that occurs in her young life is unbearable and painful to read.

A well-written novel about loss, grief and pain, Irina Shapiro beautifully captures the strength that each of us would find in ourselves to fight against all adversity.

Now all I want is to visit this lovely place and immerse myself into the tranquility and serenity conveyed thru the book😊.

Recommended to all fans of historical fiction with a touch of romance and suspense.

Still grieving the death of her husband, Lauren leaves the hubbub of Boston for the peaceful shores of Cape Cod, where she hopes to come to terms with her loss and devote herself to her writing. Historic Holland House, isolated on a hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, seems like the perfect refuge, until Lauren discovers that she’s not alone, and her ghostly roommate might be none other than Sophie Holland, the mysterious first mistress of the house.

With the help of a handsome doctor with an interest in local history, Lauren is soon drawn out of her self-imposed exile as she sets out to learn what happened to Sophie and stumbles onto a story worth writing about.

Fans of Susanna Kearsley and Barbara Erskine are sure to enjoy this dual timeline tale of romantic suspense.

AMAZON INDIA

GOODREADS

This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.wordpress.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India and Twitter.

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