Book Review: The Secret History of Audrey James by Heather Marshall

 

A young woman makes a life altering decision after her life implodes and she takes a new job near the Scottish border for a cranky old lady who has secrets about her past. 

The Secret History of Audrey James by Heather Marshall

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Random House/Penguin Books 

Contemporary/Historical Fiction

My Rating for The Secret History of Audrey James is: 4 Stars

When Kate Mercer finds a job offer in the London paper, she takes a chance and hopes the change of scenery will help heal her broken heart and make sense of her past. But what she finds when she gets there is an elderly woman who owns the B&B has secrets of her own. For Kate and Audrey, finding out the truth of both women's past will lead to more than either of the women will know.

My Review:

THE SECRET HISTORY OF AUDREY JAMES is from a new-to-me author Heather Marshall and is filled with two storylines that will take the reader from 2010 to 1938 Germany at the start of World War II. The author does an amazing job in capturing the reader's imagination right from the first page. I was drawn into Kate's heartbreak and loss as well as her hope of a new beginning as she traveled too the border of Scotland. Audrey is a complex and intriguing character that held her own secrets that drew not just Kate in but also myself. It was an interesting way to capture the reader's attention and the way the author delves into Kate and Audrey's past was masterful in how it was entwined in the contemporary setting as well as the past. The story flowed swiftly and the author does an amazing job capturing the characters as well as the setting wonderfully within the pages of THE SECRET HISTORY OF AUDREY JAMES. 

We meet Kate Mercer when she is dealing with loss and more at the beginning of the book. Her heartbreak comes over the first few pages so eloquently and you can't help but feel for her. When we meet Audrey James, she's a cranky old woman who doesn't want anyone there with ehr but you get a sense she needs kate just as much as Kate needs her as they settle in and get familiar with one another. I particularly enjoyed how these two women, young and old, adapt and eventually become friends. I found the characters very well written, complex and intriguing. The secondary characters are just as enjoyable and I loved the intersecting past storyline of Audrey as it connects to Kate's present day. The author knows how to weave a spell around her readers in this contemporary/historical fiction that will capture your heart and not let go.

The story doesn't get bogged down by details and the author does a great job in capturing both Audrey in her past self and her present self perfectly. I enjoyed seeing how the two storylines meded together in a cohesive storyline that kept me riveted till the very end of the book. If you enjoy dual storylines that have intriguing characters, historical ramifications and more, then don't hesitate to grab THE SECRET HISTORY OF AUDREY JAMES by Heather Marshall today. I am looking forward to seeing where the author goes next in their next book.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement.

Book Review: Sleepy Hollow: Children of the Revolution

When Ichabod Crane was resurrected he never anticipated being brought forth to the 21^st century. Needless to say he has been learning to adapt to the time as quickly as possible while trying to stay alive as he as well as Lieutenant Abbie Mills and a handful of allies & friends fight a war with a demon and his evil horsemen. After a vision from his witch wife Katrina, he is tasked to find a medal, a Congressional Cross, that he was awarded. Problem is he never got it being dead and all. So Ichabod, Abbie and their friends’ race against the clock to find his medal as well as save the others like it when they find out that a local coven is determined to resurrect their mistress, Serida, a dark and powerful witch who was burned at the stake during the Revolutionary War. If Ichabod and Abbie don’t succeed in keeping the crosses from them, Serida will once again be loose to enact her revenge on the world…with Sleepy Hollow being the first place she will go.

Children of the Revolution by Keith R.A. DeCandido

A Sleepy Hollow TV Show Story
Broadway Books
September 30^th, 2014
978-0-553-41900-9
Contemporary, Fantasy/Paranormal, Mystery, Historical Aspects
Mass Market Paperback
Obtained by Publisher

My Rating for Children of the Revolution: 4.5 Stars 

My Review:

This is the first book from the TV series, Sleepy Hollow, that I have read and I got to admit I just devoured it. It was engrossing, intriguing and quite enjoyable. I love the TV show so it was fun to read about aspects in between episodes that may have happened not shown on the television. This author does a great job in capturing the characters personalities and voices which I was thrilled about. They sounded just like on the show while I was reading the story, CHILDREN OF THE REVOLUTION and the author does a great job in crafting a great story to bridge 2 episodes from the first season. The story flows smoothly, alternating at times between past and present, the characters are quite well written and fairly leap off the pages and the mystery surrounding the task Ichabod is on left me anxious to know more with each page I turned.

CHILDREN OF THE REVOLUTION is a fun filled, action packed story that gives you your Sleepy Hollow fix while you wait for the next episode to air on television or online. The author does a great job incorporating real historical events into the storyline while keeping true to the feel of the show perfectly in the story. I loved knowing more about certain key places in Sleepy Hollow, New York City and a few other places and also the author notes at the end was a delight to read as well. They ran down a quick list of what the author used as background historically as well as fictionally for this book. I always found those to be quite intriguing and this one was no exception. It made me want to do a road trip next year to actually see Sleepy Hollow myself if possible. If you enjoy mystery, paranormal/fantasy and a bit of wit from some characters then you will definitely enjoy CHILDREN OF THE REVOLUTION. I know I am anxiously awaiting the next book in this series and hope I won’t have to wait too long for it.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

Available in ebook and print

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