Amazon Description of the Book: Mount Mellyn stood as proud and magnificent as she had envisioned…But what about its master–Connan TreMellyn? Was Martha Leigh’s new employer as romantic as his name sounded? As she approached the sprawling mansion towering above the cliffs of Cornwall, an odd chill of apprehension overcame her.
TreMellyn’s young daugher, Alvean, proved as spoiled and difficult as the three governesses before Martha had discovered. But it was the girl’s father whose cool, arrogant demeanor unleashed unfamiliar sensations and turmoil–even as whispers of past tragedy and present danger begin to insinuate themselves into Martha’s life.
Powerless against her growing desire for the enigmatic Connan, she is drawn deeper into family secrets–as passion overpowers reason, sending her head and heart spinning. But though evil lurks in the shadows, so does love–and the freedom to find a golden promise forever…
I loved this book and everything about it. There was a mystery at the core of the story, but at the same time, this was a family drama that played out among several interesting characters. It was a love story, but it was also a gothic story. It had all the elements of a gothic novel, and took me away as a reader to another time and place.
Although it was a classic gothic novel and had all the elements — spooky house, odd suspicious characters at every turn — there was also a mystery that the main character was trying to solve the entire story. This made the story all the more enjoyable.
MY REIVEW AS AN AUTHOR:
I got so much out of this book being an author myself. It was intricately plotted and executed with mastery. I was in awe of the author’s talent as a writer. It held my interest the whole way through.
Part of the story was a bit educational about the historical times and I personally love when an author adds this level to the book — but also knows where to stop. Victoria Holt had the perfect mix.
Her writing style is beautiful. I was in awe of it the entire way through. There was another almost poetic turn of phrase on each page.
I don’t want to go into the storyline itself other than to say it was the story of a young woman who is chosen to be a governess at a time and place when being a governess was considered a ‘lower class’.
I went through my notes after reading the book and put together a crossword puzzle for anyone who also read the book and wants to try their hand at it. I used mostly the words I either had never heard before or had to look up!
SUSPENSE: For suspense, I give this an eight out of ten. It was very suspenseful, but I wouldn’t call it a suspense book. It had a ribbon of suspense throughout the book which added very much to the gothic novel.
PLOTTING: I give this book a perfect 10. The story was well planned. There was enough foreshadowing where it didn’t feel like anything was pulled out of a hat at the last minute. The story was complex enough to remain interesting the entire way through, but not over complex where I had to keep notes. This balance and mix made the book completely enjoyable.
GOTHIC ELEMENTS: I give the story an 8 out of 10, not because it was lacking anything. This is more of a rating based on how gothic the story was in it’s setting and timeframe. Dracula would get a 10, but this story was less than that level of gothic. It was the perfect amount for the story that was told.
CLARITY OF WRITING: I give this book a perfect 10. There was never a time when I had to re-read to try to figure out who was talking or where everyone was. It was easy to read and clearly written. The editing and grammar were perfect.
PROSE: I give this book a perfect 10 here too because I love Victoria Holt’s style of writing and her style of storytelling. I literally enjoyed every page of the book.
BELOW ARE MY FAVORITE TURN OF PHRASES:
❖ We climbed to the plateau and a pair of intricately wrought-iron gates confronted us.
❖ This was a phrase I never heard before and I was not even able to find a definition on the internet. If anyone knows what this means, please let me know! there was a whatnot in . . .
❖ I deliberately bearded you in your carriage . . .
❖ dangerously demure
❖ tomb of a place
CROSSWORD – Click on the graphic below to get he google drive file to download. It has the puzzle, the clues as well as the answers (on page 3)
