The Vanishing by Sophia Tobin

Title: The Vanishing

Author: Sophia Tobin

Format: Paperback

Source: Purchased

Pages: 385

Rating: 3.5/5

Blurb: On top of the Yorkshire Moors, in an isolated spot carved out of a barren landscape, lies White Windows, a house of shadows and secrets. Here lives Marcus Twentyman, a hard-drinking but sensitive man, and his sister, the brisk widow, Hester.

When runaway Annaleigh first meets the Twentymans, their offer of employment and lodgings seems a blessing. Only later does she discover the truth. But by then she is already in the middle of a web of darkness and intrigue, where murder seems the only possible means of escape…

Having read both 'The Silversmith's Wife' and 'The Widow's Confession' by Sophia Tobin - and loving them both - my hopes were quite high for The Vanishing. And whilst I didn't enjoy this quite as much as her previous two books it was still incredibly well written and researched and I read it in only one sitting because I was gripped by the story.

The main character, Anna, was likeable but frustrating. Her character development throughout the story was done really well and was understandable. She changed a lot from the sweet and trusting girl she had been to the cynical woman who wanted revenge and I was right there with her at the end - I actually kind of hoped for more on the revenge line but I also understand why she chose to let things develop as they did. And I don't want to go into detail on that because spoilers! The other characters were not as well developed to my mind. Thomas served pretty much solely as a love interest and his character development revolved around Anna. Whilst he had a few strong moments where he stood up for himself - and he was likable - the book would not have been much different without him. Anna's employers - and the two other servants she worked with - were more complex but they, in comparison, did not get as much of a resolution as I would have liked. Particularly Jeanne who, I think, deserved a final confrontation with Anna and Hester who was an interesting character in the beginning but quickly faded towards the end. 

The plot was, as I mentioned, extremely gripping and I was never bored. It also gets very dark very quickly. The first half of the book does an excellent job of building an unsettling atmosphere but the book switches from that to something far darker almost in a page turn and the rest of the book is much faster paced in comparison. Whilst I understood why, the pace change was a little abrupt and I had to reread a few pages in the middle to be sure I was understanding Anna's situation correctly. That said, I was so emotionally engaged in the story that I was sobbing by the end and kept thinking about Anna's story for the rest of the day.

Overall, whilst I did enjoy The Vanishing and it definitely was an impactful story, I wouldn't say it was a favourite and I did prefer Tobin's previous books. If you're looking for an extremely dark historical story - and are prepared to maybe cry - then I definitely recommend it though.

Trigger warnings (spoilers): 

Drugging, captivity, loss of a child, death, rape

Clare Reviews: Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye

Title: Jane Steele
Author: Lyndsay Faye
Format: Paperback Received from the publisher for review
Pages: 414
Rating: 5/5
Blurb: Like the heroine of the novel she adores, Jane Steele suffers cruelly at the hands of her aunt and schoolmaster. And like Jane Eyre, they call her wicked - but in her case she fears the accusation is true. When she flees, she leaves behind the corpses of her tormentors. 
A fugitive navigating London's underbelly, Jane rights wrongs while avoiding the noose. Until an advertisement to be a governess catches her eye. She takes the position and soon falls in love with Mr Thornfield, the master of the mysterious Highgate House. But what happens if he discovers her murderous past?

“Though I no longer presumed to have a conscience, I have never once lacked feelings.”

To say I was excited for this book is a huge understatement. Jane Eyre is easily one of my favourite books so this instantly appealed to me. This is not a retelling but rather a story about Jane Steele who has a few things in common with Jane Eyre - an aunt who despises her, a horrible boarding school, a job as a governess - but handles so much of this so very, very differently.

Jane Steele reads and loves Jane Eyre, which comes up many times throughout the book. She seems to have an admiration for the character of Jane Eyre but she has very little in common with her  personality-wise. Much as I love Jane Eyre I can't deny that I longed for her to have just a bit more back-bone. To take just a tiny bit of revenge! And that's what this book finally gave me. Anyone who thought that certain characters from Jane Eyre really deserved the worst - you will love this book. 

And even if you've never read Jane Eyre - there is so much to adore about this book. The writing style is wonderful, simultaneously reminiscent of Bronte and evocative of the slightly more daring life that Jane Steele lives. The detail about her time in London was so fascinating to me, this is where the story really deviates from resemblance to Jane Eyre and also where Jane Steele undergoes a lot of pain and loss. The atmosphere was wonderful and I could picture myself there with Jane and the amazing cast of side characters.

When the action moved back to Highgate House it became, if possible, even more appealing to me. Much as I love Mr Rochester I have to say - Mr Thornfield appealed to me more. He was a more human character in my opinion, more sympathetic in many ways whilst also being incredibly strong and certainly a true match for Jane. The other characters, likewise had a great effect on Jane. She grew so much as a character throughout this book and I loved her every step of the way.

There is a mystery element to this book (no wives hidden in attics though) which I enjoyed. I actually didn't solve the mystery before the big reveal so there was a definite gasp-moment for me when everything was revealed. It's hard to really classify what genre this book would fall into however. It has mystery and romance and historical elements to it but to pigeon-hole it into any one of these seems way too constrictive. The romance was easily one of my favourite of the year so far. It was a fairly slow burn romance and I felt like they fit together in a great way - their personalities complemented each other.

Overall this was everything I had hoped it to be. Everything the taglines of "Reader I Murdered Him" and " Orphan. Governess. Serial Killer." had made me believe it would be. I can see myself re-reading this many times. In fact it may even become as worn out as my copy of Jane Eyre is! 

You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare) to keep up with what we are reading

Clare Reviews: The Lie and the Lady by Kate Noble

Title: The Lie and the Lady

Author: Kate Noble

Series: Winner Takes All #2

Source: Received from publisher for honest review

Pages: 372

Rating: 3.5/5

Blurb: John Turner was thinking only of winning a bet when he swapped identities with his friend, the Earl of Ashby. He didn’t wager on winning the fiery Countess of Churzy’s heart with his lies, or on falling for her in return.

Leticia, impoverished Countess of Churzy, was publicly humiliated when it came out that she had fallen for the man, not the master. She fled when she learned of his betrayal. But fate throws them together again, and some things are too intoxicating to be denied.

John is determined to regain her trust—and her love—this time as himself. Letty knows what choice she must make to survive, but if she turns her back on her dashing rogue – again – will she loose her chance at love forever?

Regency romance is my ultimate guilty pleasure read. My love affair started with Georgette Heyer and has since expanded to include favourites like Julia Quinn and Stephanie Laurens. But I've never read Kate Noble before. Having learned that she worked on the Lizzie Bennet Diaries I knew she was an author I had to try.

This is the second book in a series and there are references to the first book but it is possible to read it as a stand-alone which is what I did. Although this didn't affect my understanding of the book or my enjoyment of the characters - I do wish that I had read the first book previously as I feel there was a lot of backstory there that, though we are kept up to date on, I would have liked to experience. I will probably be trying to get a hold of the first book soon - and will definitely be checking out the third book which is about two characters in this one I grew to love.

Firstly it should be mentioned that this is fairly different from a lot of other regency romance. This is definitely a slow-burn love affair despite the fact that these characters are already in love (sort-of) at the start of the book. The main characters don't interact a lot for the first half of the book but every one of their interactions throughout is such a joy to read - whether they're arguing or on the same side. Leticia, the countess, was a great character. She is a fortune hunter and, as another character notes, can be very selfish and calculating. But, as I love my characters flawed, this was more of  a pro to me than anything. John, the Miller, was somehow less appealing to me. Perhaps its that we don't spend a lot of time with him at the beginning but although he was perfectly likable - I never grew to love him. The side characters were all wonderful and very well written, from Leticia's lovable fiance to her almost-step-daughter they felt like fleshed out, real people. This is certainly a benefit when two of them are going to be the stars of the next book. 

I did feel like the mystery half of the plot appeared too much in the middle and I was a bit surprised by it at first - it was also fairly obvious who the evil-doers were which meant that part of the plot took a bit of a back seat to the entanglements of our main couple. I would have liked a bit more tension but I appreciated that this wasn't just a romance novel - the added element was good if not as well developed as I would have liked.

Overall this was a great, fun read and I will definitely be looking for more from Kate Noble. She may not have immediately leaped to the top of my favourites list - but she has definitely become an author I will keep my eye out for. If you enjoy romance novels - particularly if you'd rather your main characters don't kiss until nearly the end of the book - and if you like some Austen undertones - then I definitely recommend this book. 

You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare) to keep up with what we are reading.

Clare Reviews: Dracula in Love by Karen Essex

Title: Dracula in Love
Author: Karen Essex
Series: No
Rating: 2/5
Blurb: London, 1890. Mina Murray, the rosy-cheeked, quintessentially pure Victorian heroine, becomes Count Dracula's object of desire. To preserve her chastity, five male "defenders" rush in to rescue her from the vampires's evil clutches. This is the version of the story we've been told. But now, from Mina's own pen, we discover that the story is vastly different when told from the female point of view.

"I tell you this to warn you, beauty that you are with your jet-colored hair and your lovely skin more pure and delicious than the top of the cream, and those eyes of yours that stole their green from a sultan's emerald."

The Good:

For the first half of the book I was confident that this was going to be a 1 star review. But then Lucy came into the story, and her part was actually interesting me. I almost wish that this had been Lucy's story and not Mina's. Shortly after this there was a (fairly brief) part set within a mental asylum. Which I found fascinating. The techniques used during this time have horrified me for a long time so I was interested to see how this was portrayed. However this was a fairly brief section of the story. I wish more time had been devoted to this. 

The Bad:

Dracula was not really in evidence. I was pre-warned for this having read some Goodreads reviews before I started reading but seriously. He is hardly there at all, and when he is, he is the most god-awfully boring version of Dracula I can remember reading about. But even given that I fail to see how Jonathan was in any way a competition for him. 

I don't really want to get into a comparison between this and the original Dracula, if only because it has been years and years since I read Dracula and I've read/seen many adaptations since. So I'm not sure how accurate I would even be. My main problem with this book is that I could see what the author was trying to do, I could see the feminism and the sexuality and all of that but it just didn't work and that made me so disappointed.

The characters (with the exception of Lucy and Morris whom I liked) were really not the sort I wanted to read about. Mina had potential but she mostly just annoyed me and as for Jonathan - good lord. He was unfaithful, treated Mina terribly, had her confined to a dubious asylum; there was pretty much nothing redeeming about him. He claimed to love her but at every turn he betrayed or hurt her. The majority of the other characters were intended to be bad. Which I wouldn't have minded so much except that they were the boring kind of bad. I felt some menace from them in the asylum but I never really felt any tension or cause for concern. 

And the Weird:

The quote I chose to start this review with was one of many (many) such quotes about the main character. I chose this particular one because it was at this point that I gave up and started to read the book from a comical standpoint. In case you are wondering by the way, this quote was delivered by a ninety year old fisherman whose speech she had described as common, and it was about five minutes after they met. And rather than thinking, "this is a super weird thing to say to someone you've just met" she thought she'd continue to meet this old guy and listen to his stories. 

Also; "Quince's hair was of a single unit, a great beautiful flow of thick walnut hair that operated as one organism." I'm fairly sure this is meant to sound appealing, but it ultimately just sounds slightly menacing to me. At the very least fairly disturbing; is hair meant to be attractive that way? Am I somehow weird for not getting this or is that sentence genuinely as odd as I find it? 

Here's where I recommend some alternatives for you to read:

In a Glass Darkly by Sheridan Le Fanu: More specifically: Carmilla. I don't know if you watch the youtube series (you should) but even if you don't, this is the vampire story that inspired Dracula. It's also really good.

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James: So I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Henry James. But Turn of the Screw comes down strongly on the love side.

Wildthorn by Jane Eagland: Asylums. If you are interested in them in any way like I am, then you should definitely give this book a try.

Dracula by Bram Stoker: OK, I know it's a cliched answer to read the original (and let's face it you probably already have), it's not my favourite classic, probably not even close, but it's far better than Dracula in Love. I promise.

And finally, this is, of course, all my opinion. If you like overly descriptive prose and hair that moves as one organism, or you really wanted to see a toned down Dracula then maybe this is for you. It just did not work for me.

You can find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare) and on Twitter (Ann and Clare)

Clare Reviews Revenge: I Am Her Revenge by Meredith Moore vs Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan

Title: I Am Her Revenge                                        Title: Daughter of Deep Silence
Author: Meredith Moore                                       Author: Carrie Ryan
Series: No                                                               Series: No
Rating: 5/5                                                               Rating: 4/5

On the surface these two books are almost completely different. I Am Her Revenge follows Vivian who has been raised with the sole purpose of getting revenge on the man who hurt her Mother. Meanwhile Daughter of Deep Silence is about Frances who, after a devastating ship wreck, takes on the identity of her best friend Libby. She finds out that certain people, including her one-time love have been lying about the sinking of the ship. She sets out to discover what they are hiding and to get revenge. So all these books seem to share is a vengeful purpose.

Both Vivian and Frances are fairly unlikable characters. Although Vivian starts unlikable and grows to be wonderful whilst Frances almost develops backwards, she starts as a sympathetic character and then twists herself so much that at some point I stopped rooting for her. This is the main difference between these books and the reason I Am Her Revenge got the extra star. I loved Meredith Moore's characterisation. Vivian is possibly one of the most compelling characters I have ever read. Yes, she is twisted and cruel at times and she is undeniably manipulative. But she is also vulnerable and hurting. Frances, started vulnerable. But she made terrible choices along the way. Which I suppose is where these two characters differ, Frances has a choice. Vivian doesn't.

The plot of Daughter of Deep Silence was interesting at first, there was plenty of vengeful planning and some interesting scenes and I was keen to find out what the truth was. But as the book wore on I got fed up with Frances' decisions and that kind of affected my enjoyment of the plot. I Am Her Revenge was a fairly slow burner. There were bits that were disturbing or worrying and the menace of Vivian's Mother was ever present which kept me turning the pages.

Frances had to deal with her ex-boyfriend/crush since he and his father were the object of her revenge plot, but she finds herself remembering what she loved about him and wondering if he could be as bad as she had thought he was. I never really felt their romance, it wasn't insta-love in the sense that they had already dated when she was Frances but when she shows up as Libby, he doesn't recognise her but still falls in love fairly quickly. There are some quite interesting awkward moments inside Frances's head where she becomes a little jealous of herself. I didn't dislike the romance and it never got to a point where it took over the greater plot. Vivian's love interest situation is a little more complicated. And it's complicated to even describe it without giving spoilers. But I will say I loved the way it was handled and I think everything went the way it should have done. (Sorry - vague).

Vivian also had a great villain in Mother. Capitalised. Always. She was creepy and menacing and even from an ocean away she still terrified Vivian. She was so twisted and bitter and I almost got goosebumps every time she was mentioned or appeared. She made any scene that much tenser. And it was wonderful. The villain in Daughter of Deep Silence was less menacing in a way. You don't find out really who the main villains are until near the end of the book, and the Senator and his son are way too domestic and harmless seeming to provide any real menace. Towards the end everything became very intense which was when the book got a whole lot better. Things were happening, characters were developing, mysteries were being revealed. That part I liked. But compared with the always-looming threat of Mother it was a lot tamer.

Overall both books were very good and I would definitely recommend picking them up. However I Am Her Revenge comes out on top since it was near perfect in almost everything. I think if I had read Daughter of Deep Silence at any other time than right after I Am Her Revenge I would have liked it a whole lot more. I am very excited to read more of Carrie Ryan's books and I am waiting eagerly for anything else Meredith Moore writes.

Let me know if you've read either of these books and if you agree or disagree with my comments.              

Ann Reviews: Girl Online by Zoe Sugg

Title: Girl Online

Author: Zoe Sugg

Rating: 5/5

Blurb:Under the alias Girl Online, Penny blogs her hidden feelings about friendship, boys, high school drama, her crazy family, and the panic attacks that have begun to take over her life. When things go from bad to worse, her family whisks her away to New York, where she meets Noah, a gorgeous, guitar-strumming American. Suddenly Penny is falling in love - and capturing every moment of it on her blog.

But Noah has a secret, too, one that threatens to ruin Penny's cover - and her closest friendship - forever.

I was looking forward to reading this book as I am a fan of Zoe Sugg. After I read it I understood why lots of people loved it. I even decided that I was going to reread it the day after I had read it the first time. It most definitely did not disappoint. It is one of the best books I have ever read.

The main character Penny was a very well described character who you could relate too. She wasn’t just a character in a book she was a real person who had real problems. She also helped me understand what it is like for people who suffer from anxiety attacks. I also thought that the love interest Noah was a very complicated character that had a lot of secrets that he was hiding but there were a few hints that were very subtly put into the story that you don’t notice until you read it a second time and know what his secret was. All the characters were really well described and they didn’t just feel like characters in a story.

I thought that the plot of Girl Online was great and it didn’t give away too much information, as it developed so you couldn’t figure out what Noah’s secret unless you read the whole book. Although it could have developed better, instead of most of the action happening at the end of the book.

The places in the book were really well described. While reading the descriptions of the place you could really see the places that were being described. The description of Brighton was easier to imagine than the description of New York but that is probably because it is easier to describe a place that it is right in front of you  rather than a place you have only been to a couple of times.

Overall it was a great book and I would recommend that you read it. I have already told some of my friends about it and recommended that they read it.