What do you think?
Rate this book
Timeslider #1
Shadows in the Moonlight
When Pixie Tate is summoned to the wild Cornish coast to unravel a curious mystery at the stately St Sidwell Manor, she knows that something quite extraordinary must be hiding in its shadows. Over one hundred years ago, in the dark of night, a child vanished from his bed never to be seen again - and Pixie must now discover the truth of those final moonlit hours. As she loses herself in the past, secrets are revealed, love affairs exposed and, ultimately, Pixie will be forced to make a devastating choice that will change her life forever...
356 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 20, 2024
506 people are currently reading
3162 people want to read
About the author
Santa Montefiore
89 books2,738 followersSanta Montefiore is the number one bestselling author of over thirty novels and has sold over eight million copies worldwide. Her books have been translated into twenty-five languages and she won an RNA Award for The Temptation of Gracie in 2019, which is currently in development for film. Born in England in 1970, she grew up in Hampshire and now lives in London with her husband, writer Simon Sebag-Montefiore, their daughter, son, and dog Simba.
Shadows in the Moonlight is the first novel of a trilogy following the character Pixie Tate, with Secrets of the Starlit Sea following in summer 2025. Santa loves to hear from readers and you can find her at www.santamontefiore.co.uk.
Shadows in the Moonlight is the first novel of a trilogy following the character Pixie Tate, with Secrets of the Starlit Sea following in summer 2025. Santa loves to hear from readers and you can find her at www.santamontefiore.co.uk.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 346 reviews
July 17, 2024
I loved this book!!! I couldn't put it down. I love time travel, time slip, time anything and this lived up to expectation.
Pixie is the main character and she has powers which allow her to interact with the spirits. However, she's been experimenting with something new and gets a chance to try it out when she's asked by a family to get rid of a ghost, who's heard crying every night in a house they have just inherited. So begins a journey for Pixie in mind and body.
The past story is about a mining family who originally owned the house in the 1890's.
The time element in this is described as time sliding which reminded me of The House on the Strand by Daphne Du Maurier. It was very well done. The historical part is what always attracts me to these stories and this was engrossing. There is quite a bit of sadness but it's to be expected knowing what Pixie has to do.
I was thrilled to discover this is the start of a series and it was ended perfectly. The first books I read by this author was the The Deverill series and it was wonderful and the reason I picked this up. So looking forward to meeting Pixie again in the next book.
Highly recommended!
Pixie is the main character and she has powers which allow her to interact with the spirits. However, she's been experimenting with something new and gets a chance to try it out when she's asked by a family to get rid of a ghost, who's heard crying every night in a house they have just inherited. So begins a journey for Pixie in mind and body.
The past story is about a mining family who originally owned the house in the 1890's.
The time element in this is described as time sliding which reminded me of The House on the Strand by Daphne Du Maurier. It was very well done. The historical part is what always attracts me to these stories and this was engrossing. There is quite a bit of sadness but it's to be expected knowing what Pixie has to do.
I was thrilled to discover this is the start of a series and it was ended perfectly. The first books I read by this author was the The Deverill series and it was wonderful and the reason I picked this up. So looking forward to meeting Pixie again in the next book.
Highly recommended!
October 1, 2024
*Otherworldly*
**4.5 Stars**
This was a wonderful story that marks the start of a new series which may end up as a 3 part series. I found that the characters were quite well developed as this story is set in two worlds one in the present and one over a hundred years apart.
We start off with a family who move into St Sidwell Manor on the Cornish coast. The Manor House needs much work but at night all is not well when they hear someone crying. The arrival of an eccentric Aunt who also hears the crying knows who to call.
She calls Pixie Tait, who is a time slider. When she arrives on inspection of the house she sees the ghostly figure who cannot rest until she finds her missing son.
When pixie time slides in the present it May seem like she is deep in thought. But when she time slides in the past it could be for days but in the present it’s a few hours.
Time sliders must not alter anything in the past, because even the smallest change can cause the butterfly effect
When she is transported back into the past it is roughly 9 days until the disappearance of the little boy Felix. As she finds out more about the family in the past, she discovers the many hidden passages within the house.
Pixie in the past finds herself often wanting to change things but she must remember she is here to observe and not to interfere or influence things
Time sliders find it is their cross to bear, knowing the fate of those that have passed. It is eerie when you have slid into their world.
Within her time in the past the countdown is on, as the day fast approaches when the mystery of how the little boy vanishes gets closer.
Will she get to the bottom of what happened? How does she deal with an attraction and discovering forbidden love? Her ultimate task is to find and reunite the mother who cannot rest until she finds her missing son. If she succeeds the house can rest.
One thing I found fascinating is that Pixie slides into another body. It must be strange to look in the mirror and know it’s you but someone else’s face stares back at you.
**4.5 Stars**
This was a wonderful story that marks the start of a new series which may end up as a 3 part series. I found that the characters were quite well developed as this story is set in two worlds one in the present and one over a hundred years apart.
We start off with a family who move into St Sidwell Manor on the Cornish coast. The Manor House needs much work but at night all is not well when they hear someone crying. The arrival of an eccentric Aunt who also hears the crying knows who to call.
She calls Pixie Tait, who is a time slider. When she arrives on inspection of the house she sees the ghostly figure who cannot rest until she finds her missing son.
When pixie time slides in the present it May seem like she is deep in thought. But when she time slides in the past it could be for days but in the present it’s a few hours.
Time sliders must not alter anything in the past, because even the smallest change can cause the butterfly effect
When she is transported back into the past it is roughly 9 days until the disappearance of the little boy Felix. As she finds out more about the family in the past, she discovers the many hidden passages within the house.
Pixie in the past finds herself often wanting to change things but she must remember she is here to observe and not to interfere or influence things
Time sliders find it is their cross to bear, knowing the fate of those that have passed. It is eerie when you have slid into their world.
Within her time in the past the countdown is on, as the day fast approaches when the mystery of how the little boy vanishes gets closer.
Will she get to the bottom of what happened? How does she deal with an attraction and discovering forbidden love? Her ultimate task is to find and reunite the mother who cannot rest until she finds her missing son. If she succeeds the house can rest.
One thing I found fascinating is that Pixie slides into another body. It must be strange to look in the mirror and know it’s you but someone else’s face stares back at you.
September 10, 2024
Time Travel Romance
Publication date : June 20, 2024
Narrated by: Genevieve Gaunt
Length: 13 hrs and 52 mins
This story takes us to the wild Cornish coast to unravel a curious mystery at the stately St Sidwell Manor where over 100 years ago, in the dark of night, a child vanished from his bed never to be seen again. Manor's new owners want to solve the mystery and give back peace to the restless mother's spirit who can not move forward as she's still waiting for her son to come back. Pixie Tate comes to help to solve the mystery...
The story is swinging between the present day events and the past where Pixie try to solve an old mystery of Felix, a little boy who dissapeared. I have to say that the present day events sounded more interesting, although it was fun to imagine how you'd feel when you had a possibility to travel back in time where people had no knowledge of the things that are about to come but you already know how things in modern days would be, and you'd have to be careful not to change the future...
Overall okay read but not one of my favorites books due to many POVs and lack of clear focus.
Publication date : June 20, 2024
Narrated by: Genevieve Gaunt
Length: 13 hrs and 52 mins
This story takes us to the wild Cornish coast to unravel a curious mystery at the stately St Sidwell Manor where over 100 years ago, in the dark of night, a child vanished from his bed never to be seen again. Manor's new owners want to solve the mystery and give back peace to the restless mother's spirit who can not move forward as she's still waiting for her son to come back. Pixie Tate comes to help to solve the mystery...
The story is swinging between the present day events and the past where Pixie try to solve an old mystery of Felix, a little boy who dissapeared. I have to say that the present day events sounded more interesting, although it was fun to imagine how you'd feel when you had a possibility to travel back in time where people had no knowledge of the things that are about to come but you already know how things in modern days would be, and you'd have to be careful not to change the future...
Overall okay read but not one of my favorites books due to many POVs and lack of clear focus.
February 24, 2026
An impulse buy, because of the time travelling aspect. I didn't realise it was a romance novel as well, otherwise I would never have given the book a second glance.
To settle the restless ghost haunting an English manor in the present day, timeshifter Pixie Tate astral-travels to the Victorian era to solve the mystery of a missing child. There, she accidentally meets the love of her life.
While I found the timeshifter / astral projection possession aspect of the story interesting, the execution was a bit disappointing. The first half of the novel is incredibly slow, and the languid, self-indulgent writing style stuffed with similes like a bloated suitcase bursting at the seams, that told too much and showed too little, didn't really appeal to me. However, the last third of the novel picked up pace, ditched the long-winded descriptions, and got on with the story. The ending was at least interesting. The complete story seems to be planned as a trilogy, and numerous not-so-subtle hints, make me suspect that the astral-travel-timesliding detecting seems to be more of a vehicle for a multi-book romance.
There's a perfectly charming story in this book, but it was subsumed by the bloated prose, especially in the beginning... and I just don't like romance novels. YMMV.
24 February 2026
To settle the restless ghost haunting an English manor in the present day, timeshifter Pixie Tate astral-travels to the Victorian era to solve the mystery of a missing child. There, she accidentally meets the love of her life.
While I found the timeshifter / astral projection possession aspect of the story interesting, the execution was a bit disappointing. The first half of the novel is incredibly slow, and the languid, self-indulgent writing style stuffed with similes like a bloated suitcase bursting at the seams, that told too much and showed too little, didn't really appeal to me. However, the last third of the novel picked up pace, ditched the long-winded descriptions, and got on with the story. The ending was at least interesting. The complete story seems to be planned as a trilogy, and numerous not-so-subtle hints, make me suspect that the astral-travel-timesliding detecting seems to be more of a vehicle for a multi-book romance.
There's a perfectly charming story in this book, but it was subsumed by the bloated prose, especially in the beginning... and I just don't like romance novels. YMMV.
24 February 2026
Read
November 14, 2025That was the fastest DNF!
Nope.
Writing style was an immediate turn off, hard pass.
Nope.
Writing style was an immediate turn off, hard pass.
August 19, 2024
Liked the idea of this book but really didn't engage with it. I found the story dull, repetitive and a real slog. Only kept going as it was a bookclub choice.
August 15, 2025
ARC Review
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and the author for the e-arc.
I enjoyed this one! It was a quick read and it hooked my attention because I really wanted to know what happened! I enjoyed the dual timelines, the historical elements in the Victorian era, and the concept of the butterfly effect. I’ll definitely be checking out book 2 in the series once it’s available.
Read this if you like:
-Paranormal elements
-Mystery
-Time travel
-Dual timelines
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and the author for the e-arc.
I enjoyed this one! It was a quick read and it hooked my attention because I really wanted to know what happened! I enjoyed the dual timelines, the historical elements in the Victorian era, and the concept of the butterfly effect. I’ll definitely be checking out book 2 in the series once it’s available.
Read this if you like:
-Paranormal elements
-Mystery
-Time travel
-Dual timelines
April 30, 2025
Shadows in the Moonlight #1 Timeslider
2✨
I was drawn to this book by the cover and the title.
The title could be a Lyrics. The synopsis sounded like I read I would enjoy.
Their was nothing wrong with the book itself. the writing and narrator were fine.
I feel like I'm the wrong kind of person for this novel. It was to spiritual for my taste with the ghost, haunted house. My mother would like it. I am going to recommend it to her.
2✨
I was drawn to this book by the cover and the title.
The title could be a Lyrics. The synopsis sounded like I read I would enjoy.
Their was nothing wrong with the book itself. the writing and narrator were fine.
I feel like I'm the wrong kind of person for this novel. It was to spiritual for my taste with the ghost, haunted house. My mother would like it. I am going to recommend it to her.
August 24, 2025
4.5 stars
March 26, 2024
Another Santa Slay
October 13, 2025
A beautifully written historical fiction mystery set in the late 1800s and the present. It is a story about a timeslider, Pixie Tate, and a family who moves into an old mansion in the Cornish (English) countryside. But after they do, they discover that the house is haunted by an unhappy female spirit and it’s related to an unsolved mystery of a child who went missing from the house over a century ago. Pixie is hired to go back in time to solve the mystery so that hopefully the spirit can finally gain peace and leave the house to its new owners.
The writing was gorgeously descriptive and evocative of the countryside and the manor house. I could see the scenes the author described so clearly in my mind that it was easy to be transported into the story.
I loved Pixie and the other characters, especially Cavill, Pixie’s love interest in the 1800s’ timeline, Felix, a six-year-old boy in the past timeline, and Tabitha, a young teenager in the present timeline. The dual timelines were expertly done and I loved the interplay between the past and present.
I enjoyed the themes that the author touched on around being present in the moment, appreciating the natural beauty around us, love throughout the ages, friendship, and self-love.
Lastly, the mystery element was engaging and kept me guessing right up until the ending. I was wrong in my guesses!
This is the first in a series with Pixie and the epilogue set things up nicely for the next one! I can’t wait to see where Pixie ends up next.
The writing was gorgeously descriptive and evocative of the countryside and the manor house. I could see the scenes the author described so clearly in my mind that it was easy to be transported into the story.
I loved Pixie and the other characters, especially Cavill, Pixie’s love interest in the 1800s’ timeline, Felix, a six-year-old boy in the past timeline, and Tabitha, a young teenager in the present timeline. The dual timelines were expertly done and I loved the interplay between the past and present.
I enjoyed the themes that the author touched on around being present in the moment, appreciating the natural beauty around us, love throughout the ages, friendship, and self-love.
Lastly, the mystery element was engaging and kept me guessing right up until the ending. I was wrong in my guesses!
This is the first in a series with Pixie and the epilogue set things up nicely for the next one! I can’t wait to see where Pixie ends up next.
December 11, 2024
The secrets, spirits and lies of past tenants are part of a house’s history.
St Sidwell Manor is no exception with its ancient lineage and shadowy history. Bequeathed to an unsuspecting family who couldn’t quite connect their heritage to the family or house.
Upon moving into the estate and settling in, the family discover eerie noises and a trapped presence.
Something was amiss and being skeptical was not going to solve the mystery.
Pixie Tate is a specialist in the spirit world and is asked to cleanse the manor of what may be haunting it.
She was able to immerse herself in a period of history when a young son vanished.
Through the haze and shimmer of time she found herself an employee of the house and lived through the history that ensued.
Entwined in the family dynamic, its secrets and deceptions and ultimately the truth.
Can or will she change destiny and tamper with fate?
I was immediately drawn into the present timeline and was taken aback by the whimsical element.
Once I released my barriers I became totally absorbed in a plot where the past and present collide and unanswered questions surface.
Was thrilled to see Pixie will return in a planned series.
St Sidwell Manor is no exception with its ancient lineage and shadowy history. Bequeathed to an unsuspecting family who couldn’t quite connect their heritage to the family or house.
Upon moving into the estate and settling in, the family discover eerie noises and a trapped presence.
Something was amiss and being skeptical was not going to solve the mystery.
Pixie Tate is a specialist in the spirit world and is asked to cleanse the manor of what may be haunting it.
She was able to immerse herself in a period of history when a young son vanished.
Through the haze and shimmer of time she found herself an employee of the house and lived through the history that ensued.
Entwined in the family dynamic, its secrets and deceptions and ultimately the truth.
Can or will she change destiny and tamper with fate?
I was immediately drawn into the present timeline and was taken aback by the whimsical element.
Once I released my barriers I became totally absorbed in a plot where the past and present collide and unanswered questions surface.
Was thrilled to see Pixie will return in a planned series.
August 20, 2025
Engaging, mysterious, and romantic!
Shadows in the Moonlight is an intriguing time-slip novel set in Cornwall during both the nineteenth century as well as 2013 that takes you into the life of Pixie Tate, a young woman with a remarkable gift that embarks on a perilous journey to discover what really happened to a missing boy so that his mother can finally rest in peace.
The writing is eloquent and expressive. The characters are complex, anxious, and compassionate. And the plot, using a past/present, back-and-forth style, captivates and entertains as it sweeps you away into a mysterious tale of life, loss, guilt, grief, familial responsibility, duty, honour, betrayal, friendship, passion, and a sliver of the supernatural.
Overall, Shadows in the Moonlight is a well-paced, creative, mesmerizing novel by Montefiore that does a wonderful job of interweaving history, compelling fiction, and enduring love, with a touch of magic, and I can’t wait to read the next novel in the Timeslider series, Secrets of the Starlit Sea, to discover where Pixie Tate will travel to next.
Shadows in the Moonlight is an intriguing time-slip novel set in Cornwall during both the nineteenth century as well as 2013 that takes you into the life of Pixie Tate, a young woman with a remarkable gift that embarks on a perilous journey to discover what really happened to a missing boy so that his mother can finally rest in peace.
The writing is eloquent and expressive. The characters are complex, anxious, and compassionate. And the plot, using a past/present, back-and-forth style, captivates and entertains as it sweeps you away into a mysterious tale of life, loss, guilt, grief, familial responsibility, duty, honour, betrayal, friendship, passion, and a sliver of the supernatural.
Overall, Shadows in the Moonlight is a well-paced, creative, mesmerizing novel by Montefiore that does a wonderful job of interweaving history, compelling fiction, and enduring love, with a touch of magic, and I can’t wait to read the next novel in the Timeslider series, Secrets of the Starlit Sea, to discover where Pixie Tate will travel to next.
July 31, 2025
Mėgstu tokias knygas. Senas dvaras, didelės teritorijos, mistika, kelionės laiku - viskas kas man patinka knygose. Skaitydama tikrai mėgavausi, nors, tiesą pasakius, vietomis rodėsi, kad per ištempa, kartojosi žodžiai, aplinkos aprašymai. Ech ir pabaiga... na, nesupraskit blogai, nebuvo blogas užbaigimas, bet kažko trūko. Žinot tą jausmą, kai užveri knygą ir pridedi prie širdies, dar ilgai sėdi su ja? Na, šį kartą ne visai taip buvo. Deja viena žvaigždutė nukrenta, bet skiriu stiprų ketvertą. O tai rodo, kad man tikrai tikrai patiko ir su nekantrumu lauksiu antros serijos dalies.
September 11, 2025
Didn’t want to put this one down. Right up my alley with historical fiction, a ghost story and a dash of time travel, oh and I can’t forget the love story. This book kept me guessing AND I just found out it’s part of a trilogy!!
February 11, 2025
Interessante insteek, ik heb van dit boek genoten. De personages voelen als vrienden die ik echt heb gekend. Knap!
March 21, 2026
Nauja tema man, vietomis kiek prailgo, bet buvo įdomu. Neveltui patinka man šita rašytoja. Laukiu antros dalies ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 25, 2025
The tale in the past was more interesting than the present day. I found Pixie as a character a bit irritating and
December 28, 2025
Mergina Piksė Teit iškviečiama į laukinę Kornvalio pakrantę išsiaiškinti keistos paslapties į didingą Sent Sidvelo dvarą... Prieš šimtą metų mįslingomis aplinkybėmis dingo berniukas, kurio daugiau niekas nematė... Mergina nusprendžia išsiaiškinti šį paslaptingą dingimą, kuris ją pakeis visam gyvenimui... Nuostabi, jaudinanti istorija, kurioje susipina praeitis ir dabartis, meilė - nepavaldi laikui, mistika, paslaptys ir net kelionės laiku... Su nekantrumu lauksiu ir antros dalies!!!
August 16, 2025
Fantastisch! Ik zou zelf 10 sterren geven. Helemaal mijn ding,over zielen die de aarde niet kunnen verlaten en dit gemixt in een romantisch verhaal. Heerlijk! Ik wou zelf 's nachts opstaan om verder te lezen🤭
February 1, 2026
4.25 - Enjoyed the time-travel romance and the duel-timeline. Some parts were too repetitive but the storyline kept me engaged. Curious to see where Pixie Tate goes next.
November 20, 2025
Shadows in the Moonlight by Santa Montefiore
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.25-4.5
I will admit, I picked this book for its cover and that alone, and because of that, didn’t have any really expectations of this book given that I’ve never read any of this author’s books before and that it’s a niche genre that isn’t typically in my rotation. I was pleasantly surprised when I fell completely engrossed into it. I really enjoyed this book, and can’t wait for the next in the series (this is book 1 of a new “timeslider” series).
This novel is shelved as historical romance, but it’s more of a genre blending story. Historical romance tangled up with mystery and intrigue, magical realism, historical fiction and romance.
📖 Pixie Tate, “timeslider” renowned for her ability to help spirits cross the veil is summoned to a centuries old home after a family inherits it from an ancestor they knew nothing of and are unable to trace on a family tree. Upon moving in, the family realizes there is a spirit haunting the home. Pixie slides back in time to discover what happened to a child who went missing centuries before to free the ghost of his mother from the old home.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada and Santa Montefiore for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.25-4.5
I will admit, I picked this book for its cover and that alone, and because of that, didn’t have any really expectations of this book given that I’ve never read any of this author’s books before and that it’s a niche genre that isn’t typically in my rotation. I was pleasantly surprised when I fell completely engrossed into it. I really enjoyed this book, and can’t wait for the next in the series (this is book 1 of a new “timeslider” series).
This novel is shelved as historical romance, but it’s more of a genre blending story. Historical romance tangled up with mystery and intrigue, magical realism, historical fiction and romance.
📖 Pixie Tate, “timeslider” renowned for her ability to help spirits cross the veil is summoned to a centuries old home after a family inherits it from an ancestor they knew nothing of and are unable to trace on a family tree. Upon moving in, the family realizes there is a spirit haunting the home. Pixie slides back in time to discover what happened to a child who went missing centuries before to free the ghost of his mother from the old home.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada and Santa Montefiore for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 30, 2024
Schaduwen van de tijd is het eerste deel van een nieuwe serie en is een psychic detective. Pixie Tate kan met overleden zielen in contact treden en via tijdglijden teruggaan in de tijd waarin de overledene geleefd heeft. Zo probeert ze de reden te zoeken waarom de ziel van de overledene vast blijft zitten.
Pixie ontdekt dat er in het landhuis St Sidwell Manor in Cornwall ooit een jongetje verdwenen is dat nooit is teruggevonden. Zijn moeder, Cordelia is dit nooit te boven gekomen waardoor haar ziel na haar overlijden vast bleef zitten in het huis. Pixie probeert erachter te komen wat er is gebeurd door terug te gaan naar de periode van de verdwijning. Zo hoopt ze Cordelia de rust te geven die haar ziel nodig heeft. Ze komt terecht 10 dagen voor de verdwijning als de gouvernante van het gezin. Tien dagen lang neemt Pixie deel aan het leven en houdt intussen haar ogen en oren open. Ondertussen loopt ze ook de zwager van Cordelia tegen het lijf voor wie ze gevoelens ontwikkelt.
Deze roman heeft dus een vrij groot paranormaal tintje. In Santa Montefiores boeken komt er wel vaker een geest of paranormaal verschijnsel voorbij. Maar je hoeft hier zeker niet in te geloven om toch van haar boeken te genieten.
Santa Montefiore heeft een meeslepende en beeldende schrijfstijl. De personages spreken tot de verbeelding en je krijgt veel informatie over de Victoriaanse tijd zonder dat het begint te vervelen. Ik kon het boek bijna niet wegleggen. Van zodra ik begon te lezen zat ik helemaal in het verhaal.
Ondanks dat ikzelf niet geloof in het tijdglijden, vond ik het toch realistisch geschreven en heb ik er echt van genoten. Ik ben blij dat dit een trilogie is zodat we nog meer verhalen over Pixie kunnen lezen in de toekomst.
Pixie ontdekt dat er in het landhuis St Sidwell Manor in Cornwall ooit een jongetje verdwenen is dat nooit is teruggevonden. Zijn moeder, Cordelia is dit nooit te boven gekomen waardoor haar ziel na haar overlijden vast bleef zitten in het huis. Pixie probeert erachter te komen wat er is gebeurd door terug te gaan naar de periode van de verdwijning. Zo hoopt ze Cordelia de rust te geven die haar ziel nodig heeft. Ze komt terecht 10 dagen voor de verdwijning als de gouvernante van het gezin. Tien dagen lang neemt Pixie deel aan het leven en houdt intussen haar ogen en oren open. Ondertussen loopt ze ook de zwager van Cordelia tegen het lijf voor wie ze gevoelens ontwikkelt.
Deze roman heeft dus een vrij groot paranormaal tintje. In Santa Montefiores boeken komt er wel vaker een geest of paranormaal verschijnsel voorbij. Maar je hoeft hier zeker niet in te geloven om toch van haar boeken te genieten.
Santa Montefiore heeft een meeslepende en beeldende schrijfstijl. De personages spreken tot de verbeelding en je krijgt veel informatie over de Victoriaanse tijd zonder dat het begint te vervelen. Ik kon het boek bijna niet wegleggen. Van zodra ik begon te lezen zat ik helemaal in het verhaal.
Ondanks dat ikzelf niet geloof in het tijdglijden, vond ik het toch realistisch geschreven en heb ik er echt van genoten. Ik ben blij dat dit een trilogie is zodat we nog meer verhalen over Pixie kunnen lezen in de toekomst.
July 6, 2024
Think this was a bit different than her others I have read but I am a sucker for a timeslip.
April 4, 2025
Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful! For a person who once was an avid reader and then got bored with every book I laid eyes on - this was the game changer!
History, spirituality, romantic love, parental love and to top it all mystery, heartache and time travelling! Wow! Pretty unbelievable but yearning to want to believe all the same! I wish we could travel in time, I wish love is there for all.
Thank you Santa Montefiore for a beautiful story! Looking forward to your next book.
History, spirituality, romantic love, parental love and to top it all mystery, heartache and time travelling! Wow! Pretty unbelievable but yearning to want to believe all the same! I wish we could travel in time, I wish love is there for all.
Thank you Santa Montefiore for a beautiful story! Looking forward to your next book.
November 14, 2025
My spooky reading in October continues with Shadows in the Moonlight by Santa Montefiore, a ghost story that I had been excitedly saving for Halloween (and by the time you read this, Halloween has come and gone!). I’ve never read a book by Montefiore, but she’s a UK writer that sells quite well in the romance genre, so perhaps some may already be familiar with her name. Although not a romance reader myself (I will dabble though), I was hoping this book would lean more to the scary than sentimental side, and it was a surprising mix of thriller, historical fiction, romance and gothic suspense – so lots to enjoy, for many different kinds of readers. And if you like the sounds of that, this is the first in a planned series, and the second is already on its way.
Plot Summary
Pixie Tate is unlucky in love – we meet her as she just discovers her current boyfriend is cheating on her with another woman. As she mopes around at home, tended to by her handsome, rich and gay roommate Ulysses, she’s offered a new job. There’s an old haunted manor called St. Sidwell on the Cornish coast that’s just been inherited by a young family, and they are desperate to make this place their home, but there is clearly something wrong; it’s always freezing cold, and no one can sleep due to the cries of a woman heard throughout the house at night. None of the locals will work there either, with the whole surrounding town knowing it’s cursed history. Among certain circles Pixie is known to have special abilities that allow her to connect with spirits, and she’s asked to come help with clearing out St Sidwell Manor. Once there, Pixie quickly makes contact with the restless ghost, and discovers her name is Cordelia, and she’s distraught by the loss of her youngest son Felix, who apparently disappeared in the middle of the night, more than one hundred years before, in 1895. Pixie has special abilities to time travel and slide into other people’s bodies in the past for short periods of time, so she inhabits the body of Hermione Swift, a governess to Felix before his death to determine what happened to him. But while on this fact-finding mission, she begins to fall in love with Cordelia’s brother-in-law who also lives at St Sidwell Manor, and finds herself distracted by this blooming romance while trying to figure out Felix’s sad fate. St Sidwell is also home to many servants and staff so the possibilities of who hurt Felix are endless, but Pixie is determined to find out what happened that night so she can help put Cordelia’s spirit to rest.
My Thoughts
Despite my initial disappointment that ghosts and general hauntings did not make up the novel’s major tensions, I found myself swept up into Pixie’s experiences of life in St Sidwell Manor as a governess, and the mystery she attempts to unravel while living as Hermione Swift. Montefiore successfully builds the suspense as Pixie counts down to the evening of Felix’s disappearance, listening in to whispered conversations, creeping along hidden passageways, and interacting with the disgruntled employees of the Pengower family all part of her detective work in service to the family of the present day. The romantic storyline was a pleasant element of distraction from the incredibly sad event of Felix’s disappearance slowly getting closer and closer, and although Pixie was in the position to stop it from happening, she knew that changing history so dramatically could have tragic affects for the future – the butterfly effect was often cited as a reason for her refusing to do this, even when it was so tempting. It was a heartbreaking thing to read about, knowing that a young child was in danger and there was nothing to be done about it, but Montefiore handles this sensitively, and it never felt gratuitous or unnecessary.
Even though this was only the first in the series, I felt as though Pixie’s character was well fleshed out almost immediately, and I was surprised at how quickly I warmed to her as a narrator and protagonist. Normally it would take me longer to ‘accept’ these special abilities of hers, but her discomfort with time travel and inhabiting another body put her on the same level as the reader. By removing both the reader and the narrator from our comfortable situations into a foreign time and place together, we share Pixie’s desire to fit in and figure things out, as the goal of our trip back through time is one that everyone wants to see completed: putting a mother’s guilt sorrow to rest.
Time travel is rarely my cup of tea in literature, but I think this book may have changed my mind about that. If I can stretch my imagination to include ghosts and haunted houses, why not a little time travel too?
To read the rest of my reviews, please visit my blog:
https://ivereadthis.com/
Plot Summary
Pixie Tate is unlucky in love – we meet her as she just discovers her current boyfriend is cheating on her with another woman. As she mopes around at home, tended to by her handsome, rich and gay roommate Ulysses, she’s offered a new job. There’s an old haunted manor called St. Sidwell on the Cornish coast that’s just been inherited by a young family, and they are desperate to make this place their home, but there is clearly something wrong; it’s always freezing cold, and no one can sleep due to the cries of a woman heard throughout the house at night. None of the locals will work there either, with the whole surrounding town knowing it’s cursed history. Among certain circles Pixie is known to have special abilities that allow her to connect with spirits, and she’s asked to come help with clearing out St Sidwell Manor. Once there, Pixie quickly makes contact with the restless ghost, and discovers her name is Cordelia, and she’s distraught by the loss of her youngest son Felix, who apparently disappeared in the middle of the night, more than one hundred years before, in 1895. Pixie has special abilities to time travel and slide into other people’s bodies in the past for short periods of time, so she inhabits the body of Hermione Swift, a governess to Felix before his death to determine what happened to him. But while on this fact-finding mission, she begins to fall in love with Cordelia’s brother-in-law who also lives at St Sidwell Manor, and finds herself distracted by this blooming romance while trying to figure out Felix’s sad fate. St Sidwell is also home to many servants and staff so the possibilities of who hurt Felix are endless, but Pixie is determined to find out what happened that night so she can help put Cordelia’s spirit to rest.
My Thoughts
Despite my initial disappointment that ghosts and general hauntings did not make up the novel’s major tensions, I found myself swept up into Pixie’s experiences of life in St Sidwell Manor as a governess, and the mystery she attempts to unravel while living as Hermione Swift. Montefiore successfully builds the suspense as Pixie counts down to the evening of Felix’s disappearance, listening in to whispered conversations, creeping along hidden passageways, and interacting with the disgruntled employees of the Pengower family all part of her detective work in service to the family of the present day. The romantic storyline was a pleasant element of distraction from the incredibly sad event of Felix’s disappearance slowly getting closer and closer, and although Pixie was in the position to stop it from happening, she knew that changing history so dramatically could have tragic affects for the future – the butterfly effect was often cited as a reason for her refusing to do this, even when it was so tempting. It was a heartbreaking thing to read about, knowing that a young child was in danger and there was nothing to be done about it, but Montefiore handles this sensitively, and it never felt gratuitous or unnecessary.
Even though this was only the first in the series, I felt as though Pixie’s character was well fleshed out almost immediately, and I was surprised at how quickly I warmed to her as a narrator and protagonist. Normally it would take me longer to ‘accept’ these special abilities of hers, but her discomfort with time travel and inhabiting another body put her on the same level as the reader. By removing both the reader and the narrator from our comfortable situations into a foreign time and place together, we share Pixie’s desire to fit in and figure things out, as the goal of our trip back through time is one that everyone wants to see completed: putting a mother’s guilt sorrow to rest.
Time travel is rarely my cup of tea in literature, but I think this book may have changed my mind about that. If I can stretch my imagination to include ghosts and haunted houses, why not a little time travel too?
To read the rest of my reviews, please visit my blog:
https://ivereadthis.com/
March 9, 2026
Olivia and her husband Bruce inherited St Sidwell Manor, but something doesn’t feel right with the estate. Despite using heaters, the house always has a chill to it, plus they are sure they can hear a lady crying at night... Over 100 years ago, a young boy mysteriously vanished from his bed and was never seen again - is this connected somehow? Pixie has been requested to attend the manor to see whether she can find a spirit there and if so, release them (and therefore solve the issues in the house). But Pixie has a bit of a secret herself, and to find out what happened in the past she may have to make decisions that will change things forever...
The Pros:
1) I thought the book had a very interesting premise - past and present time lines to solve a mystery. Personally I definitely preferred the past timeline.
2) Felix is so cute and innocent in the story
3) There are secrets, mysteries and lies
4) Sub plot of romance 💖
5) Pixie’s... skill
The Cons:
1) There are definitely sad parts (I did cry). Plus you might want to check trigger warnings if you feel like you need to.
2) I felt the start was slow and not as interesting.
3) The writing style wasn’t 100% my favourite
The Quotes:
1) ‘It doesn’t feel like home yet,’ he said.
‘Give it time, Zachary. Homes are created by memories. You have to make them.’
2) ‘...There is no force more powerful in the universe than love.’
3) Excitement is a dangerous thing when one has secrets to keep.
The Summary:
I’ll be honest, at the start I wasn’t sure whether I was going to carry on the book as it was quite slow and not too interesting, but I perservered. At the end it couldn’t be more different, I had to keep reading because I wanted to know what happened! I definitely preferred the past timeline to the present (the past is the majority of the book). I’m not sure I understand what the difference is with time-sliding and time travel in general, but I don’t think it matters really lol. I loved little Felix as a character and kept reading as I wanted to know what happened to him that night. I’m not sure whether I like the book enough to carry on the series, but never say never.
Summed up in a sentence?:
Pixie slides back in time to solve a boys disappearance 100 yrs ago
I rated the book 3.5, rounded down to 3.
The Pros:
1) I thought the book had a very interesting premise - past and present time lines to solve a mystery. Personally I definitely preferred the past timeline.
2) Felix is so cute and innocent in the story
3) There are secrets, mysteries and lies
4) Sub plot of romance 💖
5) Pixie’s... skill
The Cons:
1) There are definitely sad parts (I did cry). Plus you might want to check trigger warnings if you feel like you need to.
2) I felt the start was slow and not as interesting.
3) The writing style wasn’t 100% my favourite
The Quotes:
1) ‘It doesn’t feel like home yet,’ he said.
‘Give it time, Zachary. Homes are created by memories. You have to make them.’
2) ‘...There is no force more powerful in the universe than love.’
3) Excitement is a dangerous thing when one has secrets to keep.
The Summary:
I’ll be honest, at the start I wasn’t sure whether I was going to carry on the book as it was quite slow and not too interesting, but I perservered. At the end it couldn’t be more different, I had to keep reading because I wanted to know what happened! I definitely preferred the past timeline to the present (the past is the majority of the book). I’m not sure I understand what the difference is with time-sliding and time travel in general, but I don’t think it matters really lol. I loved little Felix as a character and kept reading as I wanted to know what happened to him that night. I’m not sure whether I like the book enough to carry on the series, but never say never.
Summed up in a sentence?:
Pixie slides back in time to solve a boys disappearance 100 yrs ago
I rated the book 3.5, rounded down to 3.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 346 reviews