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The Third Wife of Faraday House
The Edgar Award–winning author of A Dreadful Splendor blends mystery and spooky thrills with friendship and romance in this delicious love letter to Gothic fiction, featuring two brides who must band together to unravel the ghostly secrets at the heart of a crumbling island manor.
'Til death do us part...
November 1816: Restless but naïve Emeline Fitzpatrick is desperate to escape her stifling life in foggy Halifax. Her guardian is lining up repugnant suitors, but Emeline has her eyes set on a handsome lieutenant in the British navy. She just needs to persuade him to propose, or her one chance at happiness will be gone forever.
But when Emeline’s hopes end in scandal, she finds herself with only one suitor the wealthy and enigmatic Captain Graves. Having already lost two wives to tragic circumstances, the unfortunate widower is seeking a new companion in his cloistered seaside manor, Faraday House. Or at least that is what Emeline had been told, because when she arrives, she is horrified to discover that the second Mrs. Graves, Georgina, has not yet died.
Emeline is only certain of two something ghastly is afoot at Faraday House, and no one is going to save her. She will have to rely on her own courage, her burgeoning bond with the ill but strong-willed Georgina, and the aid of a handsome reverend with a mysterious past to unravel the secrets at the heart of the manor and forge her own destiny.
'Til death do us part...
November 1816: Restless but naïve Emeline Fitzpatrick is desperate to escape her stifling life in foggy Halifax. Her guardian is lining up repugnant suitors, but Emeline has her eyes set on a handsome lieutenant in the British navy. She just needs to persuade him to propose, or her one chance at happiness will be gone forever.
But when Emeline’s hopes end in scandal, she finds herself with only one suitor the wealthy and enigmatic Captain Graves. Having already lost two wives to tragic circumstances, the unfortunate widower is seeking a new companion in his cloistered seaside manor, Faraday House. Or at least that is what Emeline had been told, because when she arrives, she is horrified to discover that the second Mrs. Graves, Georgina, has not yet died.
Emeline is only certain of two something ghastly is afoot at Faraday House, and no one is going to save her. She will have to rely on her own courage, her burgeoning bond with the ill but strong-willed Georgina, and the aid of a handsome reverend with a mysterious past to unravel the secrets at the heart of the manor and forge her own destiny.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 20, 2024
77 people are currently reading
20163 people want to read
About the author
B.R. Myers
13 books510 followersAlways in the mood for a good scare, B.R. Myers spent most of her teen years behind the covers of Lois Duncan, Ray Bradbury, and Stephen King.
She is the author of the Mary Higgins Clark Award winning novel, A Dreadful Splendour, as well as numerous books for teens. Her YA novels have been chosen by the School Library Journal and the CCBC as top picks. Before she became a full time writer, she was a registered nurse for thirty-two years. A member of the Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia, she lives in Halifax with her family—and there is still a stack of books on her bedside table.
She is the author of the Mary Higgins Clark Award winning novel, A Dreadful Splendour, as well as numerous books for teens. Her YA novels have been chosen by the School Library Journal and the CCBC as top picks. Before she became a full time writer, she was a registered nurse for thirty-two years. A member of the Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia, she lives in Halifax with her family—and there is still a stack of books on her bedside table.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 491 reviews
October 19, 2025
All the wives die young in Faraday House…
This gripping, gothic, spooky thriller sends shivers down your spine, keeping you on your toes and evoking a restless feeling in your stomach. Without solving the mystery, you cannot feel completely at ease, compelling you to turn the pages faster. Everyone in the house is a suspect! No one is credible or trustworthy! Each character emits suspicious vibes as tension steadily builds until the climax begins.
The dark, pessimistic atmosphere of the house heightens the thrill, while well-balanced pacing guides you through the dark secrets of the place and its inhabitants.
The story revolves around Emeline Fitzpatrick, a young woman raised by guardians in foggy Halifax after her parents' unfortunate demise. She is in love with the handsome Lieutenant Frederick from the British navy, dreaming of sailing to Bermuda with him to escape her trapped, bitter life. However, when she finds herself in a dire situation leading to a scandal, her only choices are to join a coven or become the third wife of the wealthy and enigmatic Captain Graves. Opting for the latter, she hopes to escape the marriage without being consumed, with the assistance of her lover.
Upon arriving at Faraday House after a carriage incident involving a mysterious and charismatic Reverend Pellerine, Emeline discovers that the second wife, Georgina, of Captain Graves is still alive but suffering from an unknown illness, fading away each day. Emeline's only way to end the marriage is to help Georgina stay alive until her lover Frederick's ship arrives to rescue her. However, Emeline soon realizes that something more sinister lurks in the corridors of the house, related to its dark past. If she cannot uncover the truth, she may become another victim buried in the graves around the island. Whom can she trust? With whom can she form alliances?
Overall, this is an absolutely gripping and exciting paranormal mystery blended with a historical thriller, carrying an encouraging message. I look forward to reading more books by this author!
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with a digital reviewer copy of this unputdownable book in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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This gripping, gothic, spooky thriller sends shivers down your spine, keeping you on your toes and evoking a restless feeling in your stomach. Without solving the mystery, you cannot feel completely at ease, compelling you to turn the pages faster. Everyone in the house is a suspect! No one is credible or trustworthy! Each character emits suspicious vibes as tension steadily builds until the climax begins.
The dark, pessimistic atmosphere of the house heightens the thrill, while well-balanced pacing guides you through the dark secrets of the place and its inhabitants.
The story revolves around Emeline Fitzpatrick, a young woman raised by guardians in foggy Halifax after her parents' unfortunate demise. She is in love with the handsome Lieutenant Frederick from the British navy, dreaming of sailing to Bermuda with him to escape her trapped, bitter life. However, when she finds herself in a dire situation leading to a scandal, her only choices are to join a coven or become the third wife of the wealthy and enigmatic Captain Graves. Opting for the latter, she hopes to escape the marriage without being consumed, with the assistance of her lover.
Upon arriving at Faraday House after a carriage incident involving a mysterious and charismatic Reverend Pellerine, Emeline discovers that the second wife, Georgina, of Captain Graves is still alive but suffering from an unknown illness, fading away each day. Emeline's only way to end the marriage is to help Georgina stay alive until her lover Frederick's ship arrives to rescue her. However, Emeline soon realizes that something more sinister lurks in the corridors of the house, related to its dark past. If she cannot uncover the truth, she may become another victim buried in the graves around the island. Whom can she trust? With whom can she form alliances?
Overall, this is an absolutely gripping and exciting paranormal mystery blended with a historical thriller, carrying an encouraging message. I look forward to reading more books by this author!
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with a digital reviewer copy of this unputdownable book in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
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December 27, 2023
Nothing like showing up to your new fiancé's house only to find out that his previous wife isn't quite dead yet, amirite? Awkward.
The Third Wife of Faraday House is a suspenseful and entertaining Gothic mystery. It's also billed as a romance but there's really not a whole lot of the lovey-dovey stuff to be found, which is perfectly okay with me – I'm just here for the Gothic-y bits anyway.
I found this to be a mostly enjoyable and well-written novel. It's definitely suspenseful – I read the last 50% in one setting, even though I'd actually gone to bed early because I could barely keep my eyes open. Once the action really started, I couldn't put the book down and discovered that I maybe wasn't so tired after all. The plot is twisty-turny and there are definitely a few surprises that I didn't see coming. I also appreciated the supernatural bits – this is by no means a horror story, but there is a little creepy ghostly action.
Emeline is a delightful main character and I enjoyed following along as she unravels the mysteries of Faraday House and its inhabitants. I also found myself rooting for the second Mrs. Graves, although she really doesn't have much of a personality beyond “sick.” The villains of the story aren't really much of a surprise (I mean, there aren't really all that many characters to choose from to begin with), but at the same time I was surprised by how villainous they end up being.
And the setting? Fantastic. I've mentioned (probably many times) previously that I'm a sucker for anything that involves an English manor house, and apparently that extends to Canadian manor houses as well.
My one big quibble (is “big quibble” an oxymoron? almost certainly, but whatever.) is that certain parts of the story just feel … hollow? Underdeveloped? Mainly the relationships. Emeline and Georgina are near strangers and yet they're basically BFFs by the end. The “relationship” between Emeline and Reverend Pellerine doesn't seem very realistic either, probably because they only occasionally interact and there doesn't seem to be any real non-physical reason for their attraction to each other. And the ending? I don't want to spoil anything so I'll spare the details, but it's just more of the same … the characters involved all adore each other for, um, reasons? They barely know each other!
Quibbles notwithstanding, however, The Third Wife of Faraday House is an original and suspenseful read that kept me turning the pages. 3.75 stars, rounded up.
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.
The Third Wife of Faraday House is a suspenseful and entertaining Gothic mystery. It's also billed as a romance but there's really not a whole lot of the lovey-dovey stuff to be found, which is perfectly okay with me – I'm just here for the Gothic-y bits anyway.
I found this to be a mostly enjoyable and well-written novel. It's definitely suspenseful – I read the last 50% in one setting, even though I'd actually gone to bed early because I could barely keep my eyes open. Once the action really started, I couldn't put the book down and discovered that I maybe wasn't so tired after all. The plot is twisty-turny and there are definitely a few surprises that I didn't see coming. I also appreciated the supernatural bits – this is by no means a horror story, but there is a little creepy ghostly action.
Emeline is a delightful main character and I enjoyed following along as she unravels the mysteries of Faraday House and its inhabitants. I also found myself rooting for the second Mrs. Graves, although she really doesn't have much of a personality beyond “sick.” The villains of the story aren't really much of a surprise (I mean, there aren't really all that many characters to choose from to begin with), but at the same time I was surprised by how villainous they end up being.
And the setting? Fantastic. I've mentioned (probably many times) previously that I'm a sucker for anything that involves an English manor house, and apparently that extends to Canadian manor houses as well.
My one big quibble (is “big quibble” an oxymoron? almost certainly, but whatever.) is that certain parts of the story just feel … hollow? Underdeveloped? Mainly the relationships. Emeline and Georgina are near strangers and yet they're basically BFFs by the end. The “relationship” between Emeline and Reverend Pellerine doesn't seem very realistic either, probably because they only occasionally interact and there doesn't seem to be any real non-physical reason for their attraction to each other. And the ending? I don't want to spoil anything so I'll spare the details, but it's just more of the same … the characters involved all adore each other for, um, reasons? They barely know each other!
Quibbles notwithstanding, however, The Third Wife of Faraday House is an original and suspenseful read that kept me turning the pages. 3.75 stars, rounded up.
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.
August 21, 2024
There are books that stay open in your mind even when you've put the book down for a while. The Third Wife of Faraday House is one of those books. This is a mysterious, gothic story about a young woman, Emeline, sent away from her guardians after scandal. Her guardians have arranged a marriage for her, but she arrives on the private island of her future husband to find out that he has a wife, Georgina, who is slowly dying. Our main character is naive and is slow to realize she can't trust anyone who lives in Faraday House. Emeline is somewhat eager to marry, but she also wants to help Georgina. But can she trust Georgina? What about the Reverend who doesn't live at the house? Is the first wife, who came before Georgina, haunting the house?
Even when Emeline is fumbling because of her naiveite, you find yourself rooting for her, as it seems like everyone is against her. It's interesting to have a heroine who isn't a traditional hero - she's sheltered, ignorant, and is grasping at a romantic scenario in her head for most of the book.
The pace picks up considerably when Emeline realizes she's been manipulated. She doesn't turn into a hero - she stumbles her way to safety in the end. The epilogue of this story is one of the most satisfying ones I've ever read. The jump into the future is a great tactic in epilogues and this one does it beautifully.
Even when Emeline is fumbling because of her naiveite, you find yourself rooting for her, as it seems like everyone is against her. It's interesting to have a heroine who isn't a traditional hero - she's sheltered, ignorant, and is grasping at a romantic scenario in her head for most of the book.
The pace picks up considerably when Emeline realizes she's been manipulated. She doesn't turn into a hero - she stumbles her way to safety in the end. The epilogue of this story is one of the most satisfying ones I've ever read. The jump into the future is a great tactic in epilogues and this one does it beautifully.
January 10, 2026
2 1/2 stars rounded down to 2. DNF at p. 80.
A gothic tale set in the Regency Era, 1816 Halifax, Nova Scotia. By page 27 I already had an affinity for our main character, Emeline Fitzpatrick, and an animosity for her fiancé Frederick Fletcher and guardian Mrs. Shackleton. I thought these characters to be grand, flesh and blood people that were going to raise strong emotions in me..but, the story didn’t really go anywhere. There’s slow burn, which one expects in a gothic story, then there’s sloooooow buuuuuuuurn, in which basically nothing happens. By p. 80 I expected something. And really, Emeline is not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. Plus she is very weak and helpless (at least by p. 80). I like my female MCs to be intelligent, strong, and independent. In addition, I didn’t see any character development, which is the anchor of any story. Sorry Ms. Myers, DNF.
A gothic tale set in the Regency Era, 1816 Halifax, Nova Scotia. By page 27 I already had an affinity for our main character, Emeline Fitzpatrick, and an animosity for her fiancé Frederick Fletcher and guardian Mrs. Shackleton. I thought these characters to be grand, flesh and blood people that were going to raise strong emotions in me..but, the story didn’t really go anywhere. There’s slow burn, which one expects in a gothic story, then there’s sloooooow buuuuuuuurn, in which basically nothing happens. By p. 80 I expected something. And really, Emeline is not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. Plus she is very weak and helpless (at least by p. 80). I like my female MCs to be intelligent, strong, and independent. In addition, I didn’t see any character development, which is the anchor of any story. Sorry Ms. Myers, DNF.
July 1, 2024
I received a free copy of, The Third Wife of Faraday House, by B. R. Myers, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Its 1816, and Emeline Fitzpatrick is looking for a husband. Things do not go so well and Emeline is forced to meet a widower, at Faraday House. Faraday House has its own secrets. This is quite the read, I do not know if I liked it though.
November 11, 2024
Blends mystery and spooky thrills with friendship and romance in this delicious love letter to Gothic fiction, featuring two brides who must band together to unravel the ghostly secrets at the heart of a crumbling island manor.
Can't tell you why this one didn't charm me as much as A Dreadful Splendor because I would spoil you, but it was still a great gothic.
Can't tell you why this one didn't charm me as much as A Dreadful Splendor because I would spoil you, but it was still a great gothic.
April 19, 2025
This is a great gothic mystery. The cast is small enough that I should’ve figured everything out but I didn’t 🤦♀️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
August 27, 2024
I have had A Dreadful Splendor on my TBR for ages and now that I've read The Third Wife of Faraday House, I will need to remedy that ASAP. B.R. Myers' writing sucked me in immediately and though the pace is on the slower side in the beginning, I was invested from the start and couldn't wait to see what would happen next. I loved the isolated location, gothic vibes, and supernatural aspect, and I thought they were all perfectly balanced to create a spine-tingling mystery.
The audiobook is narrated by the one and only Imogen Church and I thought she did an excellent job with this one. She nailed all of the emotions Emeline experiences throughout the story, and she was really easy to understand. I love her narration almost always and this is an excellent example of her at her narrating finest. The climax was a real jaw-dropper for me, and I don't think there is any way I would have seen all of it coming. Besides the mysteriousness, there is also a romance tucked in here and I loved it all. The Third Wife of Faraday House has made me an instant fan of Myers and I can't wait to read more of her work!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The audiobook is narrated by the one and only Imogen Church and I thought she did an excellent job with this one. She nailed all of the emotions Emeline experiences throughout the story, and she was really easy to understand. I love her narration almost always and this is an excellent example of her at her narrating finest. The climax was a real jaw-dropper for me, and I don't think there is any way I would have seen all of it coming. Besides the mysteriousness, there is also a romance tucked in here and I loved it all. The Third Wife of Faraday House has made me an instant fan of Myers and I can't wait to read more of her work!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
December 29, 2024
This regency mystery set in 1816 delivers on the Gothic elements, reminiscent of Jane Eyre, but falls short on romance and plot.
Emeline was hard to like; she is incredibly naive for a twenty year old, reminding me of Lydia Bennet in her pursuit of Mr. Wickham. I could have looked past this in a YA novel, but for adult fiction it was incredibly frustrating to see how foolish she acted. Even with the late revelation that added context to her desperation, I was constantly shaking my head at her naivety.
While I liked the reverend, based on Emeline's relationship with him I would not classify this novel as a romance. Their romance felt underdeveloped and there was little chemistry between them. He saves her several times and they banter a bit but there's not much more than that.
The plot itself felt predictable; there aren't a ton of characters so the situation felt fairly obvious from the beginning. The pace is fairly even but then suddenly picked up around Chapter Thirty. After that, everything felt rushed, with one reveal after another until the climax. Emeline summarizes the aftermath of the events in the final chapters, followed by the perfect happy ending.
I thought I would like this more but it felt middling to me based on the weak central mystery and the lukewarm romance.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC!
Emeline was hard to like; she is incredibly naive for a twenty year old, reminding me of Lydia Bennet in her pursuit of Mr. Wickham. I could have looked past this in a YA novel, but for adult fiction it was incredibly frustrating to see how foolish she acted. Even with the late revelation that added context to her desperation, I was constantly shaking my head at her naivety.
While I liked the reverend, based on Emeline's relationship with him I would not classify this novel as a romance. Their romance felt underdeveloped and there was little chemistry between them. He saves her several times and they banter a bit but there's not much more than that.
The plot itself felt predictable; there aren't a ton of characters so the situation felt fairly obvious from the beginning. The pace is fairly even but then suddenly picked up around Chapter Thirty. After that, everything felt rushed, with one reveal after another until the climax. Emeline summarizes the aftermath of the events in the final chapters, followed by the perfect happy ending.
I thought I would like this more but it felt middling to me based on the weak central mystery and the lukewarm romance.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC!
March 31, 2025
3.75 🌟
Mood/Season Reading: gloomy spring day or fall
I’m gonna start this one off my saying that boy can B.R Myers WRITE. I loved A Dreadful Splendour so I was beyond excited for this one. It came at a perfect time too, as the weather has been cooling down I started it this weekend with a candle on, the window open, a cool breeze coming in and some warm socks on. The gothic spooky vibes should’ve been perfect. Sadly, something about this just missed that perfect mark for me.
I still think this was strongly written and her characters were both compelling and showed immense and calculated growths. But I struggled to get past the initial stages of their development. The whiney, silly, and rather annoying main character made the first half of the book painful. While I know these character traits were important for her later growth it didn’t make it any less hard to get through. Listening to her pine after an obvious dud of a man was rough for sure.
The second half of the book really picked up steam for me. In fact, I felt like it almost crammed so much into it that it felt like a different book. Had the entire novel had the same amount of pacing I think I would’ve enjoyed it more. Instead it felt like the beginning spun a tale of ghost stories and red herrings while the second half threw twist after twist with much less of the original ghostly vibes that drew me in to start. That’s being said I enjoyed it and was attention was held until the end.
Criticisms aside, this had a decent horror to feel good ratio with an ending I was satisfied with. Myers continues to show that she can craft an excellent gothic novel. If she’s cooking up another one I’ll be waiting with my fork and knife ready to devour it.
Mood/Season Reading: gloomy spring day or fall
I’m gonna start this one off my saying that boy can B.R Myers WRITE. I loved A Dreadful Splendour so I was beyond excited for this one. It came at a perfect time too, as the weather has been cooling down I started it this weekend with a candle on, the window open, a cool breeze coming in and some warm socks on. The gothic spooky vibes should’ve been perfect. Sadly, something about this just missed that perfect mark for me.
I still think this was strongly written and her characters were both compelling and showed immense and calculated growths. But I struggled to get past the initial stages of their development. The whiney, silly, and rather annoying main character made the first half of the book painful. While I know these character traits were important for her later growth it didn’t make it any less hard to get through. Listening to her pine after an obvious dud of a man was rough for sure.
The second half of the book really picked up steam for me. In fact, I felt like it almost crammed so much into it that it felt like a different book. Had the entire novel had the same amount of pacing I think I would’ve enjoyed it more. Instead it felt like the beginning spun a tale of ghost stories and red herrings while the second half threw twist after twist with much less of the original ghostly vibes that drew me in to start. That’s being said I enjoyed it and was attention was held until the end.
Criticisms aside, this had a decent horror to feel good ratio with an ending I was satisfied with. Myers continues to show that she can craft an excellent gothic novel. If she’s cooking up another one I’ll be waiting with my fork and knife ready to devour it.
August 21, 2024
An old English Manor house in an isolated setting gets me every time! Throw in the cold drafts, tinkling piano keys when no one is there, pacing footsteps belonging to no one, candlelight, jilted lovers, mysterious illnesses, strange dreams and well….we’ve got a wonderfully creepy gothic story to read!
Main character Emeline was orphaned and now lives with her guardians, the Shaklefords. Mrs. Shakleford has prized Emeline’s beauty above all else, even failing to teach her basic domestic skills as long as she is stunning. She is seeking to marry Emeline off in a good match. Emeline has other plans; a handsome sailor full of promises but short on delivery. When she is caught in an indelicate situation she is shipped off to Faraday House to be wed to the master. Problem is he had one wife die young, and has a second wife, Georgina, holding on to life by a tenuous thread. Awkward situation to say the least. Emeline is next in line! The small staff of servants at the manor are odd and hide secrets. Georgina suffers from a mystery illnesss. The handsome reverend who stays at the house to be there for Georgina’s last rights can appear both caring and off putting. And who is playing the piano and pacing the tower room floor?
As for Faraday House? I felt like I was wandering it’s dark hallways and climbing the steep staircases. The decor is definitely sailor chi, NOT (is that a thing?!) full of dark paintings with stormy seas and sailing ships, darkly painted walls and heavy furnishings. A bleak landscape surrounds it with the seas crashing against the shoreline. There are secret rooms and heavy tapestries…perfect for something to hide behind. This manor suffers under a dreadful doldrum, but why?
I was captivated by the story right away with the mystery of what exactly happened at Faraday House before Emeline arrived and why do the wives there all die young? The characters are drawn well and I was never quite sure who was good or up to no good!! Are Emeline’s gifts and strengths only skin deep or is she more than just a beautiful face? If you love a delightfully creepy and gothic story I think you will enjoy this one immensely!
Main character Emeline was orphaned and now lives with her guardians, the Shaklefords. Mrs. Shakleford has prized Emeline’s beauty above all else, even failing to teach her basic domestic skills as long as she is stunning. She is seeking to marry Emeline off in a good match. Emeline has other plans; a handsome sailor full of promises but short on delivery. When she is caught in an indelicate situation she is shipped off to Faraday House to be wed to the master. Problem is he had one wife die young, and has a second wife, Georgina, holding on to life by a tenuous thread. Awkward situation to say the least. Emeline is next in line! The small staff of servants at the manor are odd and hide secrets. Georgina suffers from a mystery illnesss. The handsome reverend who stays at the house to be there for Georgina’s last rights can appear both caring and off putting. And who is playing the piano and pacing the tower room floor?
As for Faraday House? I felt like I was wandering it’s dark hallways and climbing the steep staircases. The decor is definitely sailor chi, NOT (is that a thing?!) full of dark paintings with stormy seas and sailing ships, darkly painted walls and heavy furnishings. A bleak landscape surrounds it with the seas crashing against the shoreline. There are secret rooms and heavy tapestries…perfect for something to hide behind. This manor suffers under a dreadful doldrum, but why?
I was captivated by the story right away with the mystery of what exactly happened at Faraday House before Emeline arrived and why do the wives there all die young? The characters are drawn well and I was never quite sure who was good or up to no good!! Are Emeline’s gifts and strengths only skin deep or is she more than just a beautiful face? If you love a delightfully creepy and gothic story I think you will enjoy this one immensely!
November 5, 2024
Are you looking for a quick historical mystery to read this fall? I've got you covered.
Emeline Fitzpatrick has been raised to be a decorated housewife. She is naive in the ways of men and the world and is doing everything in her control to avoid an unhappy arranged marriage. When a scandal ensues, she is shipped off to faraday house to marry the mysterious Captain Graves when GASP...she realizes his late wife who is supposed to be dead....is actually still ALIVE.
She has to work past cryptic servants, grisly hallucinations and mysterious happenings around the estate in order to solve the mystery and avoid her untimely fate...marriage.
This was a fun, fast read that really was just delightful. The twists were great, Emeline has great character growth and there is a sweet little side dash of romance.
This book would appeal well to fans of sweet regency romance who love a little mystery. I would pick up another book by this author.
Emeline Fitzpatrick has been raised to be a decorated housewife. She is naive in the ways of men and the world and is doing everything in her control to avoid an unhappy arranged marriage. When a scandal ensues, she is shipped off to faraday house to marry the mysterious Captain Graves when GASP...she realizes his late wife who is supposed to be dead....is actually still ALIVE.
She has to work past cryptic servants, grisly hallucinations and mysterious happenings around the estate in order to solve the mystery and avoid her untimely fate...marriage.
This was a fun, fast read that really was just delightful. The twists were great, Emeline has great character growth and there is a sweet little side dash of romance.
This book would appeal well to fans of sweet regency romance who love a little mystery. I would pick up another book by this author.
January 14, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of
The Third Wife of Faraday House.
** Minor non-dramatic spoilers ahead **
After a scandal involving her secret lover in the British navy, immature Emeline Fitzpatrick has been spirited away to a remote island to become the third wife of Captain Graves.
Emeline is shocked to discover the current wife is ailing and not long for this world.
But to make matters worse, the first wife of Faraday House also met a tragic end.
Soon, Emeline is pulled into the secrets and drama surrounding Faraday House and the truth behind the death of the first wife.
And if she's not careful, Emeline will face the same fate as the previous two Mrs. Graves.
I enjoyed the world building; the island setting and Faraday House, but Emeline left much to be desired.
I understand she wasn't educated and reminded constantly her beauty was the only way to secure a marriage since stability and a husband was the next (only) step for women in that time period.
Despite her upbringing as a orphan and a ward of her stiff relatives, Emeline was remarkably immature and silly.
There's little suspense and urgency util the last few chapters.
The narrative is slow paced and bogged down with exposition, descriptions, and Emeline constantly thinking her lover will rescue her.
On the plus side, there's not much romance but one does develop between Emeline and the reverend but it doesn't deter from the story.
The writing is fine, though I could do without all the "I see" replies from the characters.
I don't mind supernatural elements but I'm getting tired of the plot where the main character gets "visions from the past" to help her 'solve' the mystery. Corny much?
There's little character development, especially for Emeline, who is a pain in the you-know-what.
I hoped her character would emerge stronger and interesting at the end, but she was mostly unchanged.
It does end happily for the good guys and the bad guys get their comeuppance.
I just wished it didn't take so long to get to the point.
I loved Moses, but I love dogs!
** Minor non-dramatic spoilers ahead **
After a scandal involving her secret lover in the British navy, immature Emeline Fitzpatrick has been spirited away to a remote island to become the third wife of Captain Graves.
Emeline is shocked to discover the current wife is ailing and not long for this world.
But to make matters worse, the first wife of Faraday House also met a tragic end.
Soon, Emeline is pulled into the secrets and drama surrounding Faraday House and the truth behind the death of the first wife.
And if she's not careful, Emeline will face the same fate as the previous two Mrs. Graves.
I enjoyed the world building; the island setting and Faraday House, but Emeline left much to be desired.
I understand she wasn't educated and reminded constantly her beauty was the only way to secure a marriage since stability and a husband was the next (only) step for women in that time period.
Despite her upbringing as a orphan and a ward of her stiff relatives, Emeline was remarkably immature and silly.
There's little suspense and urgency util the last few chapters.
The narrative is slow paced and bogged down with exposition, descriptions, and Emeline constantly thinking her lover will rescue her.
On the plus side, there's not much romance but one does develop between Emeline and the reverend but it doesn't deter from the story.
The writing is fine, though I could do without all the "I see" replies from the characters.
I don't mind supernatural elements but I'm getting tired of the plot where the main character gets "visions from the past" to help her 'solve' the mystery. Corny much?
There's little character development, especially for Emeline, who is a pain in the you-know-what.
I hoped her character would emerge stronger and interesting at the end, but she was mostly unchanged.
It does end happily for the good guys and the bad guys get their comeuppance.
I just wished it didn't take so long to get to the point.
I loved Moses, but I love dogs!
November 5, 2024
Excellent Gothic (Jane Eyre type Gothic) novel about a young woman in 1816 Halifax (points for a unique setting!) who ends up going to stay in her fiance's home and learns he is still married. Oopsie.
February 27, 2024
I received a copy from William Morrow Paperbacks through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Emaline Fitzpatrick is ready to escape her guardians and marry the handsome man who has captured her heart. Unfortunately, Emaline learns the hard way that when someone keeps you a secret, they’re not actually that into you. Now that she’s the face of a scandal, she has two choices: settle into life at a convent or marry Captain Graves. Emaline finds herself in quite the pickle when she arrives at Faraday. Captain Graves described himself as a widower, but it turns out his second wife is still holding on for dear life! Now Emaline finds herself trying to save Mrs. Graves from her impending death all trying to figure out if the place is really haunted.
We follow Emaline, a young woman who was raised by a judge and his wife after being orphaned. All she wants is to escape the controlling and restricted life she has with a husband of her choosing. Instead, she finds herself wedged into a corner. Emaline is not the smartest of people, but I think she just needs everyone to give her a chance even if her first step is to fall flat on her face. While she does some pretty dumb things, she also makes some pretty good discoveries, so I think she was always told that the only thing she had was her looks. One of the things I like about the book is that we get to see her slowly find her strength along the way.
This book has mystery, ghosts, and a house full of people who are not what they seem to be. Emaline is my favorite character. She’s nice, caring, and has a heart. She’s extremely naïve and isn’t always holding the braincell, but she’s fun to follow and has some excellent character growth. There is a little bit of romance in the book, and it’s easy to tell who she will ultimately end up with right away, so I wouldn’t pick this up if you’re looking for a romance.
There’s also a really interesting cast of characters. They all have their secrets. The only difference is we know what Emaline’s secrets are, so we have to watch her slowly discover everyone else’s. I think there’s only two characters who are pretty straight forward. The rest are two-faced to different degrees and everyone has a different motive. It was really interesting to see how the characters slowly reveal what they’ve really been up to.
All in all, this was an excellent read. I was fully absorbed in the story from the moment I opened the page and was actually shocked by the way a few things played out. I’m excited to read some of the author’s other books because this was truly excellent from beginning to end. I do have a few questions about the ending because Emaline’s guardians are suddenly loving saints and everyone is besties, but I think those are the only things that just appeared out of nowhere.
Emaline Fitzpatrick is ready to escape her guardians and marry the handsome man who has captured her heart. Unfortunately, Emaline learns the hard way that when someone keeps you a secret, they’re not actually that into you. Now that she’s the face of a scandal, she has two choices: settle into life at a convent or marry Captain Graves. Emaline finds herself in quite the pickle when she arrives at Faraday. Captain Graves described himself as a widower, but it turns out his second wife is still holding on for dear life! Now Emaline finds herself trying to save Mrs. Graves from her impending death all trying to figure out if the place is really haunted.
We follow Emaline, a young woman who was raised by a judge and his wife after being orphaned. All she wants is to escape the controlling and restricted life she has with a husband of her choosing. Instead, she finds herself wedged into a corner. Emaline is not the smartest of people, but I think she just needs everyone to give her a chance even if her first step is to fall flat on her face. While she does some pretty dumb things, she also makes some pretty good discoveries, so I think she was always told that the only thing she had was her looks. One of the things I like about the book is that we get to see her slowly find her strength along the way.
This book has mystery, ghosts, and a house full of people who are not what they seem to be. Emaline is my favorite character. She’s nice, caring, and has a heart. She’s extremely naïve and isn’t always holding the braincell, but she’s fun to follow and has some excellent character growth. There is a little bit of romance in the book, and it’s easy to tell who she will ultimately end up with right away, so I wouldn’t pick this up if you’re looking for a romance.
There’s also a really interesting cast of characters. They all have their secrets. The only difference is we know what Emaline’s secrets are, so we have to watch her slowly discover everyone else’s. I think there’s only two characters who are pretty straight forward. The rest are two-faced to different degrees and everyone has a different motive. It was really interesting to see how the characters slowly reveal what they’ve really been up to.
All in all, this was an excellent read. I was fully absorbed in the story from the moment I opened the page and was actually shocked by the way a few things played out. I’m excited to read some of the author’s other books because this was truly excellent from beginning to end. I do have a few questions about the ending because Emaline’s guardians are suddenly loving saints and everyone is besties, but I think those are the only things that just appeared out of nowhere.
December 1, 2024
This review was first published at https://miramichireader.ca on September 10th.
The Third Wife of Faraday House is a gripping, suspenseful, and entertaining Gothic mystery set in 1816 on the South Shore of Nova Scotia.
All the wives die young in Faraday House…
Raised by her Guardians, the Shackletons, in foggy Halifax, Emeline Fitzpatrick is caught in an improper scene with a Lieutenant of the British Royal Navy. To escape scandal, she is given two choices, join the coven or become the third wife to the wealthy Captain Graves who lives in a manor located on an Island on the South Shore called Faraday House. She chooses to go to the island with the hope that her Lieutenant, with his ship, will come and rescue her. On her way to Faraday House, her carriage breaks down and her driver goes on ahead leaving, her all alone. The Reverend Pellerine and his overly large dog find Emmeline and accidentally scare her.
“Does your beast turn during the full moon?” “Moses? He’s only a dog.”
I scoffed at that. “He’s huge. What does he eat, smaller dogs?”
Upon her arrival at the dark and dramatic Faraday House she meets Mrs. Clayton and Hattie, the cook and the maid. Emmeline soon discovers that the second wife of Captain Graves, Georgina, is still alive but suffering from an unknown illness, and is slowly fading away. Raised by Mrs. Shackleton to rely on her looks over her brains, the naive Emeline is slow to realize that she can’t trust anyone who lives in Faraday House. She slowly comprehends that something dark and sinister lurks in the halls and rooms of the house relating to the previous Faraday wives and why the wives of Faraday House all seem to die young. Emeline has to figure out why and uncover the truth before she becomes the next wife to befall the same fate.
I just loved the ‘Gothic feel’ of The Third Wife of Faraday House, the paintings, secret rooms, unexplained drafts, and the noises of Faraday House. B.R Myers paints a vivid picture of the mysterious manor and the people who live there. Despite the nativity of Emeline, I found her quips to be very amusing and I enjoyed watching Emeline’s growth and self-discovery in the story. One thing I really enjoy about B.R. Myers’ writing, and I found this to be the same in her previous novel A Dreadful Splendour, is once you think you have figured out who the culprits or guilty parties are, Myers reveals new facts that will have you changing your theories over and over yet again, keeping the reader on their toes. It is no surprise to learn that she won the Mary Higgins Clark Award. The Third Wife of Faraday House is the perfect spooky story to be reading this fall!
The Third Wife of Faraday House is a gripping, suspenseful, and entertaining Gothic mystery set in 1816 on the South Shore of Nova Scotia.
All the wives die young in Faraday House…
Raised by her Guardians, the Shackletons, in foggy Halifax, Emeline Fitzpatrick is caught in an improper scene with a Lieutenant of the British Royal Navy. To escape scandal, she is given two choices, join the coven or become the third wife to the wealthy Captain Graves who lives in a manor located on an Island on the South Shore called Faraday House. She chooses to go to the island with the hope that her Lieutenant, with his ship, will come and rescue her. On her way to Faraday House, her carriage breaks down and her driver goes on ahead leaving, her all alone. The Reverend Pellerine and his overly large dog find Emmeline and accidentally scare her.
“Does your beast turn during the full moon?” “Moses? He’s only a dog.”
I scoffed at that. “He’s huge. What does he eat, smaller dogs?”
Upon her arrival at the dark and dramatic Faraday House she meets Mrs. Clayton and Hattie, the cook and the maid. Emmeline soon discovers that the second wife of Captain Graves, Georgina, is still alive but suffering from an unknown illness, and is slowly fading away. Raised by Mrs. Shackleton to rely on her looks over her brains, the naive Emeline is slow to realize that she can’t trust anyone who lives in Faraday House. She slowly comprehends that something dark and sinister lurks in the halls and rooms of the house relating to the previous Faraday wives and why the wives of Faraday House all seem to die young. Emeline has to figure out why and uncover the truth before she becomes the next wife to befall the same fate.
I just loved the ‘Gothic feel’ of The Third Wife of Faraday House, the paintings, secret rooms, unexplained drafts, and the noises of Faraday House. B.R Myers paints a vivid picture of the mysterious manor and the people who live there. Despite the nativity of Emeline, I found her quips to be very amusing and I enjoyed watching Emeline’s growth and self-discovery in the story. One thing I really enjoy about B.R. Myers’ writing, and I found this to be the same in her previous novel A Dreadful Splendour, is once you think you have figured out who the culprits or guilty parties are, Myers reveals new facts that will have you changing your theories over and over yet again, keeping the reader on their toes. It is no surprise to learn that she won the Mary Higgins Clark Award. The Third Wife of Faraday House is the perfect spooky story to be reading this fall!
March 15, 2024
Gothic mystery!
Emeline Fitzpatrick is hoping to escape her life. Her guardian (early 1800's) is lining up potential suitors but she is hoping for more. A scandal causes her to have far less choice in her future and she takes what is left - Captain Graves. Graces is mysterious. Two previous wives has died so its safe that Emaline might be in danger. The biggest surprise to Emeline is when she arrives at Faraday House and meets the late wife! Add a bit of a gothic element and there is a spooky, almost claustrophobic feeling.
if you like paranormal with your mystery, creepy with your gothic, this is a fantastic story for you!
#williammorrow #thehtirdwifeoffaradayhouse #brmyers
Emeline Fitzpatrick is hoping to escape her life. Her guardian (early 1800's) is lining up potential suitors but she is hoping for more. A scandal causes her to have far less choice in her future and she takes what is left - Captain Graves. Graces is mysterious. Two previous wives has died so its safe that Emaline might be in danger. The biggest surprise to Emeline is when she arrives at Faraday House and meets the late wife! Add a bit of a gothic element and there is a spooky, almost claustrophobic feeling.
if you like paranormal with your mystery, creepy with your gothic, this is a fantastic story for you!
#williammorrow #thehtirdwifeoffaradayhouse #brmyers
September 10, 2024
This book was decidedly Not For Me. Normally I would have DNFed it, but it was an ARC and I needed it for a bingo, so I soldered through.
The main character Emeline is self-centered and immature, which, while I think is intentional, makes a 1st person POV insufferable. She's 21, but reads like she's 16. The mystery of the Island and of Faraday House is about why the wives die young, and it's set up like a gothic mystery, but the POV took away the gothic atmosphere for me.
This may hit better for fans of gothic mysteries. Sadly not for me.
The main character Emeline is self-centered and immature, which, while I think is intentional, makes a 1st person POV insufferable. She's 21, but reads like she's 16. The mystery of the Island and of Faraday House is about why the wives die young, and it's set up like a gothic mystery, but the POV took away the gothic atmosphere for me.
This may hit better for fans of gothic mysteries. Sadly not for me.
December 10, 2024
I'm very conflicted on this one, unfortunately - I think if I was being more objective, this would likely be a 2.5 stars for me. However, in a rare move for Robin, I'm rounding up, as the parts I liked, I liked a lot, and I'll always have a sweet spot for a Canadian author writing about Nova Scotia and Acadians.
First things first - the good parts. Despite that I think both characters needed *slightly* stronger development (I'll get to this later), I think the romance was very sweet. Reverand Pellerine in particular was just the darndest and I like that Emeline is unused to someone actually wanting to get to know her and listen to her thoughts rather than the man being a fish caught in her net; it's very sweet. I also liked the overall setting of Faraday House and the general plot - you can see the strong inspiration this novel took from the tales of Bluebeard and Jane Eyre, which are brilliant classics for a reason. The first half was also set up quite well, and I was intrigued to see how the clearly gothic elements would be incorporated and played off.
Some spoilers ahead - ye be warned!
The second half is where things start to fall apart though. The supernatural/gothic elements are quickly just accepted and cease to play any role except exposition, literally handing Emeline all the answers, without her having to figure anything out by herself. And from my perspective, I'm fine if the supernatural part ended up being confirmed real versus it remaining ambiguous, like how many other gothic tales of this sort typically treat it. But it became boring because Emeline just comes to accept that she's being haunted by Esther's ghost and has NO issues with it - she doesn't grapple with her sanity, with her reality, or really have any fear . She just gets to point where she says, "Yes, Esther's ghost is real and she wants to tell me something." And then, the haunting elements take a bit of a divot around the halfway mark before starting up again, where they function once again just to spoon feed Emeline everything. Emeline does literally ZERO investigating by herself. I kept waiting for her to ask questions and get confessions out of people, or explore Faraday and make discoveries herself - even if she just accidentally stumbled onto all the clues and evidence - but it's completely handed to her by a ghost. It made the reveals desperately unfulfilling.
In particular, I absolutely LOATHED when Emeline finds out about Frederick's true nature and is given a vision of him living happily on a ship with no thoughts of her. Like what the actual f*ck is that? Emeline isn't clairvoyant - she's seeing visions of ESTHER's PAST only, to solve the mystery of her death. Am I supposed to believe that Esther gave her this vision? If so, that's even more ridiculous because how does Esther even know who Frederick is?? It's completely ludicrous no matter which way you spin it and I hated it.
But beyond the visions, the characters also quickly start to fall apart in the latter half of the book. Emeline is for the most part fine - she was introduced to us in the first half of the book as being kind of dumb, because she was never raised to be anything more than a man's wife, and I actually really liked this. Not every female lead character needs to be strong and smart and brave all of the time. However, in particular, I didn't like the rationale for her not accepting the Reverand's proposal, mostly because she doesn't have one strong reason but about six that make no sense. She wants her freedom because she didn't have it growing up - OK but I don't know how she thought she'd be more free with the Reverand than the Captain, when the Captain is shown to be completely overbearing and controlling? She wanted a comfortable life - OK but then why does she say she don't care about money when she clearly does, since she uses that as a rationale to pick the Captain? She says she wants love because she felt she never had it in her life - very valid, but then again, how does she think she'd get more love from the Captain than the Reverand? Finally, she didn't want to trap the Reverand - this is the only rationale I can understand and don't know why it wasn't the ONLY reason given, since her other reasonings make absolutely no sense. It made it read like an overly convenient way of adding tension and misunderstanding between the two characters for no reason. But I think it would've worked better if Emeline had actually accepted the proposal at first, recognizing the Reverand was the lesser of two evils and then come to change her mind, in act of selfishness and selflessness, creating more tension because now the Reverand had been excited to not only "save her" but to live a life with her. Instead, it all comes off as a useless mess.
Similarly, the Reverand was probably my favourite character, but I wished they actually leaned into his religious nature more. I wish we'd explored the effect wanting to be a priest but converting to be Protestant meant to him. As much as outsiders can see how similar the religions are, in the time period of the book, it would've been a big change to go from Catholic to Protestant - but Pellerine seems to have not really cared about that at all. Also, he very rarely speaks of anything religious just vague general life lessons and belief. Now I don't need a sermon in my novels by any means, but it felt like making him a Reverand was an after thought because the author needed him to have a profession that would grant him access to the house but not guess at the poisonings. Thus, last confessor it was! Without any consideration to how that would impact him as a person and character.
The other characters are all very weak in my opinion. In particular, I was super unimpressed when Mrs. and Judge Shakleton make a reappearance at the end of the novel and are all buddy-buddy with Emeline. I'm sorry, they were borderline abusive to her at the beginning of the novel and their treatment of her is why Emeline has felt unloved essentially her entire life and like an obligation and a tool. But by the end Emeline has come to the realization that all along they just wanted was best for her and now its all in the past? Now they're all good and loving with no greater conversation needed? It was ridiculous and rushed and felt desperately cheap. Similarly, Hettie is shown throughout the novel to be vindictive and a social climber - but she just comes around to be on Emeline's side and defend her at the end? Even though she's literally hated her the entire novel? Again, just no. Captain Graves was the most under utilized character in my opinion. I wanted so much more from him but he felt very wishy washy. Half the time he was a perfectly normal guy, even a gentleman. And the next scene he was a disgusting brute who wanted to control and had no issue taking it. It felt very Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde but since there was so little focus on him, this didn't feel intentional but like he was very underdeveloped. He also just isn't around, like ever. The amount of times Emeline is told the Captain wants to see her and she just doesn't go is crazy. It happens about four times, and given the volatile nature of the Captain, I can't believe that that wouldn't have set him off and have him coming after Emeline. Again, he read like an after thought.
I liked Georgina well enough but she didn't get enough personalization. It would've been nice to learn more about her past and why she chose to marry the Captain and what she even really thought of him in the end. The Claytons also fell apart by the end. Like Emeline, they had too many motivations behind their actions - hiding Esther's true matter of death, hiding the baby from Graves, trying to find buried treasure, trying to inherit Faraday.
Finally, the twist at the end - that Esther's baby never died - completely foils the novel. We learn by the end that Esther's ghost is haunting the house because she wants to be buried with her child, who died after she died. But how would she even know the baby died? Point in case, she didn't know, because the baby isn't dead. So how does her ghost even know she has unfinished business? It's not like the Claytons actively killed her and she's trying to get people to realize the truth. They were just somewhat negligent for not calling a doctor sooner (even though, I don't think a doctor would've made a difference for her because it reads very much like she has placenta praevia, which there was no cure for until the end of the century, so she still would've bled out). OK, so then if all her ghost is trying to achieve is to bring awareness to the death of her daughter, then that falls apart because she didn't die? And if Esther knew about this, then wouldn't her ultimate goal be to have people find her daughter? But she very explicitly tells Emeline that's not what her final business is - it's to be buried with her daughter. So she knows some stuff about what happened after she died - like new wives coming into the house and that her child isn't around (and apparently who Frederick is and that he's a cheating scoundrel) - but conveniently isn't aware that her baby didn't actually die. See how it all poorly comes together?
All in all, I think I had a lot more problems with the book by the end, and its overly fairly-tale ending. I wish a little more thought and detail was put into all of it to make Emeline a more active character in the story and make the characters more well rounded and believable.
First things first - the good parts. Despite that I think both characters needed *slightly* stronger development (I'll get to this later), I think the romance was very sweet. Reverand Pellerine in particular was just the darndest and I like that Emeline is unused to someone actually wanting to get to know her and listen to her thoughts rather than the man being a fish caught in her net; it's very sweet. I also liked the overall setting of Faraday House and the general plot - you can see the strong inspiration this novel took from the tales of Bluebeard and Jane Eyre, which are brilliant classics for a reason. The first half was also set up quite well, and I was intrigued to see how the clearly gothic elements would be incorporated and played off.
Some spoilers ahead - ye be warned!
The second half is where things start to fall apart though. The supernatural/gothic elements are quickly just accepted and cease to play any role except exposition, literally handing Emeline all the answers, without her having to figure anything out by herself. And from my perspective, I'm fine if the supernatural part ended up being confirmed real versus it remaining ambiguous, like how many other gothic tales of this sort typically treat it. But it became boring because Emeline just comes to accept that she's being haunted by Esther's ghost and has NO issues with it - she doesn't grapple with her sanity, with her reality, or really have any fear . She just gets to point where she says, "Yes, Esther's ghost is real and she wants to tell me something." And then, the haunting elements take a bit of a divot around the halfway mark before starting up again, where they function once again just to spoon feed Emeline everything. Emeline does literally ZERO investigating by herself. I kept waiting for her to ask questions and get confessions out of people, or explore Faraday and make discoveries herself - even if she just accidentally stumbled onto all the clues and evidence - but it's completely handed to her by a ghost. It made the reveals desperately unfulfilling.
In particular, I absolutely LOATHED when Emeline finds out about Frederick's true nature and is given a vision of him living happily on a ship with no thoughts of her. Like what the actual f*ck is that? Emeline isn't clairvoyant - she's seeing visions of ESTHER's PAST only, to solve the mystery of her death. Am I supposed to believe that Esther gave her this vision? If so, that's even more ridiculous because how does Esther even know who Frederick is?? It's completely ludicrous no matter which way you spin it and I hated it.
But beyond the visions, the characters also quickly start to fall apart in the latter half of the book. Emeline is for the most part fine - she was introduced to us in the first half of the book as being kind of dumb, because she was never raised to be anything more than a man's wife, and I actually really liked this. Not every female lead character needs to be strong and smart and brave all of the time. However, in particular, I didn't like the rationale for her not accepting the Reverand's proposal, mostly because she doesn't have one strong reason but about six that make no sense. She wants her freedom because she didn't have it growing up - OK but I don't know how she thought she'd be more free with the Reverand than the Captain, when the Captain is shown to be completely overbearing and controlling? She wanted a comfortable life - OK but then why does she say she don't care about money when she clearly does, since she uses that as a rationale to pick the Captain? She says she wants love because she felt she never had it in her life - very valid, but then again, how does she think she'd get more love from the Captain than the Reverand? Finally, she didn't want to trap the Reverand - this is the only rationale I can understand and don't know why it wasn't the ONLY reason given, since her other reasonings make absolutely no sense. It made it read like an overly convenient way of adding tension and misunderstanding between the two characters for no reason. But I think it would've worked better if Emeline had actually accepted the proposal at first, recognizing the Reverand was the lesser of two evils and then come to change her mind, in act of selfishness and selflessness, creating more tension because now the Reverand had been excited to not only "save her" but to live a life with her. Instead, it all comes off as a useless mess.
Similarly, the Reverand was probably my favourite character, but I wished they actually leaned into his religious nature more. I wish we'd explored the effect wanting to be a priest but converting to be Protestant meant to him. As much as outsiders can see how similar the religions are, in the time period of the book, it would've been a big change to go from Catholic to Protestant - but Pellerine seems to have not really cared about that at all. Also, he very rarely speaks of anything religious just vague general life lessons and belief. Now I don't need a sermon in my novels by any means, but it felt like making him a Reverand was an after thought because the author needed him to have a profession that would grant him access to the house but not guess at the poisonings. Thus, last confessor it was! Without any consideration to how that would impact him as a person and character.
The other characters are all very weak in my opinion. In particular, I was super unimpressed when Mrs. and Judge Shakleton make a reappearance at the end of the novel and are all buddy-buddy with Emeline. I'm sorry, they were borderline abusive to her at the beginning of the novel and their treatment of her is why Emeline has felt unloved essentially her entire life and like an obligation and a tool. But by the end Emeline has come to the realization that all along they just wanted was best for her and now its all in the past? Now they're all good and loving with no greater conversation needed? It was ridiculous and rushed and felt desperately cheap. Similarly, Hettie is shown throughout the novel to be vindictive and a social climber - but she just comes around to be on Emeline's side and defend her at the end? Even though she's literally hated her the entire novel? Again, just no. Captain Graves was the most under utilized character in my opinion. I wanted so much more from him but he felt very wishy washy. Half the time he was a perfectly normal guy, even a gentleman. And the next scene he was a disgusting brute who wanted to control and had no issue taking it. It felt very Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde but since there was so little focus on him, this didn't feel intentional but like he was very underdeveloped. He also just isn't around, like ever. The amount of times Emeline is told the Captain wants to see her and she just doesn't go is crazy. It happens about four times, and given the volatile nature of the Captain, I can't believe that that wouldn't have set him off and have him coming after Emeline. Again, he read like an after thought.
I liked Georgina well enough but she didn't get enough personalization. It would've been nice to learn more about her past and why she chose to marry the Captain and what she even really thought of him in the end. The Claytons also fell apart by the end. Like Emeline, they had too many motivations behind their actions - hiding Esther's true matter of death, hiding the baby from Graves, trying to find buried treasure, trying to inherit Faraday.
Finally, the twist at the end - that Esther's baby never died - completely foils the novel. We learn by the end that Esther's ghost is haunting the house because she wants to be buried with her child, who died after she died. But how would she even know the baby died? Point in case, she didn't know, because the baby isn't dead. So how does her ghost even know she has unfinished business? It's not like the Claytons actively killed her and she's trying to get people to realize the truth. They were just somewhat negligent for not calling a doctor sooner (even though, I don't think a doctor would've made a difference for her because it reads very much like she has placenta praevia, which there was no cure for until the end of the century, so she still would've bled out). OK, so then if all her ghost is trying to achieve is to bring awareness to the death of her daughter, then that falls apart because she didn't die? And if Esther knew about this, then wouldn't her ultimate goal be to have people find her daughter? But she very explicitly tells Emeline that's not what her final business is - it's to be buried with her daughter. So she knows some stuff about what happened after she died - like new wives coming into the house and that her child isn't around (and apparently who Frederick is and that he's a cheating scoundrel) - but conveniently isn't aware that her baby didn't actually die. See how it all poorly comes together?
All in all, I think I had a lot more problems with the book by the end, and its overly fairly-tale ending. I wish a little more thought and detail was put into all of it to make Emeline a more active character in the story and make the characters more well rounded and believable.
October 16, 2024
3.5 stars, actually. Overall I enjoyed this! Would've been 4 stars if the tone could've been better established early on.
What worked for me: Good mystery! That's what got me to stick with it for the first half. And then the gothic vibe of the second half engaged me right through to the lovely, tidy ending.
What didn't work for me: The tone is uneven. The first few chapters paint the heroine as silly and frivolous, which sets a lighthearted tone. But later in the book it gets much darker and intense, and the incongruence mars the overall quality of the writing. Still a great story, though.
What worked for me: Good mystery! That's what got me to stick with it for the first half. And then the gothic vibe of the second half engaged me right through to the lovely, tidy ending.
What didn't work for me: The tone is uneven. The first few chapters paint the heroine as silly and frivolous, which sets a lighthearted tone. But later in the book it gets much darker and intense, and the incongruence mars the overall quality of the writing. Still a great story, though.
September 7, 2024
Spooky and gothic, it was such a pleasure to be back in B R Myers world again!
I really enjoyed the mystery and how it unraveled. I didn’t particularly enjoy this book as much as A Dreadful Splendor but the plot grabbed me and I really enjoyed the twists and how the ending played out as well.
I wasn’t really a fan of the characters in this book - I found Emeline a bit annoying and I didn’t find myself rooting for her as much as I wanted to. Additionally the romance felt a bit forced to me. I didn’t feel like there was any chemistry between them. The dog however…I would die for Moses.
Can’t wait to read what the author writes next!
I really enjoyed the mystery and how it unraveled. I didn’t particularly enjoy this book as much as A Dreadful Splendor but the plot grabbed me and I really enjoyed the twists and how the ending played out as well.
I wasn’t really a fan of the characters in this book - I found Emeline a bit annoying and I didn’t find myself rooting for her as much as I wanted to. Additionally the romance felt a bit forced to me. I didn’t feel like there was any chemistry between them. The dog however…I would die for Moses.
Can’t wait to read what the author writes next!
December 13, 2024
This book dragged in the middle. And kind of in the beginning too. Honestly wasn’t really that great till the last quarter of the book when the pace picked up. I didn’t see the ending coming so the mystery was nice. You just have to get through the first 3/4ths.
February 5, 2025
A little sad, what she lived in her head was not her life
August 21, 2024
I first read BR Myers when I picked up A Dreadful Splendor and immediately wondered where she'd been all my life. Naturally I was eagerly awaiting the release of The Third Wife of Faraday House and it did not disappoint! Set on Nova Scotia's South Shore, this atmospheric novel is deliciously gothic, full of secrets and mysteries as Emeline seeks to unravel the truth about why all the "wives die young" as her own wedding day to Captain Graves approaches. The kicker? Wife #2 is still alive...
I definitely thought of Jane Eyre and Rebecca as I was reading - both in the "wife still alive" hook and how the setting was truly a character on its own. And while I *thought* I knew everything, I was still surprised at the end - great plotting!
Curl up with a cup of tea and a blanket, and get ready for a wild tale set amongst the sea and fog of an isolated island manor.
I definitely thought of Jane Eyre and Rebecca as I was reading - both in the "wife still alive" hook and how the setting was truly a character on its own. And while I *thought* I knew everything, I was still surprised at the end - great plotting!
Curl up with a cup of tea and a blanket, and get ready for a wild tale set amongst the sea and fog of an isolated island manor.
July 10, 2024
Is "fun" a word we can use to describe how much one likes a mystery centered around the goings on in a creepy, gothic house? Because I had so much fun reading this book! Yes, it built tension, and I had all sorts of guesses as to what was happening throughout the book, but I also had fun with this one. The pace kept moving, and Emeline was the perfect lead. Her progression as she slowly uncovered what was going on (and came to multiple wrong conclusions along the way) made for an engaging POV to follow. The supporting characters - from Mrs. Shackelton to Captain Graves and the Reverend - all played a role in shaping the story and Emeline's views about the world and herself.
This is a gothic mystery at the core. Emeline comes to Faraday House as a soon-to-be wife. The only problem is the previous wife is still alive (but not in great shape). And the staff and Captain Graves all have issues. Oh, and the wives of the house all seem to be cursed. Not great for Emeline. Who is also pining for the lover she had to leave behind, but hopes that he will come to save her before it's too late. There are a lot of possible motives and reasons for why the wives of Faraday House all seem to die young. All Emeline has to do is figure out why before she becomes the next wife to befall the same fate.
The atmosphere in the book was well done, and I got swept up and finished this within a few days. The end comes at you fast, and when the mystery all comes together, you can picture all the previous hints and see how things spiral out of control. Emeline is nothing if not a determined young woman, which is admirable in the environment she is dropped into on this remote island. Her developing friendships with Reverend Pellerine and Georgina give her a bit of an anchor when everyone else in the house seems to have their own motives and ideas about how welcome Emeline is at Faraday. The ending felt a little lighter than what I normally expect in books of this genre, but it did wrap things up well and provide a nice bit of levity at the end of a story that could have had a much darker conclusion.
I read this early as an ARC. All opinions are my own.
This is a gothic mystery at the core. Emeline comes to Faraday House as a soon-to-be wife. The only problem is the previous wife is still alive (but not in great shape). And the staff and Captain Graves all have issues. Oh, and the wives of the house all seem to be cursed. Not great for Emeline. Who is also pining for the lover she had to leave behind, but hopes that he will come to save her before it's too late. There are a lot of possible motives and reasons for why the wives of Faraday House all seem to die young. All Emeline has to do is figure out why before she becomes the next wife to befall the same fate.
The atmosphere in the book was well done, and I got swept up and finished this within a few days. The end comes at you fast, and when the mystery all comes together, you can picture all the previous hints and see how things spiral out of control. Emeline is nothing if not a determined young woman, which is admirable in the environment she is dropped into on this remote island. Her developing friendships with Reverend Pellerine and Georgina give her a bit of an anchor when everyone else in the house seems to have their own motives and ideas about how welcome Emeline is at Faraday. The ending felt a little lighter than what I normally expect in books of this genre, but it did wrap things up well and provide a nice bit of levity at the end of a story that could have had a much darker conclusion.
I read this early as an ARC. All opinions are my own.
May 10, 2024
Though advertised as a romance and a “love letter to Gothic fiction”, The Third Wife of Faraday House read almost like a Gothic-inspired cozy mystery for most of the book.
I think Gothic fiction readers will certainly enjoy the premise and all the set dressings, but, for me, there were a few things that kept me from being fully immersed in the story and atmosphere. Again, the tone almost felt like a cozy-style mystery for much of the book, and I am not sure if that was intentional. I also felt like the language and writing style didn’t really compliment the time period that the book was supposed to be set in. And there were parts of the book where I felt like the author was doing a lot of handholding for the reader by over-explaining during the main character’s internal monologue.
The characters weren’t particularly complex or interesting, and the plot was fairly straightforward and a little predictable, but none of that really bothered me - it was engaging enough. If you are looking for a fast and easy read with elements of Gothic fiction, I think this will definitely provide you with a lot of entertainment. It just wasn’t my jam.
*Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to review an eARC in exchange for an honest review!*
I think Gothic fiction readers will certainly enjoy the premise and all the set dressings, but, for me, there were a few things that kept me from being fully immersed in the story and atmosphere. Again, the tone almost felt like a cozy-style mystery for much of the book, and I am not sure if that was intentional. I also felt like the language and writing style didn’t really compliment the time period that the book was supposed to be set in. And there were parts of the book where I felt like the author was doing a lot of handholding for the reader by over-explaining during the main character’s internal monologue.
The characters weren’t particularly complex or interesting, and the plot was fairly straightforward and a little predictable, but none of that really bothered me - it was engaging enough. If you are looking for a fast and easy read with elements of Gothic fiction, I think this will definitely provide you with a lot of entertainment. It just wasn’t my jam.
*Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to review an eARC in exchange for an honest review!*
December 11, 2023
Thank you NetGalley, William Morrow Publishing and the other for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Unfortunately, I did not care for this book. I found it a very slow read and hard to keep my attention. There were too many subplots going on, not one which was romance. As this is marketed as a romance suspense, there really wasn’t a romance (a brief flirtation and a declaration of love in the last chapter doesn’t qualify as romance). I feel a couple of subplots could have been removed and replaced with romance. The climax was chaotic and I found myself going back to reread parts because I felt like I missed something. Maybe others will enjoy, but this wasn’t for me. Sorry.
Unfortunately, I did not care for this book. I found it a very slow read and hard to keep my attention. There were too many subplots going on, not one which was romance. As this is marketed as a romance suspense, there really wasn’t a romance (a brief flirtation and a declaration of love in the last chapter doesn’t qualify as romance). I feel a couple of subplots could have been removed and replaced with romance. The climax was chaotic and I found myself going back to reread parts because I felt like I missed something. Maybe others will enjoy, but this wasn’t for me. Sorry.
December 30, 2023
“All the wives die young at Faraday House”
I expected more. Much more, in the sense of the story. The story felt…. Disjointed. Everything related to each other…. And yet it didn’t. I felt like the characters were very flat. One minute the Captain was described one way…. And then all of a sudden, he is the polar opposite and intimidating…. And no reason given. The supposed curse??? What curse? Because it didn’t really become an issue until the present story.
Was it the best- no, yet it also wasn’t the worse either. Just had higher expectations that were not met.
I expected more. Much more, in the sense of the story. The story felt…. Disjointed. Everything related to each other…. And yet it didn’t. I felt like the characters were very flat. One minute the Captain was described one way…. And then all of a sudden, he is the polar opposite and intimidating…. And no reason given. The supposed curse??? What curse? Because it didn’t really become an issue until the present story.
Was it the best- no, yet it also wasn’t the worse either. Just had higher expectations that were not met.
December 10, 2024
I feel like nothing happened for the whole book until the last 2 chapters when all the things that should have slowly been revealed throughout the entire book came out in one go. I also did not care for any of the characters seriously not even one.
October 15, 2025
Actually, 2.5 stars
Emeline is in love with a British naval officer. However, her guardian wants Emeline to marry and has a long list of suitors for her. When Emeline starts a scandal, only one suitor is left, the wealthy Captain Graves. His first wife has died and his second wife is on her deathbed. Emeline decides to go to Captain Graves' estate, Faraday House, and await his second wife’s death to marry Captain Graves. When she arrives at Faraday House, Emeline notices that something sinister is going on and that is in danger.
I didn’t like Emeline as a character. She was not only naive but foolish. She does not have enough sense to recognize the bad people that are around her. Emeline is also very reckless. She makes many stupid decisions that did not make any sense. I did not approve of her actions and thinking. Therefore, I did not find her to be a competent and strong protagonist. Instead, she is mostly a damsel in distress and is manipulated by others. Emeline also doesn’t do much investigating. Instead, everything nearly falls into her lap. Thus, Emeline was a very frustrating character.
Overall, this novel is about friendship, love, and freedom. I found all of the characters to be very flat. They had the potential to be well-developed but they were not. The plot was very predictable and slow-moving until the end. The romance was not developed. The Third Wife of Faraday House had potential but was not executed well. I did like the atmospheric setting in the novel and the supernatural elements. The Third Wife of Faraday House may appeal to readers of gothic fiction. I recommend this book for fans of The House on Biscayne Bay, The Widow of Pale Harbor, and Eleanor and the Iron King!
(Note: I read an ARC copy of this book in courtesy of Netgalley.)
Emeline is in love with a British naval officer. However, her guardian wants Emeline to marry and has a long list of suitors for her. When Emeline starts a scandal, only one suitor is left, the wealthy Captain Graves. His first wife has died and his second wife is on her deathbed. Emeline decides to go to Captain Graves' estate, Faraday House, and await his second wife’s death to marry Captain Graves. When she arrives at Faraday House, Emeline notices that something sinister is going on and that is in danger.
I didn’t like Emeline as a character. She was not only naive but foolish. She does not have enough sense to recognize the bad people that are around her. Emeline is also very reckless. She makes many stupid decisions that did not make any sense. I did not approve of her actions and thinking. Therefore, I did not find her to be a competent and strong protagonist. Instead, she is mostly a damsel in distress and is manipulated by others. Emeline also doesn’t do much investigating. Instead, everything nearly falls into her lap. Thus, Emeline was a very frustrating character.
Overall, this novel is about friendship, love, and freedom. I found all of the characters to be very flat. They had the potential to be well-developed but they were not. The plot was very predictable and slow-moving until the end. The romance was not developed. The Third Wife of Faraday House had potential but was not executed well. I did like the atmospheric setting in the novel and the supernatural elements. The Third Wife of Faraday House may appeal to readers of gothic fiction. I recommend this book for fans of The House on Biscayne Bay, The Widow of Pale Harbor, and Eleanor and the Iron King!
(Note: I read an ARC copy of this book in courtesy of Netgalley.)
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