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The Forgotten Room
1945: When the critically wounded Captain Cooper Ravenel is brought to a private hospital on Manhattan s Upper East Side, young Dr. Kate Schuyler is drawn into a complex mystery that connects three generations of women in her family to a single extraordinary room in a Gilded Age mansion."
500 pages, Library Binding
First published January 19, 2016
1655 people are currently reading
22071 people want to read
About the author
Karen White
42 books7,517 followersWith more than 2 million books in print in fifteen different languages, Karen White is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 34 novels, including the popular Charleston-set Tradd Street mystery series.
Raised in a house full of brothers, Karen’s love of books and strong female characters first began in the third grade when the local librarian issued her a library card and placed The Secret of the Old Clock, a Nancy Drew Mystery, in her hands.
Karen’s roots run deep in the South where many of her novels are set. Her intricate plot lines and compelling characters charm and captivate readers with just the right mix of family drama, mystery, intrigue and romance.
Not entirely convinced she wanted to be a writer, Karen first pursued a career in business and graduated cum laude with a BS in Management from Tulane University. Ten years later, in a weak moment, she wrote her first book. In the Shadow of the Moon was published in August, 2000. Her books—referred to as “grit lit” (Southern Women’s Fiction)—have since been nominated for numerous national contests including the SIBA (Southeastern Booksellers Alliance) Fiction Book of the Year.
Karen’s next book, THAT LAST CAROLINA SUMMER, will be published by Park Row Books in July, 2025.
When not writing, Karen spends her time reading, scrapbooking, playing piano, and avoiding cooking. Karen and her husband have two grown children and currently live near Atlanta, Georgia with two spoiled Havanese dogs.
- See more at: http://www.karen-white.com/bio.cfm#st...
Raised in a house full of brothers, Karen’s love of books and strong female characters first began in the third grade when the local librarian issued her a library card and placed The Secret of the Old Clock, a Nancy Drew Mystery, in her hands.
Karen’s roots run deep in the South where many of her novels are set. Her intricate plot lines and compelling characters charm and captivate readers with just the right mix of family drama, mystery, intrigue and romance.
Not entirely convinced she wanted to be a writer, Karen first pursued a career in business and graduated cum laude with a BS in Management from Tulane University. Ten years later, in a weak moment, she wrote her first book. In the Shadow of the Moon was published in August, 2000. Her books—referred to as “grit lit” (Southern Women’s Fiction)—have since been nominated for numerous national contests including the SIBA (Southeastern Booksellers Alliance) Fiction Book of the Year.
Karen’s next book, THAT LAST CAROLINA SUMMER, will be published by Park Row Books in July, 2025.
When not writing, Karen spends her time reading, scrapbooking, playing piano, and avoiding cooking. Karen and her husband have two grown children and currently live near Atlanta, Georgia with two spoiled Havanese dogs.
- See more at: http://www.karen-white.com/bio.cfm#st...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,078 reviews
February 18, 2016
4 stars!
"Well, that's the thing about choices, isn't it? There are always more to make. I've never seen a street where you couldn't cross to the other side. "
This was a beautifully written historical fiction, written in a collaboration of 3 different authors : Karen White, Lauren Willig and Beatriz Williams. Honestly, everything flowed together so wonderfully that you can't even tell that 3 different authors had a hand in the different storylines.
1944 :
Kate Schuyler is a doctor working in a private hospital ( formerly a great mansion ) on Manhattan's Upper East Side when Captain Cooper Ravenel is brought in with a badly infected war injury.
1920 :
Lucy Young, having accepted a job as a secretary at the law offices of Cromwell, Polk and Moore, has just made the move from Brooklyn to Manhatten, seeking answers to questions brought up about her paternity. She has moved into the same building housing the private hospital that Kate works in, though in the 1920's it was a women's boardinghouse.
1892 :
Olive Van Alan is a servant in the Pratt mansion ( yes, the very same building mentioned twice already ), which her father designed. Upon the Pratt's not paying for his services as their architect, he took his own life, leaving his wife and daughter to pick up the pieces and in Olive's case, to look for a way to find revenge for her late father.
This is their story, spanning 3 generations. Slowly throughout the book, you start collecting little clues and learn how the women are connected to each other. How their choices and loves have affected their futures and the futures of those that came after them. The twist at the end was, for me, pretty unexpected. For a time, I thought I had it all figured out, but I only had half the story. I don't want to say much more, so as not to spoil any who might read this review before reading the book. This was a really enjoyable read though...it was a bit slow in the first third of the book, but once the revelations started coming out, I was hooked!
"Well, that's the thing about choices, isn't it? There are always more to make. I've never seen a street where you couldn't cross to the other side. "
This was a beautifully written historical fiction, written in a collaboration of 3 different authors : Karen White, Lauren Willig and Beatriz Williams. Honestly, everything flowed together so wonderfully that you can't even tell that 3 different authors had a hand in the different storylines.
1944 :
Kate Schuyler is a doctor working in a private hospital ( formerly a great mansion ) on Manhattan's Upper East Side when Captain Cooper Ravenel is brought in with a badly infected war injury.
1920 :
Lucy Young, having accepted a job as a secretary at the law offices of Cromwell, Polk and Moore, has just made the move from Brooklyn to Manhatten, seeking answers to questions brought up about her paternity. She has moved into the same building housing the private hospital that Kate works in, though in the 1920's it was a women's boardinghouse.
1892 :
Olive Van Alan is a servant in the Pratt mansion ( yes, the very same building mentioned twice already ), which her father designed. Upon the Pratt's not paying for his services as their architect, he took his own life, leaving his wife and daughter to pick up the pieces and in Olive's case, to look for a way to find revenge for her late father.
This is their story, spanning 3 generations. Slowly throughout the book, you start collecting little clues and learn how the women are connected to each other. How their choices and loves have affected their futures and the futures of those that came after them. The twist at the end was, for me, pretty unexpected. For a time, I thought I had it all figured out, but I only had half the story. I don't want to say much more, so as not to spoil any who might read this review before reading the book. This was a really enjoyable read though...it was a bit slow in the first third of the book, but once the revelations started coming out, I was hooked!
December 10, 2015
It isn't often that three point of views, in three different eras, are seamlessly woven together and so well done that it really is breathtaking but the authors of the Forgotten Room, not only pulled it off, but mastered it.
Beautifully detailed, spoken and interwoven, the tale of Olive, Lucy, and Kate was one I soon won't be forgetting. Foreshadowed, mysterious, and lovingly laid out, these three women all with different, strong, and determined voices, couldn't have been presented better.
Each lovable, endearing, and completely relatable, it was hard to choose a favorite any more than I could have chosen a favorite hero from each section.
Beautifully detailed, told, and unfolded, this really was so well done and has a story line that will stick with you long after the book has been put down. I couldn't get enough of The Forgotten Room and it truly took me by surprise with how much I not only connected with it but savored and enjoyed it.
*An ARC copy of this was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
Beautifully detailed, spoken and interwoven, the tale of Olive, Lucy, and Kate was one I soon won't be forgetting. Foreshadowed, mysterious, and lovingly laid out, these three women all with different, strong, and determined voices, couldn't have been presented better.
Each lovable, endearing, and completely relatable, it was hard to choose a favorite any more than I could have chosen a favorite hero from each section.
Beautifully detailed, told, and unfolded, this really was so well done and has a story line that will stick with you long after the book has been put down. I couldn't get enough of The Forgotten Room and it truly took me by surprise with how much I not only connected with it but savored and enjoyed it.
*An ARC copy of this was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
February 13, 2017
Three women, three generations....what is their connection?
Olive, Lucy, and Kate are the women. We learn about them in alternating chapters from 1892 to 1944 as the connection is hinted at it while we the reader try to figure out just how it all links together.
A house, a ruby necklace, a law firm, and an injured soldier start the connection and get the pieces together in this beautifully told story filled with love, loss, revenge, and secrets.
The house belongs to the Pratt family where Olive worked as a housemaid in 1892 and the housemaid that was forced to be painted by one of the Pratt's sons.
The ruby necklace is one that Kate's mother gave her but would never wear.
The law firm is where Lucy worked and where Lucy was trying to find out what she could about the Pratt house and Harry Pratt.
The injured soldier is mesmerized by Kate and said she looks exactly like someone he knew a long time ago.
I absolutely loved THE FORGOTTEN ROOM.
The three main characters were colorful, interesting, and perfectly portrayed the time period they were representing. Their connection is gradually revealed as each chapter adds more details to each woman's life and adds answers to how they are connected.
Ms. White, Ms. Williams, and Ms. Willig flawlessly combined their talents and put together a brilliant, intriguing, amazing book that has twists, secrets, and history.
THE FORGOTTEN ROOM is a book that historical fiction and women's fiction fans will devour.
Don’t miss reading THE FORGOTTEN ROOM. 5/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation in return for an honest review.
Olive, Lucy, and Kate are the women. We learn about them in alternating chapters from 1892 to 1944 as the connection is hinted at it while we the reader try to figure out just how it all links together.
A house, a ruby necklace, a law firm, and an injured soldier start the connection and get the pieces together in this beautifully told story filled with love, loss, revenge, and secrets.
The house belongs to the Pratt family where Olive worked as a housemaid in 1892 and the housemaid that was forced to be painted by one of the Pratt's sons.
The ruby necklace is one that Kate's mother gave her but would never wear.
The law firm is where Lucy worked and where Lucy was trying to find out what she could about the Pratt house and Harry Pratt.
The injured soldier is mesmerized by Kate and said she looks exactly like someone he knew a long time ago.
I absolutely loved THE FORGOTTEN ROOM.
The three main characters were colorful, interesting, and perfectly portrayed the time period they were representing. Their connection is gradually revealed as each chapter adds more details to each woman's life and adds answers to how they are connected.
Ms. White, Ms. Williams, and Ms. Willig flawlessly combined their talents and put together a brilliant, intriguing, amazing book that has twists, secrets, and history.
THE FORGOTTEN ROOM is a book that historical fiction and women's fiction fans will devour.
Don’t miss reading THE FORGOTTEN ROOM. 5/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation in return for an honest review.
January 16, 2016
I was interested in reading this book when I saw Beatriz Williams listed as one of the co-authors. After having read it, I'm wondering if she actually *did* write it, or if her name was just used as some sort of a marketing tactic.
"The Forgotten Room" is a series of love stories that takes place across three generations (late 1800s, just prior to the 1929 stock market crash, and during World War 2). The narrators are a grandmother, mother, and daughter. There is a question about the objects of their desire, and whether or not they might actually be related. Rather than maintaining an air of mystery, it actually gets a bit confusing to keep track of who is who.
I've referred to Williams's other writing as "beach reads with a brain" and her writing is smart and sharp. Her female leads have moxie. That is all missing here, and was a disappointment. The writing, plot, and story line were simply "all right".
3 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Berkley for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
"The Forgotten Room" is a series of love stories that takes place across three generations (late 1800s, just prior to the 1929 stock market crash, and during World War 2). The narrators are a grandmother, mother, and daughter. There is a question about the objects of their desire, and whether or not they might actually be related. Rather than maintaining an air of mystery, it actually gets a bit confusing to keep track of who is who.
I've referred to Williams's other writing as "beach reads with a brain" and her writing is smart and sharp. Her female leads have moxie. That is all missing here, and was a disappointment. The writing, plot, and story line were simply "all right".
3 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Berkley for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 13, 2016
This book was TERRIBLE. I could not wait to finish it, and probably should not have bothered.
*May contain spoilers.*
This was pretty much pure drivel. First, there was no reason for it to take place in the three distinct time periods it encompassed, all of which have interesting and highly significant events. The social, historical, or political events of those times were never referenced in the story and did not influence the plot at all, so the story could have been written in ANY three time periods. This was frustrating, as I love historical fiction and chose this book because of these three time periods.
Second, the three stories are all the same exact story being told over and over. It's repetitive to read and feels very contrived. There are too many coincidences and it's just not plausible. It moves very slowly and the "mysteries" are obvious way before they're revealed. Nothing is surprising.
Third, the inclusion of the middle character, Lucy, is completely unnecessary. The book may have been better (and at least more intriguing) if it just had Olive and Kate. Those characters were at least slightly different and more interesting to read about. There was no literary need to include the middle character.
Fourth, I also find it completely implausible that all the parents would have died young and no one would have been around into their child's adulthood. Lucy's parents died before her story began, as did Kate's. This is just too convenient, as they then did not have to answer their children's questions. Not believable, and seems like the lazy way out.
Three different authors wrote this, and they couldn't have come up with something better? It feels contrived, is trite, and lacks any historical relevance. The characters are static and underdeveloped. The "epilogue" was not an epilogue and completely unnecessary. Everything that happened was the result of misunderstandings or communication failures, which make the most frustrating and unbelievable plots.
Overall, I was not impressed.
*May contain spoilers.*
This was pretty much pure drivel. First, there was no reason for it to take place in the three distinct time periods it encompassed, all of which have interesting and highly significant events. The social, historical, or political events of those times were never referenced in the story and did not influence the plot at all, so the story could have been written in ANY three time periods. This was frustrating, as I love historical fiction and chose this book because of these three time periods.
Second, the three stories are all the same exact story being told over and over. It's repetitive to read and feels very contrived. There are too many coincidences and it's just not plausible. It moves very slowly and the "mysteries" are obvious way before they're revealed. Nothing is surprising.
Third, the inclusion of the middle character, Lucy, is completely unnecessary. The book may have been better (and at least more intriguing) if it just had Olive and Kate. Those characters were at least slightly different and more interesting to read about. There was no literary need to include the middle character.
Fourth, I also find it completely implausible that all the parents would have died young and no one would have been around into their child's adulthood. Lucy's parents died before her story began, as did Kate's. This is just too convenient, as they then did not have to answer their children's questions. Not believable, and seems like the lazy way out.
Three different authors wrote this, and they couldn't have come up with something better? It feels contrived, is trite, and lacks any historical relevance. The characters are static and underdeveloped. The "epilogue" was not an epilogue and completely unnecessary. Everything that happened was the result of misunderstandings or communication failures, which make the most frustrating and unbelievable plots.
Overall, I was not impressed.
August 16, 2022
WoW! What a wonderful book! The Forgotten Room by Karen White. If I could give it more than 5 stars I would. On 3 timelines 1892, 1920 and 1945. Following the same family through generations of romances and drama. A ruby necklace on a maid. A maid painted in the nude. A snide sister, a broken brother, a baby. Who is the father. So many more characters interwoven together where it all started in a forgotten room.
Look on Hoopla and read it for free. Enjoy
Look on Hoopla and read it for free. Enjoy
January 26, 2016
A New York mansion built before the turn of the century plays a major role in this unique novel written by three authors. You have heard me mention dual-time novels; well this is a tri-time story. Each of the three authors presumably tells the story of a single period.
There was enough of a subtle difference; I could tell the book was written by multiple authors. In addition, the characters did get confusing at times. What was really fun for the three authors is only marginally fun for the reader.
There was enough of a subtle difference; I could tell the book was written by multiple authors. In addition, the characters did get confusing at times. What was really fun for the three authors is only marginally fun for the reader.
November 21, 2015
Fafa's Book Corner (Wordpress)
Fafa's Book Corner (Blogger)
I received this E-ARC via Penguin Group Berkley and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
DNF
When I saw this on Netgalley I was fairly excited. While it didn't sound like my kind of read, it sounded interesting. I love historical fiction, romances and mystery! This seemed like a good blend of them both. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this. I am not going to put a spoiler tag. I have only revealed what happens in the first chapter.
The book begins in 1944 with one of our main characters Kate. When Kate was a little girl her mother and her would walk around the area in which this beautiful mansion was located. Sometime after her mother passed away she took up a job as a doctor in said mansion. It's pretty hard for her because she happens to be the second female doctor. The nurses seem to think that Kate is to proud and didn't want to be a nurse because it was beneath her.
Since the war begun there have been many patients coming to the mansion. As another arrives she leaves to explain that unfortunately they do not have anymore space. The head doctor arrives and he decides to take the soldier. The soldier and the head doctor talk for a bit completely ignoring Kate. Offended she takes the patients file and reads it out loud.
The two of them decide that the soldier needs an operation done. She approaches him and tells him where he is and the operation being done. He then holds her wrist and begs her not to take his leg away. She is surprised that he is staring at her like he knows her. On the stop she makes some decisions about how to go about his operation. She suggests that he take her room and that she continues to check on him. She will perform the operation herself. If she fails the head doctor will take over with her full support.
Kate's point of view is in first person whereas Olive and Lucy are in third. The first chapter was a really good start into the book! I felt bad for Kate and how she was mistreated because she is a woman. We are then taken to Olive and that is where things take a turn for the worst. I didn't understand what I was reading. It was so confusing. It could've been because I was tired. But I highly doubt that.
I think you need to have some patience when reading this book. I didn't and this was more of a 'It's not you but me.' The writing was great! Which is why I'm giving this a 2 star.
Overall I didn't have the patience for this. Despite that I do highly recommend it! It has a good mystery and nice romance. There are some awesome reviews on this book, so look at those as well when you are deciding to read this or not. I do hope that you enjoy it more than I did!
Fafa's Book Corner (Blogger)
I received this E-ARC via Penguin Group Berkley and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
DNF
When I saw this on Netgalley I was fairly excited. While it didn't sound like my kind of read, it sounded interesting. I love historical fiction, romances and mystery! This seemed like a good blend of them both. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this. I am not going to put a spoiler tag. I have only revealed what happens in the first chapter.
The book begins in 1944 with one of our main characters Kate. When Kate was a little girl her mother and her would walk around the area in which this beautiful mansion was located. Sometime after her mother passed away she took up a job as a doctor in said mansion. It's pretty hard for her because she happens to be the second female doctor. The nurses seem to think that Kate is to proud and didn't want to be a nurse because it was beneath her.
Since the war begun there have been many patients coming to the mansion. As another arrives she leaves to explain that unfortunately they do not have anymore space. The head doctor arrives and he decides to take the soldier. The soldier and the head doctor talk for a bit completely ignoring Kate. Offended she takes the patients file and reads it out loud.
The two of them decide that the soldier needs an operation done. She approaches him and tells him where he is and the operation being done. He then holds her wrist and begs her not to take his leg away. She is surprised that he is staring at her like he knows her. On the stop she makes some decisions about how to go about his operation. She suggests that he take her room and that she continues to check on him. She will perform the operation herself. If she fails the head doctor will take over with her full support.
Kate's point of view is in first person whereas Olive and Lucy are in third. The first chapter was a really good start into the book! I felt bad for Kate and how she was mistreated because she is a woman. We are then taken to Olive and that is where things take a turn for the worst. I didn't understand what I was reading. It was so confusing. It could've been because I was tired. But I highly doubt that.
I think you need to have some patience when reading this book. I didn't and this was more of a 'It's not you but me.' The writing was great! Which is why I'm giving this a 2 star.
Overall I didn't have the patience for this. Despite that I do highly recommend it! It has a good mystery and nice romance. There are some awesome reviews on this book, so look at those as well when you are deciding to read this or not. I do hope that you enjoy it more than I did!
December 17, 2015
I was so excited when I got approved for this book! A book written by 3 great authors? Count me in!! I've read books by all 3 of them and have never been disappointed by any of them. This book is no exception. It was so well written that I have no idea which author wrote which story. I enjoyed all three stories of Olive, Lucy, and Kate. This book spans three generations of women and their lives and loves. Mostly a love story that seems doomed in every generation. I enjoyed getting to know each woman and seeing if their story turned out differently than the last generation. I do recommend this book because you simply can't go wrong with these authors.
**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 10, 2016
This was a beautiful book to read and enjoy! The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars is because I sometimes had trouble keeping the characters and their relationships straight. Highly recommended.
July 9, 2019
Don't get me wrong, this is well written, and I was so on board for the first 75% of the book. Then, all the angst was explained and there was no reason for it. Ladies, if you meet the love of your lives multiple times, communicate for heavens sake. Is it supposed to be romantic that these women suffered their whole lives and used the nice men around them while they pined for assholes abroad? No, girl, any relationship book will tell you to open your stupid mouth and communicate.
UGH
UGH
November 5, 2016
Karen White, Beatriz Williams, and Lauren Willig, three very popular authors, wrote this novel. I was apprehensive because I thought the style would change from author to author but I was impressed that it flowed seamlessly.
This romantic novel covers three generations. In 1892 Olive is a housemaid for a very wealthy family and she is out for revenge for her father’s death but her attraction to a certain artist could be her downfall. In 1920 Lucy, Olive’s daughter, works for a law firm but she is there for one reason only. She is desperate to discover some well buried secrets about her family. In 1944, Lucy’s daughter, Kate, is a doctor healing soldiers returning from the war. She is dedicated and determined to shine in a man’s world but her attraction to a very handsome patient sometimes cause troubles with her career. These three women have a very interesting and puzzling connection concerning a ruby neckless and a mansion in Manhattan.
The Forgotten Room Is most definitely a romantic historical novel and it has a dash of mystery in it. I enjoyed it because it was a get-away novel for me. Although this book was slow and confusing in the first few chapters I stuck with it until I was able figure out who was who and then I enjoyed the story immensely. I do recommend this to anyone that loves star-crossed lovers and dramatic passion done well.
This romantic novel covers three generations. In 1892 Olive is a housemaid for a very wealthy family and she is out for revenge for her father’s death but her attraction to a certain artist could be her downfall. In 1920 Lucy, Olive’s daughter, works for a law firm but she is there for one reason only. She is desperate to discover some well buried secrets about her family. In 1944, Lucy’s daughter, Kate, is a doctor healing soldiers returning from the war. She is dedicated and determined to shine in a man’s world but her attraction to a very handsome patient sometimes cause troubles with her career. These three women have a very interesting and puzzling connection concerning a ruby neckless and a mansion in Manhattan.
The Forgotten Room Is most definitely a romantic historical novel and it has a dash of mystery in it. I enjoyed it because it was a get-away novel for me. Although this book was slow and confusing in the first few chapters I stuck with it until I was able figure out who was who and then I enjoyed the story immensely. I do recommend this to anyone that loves star-crossed lovers and dramatic passion done well.
October 24, 2016
The Forgotten Room was just ok. I love Beatriz Williams and I could definitely tell which storyline she wrote because it was the only one I enjoyed. After reading the Forgotten Room I don't think I will be reading any books by Karen White or Lauren Willig. Read it if you really want to but there are far better historical romances out there and way better books by Beatriz Williams.
January 14, 2016
The Forgotten Room is a unique story told in three different points of view and three different times of the ages. What was so interesting is that the story blends together people whose lives intersect in ways they never could have imagined across generations. It's amazing that these three authors can each write about a personality and then bring together heartwarming story about men and women whose lives will be changed forever.
This is a story of three beautiful romances that are both touching and heartbreaking at the same time. I just could not get enough this story. With a bit of mystery and intrigue plus in depth look at the history of the time, this story is one that's going to remain with you for a long time. The ending was both happy and sad with choices that were made that changes lives and the people affected.
These talented authors crafted an amazing novel that begs to be read several times to get the whole depth of the story. Definitely one to check out!
This is a story of three beautiful romances that are both touching and heartbreaking at the same time. I just could not get enough this story. With a bit of mystery and intrigue plus in depth look at the history of the time, this story is one that's going to remain with you for a long time. The ending was both happy and sad with choices that were made that changes lives and the people affected.
These talented authors crafted an amazing novel that begs to be read several times to get the whole depth of the story. Definitely one to check out!
October 18, 2015
I downloaded this book during a workday – big mistake. After quickly reading the first chapter and being introduced to Kate and the wounded captain, the rest of the day was utter torture. My hands kept twitching, yearning to keep on reading.
Foolishly, I had made plans with a friend after work. I toyed with the idea of cancelling but … was a normal and polite human and resisted the overwhelming urge. You will not get me to confess that I snuck in some covert reading during our dinner by excusing myself to go to the bathroom. No sir, that was not me.
Finally, finally after a long day, I got home bone tired. Was I sensible and told myself to continue reading the next day? Of course not. My curiosity overcame my weary eyes and I kept on reading, racing through the pages and the eras spanning turn-of-the-century to World War II because I had to find out what happened to Olive and Harry, Lucy and John, and Kate and Cooper. I stayed up until 1:30 in the morning and was a zombie at work that day but it was worth it.
In other words, I could not put this book down. I was captivated by all three stories, set in different time periods, all linked by an enchanting secret room of a New York mansion and a ruby necklace handed down through generations of women in one family.
Since there are three authors, I at first tried to figure out who did what. I have read three of Lauren Willig’s books (and loved them all) so I thought I would be able to spot which style and storyline was hers. However, I quickly abandoned playing detective and simply gave myself up to the lure of the interweaving stories, which have a theme of lost love, regret and how choices that might once have been made rationally can have an impact years, and even generations, after.
The Forgotten Room is sumptuous, entertaining, and heartbreaking.
Foolishly, I had made plans with a friend after work. I toyed with the idea of cancelling but … was a normal and polite human and resisted the overwhelming urge. You will not get me to confess that I snuck in some covert reading during our dinner by excusing myself to go to the bathroom. No sir, that was not me.
Finally, finally after a long day, I got home bone tired. Was I sensible and told myself to continue reading the next day? Of course not. My curiosity overcame my weary eyes and I kept on reading, racing through the pages and the eras spanning turn-of-the-century to World War II because I had to find out what happened to Olive and Harry, Lucy and John, and Kate and Cooper. I stayed up until 1:30 in the morning and was a zombie at work that day but it was worth it.
In other words, I could not put this book down. I was captivated by all three stories, set in different time periods, all linked by an enchanting secret room of a New York mansion and a ruby necklace handed down through generations of women in one family.
Since there are three authors, I at first tried to figure out who did what. I have read three of Lauren Willig’s books (and loved them all) so I thought I would be able to spot which style and storyline was hers. However, I quickly abandoned playing detective and simply gave myself up to the lure of the interweaving stories, which have a theme of lost love, regret and how choices that might once have been made rationally can have an impact years, and even generations, after.
The Forgotten Room is sumptuous, entertaining, and heartbreaking.
October 18, 2016
Great book by three favorite authors
December 7, 2016
Full review at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
When I saw that Lauren Willig was one of three authors of what was described as “a blend of romance, historical fiction and family saga,” I was like OMG PUT THAT IN MY HANDS RIGHT NOW. The Forgotten Room checks the box for all three categories, but unfortunately I found a lot of the tropes within the book to be tired and I struggled to really engage with the heroes. As family saga/ historical fiction it worked pretty well for me. As a romance, it did not.
For me, the biggest issues with the novel were the heroes and the portrayal of “other” women. Let’s start with the heroes. All three men — Harry, Philip and Cooper — put the heroines in serious jeopardy when they begin to pursue them, even if their intentions aren’t malicious. In Olive’s case, an Upstairs-Downstairs romance almost always leads to the Downstairs party being dismissed in shame. Harry is a romantic, and he truly loves Olive and wants to run away with her, but I don’t think he ever fully appreciates the precariousness of her situation. His class standing is so far above hers that he can he destroy her ability to find other domestic employment by pursuing her romantically–hell, even by just painting her.
Now, class issues come up all the time in romance novels. It’s a familiar plot conflict. The only time it works for me, though, is when the hero is fully cognizant of the fact that his station above the heroine’s means anything he does runs the risk of, quite frankly, ruining her life. In all three cases, the heroes in this book have the ability to destroy the heroine’s careers and sources of income by thoughtless actions, and while their intentions were pure, I didn’t feel that they fully understood how precarious the situation was for the heroines.
Which brings us to the “other” women. Both Philip and Cooper’s fiancees are portrayed as cold, aloof, selfish women. The “other” woman in Olive’s story is Harry’s sister, Prunella, who is determined to see Olive ruined for no other reason than she’s an awful human being. Didi and Prunella come across as mostly materialistic and scheming.
I’m just really, really tired of books with the beautiful, ice queen villainous ‘other woman.’ Unless she’s an actual ice queen in which case, BRING IT. Otherwise, I hate the other woman trope. It’s tired. It contributes to the bullshit idea that women have to tear each other down because there are only so many good things (in this case men) to compete over. Prunella, Didi and Caroline (Cooper’s fiancée) are portrayed as selfish, foot-stamping, spoiled brats. It’s a way of showing how good the heroine is by comparison — “pure” and “kind.” It’s a lazy method of characterization for the heroine, it makes the heroes look like dicks for cheating (except Harry), and it’s a damaging and outdated portrayal of women in general.
As I said, The Forgotten Room worked okay for me on the historical fiction and family saga front. I enjoyed following the Pratt mansion through its many lives over the years and I was invested in unraveling what really happened between Olive and Harry. As a romance, it falls short, in part because I would have appreciated more nuanced, complex portrayals of the secondary female characters.
- Elyse
When I saw that Lauren Willig was one of three authors of what was described as “a blend of romance, historical fiction and family saga,” I was like OMG PUT THAT IN MY HANDS RIGHT NOW. The Forgotten Room checks the box for all three categories, but unfortunately I found a lot of the tropes within the book to be tired and I struggled to really engage with the heroes. As family saga/ historical fiction it worked pretty well for me. As a romance, it did not.
For me, the biggest issues with the novel were the heroes and the portrayal of “other” women. Let’s start with the heroes. All three men — Harry, Philip and Cooper — put the heroines in serious jeopardy when they begin to pursue them, even if their intentions aren’t malicious. In Olive’s case, an Upstairs-Downstairs romance almost always leads to the Downstairs party being dismissed in shame. Harry is a romantic, and he truly loves Olive and wants to run away with her, but I don’t think he ever fully appreciates the precariousness of her situation. His class standing is so far above hers that he can he destroy her ability to find other domestic employment by pursuing her romantically–hell, even by just painting her.
Now, class issues come up all the time in romance novels. It’s a familiar plot conflict. The only time it works for me, though, is when the hero is fully cognizant of the fact that his station above the heroine’s means anything he does runs the risk of, quite frankly, ruining her life. In all three cases, the heroes in this book have the ability to destroy the heroine’s careers and sources of income by thoughtless actions, and while their intentions were pure, I didn’t feel that they fully understood how precarious the situation was for the heroines.
Which brings us to the “other” women. Both Philip and Cooper’s fiancees are portrayed as cold, aloof, selfish women. The “other” woman in Olive’s story is Harry’s sister, Prunella, who is determined to see Olive ruined for no other reason than she’s an awful human being. Didi and Prunella come across as mostly materialistic and scheming.
I’m just really, really tired of books with the beautiful, ice queen villainous ‘other woman.’ Unless she’s an actual ice queen in which case, BRING IT. Otherwise, I hate the other woman trope. It’s tired. It contributes to the bullshit idea that women have to tear each other down because there are only so many good things (in this case men) to compete over. Prunella, Didi and Caroline (Cooper’s fiancée) are portrayed as selfish, foot-stamping, spoiled brats. It’s a way of showing how good the heroine is by comparison — “pure” and “kind.” It’s a lazy method of characterization for the heroine, it makes the heroes look like dicks for cheating (except Harry), and it’s a damaging and outdated portrayal of women in general.
As I said, The Forgotten Room worked okay for me on the historical fiction and family saga front. I enjoyed following the Pratt mansion through its many lives over the years and I was invested in unraveling what really happened between Olive and Harry. As a romance, it falls short, in part because I would have appreciated more nuanced, complex portrayals of the secondary female characters.
- Elyse
October 5, 2016
This is one of those books that is best read in one sitting, two at the most. This story is told from 3 different POVs, each being in a different era: the 1890's, the 1920's, and the 1940's. The 3 POV's are a daughter, mother, and grandmother all with similar stories and all with romance center stage. That is the hard part....keeping everyone separate when they are so very similar. Sometimes, I wasn't sure who was talking. Thankfully, the authors use the character names a lot to remind the reader who was taking a turn. But with that aside, I actually still liked this and was able to get through it in one morning.
The MCs were likable, but they were also a wee bit too perfect. I would have preferred them to have been more flawed. The flawed characters seemed to be reserved for the men. They were all a little tortured and in need of being saved mostly from themselves.....see what I mean about the similarities.
This was probably 3.5 stars for me, but will round up because of my overall enjoyment of this. I think if I had stretched this out over a few days to a week, I would have gone with 3 stars because I hate it when I'm more confused than not.
The MCs were likable, but they were also a wee bit too perfect. I would have preferred them to have been more flawed. The flawed characters seemed to be reserved for the men. They were all a little tortured and in need of being saved mostly from themselves.....see what I mean about the similarities.
This was probably 3.5 stars for me, but will round up because of my overall enjoyment of this. I think if I had stretched this out over a few days to a week, I would have gone with 3 stars because I hate it when I'm more confused than not.
September 20, 2016
Well, I am totally bummed. I so wanted to like this book, but I had issues with it from the get-go.
The big deal breakers for me were the format and the fact that none of the young women engaged my interest. The format was the big culprit for me--the alternating chapters never gave me a chance to sink into the story. I was constantly being jerked away just when I was getting settled in. I do believe that all the to-ing and fro-ing led to my second problem.
I think I would have liked this better as three chronologically presented novellas.
Judging from some of the early reviews, I am in the minority. Oh, well...
The big deal breakers for me were the format and the fact that none of the young women engaged my interest. The format was the big culprit for me--the alternating chapters never gave me a chance to sink into the story. I was constantly being jerked away just when I was getting settled in. I do believe that all the to-ing and fro-ing led to my second problem.
I think I would have liked this better as three chronologically presented novellas.
Judging from some of the early reviews, I am in the minority. Oh, well...
March 5, 2016
I didn't dislike this book, but I wanted to like it more. Told from three different perspectives, I think my biggest issue was that aside from the main characters trying to piece together a mystery, the love interests also had a history, and I started getting confused as to how everyone was related. So it was the last third when secrets were revealed that made me just want to finish and move on to something new. I thought the premise of the story was unique, but all the storylines and the fact that we kept moving backward in time lost my focus a bit.
May 31, 2022
First time reading a novel by the three writers. I really enjoyed it. It started well with Kate's story then I was lost after the first chapter. I was going to give up then after a while I get the feel of the story and it pulls me in. I drew a family tree to keep track of the characters. This was a great read!!
November 9, 2015
This book spans 3 generations from mother to daughter to granddaughter and a love that would not be derailed by time or circumstance. As the three stories unfold you find yourself transported back to a time when women were ruled by their stations in life and then the next generation beginning to work up to the time when women were fighting for the right to do a man's job. Olive, the mother tries to vindicate her father whom she feels has been robbed of his success when the wealthy Pratts refuse to pay him for the mansion he has designed so she takes a job there to expose them of their deception and clear her father's name. In time she falls in love with Harry Pratt but they are doomed from the beginning. Her daughter wants to learn her true birth right but it seems that may not be as easy as she thought when she takes a job in the secretarial pool where the Pratt's daughter's step son works so that she can find out who her true father is by spying. The granddaughter has been raised to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor allowing nothing to get in the way of her dream. As the mystery of what happened all those long years ago unfolds it seems these 3 are destined to be drawn back into the Pratt's circle as true love is not to be denied. Great read. I would like to thank the publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this ARC.
October 24, 2015
I had not read a book written by three different authors and what brilliant writers each of them are. This is what attracted me to this book. I knew it had to be very good and very good it was.
Told in three different time lines each story was dramatic and full of suspense. Each story was from the beginning linked to another so that you knew at the end it was going to come together, happily or not. There was so much sadness, separation, hardship during the course of each story that it was not an easy read at all but I kept going because the characterization was so very good and each woman in the story was made of really good stuff and extremely admirable (in each circumstance). Very strong, very much to be admired women.
1945 Dr Kate Schuyler facing antagonism just for being a female doctor not just from fellow doctors but even from fellow nurses who feel that she is above them and she should be just one of them. There is Lucy looking for the father she feels is out there and someone she never knew and Olive who works as a servant in the mansion designed by her father and is bitter towards the people who now occupy it.
The period in which each story was set was also a tumultuous time not just for America but for the whole world - a time of much change especially for women and this was also a highlight of this book.
The stories blend and contrast very well and though at times I found it a bit difficult to keep the stories apart - the book in itself is a wonderful read.
Told in three different time lines each story was dramatic and full of suspense. Each story was from the beginning linked to another so that you knew at the end it was going to come together, happily or not. There was so much sadness, separation, hardship during the course of each story that it was not an easy read at all but I kept going because the characterization was so very good and each woman in the story was made of really good stuff and extremely admirable (in each circumstance). Very strong, very much to be admired women.
1945 Dr Kate Schuyler facing antagonism just for being a female doctor not just from fellow doctors but even from fellow nurses who feel that she is above them and she should be just one of them. There is Lucy looking for the father she feels is out there and someone she never knew and Olive who works as a servant in the mansion designed by her father and is bitter towards the people who now occupy it.
The period in which each story was set was also a tumultuous time not just for America but for the whole world - a time of much change especially for women and this was also a highlight of this book.
The stories blend and contrast very well and though at times I found it a bit difficult to keep the stories apart - the book in itself is a wonderful read.
April 6, 2016
Loved how it all really came together at the end.
February 1, 2024
Karen White is by far one of my favorite southern fiction writers. I’ve had this novel on my TBR list for years and I finally decided to read it.
A lot of the story centers around a very prominent family here in Charleston, the Ravenel‘s. Our iconic Cooper River bridge is named after Arthur Ravenel, Jr. So while I enjoyed the connections between the women and the Ravenel men, I wish that there had been an authors note explaining Whites choice in using this family name. I listened to this, so the hard copy book may include this.
I thought that this was too long too. It should’ve ’wrapped up’ a bit more quickly. I found myself getting a lil bored during the last quarter of the story. Audio wasn’t my favorite. I wish it had been a single narrator rather than dual. Not sure the reasoning behind having two.
Overall, a good story with just a few ‘niggles’. 3.5 stars.
Available on Hoopla. Listened at 1.3 speed.
A lot of the story centers around a very prominent family here in Charleston, the Ravenel‘s. Our iconic Cooper River bridge is named after Arthur Ravenel, Jr. So while I enjoyed the connections between the women and the Ravenel men, I wish that there had been an authors note explaining Whites choice in using this family name. I listened to this, so the hard copy book may include this.
I thought that this was too long too. It should’ve ’wrapped up’ a bit more quickly. I found myself getting a lil bored during the last quarter of the story. Audio wasn’t my favorite. I wish it had been a single narrator rather than dual. Not sure the reasoning behind having two.
Overall, a good story with just a few ‘niggles’. 3.5 stars.
Available on Hoopla. Listened at 1.3 speed.
January 5, 2016
Great book by 3 great authors!
I was so excited to have been approved for this title! I have been dying to read it and thought of this as such a gift. I've only read 1 book by Karen White prior to this but liked it & plan to read more. Lauren Willig & Beatriz Williams are 2 of my favorite authors. I couldn't wait to see what these women came up with together! What they created was seamless through both the eras of the 3 different main characters and the authors themselves. In my opinion, just by reading it, I couldn't tell at all that this was written by multiple authors. It was that smooth!
The book follows 3 generations of women; Kate, Lucy, & Olive; through loves, losses, & misunderstandings. It focuses in on a place they've all lived, not always knowing each other's connection to said place. All 3 storylines kept me interested, and I didn't want to stop until I saw how they converged and were connected. Missed opportunities and ultimately fear cause problems, but will true love ever win out? I've always been intrigued by the idea of intense romantic feelings passing "genetically"
For fans of any and all of these 3 authors, this is a must read! Great novel that takes you through 3 fascinating times in history with memorable characters.
**Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Berkley NAL Publishers for an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review**
I was so excited to have been approved for this title! I have been dying to read it and thought of this as such a gift. I've only read 1 book by Karen White prior to this but liked it & plan to read more. Lauren Willig & Beatriz Williams are 2 of my favorite authors. I couldn't wait to see what these women came up with together! What they created was seamless through both the eras of the 3 different main characters and the authors themselves. In my opinion, just by reading it, I couldn't tell at all that this was written by multiple authors. It was that smooth!
The book follows 3 generations of women; Kate, Lucy, & Olive; through loves, losses, & misunderstandings. It focuses in on a place they've all lived, not always knowing each other's connection to said place. All 3 storylines kept me interested, and I didn't want to stop until I saw how they converged and were connected. Missed opportunities and ultimately fear cause problems, but will true love ever win out? I've always been intrigued by the idea of intense romantic feelings passing "genetically"
For fans of any and all of these 3 authors, this is a must read! Great novel that takes you through 3 fascinating times in history with memorable characters.
**Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Berkley NAL Publishers for an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review**
August 23, 2018
This was not what I was in the mood for today. It made me all sad and achy and frustrated and not in a good way. Mostly I spent the book being annoyed by pretty much all the male characters, and mentally yelling at them about trying to recognize power imbalances, or perhaps gender-related consequence imbalances, and maybe get over themselves and behave accordingly.
Also, I feel like I've gotten to the end, and I feel like the lesson is that dudes had better be clear about their intentions early on (particularly when power imbalances exist), and the practicalities of the relationship, otherwise the ladies in their lives will find someone who will.
I dunno, three stars because I really liked both Lucy and Kate, and some of the actual prose is good. Otherwise, I don't think I really liked this all that well.
Could be mood.
Also, I feel like I've gotten to the end, and I feel like the lesson is that dudes had better be clear about their intentions early on (particularly when power imbalances exist), and the practicalities of the relationship, otherwise the ladies in their lives will find someone who will.
I dunno, three stars because I really liked both Lucy and Kate, and some of the actual prose is good. Otherwise, I don't think I really liked this all that well.
Could be mood.
January 29, 2016
Olive is a maid in the opulent Pratt Mansion on the upper east side. She wasn't raised to be a maid, far from it, her father was a famous architect and had ambitions of grandeur for his family. Ambitions that ended when the Pratt's refused to pay for his work on the mansion and he ended his life. Olive has infiltrated the household to clear her father's name, little thinking that she might find something other then vengeance inside those four walls her father built. Almost thirty years later Olive's daughter Lucy hears her mother's deathbed utterance of the name Harry and has become convinced, in part due to her overbearing grandmother, that the Harry her mother spoke of was Harry Pratt. Could she be related to that once great family? She takes a job in the city working for the firm that handles the Pratt estate and gets a room at Stornaway House, a respectable boarding house for young women that was once the Pratt Mansion.
Though Lucy isn't the only one looking into the Pratts. John Ravenel, the son of the famous painter Augustus Ravenel, is trying to find a connection between the Pratts and his father. Lucy's life is caught up in the secrets of the past and present but can her heart endure the discoveries? More then twenty years have passed and World War II is raging, Stornaway House is now a hospital and they have a very competent female doctor on staff, Kate Schuyler, the daughter of Lucy. On a stormy night they receive a new patient, Captain Ravenel. The only room available is a disused and forgotten room at the top of the once great mansion that Kate has been sleeping in. Up in this secret aerie will Kate and her Captain connect the dots and reconcile the past and the present to make a future for themselves?
Books with multiple authors that aren't anthologies or short story collections are an interesting breed apart. You often get husbands and wives writing together, sometimes under a combined pseudonym, A.A. Aguirre is Anne Aguirre and her husband Andres, Ilona Andrews is Ilona Gordon and Andrew Gordon, something I didn't know until I met them. Even two good friends writing together happens, look at Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia. The key to these writing partnerships is that they have a bond that goes beyond the writing to an understanding of each other so they can form a cohesive narrative. There are even ways to work around cohesion, this being a more epistolary approach where each author takes a character and is their voice, much as Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer did with their Sorcery and Cecelia series. But to have more then two authors is a rarity.
To have three authors each tackling a different time period but working together to mesh their writing styles so that it feels like a cohesive whole seems in the abstract like an insurmountable task. Even when marketing this book Lauren commented on how the PR department had a hard time conveying that that they "were three authors writing a single novel... rather than an anthology." Yet when you start to read the book all your doubts leave. Aside from the minor exception that Kate's section is written in the first person the book feels like a cohesive whole, not like loosely strung together stories. I haven't read any other books by Karen White or Beatriz Williams, I signed on initially just for Lauren, but seeing how they worked together I'm excited to see what they all do next.
Even though the three writers created this cohesive story I still found myself liking certain characters more than others. I mean, it's nearly impossible not to pick favorite characters in a book, but when all those characters are in a certain section and you have to read two other sections to get back to them, it's hard not to be occasionally frustrated. What was must frustrating to me though is how the narrative is constructed so that only one of the three women gets the happily ever after. Seeing my favorite character NOT get her HEA, that got on my nerves, even if I figured it was inevitable. But seeing my least favorite character, Kate, get the HEA? Oh, yeah. I'm not a happy woman. So much of the love stories seemed to hinge on the star-crossed lovers motif that when the women used common sense and logic to settle down I was frustrated.
Olive and Lucy both seem resigned to their fates that they couldn't be with the ones they loved. Seriously, all I could think of was the 30 Rock episodes with Michael Sheen where he meets Tina Fey's character and he thinks that she is his settling soulmate. That the "universe wants us to settle for one another... fate is telling us this is the best we're ever going to get. We're each other's settling soulmates." Not the one true love, the one that you settle for. This is so depressing to me. There's this connection between the women of this family and the Ravenel men that passes down the line, they are inevitability drawn to each other like magnets yet it takes them three generations to get it right? Disgruntled sigh. But who I feel the worst for is the poor schmoes that Olive and Lucy marry. These two men ADORE these women, they are the loves of their lives and the women know this and settle and become bitter. Those men deserved women who loved them as much as they loved!
As for all these women searching out the truth and connecting with these Ravenel men, it makes you realize the importance of asking questions before it's too late. Family secrets build and fester and this shows what happens when you wait too long; you don't get the truth. Or you don't get the whole truth. The fact of the matter is we never think to ask questions of our parents or our grandparents when there's time. Why does the ancestry bug bite people in their 50s and 60s? If we could jump start this a little earlier than perhaps we could learn more, get the answers, even get answers to questions we never thought to ask! This is how we lose our ancestral identity, through laxity. Yes this book takes place in a different time, in fact several different times, when openness wasn't the order of the day. But still, there is silence because people were willing to accept it as the status quo. We need to be willing to ask the hard questions of our parents before it's too late, learn of their life and loves, and even their frustrations and sins. A few too many deathbed utterances could easily be replaced with truth. But then, from a fictional standpoint, where's the mystery?
Another product of the times is the pervasive sexual harassment within this story. In fact at times it's so prevalent you feel drawn out of the story. Yes, I know it's not historically inaccurate, it's a sad truth, but making it such a theme takes something away from the book. It leaves an uncomfortable aftertaste in your mouth. If it was important to the narrative I would understand it's presence, but it just seems to be used as a signifier of the times. The worst is Kate's fellow Doctor, Dr. Greeley. He is a worm. A slimy, slippery, creep. I just don't understand why with him. Not the why he behaves the way he does, but why Kate lets him. Yes, she's a female in a male dominated profession. Yes, he could make life uncomfortable for her. But no, that doesn't mean she should acquiesce to dinner dates and gropings in cupboards. In fact her unwillingness to stick up to this creep is probably the number one reason I like her least of the female trio. She has the ability to stand up to him, she just won't. And that's the problem with sexual harassment. Too many women not willing to raise their voices up. Kate is a woman ahead of her times, not a product of her times, and she accepts something that is unacceptable. Ugh. No.
But among all the characters there's one character that I just couldn't connect with, and that's the Pratt mansion. Because the mansion is just as much a character as any of those of flesh and bone. I just didn't buy the building as an actual location. It doesn't work. There seems to be no real handle on the building. The structure seems to shift and morph. In fact this would be the only time where the three authors I think are most obvious, because it seems they all have slightly different interpretations of this one place and they don't quite jive. I think they needed a real life counterpart to actually walk around in to get the architecture right. For the longest time I thought Lucy was actually rooming in "the forgotten room" only to be shocked in her last section to find out she was living in the servants quarters the floor below. In fact "the forgotten room" seems to be able to be accessed several different ways, at one point the stairs go all the way there, later there's only the secret stairs in a hidden cupboard. Also, was this room even really forgotten? It's seems to have fairly regular usage, and therefore the moniker of "forgotten" seems to be just desperate to add mystique. The reason I'm harping on about this is because a story needs to be grounded. This house was to be that. Instead it's like building your story on shifting sand. It works for awhile, but sometimes something is lost to the sea.
Though Lucy isn't the only one looking into the Pratts. John Ravenel, the son of the famous painter Augustus Ravenel, is trying to find a connection between the Pratts and his father. Lucy's life is caught up in the secrets of the past and present but can her heart endure the discoveries? More then twenty years have passed and World War II is raging, Stornaway House is now a hospital and they have a very competent female doctor on staff, Kate Schuyler, the daughter of Lucy. On a stormy night they receive a new patient, Captain Ravenel. The only room available is a disused and forgotten room at the top of the once great mansion that Kate has been sleeping in. Up in this secret aerie will Kate and her Captain connect the dots and reconcile the past and the present to make a future for themselves?
Books with multiple authors that aren't anthologies or short story collections are an interesting breed apart. You often get husbands and wives writing together, sometimes under a combined pseudonym, A.A. Aguirre is Anne Aguirre and her husband Andres, Ilona Andrews is Ilona Gordon and Andrew Gordon, something I didn't know until I met them. Even two good friends writing together happens, look at Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia. The key to these writing partnerships is that they have a bond that goes beyond the writing to an understanding of each other so they can form a cohesive narrative. There are even ways to work around cohesion, this being a more epistolary approach where each author takes a character and is their voice, much as Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer did with their Sorcery and Cecelia series. But to have more then two authors is a rarity.
To have three authors each tackling a different time period but working together to mesh their writing styles so that it feels like a cohesive whole seems in the abstract like an insurmountable task. Even when marketing this book Lauren commented on how the PR department had a hard time conveying that that they "were three authors writing a single novel... rather than an anthology." Yet when you start to read the book all your doubts leave. Aside from the minor exception that Kate's section is written in the first person the book feels like a cohesive whole, not like loosely strung together stories. I haven't read any other books by Karen White or Beatriz Williams, I signed on initially just for Lauren, but seeing how they worked together I'm excited to see what they all do next.
Even though the three writers created this cohesive story I still found myself liking certain characters more than others. I mean, it's nearly impossible not to pick favorite characters in a book, but when all those characters are in a certain section and you have to read two other sections to get back to them, it's hard not to be occasionally frustrated. What was must frustrating to me though is how the narrative is constructed so that only one of the three women gets the happily ever after. Seeing my favorite character NOT get her HEA, that got on my nerves, even if I figured it was inevitable. But seeing my least favorite character, Kate, get the HEA? Oh, yeah. I'm not a happy woman. So much of the love stories seemed to hinge on the star-crossed lovers motif that when the women used common sense and logic to settle down I was frustrated.
Olive and Lucy both seem resigned to their fates that they couldn't be with the ones they loved. Seriously, all I could think of was the 30 Rock episodes with Michael Sheen where he meets Tina Fey's character and he thinks that she is his settling soulmate. That the "universe wants us to settle for one another... fate is telling us this is the best we're ever going to get. We're each other's settling soulmates." Not the one true love, the one that you settle for. This is so depressing to me. There's this connection between the women of this family and the Ravenel men that passes down the line, they are inevitability drawn to each other like magnets yet it takes them three generations to get it right? Disgruntled sigh. But who I feel the worst for is the poor schmoes that Olive and Lucy marry. These two men ADORE these women, they are the loves of their lives and the women know this and settle and become bitter. Those men deserved women who loved them as much as they loved!
As for all these women searching out the truth and connecting with these Ravenel men, it makes you realize the importance of asking questions before it's too late. Family secrets build and fester and this shows what happens when you wait too long; you don't get the truth. Or you don't get the whole truth. The fact of the matter is we never think to ask questions of our parents or our grandparents when there's time. Why does the ancestry bug bite people in their 50s and 60s? If we could jump start this a little earlier than perhaps we could learn more, get the answers, even get answers to questions we never thought to ask! This is how we lose our ancestral identity, through laxity. Yes this book takes place in a different time, in fact several different times, when openness wasn't the order of the day. But still, there is silence because people were willing to accept it as the status quo. We need to be willing to ask the hard questions of our parents before it's too late, learn of their life and loves, and even their frustrations and sins. A few too many deathbed utterances could easily be replaced with truth. But then, from a fictional standpoint, where's the mystery?
Another product of the times is the pervasive sexual harassment within this story. In fact at times it's so prevalent you feel drawn out of the story. Yes, I know it's not historically inaccurate, it's a sad truth, but making it such a theme takes something away from the book. It leaves an uncomfortable aftertaste in your mouth. If it was important to the narrative I would understand it's presence, but it just seems to be used as a signifier of the times. The worst is Kate's fellow Doctor, Dr. Greeley. He is a worm. A slimy, slippery, creep. I just don't understand why with him. Not the why he behaves the way he does, but why Kate lets him. Yes, she's a female in a male dominated profession. Yes, he could make life uncomfortable for her. But no, that doesn't mean she should acquiesce to dinner dates and gropings in cupboards. In fact her unwillingness to stick up to this creep is probably the number one reason I like her least of the female trio. She has the ability to stand up to him, she just won't. And that's the problem with sexual harassment. Too many women not willing to raise their voices up. Kate is a woman ahead of her times, not a product of her times, and she accepts something that is unacceptable. Ugh. No.
But among all the characters there's one character that I just couldn't connect with, and that's the Pratt mansion. Because the mansion is just as much a character as any of those of flesh and bone. I just didn't buy the building as an actual location. It doesn't work. There seems to be no real handle on the building. The structure seems to shift and morph. In fact this would be the only time where the three authors I think are most obvious, because it seems they all have slightly different interpretations of this one place and they don't quite jive. I think they needed a real life counterpart to actually walk around in to get the architecture right. For the longest time I thought Lucy was actually rooming in "the forgotten room" only to be shocked in her last section to find out she was living in the servants quarters the floor below. In fact "the forgotten room" seems to be able to be accessed several different ways, at one point the stairs go all the way there, later there's only the secret stairs in a hidden cupboard. Also, was this room even really forgotten? It's seems to have fairly regular usage, and therefore the moniker of "forgotten" seems to be just desperate to add mystique. The reason I'm harping on about this is because a story needs to be grounded. This house was to be that. Instead it's like building your story on shifting sand. It works for awhile, but sometimes something is lost to the sea.
November 4, 2023
https://wendyreadit.wordpress.com/202...
This story revolves around three women from three different time periods, 1945 with doctor Kate and one particular patient, Olive, a maid for the wealthy Pratt family in New York City in the 1880s, and Lucy Young, a secretary during the 1920s who lives in a small upstairs room in a boarding house. What these three women have in common is that the Pratt home where Olive works is the same house as the boarding house where decades later Lucy lives, and the same home that is converted into a hospital where Kate works and lives. The chapters alternate through the lives of these women and you soon figure out that they are all related somehow, and it's very interesting how they all come together. The narration is well done.
This story revolves around three women from three different time periods, 1945 with doctor Kate and one particular patient, Olive, a maid for the wealthy Pratt family in New York City in the 1880s, and Lucy Young, a secretary during the 1920s who lives in a small upstairs room in a boarding house. What these three women have in common is that the Pratt home where Olive works is the same house as the boarding house where decades later Lucy lives, and the same home that is converted into a hospital where Kate works and lives. The chapters alternate through the lives of these women and you soon figure out that they are all related somehow, and it's very interesting how they all come together. The narration is well done.
June 6, 2023
The Forgotten Room is one of those books that starts with a pretty cool concept. We get to follow three heroines who each face a pivotal point in their lives and who face it, at least in part, in the same setting. In this way, readers get to see bits and pieces of a family's history as well as the history of a once-great house. Perhaps naturally, I found some parts of the story more interesting than others, but even though the book read a bit unevenly for me, I enjoyed it.
So, who are our three heroines? Well, the first we meet is Kate Schuyler, a WWII doctor at Stornaway, a military hospital housed in what was once a great New York mansion. As the story opens, Kate finds herself face to face with the injured and gravely ill Cooper Ravenel. Something about this South Carolina officer touches Kate immediately, and despite the hostility of her supervising doctor, she is determined to save his leg.
Interspersed with Kate's story, we also get the tales of Olive Van Alan, a maid living and working in Pratt Mansion in the 1890s, and Lucy Young, a legal secretary in 1920s New York, who lives in a boarding house located in what was once the fabulous Pratt Mansion. I won't spoil the storyline here, but readers will figure out pretty quickly that not only do their stories center at least partially on the same house, but the three women are connected in various ways. And then there's the St. George mural and the mysterious room at the top of the house....
In the earliest-set storyline of the book, Olive has come to the Pratts bent on revenge for the ruin and death of her beloved father. However, along the way, she finds herself unexpectedly falling in love with one of the sons of the house. Given the class structure of the time as well as Olive's history with the family, there are obvious tensions. The authors do a good job of telling the story, though, and I enjoyed seeing it unwind alongside the other stories in the novel. One can see how Olive's story turns out, but more importantly, how it has far-reaching consequences reaching decades into the future.
This is a partial review. You can find the complete text here: https://allaboutromance.com/book-revi...
So, who are our three heroines? Well, the first we meet is Kate Schuyler, a WWII doctor at Stornaway, a military hospital housed in what was once a great New York mansion. As the story opens, Kate finds herself face to face with the injured and gravely ill Cooper Ravenel. Something about this South Carolina officer touches Kate immediately, and despite the hostility of her supervising doctor, she is determined to save his leg.
Interspersed with Kate's story, we also get the tales of Olive Van Alan, a maid living and working in Pratt Mansion in the 1890s, and Lucy Young, a legal secretary in 1920s New York, who lives in a boarding house located in what was once the fabulous Pratt Mansion. I won't spoil the storyline here, but readers will figure out pretty quickly that not only do their stories center at least partially on the same house, but the three women are connected in various ways. And then there's the St. George mural and the mysterious room at the top of the house....
In the earliest-set storyline of the book, Olive has come to the Pratts bent on revenge for the ruin and death of her beloved father. However, along the way, she finds herself unexpectedly falling in love with one of the sons of the house. Given the class structure of the time as well as Olive's history with the family, there are obvious tensions. The authors do a good job of telling the story, though, and I enjoyed seeing it unwind alongside the other stories in the novel. One can see how Olive's story turns out, but more importantly, how it has far-reaching consequences reaching decades into the future.
This is a partial review. You can find the complete text here: https://allaboutromance.com/book-revi...
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