What do you think?
Rate this book
Brougham Hall
December 1822, Wiltshire, England
When Catherine goes to live with her highborn cousin's family at Brougham Hall, she expects restrictions on her previously free lifestyle and comments on her lack of social grace. What she does not anticipate is the loss of her heart, nor a web of dark family secrets that threaten the safety of everyone in the house.
Vampire twins Hal and James are Lord Grovely's guests. Though close in some respects, the different approach each takes to his vampiric nature puts a strain on their relationship. Having hoped for a pleasurable sojourn, they find themselves drawn into an unfolding drama in which their brotherly bond will be sorely tested.
When Catherine goes to live with her highborn cousin's family at Brougham Hall, she expects restrictions on her previously free lifestyle and comments on her lack of social grace. What she does not anticipate is the loss of her heart, nor a web of dark family secrets that threaten the safety of everyone in the house.
Vampire twins Hal and James are Lord Grovely's guests. Though close in some respects, the different approach each takes to his vampiric nature puts a strain on their relationship. Having hoped for a pleasurable sojourn, they find themselves drawn into an unfolding drama in which their brotherly bond will be sorely tested.
284 pages, Paperback
Published October 26, 2016
4 people want to read
About the author
Nicki J. Markus
55 books299 followersNicki J. Markus / Asta Idonea was born in England but now lives in Adelaide, South Australia. She has loved both reading and writing from a young age and is also a keen linguist, having studied several foreign languages.
She launched her writing career in 2011 and divides her efforts not only between MM and mainstream works but also between traditional and indie publishing. Her works span the genres, from paranormal to historical and from contemporary to fantasy. It just depends what story and which characters spring into her mind!
As a day job, she works part time as an administrator and part time as a freelance editor and proofreader, and in whatever spare time she can find she enjoys music, theater, cinema, photography, and sketching. She also loves history, folklore and mythology, pen-palling, and travel, all of which have provided plenty of inspiration for her writing.
She launched her writing career in 2011 and divides her efforts not only between MM and mainstream works but also between traditional and indie publishing. Her works span the genres, from paranormal to historical and from contemporary to fantasy. It just depends what story and which characters spring into her mind!
As a day job, she works part time as an administrator and part time as a freelance editor and proofreader, and in whatever spare time she can find she enjoys music, theater, cinema, photography, and sketching. She also loves history, folklore and mythology, pen-palling, and travel, all of which have provided plenty of inspiration for her writing.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 8, 2017
I received an ARC from the Making Connections group in exchange for an honest review.
Catherine Houghton is brought to Brougham Hall to act as a lady’s companion for Lord Grovely’s new wife. She’s a poor relation of his is invited to stay with them to be companion to his young wife, Amelia. She arrives at Christmas and Lord Groverly is hosting several guests. Catherine is assigned to the East Wing, as the West Wing is full, and finds herself alone in that wing and the accommodations are sub par. But that doesn’t overly faze her and she learns her duties and about the guests. But what does cause her distress is a ghost, one who haunts both the Hall and Catherine and Catherine finds aid in two unlikely guests: James and Hal Carrington.
James and Hal are vampires, opposite as opposites can be. Hal comes to immediately to Catherine’s aid. He’s a quiet introverted man who despises his vampirism and fights his blood lust due to his unwillingness to fee. But he’s a sweet, charming man who does not hesitate to help a woman in need. James is happy vamp, womanizing and carousing his way through life. He can’t understand his brother resistance to feeding. While charming, he is not nice, and behaves inappropriately with Catherine when he thinks she and his brothers are getting close.
The ghost changes everything and as Catherine and Hal, and finally James, keep digging, they discover secrets and lies the Hall has hidden for years.
There was so much I loved about this story but these were my three favorites:
1. The writing. Smooth and flowing the author can completely describe a room in just a few words. No overdone prose or pointless dialogue.
2. Catherine. So perfectly written. Being a lady’s companion is the best she can hope for, in fact it’s better than what she could have hoped for. But she understands the freedom she loses by taking the position and does her best to navigate a world she doesn’t know. She makes smart choices and asks for help when she needs it. Her acceptance of the ghost is appropriately paced as is her discovery and acceptance of the brothers’ secret.
3. Amelia. Amelia is much younger than her husband, it was an arranged marriage, and she is very happy to have a companion her age. Amelia is silly in her own way but adores Catherine from the start. She pushes Catherine at Hal, as she thinks they make a wonderful couple but she does this to make Catherine happy. She knows that marriage would take Catherine away from her but she does it anyway out of friendship for Catherine. I often see this type of character written as vain and uncaring and I appreciate how the author wrote her in such a favorable light.
The paranormal aspect was also well done. Information is dribbled through out the story, no big info dumps. And the side story of the tension between James and Hal due to Hal’s dissatisfaction with his condition is a interesting side note to the ghost story. And this is mainly a ghost story.
The niggles I had were minor. I actually wanted more world building, more history in vampires and how they function. I was also a little confused as to why what they did to solve the ghost problem actually worked.
Overall though, I enjoyed this very thoroughly.
Catherine Houghton is brought to Brougham Hall to act as a lady’s companion for Lord Grovely’s new wife. She’s a poor relation of his is invited to stay with them to be companion to his young wife, Amelia. She arrives at Christmas and Lord Groverly is hosting several guests. Catherine is assigned to the East Wing, as the West Wing is full, and finds herself alone in that wing and the accommodations are sub par. But that doesn’t overly faze her and she learns her duties and about the guests. But what does cause her distress is a ghost, one who haunts both the Hall and Catherine and Catherine finds aid in two unlikely guests: James and Hal Carrington.
James and Hal are vampires, opposite as opposites can be. Hal comes to immediately to Catherine’s aid. He’s a quiet introverted man who despises his vampirism and fights his blood lust due to his unwillingness to fee. But he’s a sweet, charming man who does not hesitate to help a woman in need. James is happy vamp, womanizing and carousing his way through life. He can’t understand his brother resistance to feeding. While charming, he is not nice, and behaves inappropriately with Catherine when he thinks she and his brothers are getting close.
The ghost changes everything and as Catherine and Hal, and finally James, keep digging, they discover secrets and lies the Hall has hidden for years.
There was so much I loved about this story but these were my three favorites:
1. The writing. Smooth and flowing the author can completely describe a room in just a few words. No overdone prose or pointless dialogue.
2. Catherine. So perfectly written. Being a lady’s companion is the best she can hope for, in fact it’s better than what she could have hoped for. But she understands the freedom she loses by taking the position and does her best to navigate a world she doesn’t know. She makes smart choices and asks for help when she needs it. Her acceptance of the ghost is appropriately paced as is her discovery and acceptance of the brothers’ secret.
3. Amelia. Amelia is much younger than her husband, it was an arranged marriage, and she is very happy to have a companion her age. Amelia is silly in her own way but adores Catherine from the start. She pushes Catherine at Hal, as she thinks they make a wonderful couple but she does this to make Catherine happy. She knows that marriage would take Catherine away from her but she does it anyway out of friendship for Catherine. I often see this type of character written as vain and uncaring and I appreciate how the author wrote her in such a favorable light.
The paranormal aspect was also well done. Information is dribbled through out the story, no big info dumps. And the side story of the tension between James and Hal due to Hal’s dissatisfaction with his condition is a interesting side note to the ghost story. And this is mainly a ghost story.
The niggles I had were minor. I actually wanted more world building, more history in vampires and how they function. I was also a little confused as to why what they did to solve the ghost problem actually worked.
Overall though, I enjoyed this very thoroughly.
August 15, 2017
This was a well-written, engaging book that took the ever-popular theme of vampires and made it original and thought-provoking! Touching on many sensitive issues, including homosexuality in the 1800s and sexual assault, it was deep in many places, particularly as the reader progresses through the story and better understands each character. I found myself not only interested in the romance between the two main characters but also intrigued by the historical elements of the story. Definitely a fascinating read.
Catherine Houghton has been invited to the home of her cousin, Lord Grovely, to be a companion to his new wife. Poor and with a mother wishing she would find a man to marry, Catherine is hoping to just have some time away and be of use to the remaining family she has left. Soon after arriving, she meets a mysterious man named Henry Carrington. Confined to his quarters during mealtime due to a delicate constitution, he is rarely seen socializing. However, circumstances keep throwing him into Catherine's path, and soon she begins to realize that not all is as it seems with him. Combine his odd behavior with ghostly happenings around the ancient estate, and it seems Catherine will have more than one paranormal entity to contend with.
Henry, or Hal, as his brother called him, was a shy, giving character who was easy to like from the get-go. Constantly trying to keep his reckless brother from the noose, both for his dangerous desire for blood and other "unnatural" appetites, he is at war on multiple fronts. Unlike his brother, he only feeds once a month and thus causes problems for himself when he sees or smells blood. Despite loathing his very nature, he is drawn to Catherine, who is unlike the other women he has known. She is kind, intelligent, and drawn to him just as much as he is to her. It was lovely seeing their relationship grow, even after she finds out he is a vampire. It just made them closer, it seemed, and the ending brought a smile to my face.
As I said, there were some elements of the book that should be noted as potential triggers:
I greatly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by Nicki Markus! This was an enjoyable read all-around and one I recommend to others who are fond of the vampire sub-genre.
**I received a free copy from the author and this is my honest review.**
Catherine Houghton has been invited to the home of her cousin, Lord Grovely, to be a companion to his new wife. Poor and with a mother wishing she would find a man to marry, Catherine is hoping to just have some time away and be of use to the remaining family she has left. Soon after arriving, she meets a mysterious man named Henry Carrington. Confined to his quarters during mealtime due to a delicate constitution, he is rarely seen socializing. However, circumstances keep throwing him into Catherine's path, and soon she begins to realize that not all is as it seems with him. Combine his odd behavior with ghostly happenings around the ancient estate, and it seems Catherine will have more than one paranormal entity to contend with.
Henry, or Hal, as his brother called him, was a shy, giving character who was easy to like from the get-go. Constantly trying to keep his reckless brother from the noose, both for his dangerous desire for blood and other "unnatural" appetites, he is at war on multiple fronts. Unlike his brother, he only feeds once a month and thus causes problems for himself when he sees or smells blood. Despite loathing his very nature, he is drawn to Catherine, who is unlike the other women he has known. She is kind, intelligent, and drawn to him just as much as he is to her. It was lovely seeing their relationship grow, even after she finds out he is a vampire. It just made them closer, it seemed, and the ending brought a smile to my face.
As I said, there were some elements of the book that should be noted as potential triggers:
I greatly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by Nicki Markus! This was an enjoyable read all-around and one I recommend to others who are fond of the vampire sub-genre.
**I received a free copy from the author and this is my honest review.**
July 3, 2018
This book has received a Discovering Diamonds Review:
Helen Hollick
founder #DDRevs
"I thoroughly enjoyed this novel: refreshingly free from notable real-life personalities of the age, it is an easy book to read and the characters are well defined"
Helen Hollick
founder #DDRevs
"I thoroughly enjoyed this novel: refreshingly free from notable real-life personalities of the age, it is an easy book to read and the characters are well defined"
November 21, 2016
Catherine is the poor cousin of Lord Grovely of Brougham Hall. She is invited to stay with them to be companion to his young wife, Amelia, and arrives at the Hall at Christmas in 1822. Also present for the Christmas festivities are Lord Grovely's brother and his wife and son, and twin brothers James and Hal Carrington.
James and Hal Carrington are vampires invited to Brougham Hall for "business". James is a bit of a rogue, comfortable with his situation and who enjoys using it to his full advantage. Hal, on the other hand, hates being a vampire and, as such, pretty much hates himself, too. He does his best to ignore the animalistic urges that come with his particular "condition".
But then Hal meets Catherine, who is being tormented by the restless spirits that haunt the Hall. When people start turning up dead, Catherine and the two Mr Carringtons team up to try and solve the mystery, in the hope that the murderous fiend doesn't turn out to be someone they've grown particularly close to.
Brougham Hall is a light, easy and uncomplicated historical-paranormal-romance novel with plenty of well-paced action. If you like vampire-human love stories, this is a good one to add to the collection.
James and Hal Carrington are vampires invited to Brougham Hall for "business". James is a bit of a rogue, comfortable with his situation and who enjoys using it to his full advantage. Hal, on the other hand, hates being a vampire and, as such, pretty much hates himself, too. He does his best to ignore the animalistic urges that come with his particular "condition".
But then Hal meets Catherine, who is being tormented by the restless spirits that haunt the Hall. When people start turning up dead, Catherine and the two Mr Carringtons team up to try and solve the mystery, in the hope that the murderous fiend doesn't turn out to be someone they've grown particularly close to.
Brougham Hall is a light, easy and uncomplicated historical-paranormal-romance novel with plenty of well-paced action. If you like vampire-human love stories, this is a good one to add to the collection.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews