Secrets of the Mist

by Kate Ryder

A gorgeous timeslip romance for fans of Kate Mosse, Diana Gabaldon and Barbara Erskine.

Maddie is restless in London. She has friends, a job and a sort-of boyfriend, but something in her life is missing. Then she visits the ancient village of Walditch, deep in the Dorset countryside. Something stirs in her, and on a whim she buys a centuries-old cottage and moves there three months later. Her friends think she's crazy, but for Maddie it feels like coming home.

Late at night in the cottage, Maddie hears strange noises and sees mist gathering indoors and out. When she starts investigating the cottage's history, she becomes drawn into the tragic story of a family who lived here 400 years ago. Meanwhile, Maddie starts to fall in love with a local carpenter – but he has a relationship already...

Can Maddie solve the riddle of the past? What is her connection with the family that lived there so many years ago? And can she and her true love ever be together?

Previously published as The Forgotten Promise.

Genres: Romance, Time Travel, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Historical Romance, Gothic

277 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 7, 2012

About the author

Kate Ryder is an international bestselling author of romantic suspense and timeslip/magic realism. Represented by the Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency, she is published by Embla Books and Aria Fiction, and is also a member of the RNA and SoA.

BENEATH CORNISH SKIES - a beautiful romance with a shimmer of ghostliness - achieved #1 eBook in the Amazon Australia Kindle Store, peaked at #83 in the Amazon UK Kindle Store and was shortlisted for the RNA Romantic Novel Awards 2022.

SECRETS OF THE MIST - a mysterious timeslip romance set in Dorset - not only reached #49 in Amazon UK Kindle Store but also #1 bestseller in various categories in the UK, Canada and Australia. In its original, self-published version as 'The Forgotten Promise' it was awarded the first Chill with a Book "Book of the Month" and shortlisted for Choc Lit's 2016 "Search for a Star"..

SUMMER IN A CORNISH COVE - a contemporary romantic suspense set on the beautiful and wildly rugged Lizard Peninsula - was nominated for the RNA’s 2018 Joan Hessayon award. Readers begged for a sequel and Kate duly obliged with (standalone) COTTAGE ON A CORNISH CLIFF, which peaked at #2 in Kindle Literary Sagas.

INTO A CORNISH WIND - a contemporary romance with a sprinkling of otherworldliness - published September 2022.

Originally from the South East of England, today Kate lives on the 'jam-first' Cornish side of the beautiful Tamar Valley with her husband and a rehomed Bengal-cross cat. When not writing she gravitates towards the coast, theatre, music and art, although the latter always makes her yearn to pick up a paintbrush. But - as there are only so many hours in a day - instead, she paints pictures with words!

Keep in touch with Kate:
http://www.kateryder.me
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KateRyder_Books
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kateryder.au...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kateryder_a...

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars--somewhere between "I liked it" and "it was OK."

I would have given this book 3 stars ("I liked the book"), but I docked half a star for the annoying and unnecessary girl fighting. The main character in this book, Maddy, is jealous and catty with other women (and they with her), and all the fighting is over a man (ugh). There's even a physical altercation at one point! I find this trope really wearying and completely immature, and I'm disappointed that Kate Ryder would include these sorts of interactions in what's supposed to be a cozy romance. In my opinion, it doesn't introduce more drama--just turns me off the characters. (There's even a sideplot of girl-drama with her ex-boyfriend's new fling, which is completely pointless to the book's main plot except to show the narrator's pettiness, I guess.)

The positives: This is a gentle time-slip romance. It's nothing new (it borrows a LOT from Kearsley's classic Mariana), and it's not written particularly well (the first-person narration is very simplistic), but it's cozy, comforting, and exactly what I needed. There's a slow reveal of characters' past lives and lots of ghostly apparitions. I was having trouble getting into reading because I'm in the middle of an international move. Stressful to say the least! This book immediately hooked me, and I devoured it quickly. It also inspired me to check out some other time-slip romances from the library--a genre I enjoy and which seems to suit my current attention span!

I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!

[Thebooktrail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Visit the locations in the novel Secrets of the Mist


There’s nothing like a mysterious remote cottage surrounded in Dorset mist to get the reader’s expectations tingling. This was a lovely novel to sink into and to time- slip into. You know sometimes when you see a place and feel you’ve been there before? Or when you go into a house and feel you know it and can sense someone else there, history in its walls perhaps? Well this novel has all that and more. I swear though, that mist really makes it even more mysterious and compelling and I for one would quite like to visit Walditch now where it is set and try to find this (sadly fictional) house.

There’s lots to love: a house with secrets in its walls, a story which quite literally comes out of the brickwork and a woman in the present day with questions which a woman in the past has answers to. The story came alive with its many mystical and supernatural feels and the stunning way that the scenery and essence of the place was evoked.

There was also a nice romance to enjoy and I tell you, at the moment, this was very welcome for me as it felt fresh and different as well as a nice change from crime fiction which I seem to have gorged on lately. I got the chills reading this - so perfect for an autumn read and I swear it got a bit misty outside as I read it.

Spookily good.

[Nila (digitalcreativepages) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite an unexpected read!! There are certain books which ask to be read at a particular time and moment of life. This was one of them. I tried reading it before when I was going through some mental anguish, and the book did not reveal its secrets to me. It didn't speak to me. Only when I decided to let go of my pain in real life, did the book unfurl and allow me to settle down in its pages. Such is the magic of certain books.

Maddie was restless, but when she visited the village of Walditch, in Dorset, that her soul found a home. Something in her recognized the Ole Smithy house and she bought it. Slowly things started happening, and too many sights and feels of a man appearing in the mist made her realize something more was at play.

My first book by author Kate Ryder was a magical experience of sorts. The book decided when it had to be read. The time slip love story revealed its pain and angst only when the moment was right.

Kate's writing had a haunting timelessness to it in certain sections. There was a feeling that the spirits of the past had gone beyond the words and had seeped into the pages, leaving their mark on them. Love is eternal, and even when the story was fictional, the shadowy whispers of those emotions were left behind, beguiling me to stay lost in its pathways.

The hints of dual timeliness which appeared as the ghosts of the past continuing their circle as they were wont to do added an emotive atmosphere. I wouldn't say I liked Maddie and Nick in their completeness, there was something missing with their characterization, but the story on its whole called to me.

The glimmer of the past love and the aura of the house, which pulled me to read the book, kept me captivated to, eagerly waiting for me to solve its mystery and set it free. That was the power of this book on me. No idea about the how and the why. But its tendrils stayed with me till I finished it. A captivating read.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love time travel and time slip novels and was looking forward to this one. Unfortunately it dragged for me. I couldn't take to any of the characters. There are two main guys in it, one is a wimp and the other is smug and self satisfied for most of the story. Maddie, the heroine, is annoying and couldn't decide what she wanted in life.
At 60% I was ready to DNF it but thought I'd give it another chapter. It picked up here with the time slip story coming more to the fore. I still didn't like the present day story though.
Glad I'm done with it.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a historical timeslip romance by English author Kate Ryder, set in rural Dorset. It is a fairly light, cosy kind of book, nice to read when your brain hurts.

Maddie is working as assistant director on a film set, when she sees a cottage, The Old Smithy, in the village of Walditch, which she is instantly drawn to, with a feeling of homecoming and destiny. Maddie decides to give up her career and her long-term, but fairly casual, boyfriend Dan, and move into the cottage.

Suddenly Maddie becomes part of a hidden world, as strange noises and visions seem to cross her path. Slowly she begins to uncover the tragic story of the house’s 17th century occupants Nat and Mary. At the same time she begins to rebuild a new life for herself in the village. She finds herself writing, working in the local pub, and feeling overwhelmingly attracted to carpenter Nick, despite him already having a girlfriend.

Maddie needs to work out how she fits into the house’s tragic past and also how to untangle the messy dynamics of her relationships with both Nick and Dan.

I was surprised that this story was quite enjoyable, as my last Kate Ryder book, Summer in a Cornish Cove, gave me multiple eye roll moments and I didn’t like. I suspect this was more that I am always fascinated by the concept of timeslip into a historical setting than that the writing was overly good. Also the audio narration by Aoife MacMahon with her soothing, lilting voice was so lovely that I think this again made up for any writing shortfalls. There were some odd phrases, like the more than once repeated “insatiable riptide of feeling” in describing a love scene, and there was a bit of green eyes and girl drama going on. I feel that somehow the author used the past life concept to create a sense of romantic inevitability that excused their present life infidelity. I didn’t totally buy this. Sure maybe you were together in a past life, but you can still break up with partner 1 before you move on to partner 2, it’s just a tad more tidy and polite. . Overall a pleasant beach read type of story with a slow-burn fairly gentle romance.

[Rainz ❤️rainnbooks❤️(on a break) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so glad that a new author book is a 5* read for me. Kate Ryder's Secrets of the Mist was picked up on a whim; now why in the world I would do that instead of reading the infinite number of books added to my TBR not just in GR but across the libraries and book sites, well, I don't know. But I did and here I am with a goofy smile 'coz of the outpouring of goodness that this story evoked in me.

Madeleine O'Brien is an assistant director at Hawkstone Media filming a period drama in Dorset when she spies upon a house that gives her a sense of deja-vu and very soon unable to justify things even to herself, she quits her job and moves to the house, The Old Smithy in the Walditch village in Dorset. Her friend and sometimes lover Dan helps her with the move and with the tranquility provided by the village and its surroundings Maddie feels right at home. But the Old Smithy has been waiting for Maddie as things in the past needs a closure. 400 yrs have passed but Nat and Mary's love and their connection is still reverberating in the Old Smithy and it is left to Nick and Maddie to discover the history of the house and its inhabitants.

This is a beautiful and charming time travel romance set in the heavenly and attractive Walditch village and the author's writing so alluring that I wish I had a chance to see the arresting vistas and feel the solace that it offers. I loved all the characters in the book and the feeling of warmth that permeates from its pages. Lovely!

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enthralling! I was hooked from the first page. It was written in an easy to read style, the words just flowed. Whilst working in Dorset, Maddie feels a strong connection to a cottage in the village. After moving in, she experiences strange visions that has a link to the past. The characters were engaging, particularly Maddie and Nick. Although, this relationship was not straightforward. I enjoyed the connection with her family and friends. The story of the past that was eventually revealed was captivating. The surrounding area, the village life was all vividly defined. This was a book I was sorry to finish. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[✼ Hollie ✼ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5* - The plot itself was fine, as were most of the characters, but the writing/pacing didn’t quite fit the story’s genre. It all felt very unattached and hurried, and it just didn’t work.

[booksofallkinds · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I voluntarily reviewed this book from Netgalley.

I liked the idea of this book so when I picked it up to read I had high expectations and I'm delighted to say that SECRETS OF THE MIST by Kate Ryder went above and beyond everything I could have imagined.

When Maddie is on location with work in a picture-perfect Dorset village she is overcome with a feeling of familiarity that throws her because she has never been here before. And when she spots an old cottage that is for sale, she knows that it is waiting for her and only her to buy it. So she does. Maddie quits her job and moves her high-paced city life for the quiet of the countryside and she feels like she is home. But there are moments in the house when she knows that she is not alone and when she starts to have vivid dreams and begins to see apparitions, Maddie knows that the past needs her to finish their story, but what is it? Throw in a handsome tradesman who feels like her soulmate but has a long-term girlfriend, a new job, and an old friend who may need her, and life is anything but dull for Maddie, but can she figure out the past so she can have a shot at real love in the present?

I loved every part of this emotional and beautiful book which perfectly blended the heartache and love from the past with the uncertainty and risk of the present. The characters, the setting, the community all have a piece of my heart and I could not put this book down until I got to the end because it is simply that wonderful and addictive!!

SECRETS OF THE MIST by Kate Ryder is a superb story about love against all odds and I cannot wait to read more from this amazing author.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you should ever ask me about the books I particularly enjoy, I guarantee that timeslip romance would feature prominently on my list. But it’s a genre that it’s very easy to get wrong – perhaps one thread stronger than the other, difficulties in the shift from one timeline to the other, failure to make it feel “real”. But there are no such problems here – everything is absolutely right, and I knew from the start that I was in the hands of an author with whom I could relax and escape into the story.

Perhaps it’s a simple desire for change, but when Maddie sees The Olde Smithy her decision is made – she moves to Dorset, leaves her high-flying life and part-time relationship with Dan behind, and begins to settle in the new community. But did she choose her new life, or did it choose her? It soon becomes clear that her new home harbours a story that it needs her help to complete, with a powerful emotional connection, and echoes from the past that need resolution. And the contemporary story, as well as exploring Maddie’s new possibilities and journey to self-discovery, also continues to follow Dan’s story – a new relationship with particular challenges – which is well-handled and grounds the whole story in life’s present day realities.

I’m sometimes a little uncomfortable about the supernatural, but the content in this book was perfectly judged – and, although thoroughly convincing, didn’t give me sleepless nights. The swirling mist (a perfect touch) preceded every apparition and visitation, and the ghostly became real and substantial – and totally believable, tied into the fabric of the house and its seventeenth century past. I liked the matter of fact telling of the footsteps on the stairs, the sad stranger, the crying child, the reflections in the mirror – and was never in the least surprised that Maddie accepted her part in completing the story. The writing really draws you in – and I particularly liked the way the Smithy was brought vividly to life, its past revealed through the traces of a long-removed staircase and a fireplace hiding place revealing its secrets.

The shifts between timelines are absolutely smooth and easy. The developing romance within the contemporary story is thoroughly convincing, an attraction with obstacles to overcome – not least the fact that Nick is already in a difficult long-term relationship – and tinged with echoes of the past. The historical thread, set against the backdrop of the Civil War, is equally convincing, the obstacles even greater, infused with sadness and loss, with a deep love that you can really feel.

The characterisation is excellent – I liked the occasional distraction of life at the pub across the green, the people who play their parts in the story, sometimes drawing together the past and present, sometimes just providing that return to normality that the story needs.

And let’s just linger on that wonderful cover for a moment… I’ve rarely seen one that captures a book so perfectly. I’ve mentioned the vivid and detailed descriptions of the Smithy, but the author has a rather special touch with her descriptions of the surrounding countryside too. The cover, as well as evoking the book’s mists and overall atmosphere, echoes a key moment in the story that really brought a tear to my eye – well done Aria!

I already knew that Kate Ryder was a wonderful storyteller, and this book really was everything I wanted it to be. Very much recommended – I loved it.

[Nicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a gorgeous read! I loved everything about it and wished I hadn’t finished it! I love time travel/timeslip novels and this one was so good, and how I pretty much think it would happen in real life.
I really liked Maddie and loved how she upsticks from London because the cottage in the tiny Dorset village was calling to her. Everything fell into place really easily and she felt at home straight away. As she’s settling in she starts seeing mist inside her house and strange figures dressed in very old clothing. Sometimes she even has very vivid dreams which really confuse her. She never feels scared though, just knows that somehow she’s connected to it all.
Maddie then gets a job as a barmaid at the local pub and so gets to know more people in the area. She’s not particularly good at serving food though and gets teased by a rather lovely man who turns out to be a local carpenter. Why does she feels an instant connection to him and could he also feel the same way but isn’t saying anything to her?
I can’t tell you any more as I’ll ruin this gorgeous story for you, and I really don’t want to do that.
I definitely recommend this if you enjoy romance and timeslip stories.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novel, my first by this author. It was certainly very gripping. I had some issues with the side characters and story development though which ultimately lowered my final rating from four to three stars.

I really enjoyed the setting, the spooky cottage and Maddie’s strength in starting a new life. I also appreciated the tragic backstory though I believe I’d like to have learned more about them. Additional detail I believe would have ramped up the emotional content.

What I didn’t like so much was the on-off boyfriend who really was redundant to the story and at one point I thought his girlfriend was a succubus! I also struggled with Maddie’s new love interest. It was hard at times to see their connection. The ending was a bit too easily tied up too.

An enjoyable read though.

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to give this book five stars but the ending although not too dissapointing , confused me a bit. The whole point of the story was the haunting and the uncovering of an event from the past. However the author in three pages at the end of the book, explained how the ghosts soul was put to rest. Ok, I am afraid I was confused. I’m not sure what happened. I’ve read it a few times and I don’t want to say too much in case I spoil the ending. Throughout the book; the events of the past are slowly revealed but how Maddie finally by talking to the ghost, sorted everything is a bit baffling. I’m afraid that part went over my head.

[Kim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Had a hard time finishing this one despite the short length. The writing was stiff while the characters were dull and dim. Maddie especially seemed blind to anything happening around her.

Maddie getting involved with Nick despite him having a girlfriend, as well as Maddie happily getting intimate with Dan while his girlfriend (however nasty) slept in the next room was rather tacky overall. Poor Dan got a bad ending as well.

Overall this plot was not well thought out.

My copy was provided by NetGalley for review all opinions are my own.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this novel - it's a perfect time slip, gripping and spooky in exactly the right way. The hero is wonderful and I always enjoy stories set during the English Civil War period. Highly recommended!

[poppie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this story but kind of lost my way at the end!!

[The Written · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible and Terribly Boring - DO NOT RECOMMEND

I skipped several chapters to not finish @44%. The worst female lead! No self esteem. The whole house and ver short glimpses of this guy, and noises and a friend with benefits who helps her move spends the weekend with her to only come back the next weekend with a new girlfriend. She lets them stay in her house and yes there are scenarios where she hears them having sex. She then has a crush/connection with another guy who is taken. The dialogue and internal monologue is just pathetic. I couldn’t take it anymore!
SEX SCENES - kind of, they aren’t at all detailed and mostly alluded to.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Jaffareadstoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the surface, Maddie O'Brien seems to have everything she needs, a busy life in London working for a film production company and a semi-serious relationship with her boyfriend, Dan. And yet, there is something nagging away at Maddie, a desire for change, which shimmers just beyond reach.
When a film shoot in a pretty Dorset village leads her to a 17th century blacksmith cottage, Maddie is overcome with the sensation of having come home, and yet she has no logical reason for the emotion she feels when she sees the cottage, she only knows that she is drawn to the place and the story it has to tell. Making a rash decision to give up her job and move into the blacksmith’s cottage, Maddie soon finds that life in The Olde Smithy is far from what she imagined.
Switching effortlessly between time frames, the story looks at Maddie’s connection to The Olde Smithy, and as the shadows of the past start to encroach on Maddie’s modern world we are led inexorably back to the dark and dangerous years of the English Civil War. The contemporary story, of Maddie's move to the cottage and her growing attraction, to the enigmatic Nick Corbin, is delightfully romantic. And yet, the real focus of the story is Maddie’s connection to past events and the retelling of a story, which hidden for centuries, now finally, has the chance to be retold.
The author has done a commendable job in recreating a very believable time slip novel. Very often time slips can feel a little contrived, but not so with this story which seems to blend past and present quite seamlessly. The author clearly loves storytelling and this comes across in the fine attention to detail and the way in which the story is allowed to develop at its own pace. There was just the right amount of tension in the story to keep me engrossed, and enough twists and turns in the historical mystery to keep me guessing about its eventual outcome. The added inclusion of a wonderful black cat called Storm helped to make the story even more enjoyable!

[Jane Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I live in a sixteenth-century converted barn, and just standing in it, thinking how long it has stood over looking the Exmoor landscape is awe inspiring. So, I can fully appreciate the inspiration behind, this lovely timeslip romance set in Dorset.

Serendipity plays an important part in this book. I was drawn to Maddie's story, as soon as I read about her unexplained, and out of character attraction to the old cottage, formerly a blacksmith's, when she visited the village as part of her work. The story is cleverly written, so that Maddie's experiences at the cottage are believable. Set in the present, as she brings her new home up to date, there are many slips into the past as historic events and a time defying love unfolds.

Maddie's leaves a well-paid career and a glamorous life in London behind her. At a crossroads in her life she is not sure why, but as the story progresses, things start to fall into place. Her meeting and attraction to Nick is powerful but fraught with conflict. Their chance of something developing seems remote.

The characters are complex and realistic, the situations they find themselves in believable. The pacing and the timeslip element make this an absorbing read. I couldn't put it down, literally i read it into the night.

The poignant ending is perfect, and the epilogue draws everything together in this gentle timeslip romantic story.

I received a copy of this book from Aria via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful and bittersweet story that will be the delight for any romantic heart.
This is the love story of Maddie and Nick, but at the same time the story of Mary and Nat. Maybe you don’t believe in ghosts, but you have to admit that the past always leaves an imprint on the present, you only have to search for it to believe!
When Maddie connects with a beautiful house at the countryside, she doesn’t know how connected is she with their past owners and how much it will change her life forever. Nick seems to try to help Maddie as much as he can with the house, and the sparks between them are almost touchable but he is taken… Is there any hope between them or Maddie’s heart will be broke forever?
I really enjoyed this story, how the past connects so perfectly with the present making this story really well written and engaging, a delight!
I’ll have to admit that I would had liked that the story was longer, I was so invested in the story that I didn’t want to end! I just hope that we will have a book with Maddie’s sister story, this way we will know more about the characters of the book, I already miss them! I will have always this beautiful story near my heart and remember that having a little faith is the best way to fulfil my dreams!
Ready to discover the Secrets of the Mist?

[Julia Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought of giving three stars for Secrets of the Mist, but I'm upping it to four as it was well written and I kept turning the pages.
I feel it's very important for the reader not only to like the characters in a story but also to respect them. I'm afraid I lost respect for Maddie as soon as Dan was introduced. The fact she had a friend who was also a 'casual lover' rather than a genuine boyfriend set the tone for me about Maddie's character. From then on I couldn't believe she would take any relationship seriously or be steadfast.
This caused problems for me when Nick came along. I thought Maddie's reaction to him was more a woman in lust rather than in love.
But I thought the love between Mary and Nat in the seventeenth century was poignant and very beautiful. It was plain to see their love was strong and everlasting.
I know there's a big difference in attitude between the seventeenth and twenty-first century but I was disappointed I saw very little of Mary in Maddie.
This is just my opinion and I did read on until the final page.
However, for anyone who enjoys a time slip story then Secrets of the Mist can be enjoyable

[Claire Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow...I’m lost for words, this isn’t a book I would normally read, but I was drawn to it by the cover, and the fact it was on Kindle Unlimited. It is such a beautifully written book about one women’s connection with a cottage and its secrets. Maddie is a wonderful character, who after being drawn to a cottage whilst on location from work, packs up her whole life to move to the Dorset countryside! She has no idea what the connection is but after some intense visions, she realises she’s tied to this place and it’s history.

This book drew me in so quickly that I read it in one sitting, moved by the mystery surrounding Maddie. My heart raced at bits, I found some parts quite emotional and was transported back in time.

I recommend this book to everyone...this is a book that will stay with me for a long time. I’ll not be so quick to judge time lapse stories again

[WhiteOwl · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I wasn’t going to give this book even 4 stars, but the last 50 pages or so, all story lines came together - my heart opened and thereby it was worth the wait. Prior to that I felt the story moved too slowly, a bit to simple and not enough intrigue and curiosity to keep me going. There were moments I invented more twists than those already in motion. In other words, I enjoy a book with more intrigue and twists than this one in the middle. It did, however, come together in the end and I loved it enough to give it 4 stars.

[Love Me A Romance · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall, this was disappointing although not a bad first effort for the author. The overall story had potential but it was 2/3rds of the way through the book before the historical story started to be told. By then I didn't really care about the historical figures, I just wanted to find out whether the current day narrator got together with her love interest. And the cat....the amount of time the story focused on the cat was just weird.

[BrokerTrish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes you get suprised by a book and you nestle right into it. I've read the hit and miss reviews after the fact. Maybe I was in just the right mood because everytime I picked up this book (finished it over a weekend) I escaped. The village and the characters in it... even the cat... felt real enough that I missed them when it was over. Took me a couple of days to be ready to start a new book. If you want to tuck away and go away this might be a good choice.

[Sandy McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!

My heart is still pounding after reading this!
Maddie is compelled to buy an old cottage in a village in Dorset.
The cottage yields links to the 1600's in more ways than one.
Incredibly well written and researched, I was hooked from beginning to end.

[Robynne Lozier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a timeslip romance story set in Dorset England.

Maddie O'Brian is a modern Irish Girl who has lived the high party life in London for a number of years, but now wants to "Settle Down". Her partner with benefits still has not proposed even after 8 years together, so Maddie resigns from the business and heads west. She arrives in a small town in Dorset which "feels right" so she buys an old stone cottage that turns out to have been originally built in the 1600s.

Maddie gets a part time job working at the local pub, and also starts writing some freelance stories to make an income. In her free time, she drives around the western half of Dorset, looking for locally produced crafts and furniture to decorate her new/old home. Also within her old stone cottage, Maddie sometimes see two young children and their father. They are always wearing old style clothing and they look like ghosts.

The more Maddie learns of the history of western Dorset and her stone cottage, the more she discovers that she seems to be connected to the ghost family. Eventually Maddie tracks down the story of what happened to the children and to their mother, which in turn is also a tragic story, and thus Maddie is finally able to set the spirit of the grieving father free to be at peace. It turns out that the man and his wife were reincarnated within Maddie and the new man in her life, Nick Corbin, a local Carpenter.

If anyone is familiar with English history during the 1600s, that era is mostly closely connected to Oliver Cromwell and the English Civil war. Hence the tragic deaths of the Fathers family. It turns out that his son died of smallpox, and his wife and daughter were killed by Cromwells men while hiding in a royalist household. Cromwell being on the side of the parlimentarians.

I really enjoyed this story. It has aroused a desire in me, to learn more about the English civil war era. Now I want to know more about the English Civil War, especially in the West Country. Most particularly I want to learn more about the Monmouth Rebellion in Devonshire where my own ancestors came from.

[Louisa Charlotte Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn’t a time slip book/time travel, it’s a ghost story/reincarnation story. There is no time travel involved at all. The main character can see ghosts and dreams about her previous life. The book is readable and set in a nice place, but it does read a little amateurish in comparison to other books of a similar genre that I’ve read.

I found the language quite dramatic in places too, the main character describing really dramatic physical symptoms dizziness, legs giving way and even being physically sick! When she comes into contact with something familiar and as a reader you then think ‘here we go again’ this must have something to do with the previous life, which makes it predictable and feeds into how amateurish it felt in places.

I liked the cat! And the descriptions of him and his behaviour made for comfortable reading and it was page turning in places. Comparing the book with what I’ve read previously, I like stories where the character engages with the figures from the past, speaks to them, has the chance to live their life in the past and talks about the geographical changes and how past lives affect current lives etc.

There was no real plot as such, one is a modern character who is reincarnated, the other a descendant of her husband in her previous life, but we’re not told how! He simply resembles him! At the end she effectively splits up a couple who have been together for ten years simply because she feels they both possess the spirits of the reincarnated husband and wife and need to be together again.

Another reviewer said this didn’t make her a very likeable character and I agree, she comes across as very selfish especially at the end. I did like the book as I like books of this type of genre, but it was a disappointment in terms of time travel.

[Bookfan36 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brief synopsis from the book cover:

Maddie is restless in London. She has friends, a job and a sort-of boyfriend, but something in her life is missing. Then she visits the ancient village of Walditch, deep in the Dorset countryside. Something stirs in her, and on a whim she buys a centuries-old cottage and moves there three months later. Her friends think she's crazy, but for Maddie it feels like coming home. Late at night in the cottage, Maddie hears strange noises and sees mist gathering indoors and out. When she starts investigating the cottage's history, she becomes drawn into the tragic story of a family who lived here 400 years ago. Meanwhile, Maddie starts to fall in love with a local carpenter – but he has a relationship already... Can Maddie solve the riddle of the past? What is her connection with the family that lived there so many years ago? And can she and her true love ever be together?

My rating:

Plot: 4 out of 5 stars
Writing: 3 out of 5 stars
Character development: 3 out of 5 stars
Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Recommended for readers of:

Historical Fiction



Review:

This book was interesting and had a mystical quality to it, Written over a dual time line. I though the timeline set in the past was the stronger more interesting one. Full of intrigue, suspense and a bit of mystery. Maddie was an interesting character and I like the idea of the cozy yet spooky cottage and it’s surrounds but the other characters in the present time line didn’t really do it for me, it didn’t feel there was a real connection between them. The end of the book felt a bit rushed. Despite all this, it was a nice story, uncomplicated and great if you looking for an escape from the real world for a bit.