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Healing House
What would you do if your home was not your own? What if it was inhabited by spirits long gone, but not ready to move on?Would you turn and run without looking back?Or, once the fear dissipated, would you be curious? Perhaps you would attempt to unravel the mystery hanging in limbo between the ethers and the earth…Well, that’s what Sophie does.After a devastating loss propels Sophie to move to a cottage in Dover, she quickly discovers she is not alone in her new home. Ravens stand like sentries, permanent guards at her window. The constant smell of smoke with no fire festers in her lungs. Floorboards creak in the dark. And the memories – the ones that aren’t her own – plague her day and night.In order to maintain her safety and sanity, Sophie needs answers. She needs to peel back the layers of time to shed a light on the dark secrets nestled within the beating heart of the house she now calls home.
329 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 22, 2021
33 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 23, 2021
Thank you Nicole for letting me read your debut novel! It’s truly been a pleasure (and horror, I’m delighted to say).
In Healing House we follow Sophie, a young widow in search of how to get on with her life after the tragic death of her husband Dan. Feeling that the mysterious house she finds in an online add calls out to her, she leaves the bustling London life for seaside Dover. Her new house sits atop a steep cliff and, she gradually finds out, also sits atop of many secrets. Sophie’s life inescapably becomes interwoven with the lives of people and residents of the house from times lost.
Now, as a lover of horror and spook, obviously I think the book’s strength is in its paranormal and suspenseful parts. Plumridge is really great at setting the mood and leaving me on the edge of my seat. One favorite scene of mine was where (SPOILER) Sophie finds that all the candles in her house have suddenly lit themselves, and she gets lost in the hypnotizing dance and warmth of the flames. I could feel myself being present in that moment, feeling both the terror but also the enticing feeling of being lost in a moment. (END OF SPOILER)
The way the story transcends time, connecting the lives of people who lived 100 years on each side of a decade, really gives it complexity and depth. Also, plus points for the black magic parts!
The one thing I felt was a little odd was the romance part (having said that, bear in mind that I am not your typical romance reader). I somehow found Sophie’s new love interest set apart from the rest of the story, not fully realized or necessary for the story.
I really enjoyed how most chapters began with short pieces of poetry written by Sophie, as it shows how her fear of the house successfully increase and how her character develops. As times passes by, we get to see a more grim side of Sophie which I love.
To round it up: yep, I really liked this one. I’ll definitely keep a look-out for Plumridges future work!
I give it a solid 4 out of 5.
In Healing House we follow Sophie, a young widow in search of how to get on with her life after the tragic death of her husband Dan. Feeling that the mysterious house she finds in an online add calls out to her, she leaves the bustling London life for seaside Dover. Her new house sits atop a steep cliff and, she gradually finds out, also sits atop of many secrets. Sophie’s life inescapably becomes interwoven with the lives of people and residents of the house from times lost.
Now, as a lover of horror and spook, obviously I think the book’s strength is in its paranormal and suspenseful parts. Plumridge is really great at setting the mood and leaving me on the edge of my seat. One favorite scene of mine was where (SPOILER) Sophie finds that all the candles in her house have suddenly lit themselves, and she gets lost in the hypnotizing dance and warmth of the flames. I could feel myself being present in that moment, feeling both the terror but also the enticing feeling of being lost in a moment. (END OF SPOILER)
The way the story transcends time, connecting the lives of people who lived 100 years on each side of a decade, really gives it complexity and depth. Also, plus points for the black magic parts!
The one thing I felt was a little odd was the romance part (having said that, bear in mind that I am not your typical romance reader). I somehow found Sophie’s new love interest set apart from the rest of the story, not fully realized or necessary for the story.
I really enjoyed how most chapters began with short pieces of poetry written by Sophie, as it shows how her fear of the house successfully increase and how her character develops. As times passes by, we get to see a more grim side of Sophie which I love.
To round it up: yep, I really liked this one. I’ll definitely keep a look-out for Plumridges future work!
I give it a solid 4 out of 5.
March 7, 2021
The Healing House is a story that encompasses the power of a family's history, the secrets that lie buried that only Sophie can uncover because she too is haunted by unexpected loss leaving her open to the healing power of letting go and being open to new possibilities. Do yourself a favor and embark on Sophie's journey you will not be sorry!
August 19, 2021
"The night had an eerie feel to it. The knotted trees shook off some of their summer leaves, making soft rustling sounds as they undressed. The only light came from the sliver of silvery moon in the sky casting a pale ghostly glow over the road. She felt a shift in the atmosphere, as if the very air around her had become denser, heavier. More alive."
"Whether it was her projecting her own emotions or something else at work, she felt the house was in a constant state of silent change. Its moods fluctuated wildly without the slightest provocation."
I had no idea what to expect walking into this story, but quickly found that I had trouble putting it down every time I opened my Kindle. The story spans centuries and takes an incredibly in-depth, interesting, and well-rounded dive into how generational traumas can outlive us. The characters are well-developed, the scene always set well, and there is just the right amount of spookiness to it.
The touches of romance, heartbreak, healing, friendship, and history make it much more than a mystery or a haunting. So well-rounded and unique, and I absolutely loved the way everything was tied together in the end. Highly recommend!
"Whether it was her projecting her own emotions or something else at work, she felt the house was in a constant state of silent change. Its moods fluctuated wildly without the slightest provocation."
I had no idea what to expect walking into this story, but quickly found that I had trouble putting it down every time I opened my Kindle. The story spans centuries and takes an incredibly in-depth, interesting, and well-rounded dive into how generational traumas can outlive us. The characters are well-developed, the scene always set well, and there is just the right amount of spookiness to it.
The touches of romance, heartbreak, healing, friendship, and history make it much more than a mystery or a haunting. So well-rounded and unique, and I absolutely loved the way everything was tied together in the end. Highly recommend!
March 24, 2021
Healing House is a novel of paranormal mystery and romance. It tells the story of Sophie, a woman who is grieving the loss of her fiancé and decides to move to an isolated cottage in Dover. I won’t give away any of the mysterious and spooky occurrences, but Sophie is quickly swept up in the disturbing aura of the house.
I truly enjoyed reading this book. Right away, Nicole creates an unsettling atmosphere through her imaginative word choice. The characters can’t control the effect the house has on them, and the reader is along for the ride. But this isn’t just a scary story.
This book is also an exploration of grief and the way we process it. Nicole is a psychologist, and I could see her professional knowledge through her portrayal of Sophie and the difficulties she faces as she is trying to live through the trauma of loss. The story is moving and I was rooting for Sophie the whole time.
I appreciated that the mood of the book varied at times. There are also moments of lightness and laughter as Sophie connects to friends around her. Nicole handles these shifts in tone so well. She gives us a respite from the spookiness, but we are still anxiously wondering what might happen next.
I really don’t want to spoil any of the plot, so I will just say that I am so glad I had the chance to read this book, and I highly recommend it! I saw a couple small spelling errors, but they didn’t detract at all from the book and really it was no more than I often see in books published by huge companies!
I truly enjoyed reading this book. Right away, Nicole creates an unsettling atmosphere through her imaginative word choice. The characters can’t control the effect the house has on them, and the reader is along for the ride. But this isn’t just a scary story.
This book is also an exploration of grief and the way we process it. Nicole is a psychologist, and I could see her professional knowledge through her portrayal of Sophie and the difficulties she faces as she is trying to live through the trauma of loss. The story is moving and I was rooting for Sophie the whole time.
I appreciated that the mood of the book varied at times. There are also moments of lightness and laughter as Sophie connects to friends around her. Nicole handles these shifts in tone so well. She gives us a respite from the spookiness, but we are still anxiously wondering what might happen next.
I really don’t want to spoil any of the plot, so I will just say that I am so glad I had the chance to read this book, and I highly recommend it! I saw a couple small spelling errors, but they didn’t detract at all from the book and really it was no more than I often see in books published by huge companies!
September 2, 2021
I always feel weird giving three stars to a book I liked.
This is the first self-published book I've read, and although I thoroughly enjoyed it, I think there is some cleaning up to do. The actual format was a bit odd with spaces between paragraphs, but it also sometimes felt like the book wasn't sure what genre it was in, going from soft horror to harlequin romance to mystery to contemporary etc. (which is actually what happened to character in a musical my friend wrote). The underlying story was great, but there was a lot of over-use of adjectives that seemed to be trying too hard to be descriptive, but not pushing the story forward. I was also left with a lot of questions and some confusion at the end. Despite this, the writing certainly isn't bad, and would gladly read another book by this author.
This is the first self-published book I've read, and although I thoroughly enjoyed it, I think there is some cleaning up to do. The actual format was a bit odd with spaces between paragraphs, but it also sometimes felt like the book wasn't sure what genre it was in, going from soft horror to harlequin romance to mystery to contemporary etc. (which is actually what happened to character in a musical my friend wrote). The underlying story was great, but there was a lot of over-use of adjectives that seemed to be trying too hard to be descriptive, but not pushing the story forward. I was also left with a lot of questions and some confusion at the end. Despite this, the writing certainly isn't bad, and would gladly read another book by this author.
March 31, 2021
I enjoyed reading this book. Couldn’t put it down .
October 3, 2021
Not my cup of tea. Characters weren't very well-rounded, the mystery didn't grip me. Needs an editor.
April 27, 2021
First of all I would like to thank @authornicoleplumridge for asking me to read and review her book!!! I was completely blown away!
Healing House is an absolutely incredible book which is so atmospheric and enchanting that I couldn’t put it down.
I don’t want to give too much away as the plot is brilliant, so I’m going to talk about everything else I loved!!
The character buildup is brilliant, we see so much of the characters poured onto every page, I thought Sophie was a great character, with so much inner strength after everything she’s been through.
I love how the book flits between different points of view and different time lines. Giving the story so much depth! Each of Sophie’s chapters starts with a piece of her poetry and this is a lovely touch.
Nicole’s writing sets the mood beautifully and I was on the edge of my seat constantly, which at times caused me to feel really nervous and I started to imagine strange goings on inside my house......I loved that all of the paranormal aspects felt so real!!
This is in a nutshell, is a fantastic debut novel, and I am sooooo excited to read Nicole’s next book. I really hope she explores some of the secondary characters because there is so much more scope for their story!
Healing House is an absolutely incredible book which is so atmospheric and enchanting that I couldn’t put it down.
I don’t want to give too much away as the plot is brilliant, so I’m going to talk about everything else I loved!!
The character buildup is brilliant, we see so much of the characters poured onto every page, I thought Sophie was a great character, with so much inner strength after everything she’s been through.
I love how the book flits between different points of view and different time lines. Giving the story so much depth! Each of Sophie’s chapters starts with a piece of her poetry and this is a lovely touch.
Nicole’s writing sets the mood beautifully and I was on the edge of my seat constantly, which at times caused me to feel really nervous and I started to imagine strange goings on inside my house......I loved that all of the paranormal aspects felt so real!!
This is in a nutshell, is a fantastic debut novel, and I am sooooo excited to read Nicole’s next book. I really hope she explores some of the secondary characters because there is so much more scope for their story!
March 29, 2023
An atmospheric, eerie, imaginative supernatural mystery involving an isolated house and a young woman who lives there alone. Sophie moves there following the death of her boyfriend; she's looking for a fresh start.
For me, some of the chapters are way too long and rambling, with far too much descriptive detail; they go on and on. I think some careful editing would have helped to improve the flow of the story. In addition, I became annoyed with the heroine, who kept repeatedly putting the strange/disturbing events at the house down to her imagination, dreams, or being tired. That said, it's certainly worth a read.
For me, some of the chapters are way too long and rambling, with far too much descriptive detail; they go on and on. I think some careful editing would have helped to improve the flow of the story. In addition, I became annoyed with the heroine, who kept repeatedly putting the strange/disturbing events at the house down to her imagination, dreams, or being tired. That said, it's certainly worth a read.
November 9, 2022
Intriguing and chilling
A ghost story, one that threatens the life and sanity of our heroine Sophie. Can she solve the mystery of healing house? Curious to read the next instalment.
A ghost story, one that threatens the life and sanity of our heroine Sophie. Can she solve the mystery of healing house? Curious to read the next instalment.
February 12, 2023
This book has some beautiful writing and poetic moments. The setting is charming and eerie at the same time. The spooky, dreamlike moments came frequently enough to keep me interested. Ultimately, it didn't have enough action for me, and all the haunting was either in dreams or visions.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews