A Very Gothic Christmas by Christine Feehan and Melanie George

by Donna Huber

Last night I went to my library's Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories program. Telling ghost stories during the winter holidays was a popular pasttime but the stories weren't exactly Christmasy. So instead of sharing those ghosts stories with you, I found a Gothic Christmas book that has two gothic novellas for those wanting something a bit spooky this holiday season. Be sure to check out all of our Christmas book reviews, recommended Christmas reading lists, and free Christmas ebooks, you can find them all here: 25 Days of Christmas Reading.

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A Lullaby for Witches by Hester Fox ~ a Review

by MK French

Margaret Harlowe never fit in with her wealthy New England family, cultivating the powers of nature and giving in to her darker nature. A hundred and fifty years later, Augusta Podos lands a dream job at Harlowe House, a museum in Tynnemouth, Massachusetts. When she discovers vague references to a daughter that was nearly completely erased from the historical record, Augusta can't resist digging into the mystery, even when it's clearly something not of this world.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

The Orphan of Cemetery Hill by Hester Fox ~ a Review

by MK French

Tabby and her sister Alice fled from their Aunt Belefonte, who was exploiting Tabby's gift to communicate with the dead. After getting separated from Alice, Tabby was adopted by Eli, the caretaker for the city's cemetery. There were graves robbed by resurrection men, so Tabby's gift will either help save the cemetery or lead to her own destruction.

The Lost Orphan by Stacey Halls ~ a Review

by MK French

Bess Bright returned to London's Foundling Hospital in 1794 intending to retrieve the daughter she had left there six years before. To her shock, someone pretending to be her had already claimed her daughter. Nearby, the reclusive widow Alexandra is convinced by her close friend, a doctor at the Foundling Hospital, to take in a nursemaid to help her raise her young daughter.

The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller ~ a Review

by MK French

New York City, February 1, 1875
Alva Penrose Rensselaer Webster had been inside Delmonico's for nine seconds before Mrs. Henry Biddington asked the maitre d'hotel to throw her out. Alva knew because she'd counted them out: one, no one had noticed her yet; two, casual glances to see who had just come in sharpened; three, people began to nudge their neighbors; four, the whispers started; five, they turned anger; six, Mrs. Biddington, gray-haired battle-axe and leader of society, flagged her waiter down; eight, the maitre d'hotel crossed to her table; nine, Mrs. Biddington made an outraged gestured towards Alva and began to complain in a voice piercing enough to be heard clear across the room. (pg. 1)

The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox ~ a Review

by MK French

In 1846, Gabriel Stone leaves Massachusetts after the death of his wife and moves to Maine. He becomes the minister for the town of Pale Harbor, and there are a number of odd occurrences within the sleepy little town. The townsfolk claim they're all caused by Sophronia Carver, who lives in the eerie Castle Carver with her maid. They claim she's a witch and had killed her husband, but it's soon clear that the incidents are inspired by Edgar Allan Poe tales. If Gabriel doesn't discover the truth, Pale Harbor might become one of Poe's stories.

The Witch of Willow Hall by @HesterBFox ~ a Review

by MK French

Lydia Montrose and her family moved from Boston to the town of New Oldbury in 1821 to escape scandal. Heartbreak seems to follow anyway, and the subtle menace in Willow Hall awakens power that Lydia had never been told about.

Review: Dark Surrender by Erica Ridley

by MK French

Violet Whitechapel fled her teaching position when she killed in order to save a student from predation. Without anywhere else to go, she accepted the position of governess for a child that has "sun sickness," where any sunlight caused severe burns and blisters on the skin. The superstitious villagers had thought the girl was a monster, but Violet grows to love her and her taciturn father in spite of her determination not to be close to anyone ever again.

#BookReview: Library of Light and Shadow by M.J. Rose #MondayBlogs

by MK French

Delphine Duplessi has a talent for drawing "shadow portraits," pictures drawn while she is blindfolded that reveals the secrets that the subject wants to hide. Most are rather innocuous, which allows her to use it as a party trick in 1925 New York City. But some secrets are not so petty, and the book opens with a party that ends in tragedy. Delphine retreats into depression, and her twin brother brings her back to France for a change of scenery. A tragedy had sent her away from France, however, and it haunts her as much as the doomed romance she had run away from. But her brother is working with an opera singer obsessed with finding the works of Nicholas Flamel, and Delphine will try to find the alchemist's book if it saves her brother's life.

Amazon affiliate links are used in this post. A free book was provided for an honest review.

July 2017; Atria Books; 978-1476778129
ebook, audio, print (368 pages); gothic romance

Library of Light and Shadow is amazingly well done. The characters are solid and real, even in their worst moments, and Delphine's past is deftly interwoven with her present.

She was driven from France to New York by fear, and she has to find her way back from that darkness. The shadow portraits are a kind of magic, which her family is known for, and trying to keep from using her gift isn't any better than trying to control her emotions or keep them locked away. They're very tied together, which is often a theme for books about creative people.

Emotions and talents are intertwined, and unlocking talents usually involves coming to grips with emotions and not being afraid of them.

The subplots all come together neatly at the end, and the lush scenery is so deftly described you almost feel like you're there. This is the first book by M. J. Rose that I've read, and I doubt that it's going to be my last.

Buy Library of Light and Shadow at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and golden retriever.

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