Mist of Midnight
Author: Sandra Byrd
Website:
www.sandrabyrd.com
Number of Pages:
384
Publisher:
Howard Books
ISBN-13: 9781476717869
Release Date:
March 10, 2015
Market:
Literature/Women’s Fiction
Genre:
Gothic Romance
My Rating: 5
of 5 Stars
Description (from the back
cover): In the first of a brand-new series set in
Victorian England, a young woman returns home from India after the death of her
family to discover her identity and inheritance are challenged by the man who
holds her future in his hands.
Rebecca Ravenshaw, daughter of missionaries, spent most of her life in India. Following the death of her family in the Indian Mutiny, Rebecca returns to claim her family estate in Hampshire, England. Upon her return, people are surprised to see her...and highly suspicious. Less than a year earlier, an imposter had arrived with an Indian servant and assumed not only Rebecca's name, but her home and incomes.
That pretender died within months of her arrival; the servant fled to London as the young woman was hastily buried at midnight. The locals believe that perhaps she, Rebecca, is the real imposter. Her home and her father's investments reverted to a distant relative, the darkly charming Captain Luke Whitfield, who quickly took over. Against her best intentions, Rebecca begins to fall in love with Luke, but she is forced to question his motives—does he love her or does he just want Headbourne House? If Luke is simply after the property, as everyone suspects, will she suffer a similar fate as the first “Rebecca”?
A captivating Gothic love story set against a backdrop of intrigue and danger, Mist of Midnight will leave you breathless.
Rebecca Ravenshaw, daughter of missionaries, spent most of her life in India. Following the death of her family in the Indian Mutiny, Rebecca returns to claim her family estate in Hampshire, England. Upon her return, people are surprised to see her...and highly suspicious. Less than a year earlier, an imposter had arrived with an Indian servant and assumed not only Rebecca's name, but her home and incomes.
That pretender died within months of her arrival; the servant fled to London as the young woman was hastily buried at midnight. The locals believe that perhaps she, Rebecca, is the real imposter. Her home and her father's investments reverted to a distant relative, the darkly charming Captain Luke Whitfield, who quickly took over. Against her best intentions, Rebecca begins to fall in love with Luke, but she is forced to question his motives—does he love her or does he just want Headbourne House? If Luke is simply after the property, as everyone suspects, will she suffer a similar fate as the first “Rebecca”?
A captivating Gothic love story set against a backdrop of intrigue and danger, Mist of Midnight will leave you breathless.
How and Why I Acquired this Book
I
received a free ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
My Expectations
I
read another review on Goodreads, and it was very positive, so I expected this
to be a very good read. I expected it to
be creepy and suspenseful since it was called a gothic romance.
Were My Expectations Met
Absolutely! This book had just the right amount of eerie
creepiness mixed with suspense, romance, and Christianity. I loved that Luke was always in question
throughout the story.
Prose and Dialogue
This
book was very well written. There were
two or three grammatical errors that I am confident will be corrected in the
final version (electronic and print forms).
I loved the background that was given, and the dialogue amongst the
characters was natural, but it didn’t give away too much information at
once. The reader is kept in suspense
about several things, and all are revealed in the end.
Characters and Viewpoints
Rebecca
was very likeable, flaws and all. I
appreciate her perseverance and strength.
She was very gracious and didn’t condemn others. I disliked Michelene from the beginning, and
she did not disappoint me in the end.
Luke was the big mystery throughout the story. I enjoyed the seed ideas that he was both
good and bad that were planted throughout the story.
Story Structure and Pace
This
book moved along smoothly, and I was able to finish in a couple of days. It’s a story that I didn’t want to put
down. I wanted to find the ending, and
it was a very good ending.
Conflict and Tension
There
was passion and conflict throughout the story.
The passion and conflict changed per person and from scene to
scene. There were tense moments up to
the end of the story. This was very well
done!
Spiritual Aspect
As
a daughter of a missionary, Rebecca was able to quote plenty of scripture. A scripture theme for this book could be, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye
have love one to another” (John 13:35).
Questions I Have
I
wonder if Luke became a believer rather than a doubter in the end. I personally like to believe he did because of
the ending and the epilogue.
Audience Appropriateness and
Appeal
This
is a book that women will love. It’s
romantic and mysterious. Anyone who
loves Christian fiction and gothic romances will enjoy this book. The cover looks great, too!
Conclusion
Overall,
I loved this book. I recommend it to
anyone who likes to read Christian fiction.
Pros:
§ There
is a lot of conflict and tension, but not too much.
§ All
mysteries are solved at the end of the book.
§ This
book is a page turner.
§ This
is the first in a series, so there is more to come!
Cons:
§ The
book had to end.
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