House of Shadows: A Novel

The House of Shadows is a tale that spans three different eras. The story centers around the Sistrin Pearl and a crystal mirror, both said to hold magical powers. Elizabeth Stuart, the Winter Queen, and her rumored lover/husband, William Craven, are the first to encounter the objects in the 1600s. Next is Lavinia Flyte, a courtesan in 1800 living in Ashdown house, which William built for Elizabeth. She is living with a descendant of William’s who is desperate to find the pearl and the mirror in order to gain money. Robert Verity comes to survey the property to help find it, and he and Lavinia fall in love. Lastly, Holly Ansell in present day has come back to Ashdown in search of her missing brother, who was researching family history and looking for the same ill-fated objects. Each of these people will discover that these two seemingly harmless things bring only death and destruction.

I enjoyed this book. I will say that at times I found the three storylines to be confusing. The story weaved back and forth between the three, and I found it hard to remember something mentioned in the chapter I was reading when it took place three chapters ago in a different timeline. I would say that this book is mostly a romance, although it is very historical. It mainly focuses on love lost and being found again, in different people. Destiny is definitely something this story focuses on. It’s great read, nonetheless, and if you love all things British, especially their history, as well as ill-fated romances, you will enjoy this book. It’s not a quick read, and you might want to make sure you really focus to catch all the details, but it’s still worth it.