Tag: Linder Hannah

The Girl From the Hidden Forest + Giveaway

The nightmares may free her…but destroy the man she loves.
 
Enjoy another Gothic Style Regency from Hannah Linder.
 
Eliza Ellis has stayed hidden in Balfour Forest for as long as she can remember. Perhaps her only friends are the trees, or her little dog, or her story-telling father called Captain. But at least she is safe from the cruel world outside, a world Captain has warned her against and protected her from.
 
That is, until a handsome stranger named Felton Northwood invades her quiet forest and steals her away. Why does he tell such lies? Why does he insist that her name is Miss Eliza Gillingham, daughter of a viscount, who disappeared fourteen years ago after the murder of her own mother? A murder Eliza is said to have witnessed.
 
When Felton returns Eliza to Monbury Manor and reunites her with a man who is told to be her father, all she remembers are the strange nightmares that have plagued her since childhood. Why have they suddenly grown worse? Are the answers hidden inside her own mind?
 
As danger mounts and lethal attempts are made on her life, Eliza and Felton must work together to uncover the identity of a killer who has stayed silent for fourteen years. When she finally uncovers the horrendous memories trapped in her mind, will divulging the truth cost her the man she loves—and both of their lives?

My Review:

All kinds of gothic-y goodness. So atmospheric! The kind of mysterious ambience that holds a reader captive. And oh my, the secrets revealed…I..just…didn’t anticipate most of it! Major or minor plot twists! Phew!

And that first chapter! Felton was certainly no hero and I was positive that he would never make my book boyfriend list but he did end up charming me. It took a while but I definitely became twitterpated a time or two. And the journey to get to that point! Epic drama full of heartbreak and betrayal. A classic tortured brooding hero! Incredibly good reading!

Eliza is so out of her depth in her new surroundings after her simple upbringing in the forest. Talk about culture shock! So many plot twists and ‘aha’ moments and divine amateur armchair sleuthing. Encroaching danger, growing bolder with every attempt on her life. And Felton…friend or foe? Can he be trusted or should he be feared? This is one mystery I couldn’t figure out until the gasp-out-loud revelations. Took my breath away, they did.

Hannah Linder’s exceptional storytelling held me captive until the very last word.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US – available in print or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada – available in print or ebook or audible (if available) — winner’s choice

International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Girl From the Forest,  leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday July 19 2025

When Tomorrow Came + Giveaway

They Waited Their Whole Lives for Their Papa to Return

Nan and Heath Duncan, siblings abandoned by their papa and abused by their guardian, have no choice but to survive on the London streets. When a kind gentleman rescues Nan from such a life, the siblings are separated and raised in two vastly different social worlds. Just when both are beginning to flourish and years have healed some of their wounds, their long-awaited papa returns and reunites them—bringing demands with him. Nan is expected to marry a rich suitor she’s never liked, and Heath is expected to forsake his gentle spirit and become the hardened man his father always was.

Dangers unfold, secret love develops, fights ensue, and murder upsets the worlds Heath and Nan have built for themselves.

They’ve waited their whole lives for their papa to return, for tomorrow to come—but now that it has, will they be able to see through to the truth and end this whirlwind of a nightmare before it costs one of their lives?   

My Review:

I’m all kinds of addlepated after finishing this amazing Regency Romance with a definite air of mystery. I read Hannah Linder’s debut novel earlier this year and was gobsmacked and this is me once again, mouth agape in stunned bibliophile astonishment. Soooooooooooooooo very good!

Great Expectations meets Mary Stewart/Victoria Holt, creating all kinds of Gothic vibes that ricochet right through the story. I’m still experiencing afterglow goose bumping! And it all starts with the very Dickens-esque, heart wrenching opening scene.

The author lays the foundational work with the harrowing account of Nan and Heath’s childhood living on the London streets through to the agonizing moment they are separated. And I do mean agonizing. I cried. We get both points of view as Nan and Heath struggle to find peace with the direction the split has taken them. I don’t want to say more but I was a blubbering basket case as I lived through every excruciating moment with each of them. I’d say a good quarter — maybe even a third — of the book covers the sibling’s childhood and adolescence.

And then — wow — the story just builds from there. With tons of unexpected twists, moral dilemmas and a looming mystery that threatens all they’ve come to hold dear. On top of that we get two romances! Eeeepppp! Let’s just say the romantic tension sizzling around the Gothic undertones gave me heart palpitations so, fainting couches and smelling salts advised.

This stirring redemptive tale is made all the stronger for the wonderful faith elements woven seamlessly throughout which makes this a sweet perfection of a read.

I listened to the audible edition, narrated by Natasha Soudek and enjoyed every mesmerizing second.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

ebook available to anyone, anywhere who has a .com Kindle account

US — paperback or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada — paperback or ebook (via a gift card to Canadian Amazon) or audible (.ca)

If you would like a chance to win a copy of When Tomorrow Came, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday June 10, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

Beneath His Silence + Giveaway

Will seeking justice lead to her own demise?

A Gothic Style Regency Romance from a promising young author

Second daughter of a baron — and a little on the mischievous side — Ella Pemberton is no governess. But the pretence is a necessity if she ever wishes to get inside of Wychkhorn Manor and attain the truth. Exposing the man who killed her sister is all that matters.

Lord Sedgewick knows there’s blood on his hands. Lies have been conceived, then more lies but the price of truth would be too great. All he has left now is his son — and his hatred. Yet as the charming governess invades his home, his safe cocoon of bitterness begins to tear away.

Could Ella, despite the lingering questions of his guilt, fall in love with such a man? Or is she falling prey to him — just as her dead sister?

My Review:

Well, I’m gobsmacked by this debut novel! Very Jane Eyre-esque with Gothic undertones. Lots of emotional angst and high drama that peaks by the end. And so much character growth! Which is a good thing because Ella’s obsession with seeking vengeance over her sister’s death was a bit hard to take in the beginning. She is full of self-righteous indignation and preconceived assumptions based on her late father’s consuming hatred. And now she feels compelled to carry on his crusade to destroy Lord Sedgewick.

If you like brooding heroes you will definitely be drawn to poor Henry. He fits the Mr. Rochester archetype — with one major difference. Henry constantly leans into his faith. Imperfectly, maybe, because he still struggles with bitterness and unforgiveness but he never turns away from God. Very realistic and relatable.

So, Ella arrives at Wychkhorn Manor under false pretences, intent on exposing the dark truth about Lord Sedgewick. She isn’t prepared to fall in love with her young charge — the nephew she’s never met before (gah, and I wanted to know why — the family had no contact with the older sister, didn’t even attend the wedding and that was never explained. My mind is working overtime thinking up credible possibilities.) Of course, Ella is about as ungovernessy a governess as they come. She’s also opinionated and impulsive which makes for some interesting cutting-edge banter. And I do so love great banter in my Regencies!

Very much an enemies to more trope and I love the way the author developed the relationship that grows between Henry and Ella. It’s all two steps forward, one step back and full of self-doubts and erroneous assumptions. You never met two more reluctant would-be-lovers! And I enjoyed every second!

And the Manor had a character all its own. Steeped in tragedy and hiding so many secrets! I was on tenterhooks the whole read trying to piece everything together. From the closed mouth servants to Ella’s feelings of being watched, to…well, I can’t say any more without posting spoilers…but, eeeeppp, deliciously mysterious.

I listened to the audible edition of Beneath His Silence and enjoyed Anna Flosnik’s narration. Her performance enhanced the Gothic vibes and kept me riveted.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Beneath His Silence, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday March 11, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.