by Erin Craig
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pub Date: July 25, 2023
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Suspense
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Book Links: Goodreads Amazon
A modern
masterpiece, this is a classic Gothic thriller-fantasy from New York Times bestselling
author Erin A. Craig, about doomed love, menacing ambition, and the ghosts that
haunt us forever.
In a manor by the sea, one sister is still cursed.
Despite dreams of adventures far beyond the Salann shores, seventeen-year-old
Verity Thaumas has remained at her family’s estate, Highmoor, with her older
sister Camille, while their sisters have scattered across Arcannia.
When their sister Mercy sends word that the Duchess of Bloem—wife of a
celebrated botanist—is interested in having Verity paint a portrait of her son,
Alexander, Verity jumps at the chance, but Camille won’t allow it. Forced to
reveal the secret she’s kept for years, Camille tells Verity the truth one day:
Verity is still seeing ghosts, she just doesn’t know it.
Stunned, Verity flees Highmoor that night and—with nowhere else to turn—makes
her way to Bloem. At first, she is captivated by the lush, luxurious landscape
and is quickly drawn to charming, witty, and impossibly handsome Alexander
Laurent. And soon, to her surprise, a romance . . . blossoms.
But it’s not long before Verity is plagued with nightmares, and the darker side
of Bloem begins to show through its sickly-sweet façade. . . .
My
Review: This second book picks up a few years after the first book ended.
Some
sisters are off living their lives. Camille is running the estate. Things seem normal
again.
Except
when Verity introduces Camille to someone who is not there and the truth is
revealed to her.
In a
haste, Verity leaves home in the night and goes to paint this portrait. It is
all new to her. Leaving abruptly, going away from home, seeing a new
town.
It is a
lot at first, but Verity is welcomed with such kindness (minus granny’s tude).
She quickly becomes fond of Alex, and they explore the home for hours finding
the right place to sketch and learning about each other.
Things
seem good, too good at that. As the end nears, things change quickly.
Siblings
revealed experiments were more than just on plants. Truth of Verity
coming besides painting a portrait. In the end leaving a handful of people
lost, a marriage and a whole new start you didn't see coming.
Compared to the first book, this one was better and held my attention more. Did I love this? No, it is still just okay for a series. I did not hate it, but I didn’t love it either. Overall, an okay series worth reading if you have the time.
