Review: The Girl in the Picture by Kerry Barrett

The Girl in the Picture

By: Kerry Barrett

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery

Length: 384 pages

Synopsis From Goodreads:

Two women. One house. Centuries of secrets

East Sussex Coast, 1855 

Violet Hargreaves is the lonely daughter of a widowed industrialist, and an aspiring Pre-Raphaelite painter. One day, the naïve eighteen-year-old meets Edwin; a mysterious and handsome man on the beach, who promises her a world beyond the small costal village she’s trapped in. But after ignoring warning about Edwin, a chain of terrible events begins to unfold for Violet…

East Sussex Coast, 2016 

For thriller-writer Ella Daniels, the house on the cliff is the perfect place to overcome writer’s block, where she decides to move with her small family. But there’s a strange atmosphere that settles once they move in – and rumours of historical murders next door begin to emerge. One night, Ella uncovers a portrait of a beautiful young girl named Violet Hargreaves, who went missing at the same time as the horrific crimes, and Ella becomes determined to find out what happened there 160 years ago. And in trying to lay Violet’s ghost to rest, Ella must face ghosts of her own...

This haunting timeslip tale is perfect for fans of Kate Riordan, Tracy Rees, Kate Morton and Lucinda Riley.

Review:

Rating:

***Caution May Contain Spoilers***

So I recently joined a small online book club, this book was our very first read and I must say it was an excellent start. Kerry Barrett is a phenomenal author, weaving the past with the present. She wove these two women's lives together perfectly. I would not past up the opportunity to read another one of her books. 

The story begins with Ella and her family moving into a new home near the coat of Sussex. Ella is a cautious young mother, and devoted daughter, worried about disappointing those she loves. At first, her new home has her on edge, questioning her choice to uproot her family from their home in London. Then one day while in town she stumbles upon the mysterious disappearance of young Violet Hargreaves. 

I loved the way Kerry Barrett weaved these two women's lives together, both young girls with suppressed passions; one for painting, the other for writing. Both loyal daughters, never wanting to disappoint their fathers. It almost had you wondering, could they be related somehow?

I loved going back and forth between past and present, hearing Violet's story and trying to solve the mystery right along side Ella. Wondering did Violet survive the struggles with Mr. Forrest, her mentor and lover? Or did she meet a more violent end? Did she run away and pursue her dream of becoming one of the first female artists to join the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood?

Along with the remarkable writing and phenomenal storytelling, there was the history. Kerry Barrett did an amazing job incorporating some history regarding Pre-Raphaelites and their art. After finishing the book many of us in the book club googled PRB and found that much of the book was historically accurate, from the will known artists to the scandals between these artists and their sponsors; which only made the book more interesting. You can tell Kerry really did her research in order to bring the story to life. 

This book was a very fun read and like I said before I would not hesitant to pick up another one of Kerry Barrett's books. The Girl in the Picture is a fast read and keeps you on the edge of your seat, wondering what happen to poor Violet? And I must say the ending is not what you would expect. If you haven't already I would definitely give this book a read, you won't be disappointed. 

Published by: K

Review: Secret Heir by M.J. Prince

Secret Heir

By: M.J. Prince

Series: Dynasty Series

Genre: Romance, Fantasy, New Adult

Length: 346 pages

Synopsis From Goodreads:

Since the beginning of time, tales have been told about Eden. But all the stories are wrong.

Running parallel alongside Earth, but never touching, there exists not just a garden, but an entire world of vivid colours and breathtaking beauty where the Seraph reside.

Jazmine has lived in ten different foster homes, in ten different towns and all her life she has felt like she doesn’t belong – not in the trailer park which happens to be foster home number ten, not anywhere on Earth.

After a universe shattering revelation, she discovers why. Far from being the nothing and no one, with no past and no future, that Jazmine had always believed herself to be, she discovers that she is in fact an heir to one of the seven remaining Seraph Dynasties.

She is Jazmine Evenstar, the last heir to the sovereign Evenstar Dynasty.

Thrust into the world of wealth and privilege in which the impossibly beautiful and equally cruel Dynasty heirs reside, Jazmine is forced to manoeuvre the tangled web that holds the Dynasties together.

Against the backdrop of breathtaking star filled nights, sweeping coastlines, grand marble halls and decadent palaces, Jazmine tries to find her place in this beautiful new world whilst fighting not to lose herself in the process.

But the fairy tale quickly unravels.

Half human and the illegitimate daughter of the late suicide King of Eden, the other Dynasty heirs make it clear that Jazmine does not belong in their world.

Raphael St. Tristan, heir to the rival sovereign St. Tristan Dynasty and next in line to the throne of Eden, the guy with the face of an angel but who is as wicked as the devil himself, promises to break her.

Jazmine quickly learns that the beauty of Eden is nothing but a deception as she uncovers the secrets festering at the heart of it. But can she disentangle herself from the web of deception and intrigue that the Dynasty heirs have spun? Can she stop herself from falling into Raphael St. Tristan’s trap before he can fulfil his promise to shatter her completely? Or are those stories about Eden true after all and will she be foolish enough to taste the forbidden fruit that is Eden itself? 

My Review:

Rating:
★☆☆☆☆

***I received an ARC copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.***

While I received this book in advance in order to provide an honest review before publishing, life got in the way and I just could not finish the book on time. (Traveling back and forth between Indiana and Florida to help my best friend prepare for her wedding, then mom broke her wrist and had to have surgery. It's been a hectic last couple of months.)

When the author contacted me in regards to reading and reviewing her new book I was ecstatic, the synopsis sounded amazing and I just could not wait to delve into the world of Eden. This book truly puts a spin on the world of supernatural beings and alternate realms. I had high hopes for this book to be something different from the everyday Romance Fantasy novel. 

This book started out great, I found myself hooked and the author had an amazing way of bringing Jazmine's world to life. The writing was great and the author was very detailed in her descriptions of Eden. Jazmine felt as thought she would be a strong female character, kicking ass and not taking crap from anyone. And at first she started out that way.

However the further I delved in the book the more disappointed I became, Jazmine turned into a very whiny, love sick character. Only really thinking of Raph and their "doomed" relationship. I felt it took a lot away from the story. Her thoughts were almost repetitive, constantly thinking of Raph and his beauty or how she never should have let him into her heart. She could never really trust what they had, constantly questioning everything about their relationship. While at the same time I thought there were more pressing issues to address like: why is Earth no longer safe for her? What dangers await Jazmine on Earth? Who exactly was her father and what was he like as ruler? 

I felt as though there were several scenes that never really added to the story, such as the many cafeteria scenes with Devon, or even the many dueling scenes. I felt like they lacked substance. I was waiting for something epic to happen. There was never really any climax, nothing exciting ever happened. And many of the characters lacked development, we never got to learn about their pasts, other than Raph and Jazmine. I was hoping to learn more about Jazmine's father or for her to spend more time bonding with the grandfather she never knew. 

Overall, I found myself very disappointed, this book had so much potential and for me it just did not reach my expectations. I had such a hard time staying engrossed in the world of Eden that I almost called it quits, however I am one of those people that hates to leave a book unfinished. I can't say that I'll finish the series, I just don't have much invested in discovering what comes of Jazmine and Raph. I'm truly disappointed that I did not like this book, I wanted to love it especially after reading that remarkable and exciting synopsis. 

Published by: K