MR. WOODREEVE'S REFLECTION is marvelous! Ostensibly about a family that is quite dysfunctional, it is really about seeing the magic in the world around us. I can hardly wait to see what Bluck comes up with next.

So many layers! Slice of family life meets fairy tale, all wrapped up in a mystery. Beautifully written, with gorgeous imagery. All the elements interwoven like a jigsaw puzzle falling into place.

3.75 Stars* (rounded up)

Kismet is an incredible thing. It’s not something you can explain - its destiny, fate. Something that happens by chance that changes your life. For Emma, her brothers, Jonathan and Ben and their parents, Helen and Keith, something magical happens when walking in the woods of Northumberland. They meet Matthew Woodreeve and once they do, they see things they never thought possible. Matthew opens their eyes, helps each of them find beauty in the land, and in life and find hope where it was once was lost.

Matthew the Woodreeve is a very special man. His cabin is fantastical and the land he has taken great care of is lovely and mystical. Emma can feel and see its magic more than any other. Unfortunately, Matthew’s life has not always been easy and his past is a mystery which is waiting to be solved. For years he has been quite lonely and then this family appears and they help each other heal, with Matthew giving them the most incredible gift just waiting to be opened. A library full of books, sunlight streaming in, a meadow of flowers, open fields, the stream, so many breathless moments - and well something even more special: Kismet.

“Mr. Woodreeve’s Reflection” is a book that leaves you full of hope, believing in life’s possibilities, smiling. I chose it due to Diane S.’ incredible review and I’m so glad I did! Thanks Diane!

Thank you to NetGalley, Unbound and Robert Bluck for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley, Goodreads and Amazon on 3.2.18.

An interesting idea for a “magical” story. A story of two sides: One, the family’s story. Keith and Helen as the parents, Ben and Johnathan as the twin boys and Emma as the teenage daughter. Two: Matthew, the woodreeve’s story. Whilst the family’s story started to annoy me with the “enchanted” cottage a bit too sweet and Blyton for me and everyone living on sandwiches and tea and the characters a bit too stereotype - hard-working, stressed male breadwinner; boisterous, squabbling 10-tear old twin boys; aloof teenage girl and the Mum holding it all together. I would have expected more character insight from a Zen scholar. I struggled with the description of the lay of the land only to have a map thrown at me at the very end of the description. However, biiig however, Matthew’s story was delightfully narrated, lively, atmospheric, well-paced, poetic and populated with literary and philosophical references. If it weren’t for Matthew, I would not have finished the book. So I am a bit torn when it comes to recommend this book, but enjoy it (in parts), I did.

Robert Bluck has created an oasis within a forest in this complex story about family roots, love of the earth and the magic of Mother Nature.

Its English setting makes slow reading for those not familiar with English countrysides, but the spirit of the story pushes through. Who wouldn't want to live a seemingly magical location surrounded by rivers, mountains, forests and gardens? After all, the fictional location is the creation of a writer deeply affected by nature, meditation and spiritualization.

Matthew the Woodreeve draws the Forster family into his magical world with mysterious rhymes, clues and teasers. What the family finds is more than they expected as they learn more about their new surroundings and the man who created their new home.

"Mr. Woodreeve's Reflection" is a deeply personal look at the past, the present and how it's interpreted.

Mr Woodreeve’s Reflection

Utter magic. Have you ever read a book and immediately after finishing wish you could un-read it to experience it all as new again? This book has left me pining for all the feel-good emotions it dished out. I loved Enid Blyton as a child and I felt like that little girl again when reading this. I don’t even want to give a summary of the story because the words I have will never be lovely enough. Just know that at the centre of this is an enchanting cottage encased in a stone circle and full of magic. It really is so very, very special. Give it a read!

Sorry to those who liked this book. It is mostly down to taste that I did not really fall in love with this novel. I was expecting something darker, deeper than this little mystery from the land of fairies and woodreeves. I will not bore anybody with a summary of the contents, as these are provided by the blurb. This book is well written (although there are a lot of repetitions "Emmaland", "Twinland", the twins are quarreling, Emma is weird etc), none of the characters really develop over the duration of the book and some of the narration is drawn out by some overly long passages). Nonetheless, it sort of trundles along nicely, is full of lyrical expressions and cosy little insights into the lives of the main characters. It also has magic in it. Oh, and mystery and riddles and ghosts. Don't get me wrong - although I am not an outright fan of fantasy novels I really enjoyed The Graveyard Book and Harry Potter. But this was just a bit too flowery and enchanted for my taste.

4 magical stars to Mr. Woodreeve’s Reflection! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Mr. Woodreeve’s Reflection is perfect for when you need a break from other books. Something a little quirky and different. Not a thriller, but not fluff either. Full of interesting characters and an added touch of magic.

Stories of families are always amongst my favorites, and this one has family at its core. This family moved from having a hard time to becoming unitary, with the help of an endearing friend. Even though this is not heavy, the plot has several dimensions of interest- architecture, geography, gardening, and yes, some fantasy elements.

Mr. Woodreeve’s Reflection is a different sort of book in the best of ways. Enter the pages with a completely open mind, and be prepared to escape to another world with richly drawn characters and a powerfully moving story!

This book came highly recommended by my friend Diane S. 💕

Thank you to Robert Bluck, Unbound, and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this treasure of a book!

I was lucky enough to read a digital copy of this gem of a book via the publisher and Netgalley. I want sure if I would enjoy it from the description I read beforehand, but thought it would be worth a try.

It turned out to be nothing like what I was expecting from the cover, or the description really.

Prepare to be surprised in a good way! This is a familiar story of fairy tale told more in the present, but it still manages to pull you in and make you care about the characters. Is it what it seems? You'll have to read to find out!

Definitely one to put in your basket...

Absolutely magical. A chance happening and a sad occurrence bring this wonderful family, to the bridge of Matthew Woodreeve. A Woodreeve is the title from the past, of a man whose job it was to take care of the forest. Much about Matthews gardens, woods and house seem magical, as does Matthew himself. To young Emma, who often sees and feels things other do not, he is a mystery and a delight. In fact all of the family fall a little in love with the Woodreeve and his property.

I did as well, fall hard for all these characters, and Matthews amazing property. But who is he, and how did he come to be here? That is the enchanted mystery the family tries to solve. Matthew helps through his stories, that tell of his life, written in various segments which he sends to different members of the family. A treasure hunt ensues based on the clues Matthew provides, secrets are revealed, and surprising connections are made. So much fun to follow along.

The type of novel one occasionally needs to restore some balance in their emotional makeup after reading heavier themed tomes. I enjoyed every minute of it, plus it made me smile. I so wasn't ready to leave at books end. The ending is rather open, different family members have different opinions, the reader needs to decide which one is most likely.

ARC from Netgalley.

On the face of it, this is a fairly light story, based in a modern day setting, of a typical family and their ups and downs. However, as the opening chapter hints, things aren't always what they seem and this book goes on to become a mini saga of a family line. The story develops into a complex plot - the story weaving backwards and forwards and involves history, geography, science, natural science, architecture, gardening, building and human psychology. There is also an element of fantasy and "other worldliness" about it which may enchant or frustrate readers, depending on their tastes! I am sure this book will appeal to a vast number of readers and many will spend hours pondering on Mr Woodreeve's reflection once the book has ended.

'How much swifter are the changes in our bodies and our minds! And yet we strongly wish to ignore them, to believe that I -unlike everything else in the universe -will somehow stay the same for ever and ever.'

Emma knows she can’t say what she has witnessed, her family would think she is going mad. Is she? Or is there something supernatural going on? Men do not walk out of churning rivers, do they? People’s reflections don’t appear in picture frames and smile directly at you, when no one is on the other side, in the room. Just who is Mr. Woodsreeve and why is his life in the country, in a cottage so seductive that the entire family longs to live there too? His kindness is questionable he feels far more familiar, like a beloved Uncle, than he should.

When he vanishes, he leaves a mystery behind that is a collection of stories, stories that leave more questions than answers. What is lovely about this book is it’s about family, but also literature, art and philosophy. I was much reminded of the author Jostein Gaarder, whose books always leave you thinking about what it means to be a human being. As we dissect ‘happenings’ that seem extraordinary, we are challenged to think in terms of science, religion, magic… it is all those things and none of them, at the same time.

Here we have an ordinary family, going through the motions of every day life, as we all do. There are losses, grief and an escape to nature to heal, so to speak. Keith is having struggles at work, Helen’s dream of a bigger family comes to a crushing end and yet she is still trying to hold the family together, while she herself needs stitching up. The twins, Jonathan and Ben are consumed with recycling and running around outdoors when ‘normal’ boys are consumned by computers and game systems. Emma is stressing over revisions, wrapped up in literature she is seeing things she can’t possibly be seeing, if she were sane, right? Come away, just come away to the woods… Emma doesn’t quite trust herself, but she knows what she sees. In Emma there is that ever-present fear of what her loved ones will think. How often we dismiss our loved one’s emotional states as nonsense, and in turn they learn to keep things to themselves. “Nobody else could have possibly seen him, they would never understand. They never did.” Exactly how a teenager at any given time likely feels. Exactly how the distance widens between parents and their child.

Matthew the Woodreeve and Emma form a bond, and he anchors her to reality, eases her fears with his intelligence and compassion. If only we all had our own Mathew, life would be less chaotic. The stories he shares changes everything, and secrets and mysteries come together to change their family history. It was a lovely, original story English story and a welcome break from the bleaker novels I gravitate towards. Literature, art, magical realism and family at heart.

Publication Date: January 30, 2018

Unbound

What a great story! The description is really not great. This is ultimately a story of family, with a uniquely twisted plot following them from a family in a tough place to one that is tightly united. Toss in some wonder and the beauty of nature and a uniquely found friend and what you get is a story thar is hard to put down. I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would based on the description. It is different in a good way with power story and rich characters.