The Ghost of Hearts-Hope

The Ghost of Hearts-Hope reminded me of Jane Eyre, Eleanor and the Iron King, and Rebecca. The story tells of a young woman who that works on a country house and falls for her brooding employer. She soon discovers that her employer’s wife died under mysterious circumstances and is haunting the estate. I found the novel to be very atmospheric. At once, you can sense that there is someone haunting the house The novel also had a dash of mystery and sustained we find out what really happened to his wife. The only thing I did not like about this book was that it was drawn out and could have been shorter. Nevertheless, I recommend this for those who love gothic fiction.

Once in awhile you read a book that leaves a lasting impression. That is what this book does. At first it seems like a Victorian romance novel but then it turns into a mystery novel that also deals a lot with loss and coming of age.

Anna is an orphan who lost her parents when she was 10 in an accident. She now lives with her aunt, uncle and cousin in quite well to do London circles: her aunt hosts soirées where aristocracy and artist mingle. Anna has a bit of money of her own but is no heiress and envisions herself as a governess or ladies companion (she has reddish hair and freckles what was not that popular then and no dowry). Her slightly younger beautiful cousin has a lot of admirers and is dreaming about marriage. One evening that cousin takes Anna to a clairvoyant what scares the hell out of her.

But then a rich widower, Lord Hope (his grandfather bought the title otherwise he would have been to far above Anne socially although his mother is like the dowager duchess in Downton Abbey), asks for her hand in marriage and he takes her to his neo-gothic castle in Cornwall. I have never been in Cornwall but the landscape is described as rugged as I remember the place I stayed on Kintire in Scotland, You can picture the castle overlooking the ever changing scene of the sea.

Lord Hope - Reece - is a tall chestnut haired calm man with intriguing grey eyes. But in the book he stays a bit like a shadow. A huge man Anne likes to cuddle up with in bed. Who embodies safety for her. Who is very good in sex. But is hardly ever home so Anna who is still a very young woman has to manage all by herself: running the huge household with all the servants, trying win over her 10 years old stepdaughter, keeping an eye on a cousin who is also tutored in the castle and last but not least deal with Simeon the brother of Reece who is his opposite in colouring but also in character.

Then weird things start to happen and Anne who has had the Sight all her life starts wondering if her predecessor Natasha is really dead or still alive. Are the servants correct that the castle us haunted or is it foul play by a human evil? Or is Anne loosing her mind over a great loss? Is the writer going to give us a ghoststory and will the book be fantasy or will it be a murder mystery?

I had several theories and when we find out what is going on it was one of those. And it does not come out of thin air. You can deduct it. Although I had to read the end again to see it all.

The writer does a very good job. Maybe it is what I would have liked myself: a castle with a seaview, a handsome hunk for a husband and dogs and children but somehow the writer made me identify with Anna what made the story a real page turner. She is also very good in worldbuilding: you can see the landscape and all the different persons around and in the castle: Simeon her brother in law and her stepdaughter are really well fleshed out. The devastation of a personal loss is also well described.

I was a really good read! I can certainly recommend it and I hope to read more of her.

I would like to thank Matador Publishing and the Netgalley website for this partnership. This allows me to discover a lot of talented authors.

I was immediately attracted to the blanket: you see the beautiful Anna, a sensitive girl, she has strange premonitions and feels the emotions of others. For the time being, she is content with a position as a governess. She will work in Cornwell where she is the mistress of Hearts-Hope. Her new life is starting except she has some funny dreams.

A book read in one go so much I hooked on the story so captivating, moving full of suspense and twists and turns and especially on the character of Anna.

I wish I had his gift too much to know what people think. A book that I highly recommend.

A very interesting book, loved and really enjoyed the reading. Strongly recommend the book if you are into page turning books.

I liked this book just as much. She has a unique clean writing style that draws you in and just won't let you put the book down. I read this one in 5 hours. Highly recommend.

The Ghost of Hearts Hope tells the story of a young woman from London, who has the gift of premonition / foresight. When she falls in love with a handsome stranger, her life takes an exciting turn that leads her on an adventure she never expected. With some fun characters and a beautiful setting, this book is generally a feel good go to.
I enjoyed the historical romance of this book a lot, and even more so the Gothic mystery aspect. Large mansions filled with shadows and strange noises are always a good backdrop. This book had the feeling of a marriage between Daphne De Maurier's Rebecca, and Jane Eyre.
If you are looking for an easy read, I recommend this.
The story and the language were a little bit clunky in parts, and there were a number of typos, but for me the story was enough to carry me to the end.

Many thanks to Marion Sheperd, Troubador Publishing Limited and Net Galley for a chance to review this book.

An orphan girl meets a very rich widower and goes to his family estate called Hearts-Hope and gets obsessed about the dead wife Natasha. Sounding familiar?? Well, the similarity ends there. The Ghosts of Hearts-Hope is an excellent Gothic suspense novel which feels familiar but is totally different.

Anna Cooke falls in love with Reece and moves to his family home called Hearts-Hope in the wilds of Cornwall by the sea. With her loving and kind heart she sets about befriending her young step-daughter Ophelia. Reece's wife Natasha had been presumed drowned but her body have never been recovered. Anna has grown up having an intuition about things that would happen and soon begins to sense things in the mansion and starts having strange nightmares. There are rumors about Natasha's ghost haunting the castle and this adds woes to Anna's troubled mind.

I could sense the plot line and the mystery behind it but the story is definitely engrossing. The love between Anna and Reece was brilliantly written and the growth of Anna from a young girl into a strong woman capable of being the mistress of Hearts-Hope is conveyed beautifully. Likewise, the efforts of getting a child to trust a step-parent has been written well and I can see that author has a way with using words that brings pictures into the minds of the reader. Looking forward to read more works by this author.

This book is a slow-paced Gothic suspense with a strong romantic element. When I first started reading the book, I thought it was going to be a straight-up romance with paranormal elements. But the hero and heroine fall in love quickly and are soon married. Except for a few hiccups here and there, there isn't much conflict with the romance itself, so there isn’t enough romantic tension to call this a straight-up romance.

The story is really more about two things: the adjustment of the heroine to her new life and the slow-burn suspense that something is not quite right at her new home. As to the former, as the second wife of a widower with a child, Anna must become a proper stepmother and fulfill her duties as mistress of the house and pillar of the community. At first, she does get some pushback from the staff and the community, and she struggles with her relationship with her reserved, love-starved stepdaughter. All the time while Anna's trying to adjust and adapt to her new life, the hero is mostly supportive; it is a pleasure to watch their growing relationship amidst the chaos. But something is definitely amiss in the household. Sometimes, a strange creaking of floorboards is heard; at other times, sightings of a woman in white are reported. Then dangerous things start to happen that actually imperil lives. Is it a ghost at work or is the villain wholly human?

I enjoyed this book, and in fact, it kept me reading for longer than I should have, but I couldn’t put it down to get my other jobs done in real life. For those of you who love Poldark, this mostly takes place in Cornwall...and there are horseback rides along the sands, hidden coves, and mysterious caves. The fickle Cornish weather was used as a literary device, usually mirroring what was going on with the characters or plot.

There were some issues with grammar, punctuation, spelling, and usage. I do understand and appreciate the difference between American and British English, but some rules apply in both variants. For instance, commas are required in a compound sentence before the coordinating conjunction; this was usually missing. Commas were missing often as well around direct address or the word “too.” Some misspellings included blanked for blanket and bellow for below.

Despite this, I still enjoyed this slow-paced Gothic suspense novel as my curiosity was kept engaged throughout. As these strange incidents and events kept happening, I wanted to know what the cause of it all was. You might enjoy this book as well if you like Gothic suspense and don't mind the slow pace.

I was in two minds as to whether i would enjoy this book or not. Mainly because i am not overly fond of stories that have haunted castles or houses. I do enjoy historical romance and as it was based in Cornwall, i decided to give the book a try. I have been to Cornwall many times and could well imagine the setting.

I was so glad that i read this book and once started, i soon sailed through it. Ok, it may have been a little drawn out in places, but it really didn't matter. I would have no hesitation to read more books by this author. Recommended.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review, which i have freely given.

What a great read!

Anna loses her parents at the age of 10. She moves in with her aunt and uncle. They treat her like a daughter. Anna has dreams/premonitions. She meets Reese at a soiree that her aunt is hosting. Though he is usually standoffish, Reese and Anna feel an immediate connection. He is a widower; his first wife having disappeared in what looked like a fall from a cliff five years previously.

Soon they are married and settle at Hearts-Hope As Lady Hope, Anna fumbles as she learns to govern. She works hard to establish a relationship with Reese’s daughter, Ophelia. Reese is gone from Cornwall often, but his brother Simeon is there to be a sounding board for Anna. Weird happens occur at the castle that have Anna shaken. As she tries to solve the mysterious occurrences, she cannot shake her preoccupation with the prior Lady Hope.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me reading far into the night when I should have been sleeping. The one more chapter turned into two, then three, and four, etc. This story gets you so involved you find yourself trying to tell the characters not to do something; not to believe her; and not to hold back. Strong descriptions that are so real make you forget that you aren’t at the castle and don’t personally know these people.


I received an ARC from Matador through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily giving a review.

ADDED NOTE: A couple of reviews stated that Anna “falls for her brooding employer” and is the “governess. She will work at Cornwall.” Those reviewers either read a different book or simply reviewed the beginning and end. No disrespect to the reviewers. I just want to make sure the reader knows how good this book really is.