Many thanks to Victoria Joss and publisher Aria for my spot on this Blog Tour.

Quite an unexpected read!! There are certain books which ask to be read at a particular time and moment of life. This was one of them. I tried reading it before when I was going through some mental anguish, and the book did not reveal its secrets to me. It didn’t speak to me. Only when I decided to let go of my pain in real life, did the book unfurl and allow me to settle down in its pages. Such is the magic of certain books.

Maddie was restless, but when she visited the village of Walditch, in Dorset, that her soul found a home. Something in her recognized the Ole Smithy house and she bought it. Slowly, things started happening, and too many sights and feels of a man appearing in the mist made her realize something more was at play.

My first book by author Kate Ryder was a magical experience of sorts. The book decided when it had to be read. The time slip love story revealed its pain and angst only when the moment was right.

Kate’s writing had a haunting timelessness to it in certain sections. There was a feeling that the spirits of the past had gone beyond the words and had seeped into the pages, leaving their mark on them. Love is eternal, and even when the story was fictional, the shadowy whispers of those emotions were left behind, beguiling me to stay lost in its pathways.

The hints of dual timeliness which appeared as the ghosts of the past continuing their circle as they were wont to do added an emotive atmosphere. I wouldn’t say I liked Maddie and Nick in their completeness, there was something missing with their characterization, but the story on its whole called to me.

The glimmer of the past love and the aura of the house, which pulled me to read the book, kept me captivated too, eagerly waiting for me to solve its mystery and set it free. That was the power of this book on me. No idea about the how and the why. But its tendrils stayed with me till I finished it. A captivating read.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley and publisher, and this is my journey into its pages, straight from the heart!! STRICTLY HONEST AND UNBIASED.

All my reviews can be read here

Maddie is restless in London. She has friends, a job and a sort-of boyfriend, but something in her life is missing. Then she visits the ancient village of Walditch, deep in the Dorset countryside. Something stirs in her, and on a whim she buys a centuries-old cottage and moves there three months later. Her friends think she’s crazy, but for Maddie it feels like coming home.

Late at night in the cottage, Maddie hears strange noises and sees mist gathering indoors and out. When she starts investigating the cottage’s history, she becomes drawn into the tragic story of a family who lived here 400 years ago. Meanwhile, Maddie starts to fall in love with a local carpenter – but he has a relationship already…

Can Maddie solve the riddle of the past? What is her connection with the family that lived there so many years ago? And can she and her true love ever be together?

Publication Date: 19th September 2019

Publisher: Aria