Witch of Willow Hall

The Witch of Willow Hall- Hester Fox
Harlequin
Release Date: October 2, 2018

Rating:
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Warning: Possible Spoilers Ahead

Synopsis: New Oldbury, 1821 

In the wake of a scandal, the Montrose family and their three daughters—Catherine, Lydia and Emeline—flee Boston for their new country home, Willow Hall.

The estate seems sleepy and idyllic. But a subtle menace creeps into the atmosphere, remnants of a dark history that call to Lydia, and to the youngest, Emeline.

All three daughters will be irrevocably changed by what follows, but none more than Lydia, who must draw on a power she never knew she possessed if she wants to protect those she loves. For Willow Hall’s secrets will rise, in the end…

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Lydia Montrose has spent her life trying to repress herself and blend into the background, a quiet bookworm shadowed by her older and outgoing sister Catherine.  When Catherine's behavior causes too much scandal for the family to remain in Boston, they move to the small town of New Oldbury.  Here Lydia begins to discover more about herself, her family, and the world than she imagined. She falls for her father's business partner, the enigmatic and brooding John Barrett, but believes he has eyes only for Catherine.  As Lydia discovers more of Catherine's shameful secrets, she tries to keep the family together and protect them from the world.  But when tragedy continues to follow the Montrose family, who will keep Lydia safe?

The Witch of Willow Hall starts off slow, hinting at secrets without revealing the truth for long stretches of time, but picks up as you go.  The dark, quiet menace and gothic brooding of Willow Hall are a tangible presence throughout the entire book- even more of a character than many of the flesh and blood ones.  As much as you sometimes want to shake Lydia into sharing her problems you feel sorry for her for not having anyone strong or caring enough in her family to share them with.  Lydia takes on far more responsibility for the family than she should have to, especially while she is trying to figure out her own life at the same time.  Mysterious visions and sounds that only she can hear- are they dreams or something more sinister? It takes the plain speaking of one of Lydia's ancestors to make her stop completely avoiding the truth, and though she spends most of the book in denial that somehow makes her eventual acceptance of herself and her abilities even stronger.  Most of the other characters are fairly two dimensional- her parents almost nonentities for most of the book, Catherine a vain and outrageously selfish girl.  Anytime you see a hint of a real person behind her shallow facade it's gone so fast you're not sure if it was really there or if Lydia imagined it.  John Barrett is a fairly mysterious and brooding character for most of the book, although when he and Lydia finally actually talk out their misunderstandings and secrets he turns out to be a strong man with a good heart, and one Lydia truly deserves after all she's been through.  Despite the gothic menace of ghosts it is an all too human menace that threatens Lydia and John and Lydia comes to learn that good and evil can be in all people- witches or not.

Captivating and well written, The Witch of Willow Hall follows in the tradition of the gothic romances that Lydia loves so much- a book full of secrets, ghosts, betrayals, and love, with a much needed and deserved happy ending. 

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review