I am thrilled to be reviewing The House of Light and Shadows by Lauren Westwood on the blog today. My thanks to Rachel Gilbey of Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to take part in the tour and to the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of the book, which I have reviewed honestly and impartially.
Secrets lurk in the shadows at Rookswood House…
When Kate goes to look after her estranged sister’s children in their creepy old house, she takes a photo of what seems to be a ghost. Frightened yet intrigued, Kate undertakes to uncover the secrets of the house and the two mysterious sisters who lived there over a hundred years before.
But like the illusions of light and shadow in the sisters’ strange and disturbing Victorian post-mortem photography, Kate discovers that all is not what it seems. Someone – or something – has their own plans for Rookswood House – and for Kate.
With a potential developer circling around, her teenage niece in danger from an unseen force, and new love on the horizon, Kate must unravel the secrets and lies of her own and Rookswood’s past before she loses everything she holds dear.
This book is a gem of a discovery for anyone who loves historical romance, gothic fiction, family dramas or books where a house is one of the main characters, because this book beautifully blends all of the above to create something that is more than a sum of its individual parts. This is a book you can really get your teeth into and it will pay you back in spades.
This is a dual timeline story which tells the story of two sets of sisters, separated by a century but joined by familial strife. Times may change but relationships play out similarly through the ages. In the modern day, single and career-focused London lawyer, Kate, has her neatly ordered world upended by a phone call from the headmaster of her niece and nephew’s school. Kate’s estranged sister is in hospital and there is no one else to take care of the children, Kate must drop everything and rush to Sussex to pick up the threads of her sister’s life, whether she wants to or not. She soon finds herself not only having to manage two teenage children she doesn’t know but also the creepy old house her sister and brother-in-law were trying to restore before their lives fell apart. And the house may not be as abandoned as it seems…
Because the house remain imbued with the spirit of the two ‘Weird Sisters’ who lived there a century ago. It was where they carried out their experiments in the strange trends popular in Victorian photography, and where their relationship was torn about but tragic events, in echoes of the rift that would later form between Kate and her sister, Emma. Despite being warned to keep away, Kate is inexplicably drawn to the house and the secrets that haunt its shadows, and she is determined to find out what happened in the house and between the sisters a hundred years before, particularly because the house also seems to have a dangerous hold on her niece, Izzy.
This book was a compelling read that hooked me in so I could not put it down until it was finished. I read it cover to cover in a single sitting and was completely engrossed in the story from beginning to end. The character of Kate is a strong and complex character to carry the story and I could feel her conflict throughout. As someone with three sisters, I understand how complicated sibling relationships can be and this dynamic was beautifully illustrated throughout the story. I could feel the pain of both Kate and Ada in their estrangement from their sisters.
The historical aspects of the novel featuring the Victorian proclivities for bizarre photography were fascinating, if not a little creepy, and formed the ideal back drop for this story, giving it a perfect Gothic touch. This, coupled with the descriptions of the house – which is a character in itself – make this book fairly chilling and i would advise anyone of a delicate disposition not to read it late at night. However, if you like to feel chills in your reading, this book will provide plenty. The balance of supernatural spookiness with modern day problems and a touch of romance in both timelines was perfectly done. Each element gets equal weight so that lovers of each of these elements will find enough to appeal to them.
I really enjoyed this book. It will appeal to fans of Laura Purcell, I think, or anyone who has enjoyed Henry James or Wilkie Collins and wants a familiar feel in a modern novel. Highly recommended.
The House of Light and Shadows is out now in all formats and you can buy a copy here.
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About the Author
Lauren Westwood is an author of emotional women’s fiction and intelligent romance novels.
Connect with Lauren:
Facebook: Lauren Westwood Writer
Twitter: @lwestwoodwriter
Instagram: @lwestwoodwriter
