time slip – The Well-Read Coffee Addict

The Vanishing at Castle Moreau by Jaime Jo Wright

Published by: Bethany House

Series: standalone

Buy on: Baker Book House | Indigo CA | Book Depository | B&N | Christianbook.com

Genre/Tropes: Dual Timeline, Gothic/Spooky, Ghost stories, Christian fiction, celebrity

Book Blurb

In 1865, orphaned Daisy Francois takes a position as housemaid at a midwestern Wisconsin castle and finds that the reclusive and eccentric Gothic authoress inside hides more than the harrowing tales in her novels. With women disappearing from the area and a legend that seems to parallel these eerie circumstances, Daisy is thrust into a web that may threaten to steal her sanity, if not her life.

In the present day, Cleo Clemmons is hired by the grandson of American aristocratic family the Tremblays to help his matriarchal grandmother face her hoarding in the dilapidated Castle Moreau. But when Cleo uncovers more than just the woman’s stashes of collectibles, a century-old mystery of disappearance, insanity, and the dust of the old castle’s curse threatens to rise again, and this time, leave no one alive to tell its sordid tale.

Review

I am a long-time fan of Jaime Jo Wright and her ability to craft spooky stories. She’s an enigma in Christian fiction. I mean, who would pair ghost stories and Christianity? Jaime Jo always has an answer for the ‘ghosts’, although The Vanishing at Castle Moreau might have you questioning that truth throughout the story.

I do feel it best to start this review with a disclaimer. This book contains multiple ‘triggers’ and I don’t want to spoil anything that happens, but I am going to list the those in the content section below. I have included that in here because I know there are readers who will want to understand better if they are a good fit for this book or not.

I’m going to share what I liked vs. what I didn’t enjoy as that will best fit my reading experience.

What I Liked:

Really loved Cleo and her timeline. I would actually get disappointed when we left her timeline because I was so invested in it!
There are topics discussed here that I don’t see often in CF. (more on that below)
This was such an absorbing read! I started reading it could not put it down! I think it took me about 2 hours overall from start to finish.
It’s not as grisly as some of her other books.
This has all the hallmark touches of JJW’s unique writing style.

What I Didn’t Enjoy:

This is the first JJW book I’ve read where I didn’t like the past timeline. I just got so disturbed and would skim through those parts.
As I said, this book touches on topics I don’t see very much in CF. That’s a good thing! But it also really disturbed me (I keep saying that, but that’s how I felt…)
I’m speaking vaguely here but I didn’t understand what one of the male characters saw in the female love interest.
I did find the explanation at the end somewhat underwhelming, like this story had been getting more and more dramatic and then we get the explanation and it kinda fizzled.

Overall Thoughts:
I thought the story itself was very well done, and would be between a 4 – 4.5. My personal rating is 3 because I was quite disturbed. I’ve never read Jane Eyre but this book references it several times and it does give off the vibes of Jane Eyre (from my limited knowledge). I’m sad because this is the first JJW that I didn’t enjoy, but I have half a book shelf full of hers that I do love so this isn’t about the author whatsoever; I just didn’t love this particular book.

*I received a copy of The Vanishing at Castle Moreau from the publisher via Netgalley to honestly read and review. All opinions expressed are strictly my own.

Rating

To understand what each rating signifies, please check out this page.

Content Rating: 2.5/5

Violence: Warning: some *SPOILERS* in this section.

one character deals with alcoholism and gets drunk.
triggers: domestic/familial abuse (not explicit, mainly just hinted at).
some medical stuff that could make more sensitive readers squeamish

Language: I don’t remember any language.

Romance: The romance was very minimal and balances the creepy side of JJW stories.

Faith: 4/5

Plot: 5/5 – I was entirely invested in Cleo’s story and so absorbed with the plot that I went from chapter 1 to nearly the end in about an hour or so.

Characters: 4/5 – Cleo was very well written. That’s all I can say without spoiling it.

My Personal Rating: 3.5/5 – the overall story was done well, but I did find myself quite disturbed while reading, as I mentioned. This might be the only Jaime Jo book that’s had quite this effect on me and I’m not sure I like it. 😅

All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes

Published by: Bethany House

Series: Standalone

Genre/Tropes: Historical fiction, Dual Timelines, found family, amnesia

Book Blurb: When all of Venice is unmasked, one man’s identity remains a mystery . . .

1807
When a baby is discovered floating in a basket along the quiet canals of Venice, a guild of artisans takes him in and raises him as a son, skilled in each of their trades. Although the boy, Sebastien Trovato, has wrestled with questions of his origins, it isn’t until a woman washes ashore on his lagoon island that answers begin to emerge. In hunting down his story, Sebastien must make a choice that could alter not just his own future, but also that of the beloved floating city.

1904
Daniel Goodman is given a fresh start in life as the century turns. Hoping to redeem a past laden with regrets, he is sent on an assignment from California to Venice to procure and translate a rare book. There, he discovers a city of colliding hope and decay, much like his own life, and a mystery wrapped in the pages of that filigree-covered volume. With the help of Vittoria, a bookshop keeper, Daniel finds himself in a web of shadows, secrets, and discoveries carefully kept within the stones and canals of the ancient city . . . and in the mystery of the man whose story the book does not finish: Sebastien Trovato.

What can I say about a masterpiece, that the name doesn’t already imply?

The fact remained that in the face of such absolute devastation and loss, when the living story resounded only in defeat, he dug instead for the tiniest slip of hope. And in doing so, hope became . . . purpose.

I have yet to meet an author who can layer so many beautiful truths into a work of art as Amanda does in her stories. All the Lost Places is a stunning masterpiece, a journey of discovering one’s purpose and place in life.

I struggle to find the words to properly relate how I felt reading this book. Booklist’s starred review describes best my reading experience with the words, “hushed awe”. This is a story of introspection, one so spellbinding you feel as though the words are whispered to you and any movement or sound will ruin the moment.

At some point, the story stopped being about merely Daniel and his atonements, or Sebastian and his wrestling of identity. I can’t explain it, but I felt the author in this story, between the pages of mosaics and monks – also something I can’t explain unless you’ve read the story yourself.

Amanda Dykes evokes deep emotions with her symbolic lyricism and ordinary yet magical characters. I didn’t want the story to end, yet I couldn’t help but read on. This is romantic literary prose at its best. Everything about this novel – the characters that warm your heart, the intriguing Venice, the introspecting journey, all of it – resonated with me, and I can never recommend this book or this author enough.

a few favourite quotes ✨

(because I can’t share the whole novel in a review!)

Though life had taught them hope was a dangerous and fragile thing . . . Faith sang a different song: hope was as necessary as breath, and so strong that it carried its own heartbeat.

“I search my whole life for something, and you give it to me in an entirely different form, far richer and better than I could have imagined. I was looking for a ring . . . and you gave me the moon.”

Disclaimer:

*I voluntarily received an influencer copy of All the Lost Places from the author. I was not required to leave a positive review and I thoroughly enjoyed and honestly do mean every word written in this review. I am incredibly thankful and honoured to have received this amazing book.

Ratings

To understand what each rating signifies, please check out this page.

Content Rating: 5/5

Violence: 4.5/5 – a few fight scenes, not detailed or graphic

Language: 5/5 – very clean!

Romance: 5/5 – also very clean on the romance. I recommend this book for 12+ (the older the readers are, the more they will get out of this story because of the symbolism, metaphors etc.)

Faith: 5/5 – It was an immense pleasure to read a book with a faith thread so beautifully intertwined with the message + theme.

Plot: 5/5 – note: dual timeline

Characters: 5/5 – love love love. Sebastian – love. Daniel – love. Vittoria – love. Mariana – *sobs* love.

My Personal Rating: 5/5 glittering stars.

About the Author

Amanda Dykes is a drinker of tea, dweller of redemption, and spinner of hope-filled tales who spends most days chasing wonder and words with her family. She’s the winner of the 2020 Christy Award Book of the Year, a Booklist 2019 Top Ten title, and the winner of an INSPY award for her debut novel, Whose Waves These Are. She’s also the author of Set the Stars Alight (a Christy Award finalist), Yours is the Night (recipient of the Kipp Award, Christy Award finalist), All the Lost Places (starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and Foreword), and three novellas. Find her online at amandadykes.com.

The Master Craftsman by Kelli Stuart

Publisher by: Revell

Series: standalone

Buy on: B&N | Book Depository | Indigo CA

Tropes/Genres: Historical, Time-Slip, Treasure Hunt

Book Blurb: In 1917, Alma Pihl, a master craftsman in The House of Fabergé, was charged to protect one of the greatest secrets in Russian history–an unknown Fabergé Egg that Peter Karl Fabergé secretly created to honor his divided allegiance to both the people of Russia and the Imperial Czar’s family. When Alma and her husband escaped Russia for their native Finland in 1921, she took the secret with her, guarding her past connection to the Romanov family.

Three generations later, world-renowned treasure hunter Nick Laine is sick and fears the secret of the missing egg will die with him. With time running out, he entrusts the mission of retrieving the egg to his estranged daughter, Ava, who has little idea of the dangers she is about to face. As the stakes are raised, Ava is forced to declare her own allegiance–and the consequences are greater than she could have imagined.

This modern-day treasure hunt from award-winning author Kelli Stuart transports you into the opulent and treacherous world of the Russian Revolution to unearth mysteries long buried.

I was excited to read The Master Craftsman after the teaser in the back of Sarah Sundin’s newest book, but unfortunately this book is not for me. I received a copy of this book for review so I feel bad writing anything negative; however, I always give my honest thoughts and that’s what I will be doing with this book.

Kelli Stuart writes historical very well, and I was intrigued by the prospect of a Russian-set novel as I rarely read books in that time period and setting. I could not get into the contemporary timeline at all, and ended up skimming a lot of it. I just couldn’t connect to any of those characters. I was also disappointed to come across swearing as this is published by a Christian publisher, as well as a split-up family that is accepted as normal. (I know this is going to offend people, especially since split families are becoming so normal even among Christians. But in CF, this is not the message we should be preaching.)

Yet again, another novel published by a Christian publisher that contains no spiritual thread whatsoever. I am quite disappointed, since I’ve always trusted Revell as a go-to CF publisher. One thing to note, I DNF’d at one-third of the book, so I can’t say anything about how it ends, or what the content (like the split-up family and swearing) is like after. I discussed this book with another reader and she (and multiple reviewers) said faith is absent in the rest of the book as well.

If this were marketed for in the General Market, I think GM readers would enjoy this novel. The idea of a missing Faberge Egg is intriguing and Russian history fascinates me. But unfortunately this book is a miss for me.

*I received a copy of The Master Craftsman for review from the publisher. I was not required to leave a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

Content Rating: 2.5/5 – up until page 152

Romance: light romance; talks of a husband and wife who are essentially estranged since the husband has a mistress. Another husband and wife are split-up and the wife cut off contact with the husband from his child.

Faith: nothing.

Language: one cut-off swear word (with the replacement right beside so we know exactly what she was about to say) and one actual swear word.

Violence: nothing.

Plot: 2/5

Characters: 2/5 – I couldn’t connect to any of the characters except Alma. I did want to know how her story ends.

My Personal Rating: 1/5

The Italian Ballerina by Kristy Cambron

Published by: Thomas Nelson

Series: standalone

Preorder: B&N | Book Depository | Indigo CA

Tropes: prodigal son, tragic love story, a secret child, wartime romance, finding forgiveness, dementia, uncovering a hidden story, secretly famous, act of sacrifice

Book Blurb: A prima ballerina. Two American medics. And a young Jewish girl with no name . . . At the height of the Nazi occupation of Rome, an unlikely band of heroes comes together to save Italian Jews in this breathtaking World War II novel based on real historical events.

Rome, 1943. With the fall of Italy’s Fascist government and the Nazi regime occupying the streets of Rome, British ballerina Julia Bradbury is stranded and forced to take refuge at a hospital on Tiber Island. But when she learns of a deadly sickness that is sweeping through the quarantine wards—a fake disease known only as Syndrome K—she is drawn into one of the greatest cons in history. Alongside hospital staff, friars of the adjoining church, and two Allied medics, Julia risks everything to rescue Italian Jews from the deadly clutches of the Holocaust. But when one little girl who dreams of becoming a ballerina arrives at their door, Julia and the others are determined to reunite the young dancer with her family—if only she would reveal one crucial secret: her name.

Present Day. With the recent loss of her grandfather—a beloved small-town doctor and WWII veteran—Delaney Coleman returns home to help her aging parents, even as she struggles to pick up the pieces of her own life. When a mysterious Italian woman claims she owns one of the family’s precious heirlooms, Delaney is compelled to uncover what’s true of her grandfather’s hidden past. Together with the woman’s skeptical but charming grandson, Delaney learns of a Roman hospital that saved hundreds of Jewish people during the war. Soon, everything Delaney thought she knew about her grandfather comes into question as she wrestles with the possibility that the man she’d revered all her life had unknown ties to Rome and may have taken noble secrets to his grave.

Based on true accounts of the invented Syndrome K sickness, The Italian Ballerina journeys from the Allied storming of the beaches at Salerno to the London ballet stage and the war-torn streets of WWII Rome, exploring the sometimes heart-wrenching choices we must make to find faith and forgiveness, and how saving just one life can impact countless others.

Never open a locked door unless you’re certain death doesn’t lurk behind it.

I don’t even know where to start with this book. I smiled, I cried, and loved every minute of it!

Kristy Cambron has a stunning way of weaving a story. Her delicate prose and exquisite setting make this story one to revisit time and time again. The beautiful depictions of Italy are making me want to book a trip there, just to see the gorgeous patios and gardens. I would love to see the inspiration for Calla’s ballet garden.

Now, I know the dual timelines and constant switching won’t be for every reader, but it does follow a pattern if you pay close attention. I wrote down each new timeline I came across and was able to follow the story very easily. Aside from the prologue, we have:

1943 – Court in the war
1939 – Julia’s journey of how she goes from dancing in the London ballet to ending up in Rome
Present Day – Delaney’s uncovering of how the families are connected
1941 – events at home that lead Court to join the war effort.
Once you grasp the purpose of each timeline, you’ll find it easy to follow.

I have to say, even though I loved AJ, Julia, Delaney and Matteo, Court and Calla stole the show for me. This was their story. Court’s discovery of living outside of oneself and living for another is a slow process that is satisfying to see conclude. The fact that he’s a seriously flawed character but holds on to his sense of duty makes him that much more loveable and realistic.

For the first time since all the running and fighting – and his own warring – had begun, Court started to believe the busted-up boy sitting in the pew might actually have a change at becoming a better man. . . .
The only thing in the world Court wanted to fight for as much as Calla in that moment was to get home and prove he could change. For those he loved, he was willing to give up everything for just one more chance to try.

My heart.

I did want to see how AJ’s story might’ve ended, because it seems we’re left wondering what happened to him, and if he took the fallout for certain actions that would’ve had Court and AJ courtmartialed. But I absolutely loved the author’s note at the end – this is one of my favourite parts of a story, seeing where fact played into the fiction. And that last plot twist had me reeling and screaming noooo inside. How could I forget Kristy loves to play with readers hearts and break them unexpectedly?!

Suffice to say, this is not a story I will be forgetting very easily. My thanks to Kristy Cambron and her publishing team for a gifted copy of The Italian Ballerina; I am grateful for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this stunning novel! The title releases on July 12, 2022 and is available for preorder now.

Content Rating: 4/5 – because it’s a wartime book, it’s a heavier read. But other than the obvious, this book is quite clean!

Romance: very sweet and clean. One thing to note: an unmarried couple had a child together, and the man didn’t know the child was his. Nothing from the past is discussed, and no encounters are described in detail.

Faith: strong. I loved the message we get through Court’s journey of

Language: none as far as I’ve seen. Clean.

Violence: non-graphic war-time violence. A girl sees her parents killed. Nothing detailed. If war is a trigger for you, this book might be too heavy for you. One man is known as a ladies man, and abuses a character in the story, both physically and emotionally.

Plot: 5/5 – well-connected dual timeline.

Characters: 5/5 – as always, I fell in love with all the characters (except Anton, whom I despise). I felt their emotions and heartbreak. I loved Court and Calla, specifically.

My Personal Rating: 5/5

The Souls of Lost Lake by Jaime Jo Wright

Published by: Bethany House

Series: standalone

Buy on: B&N | Book Depository | Indigo CA

Tropes/Genres: Murder mystery, whodunnit, best friends to more, love triangle (sort of), cold case, missing child

Book Blurb: Wren Blythe has long enjoyed being among the Northwoods, helping her father with programming at a youth camp. But when a little girl in the area goes missing, an all-out search ensues, reviving the decades-old campfire story of Ava Coons, the murderess, who still roams the woods. Joining the search, Wren stumbles upon the Coons cabin ruins and a rotting porcelain doll. But even more terrifying is seeing her name etched on the doll’s foot like a sinister omen.

In 1930, Ava Coons has spent the last ten years carrying the mantle of mystery since she emerged from the forest as an eight-year-old girl, spattered with blood, dragging a logger’s axe. She has accepted she’ll never remember what happened to her family. When a member of the town of Tempter’s Creek is murdered, rumors spread that Ava’s secret is more malicious than previously imagined.

Both women discover that to save the innocent, they must face an insidious evil.

A blue light cast from the moon that seemed to smile from its place in the sky. Somehow it didn’t feel like a friendly smile. It was mocking. As though it watched them all suffering – each one of them individually writing in their own internal and external pains of just being alive. The missing, the dying, the lost…

Everyone is saying this, but that’s because it’s true. The Souls of Lost Lake is Jaime Jo Wright’s spookiest book yet. And I loved every second of it! It might even top Echoes Among the Stones, which is/was my absolute favourite of Jaime Jo’s!

Jaime Jo knows how to spook her readers. Her carefully crafted words weave together into a goose-bump inducing story. I absolutely loved the nuanced, complex characters, the integral faith in a true good versus evil fight, and the rich layers of spiritual depth unfolding on every page.

Ava Coons is the most misunderstood human in Tempter’s Creek, and that all started that day she emerged from the woods with the bloodied axe that killed her entire family in one fell swoop. As backwoods as she is portrayed, Ava has this grip on humanity that surpasses all others as they overlook her simplistic ways. She calls it like it is, and with a deep clarity. Ava is my favourite character. Her storyline pulled me emotionally in the moment we are introduced to her campfire story, that even the thought dancing in the back of my mind – “did she do it?” – couldn’t break the hold Ava had on my thoughts.

Wren’s storyline is equal parts heartbreaking and eyeopening. How so much truth can be muddied and reshaped until one no longer knows truth from fiction in a short period of a few decades… I loved how the legend of Ava Coons remained alive at the end of Wren’s story. How the author allowed Ava to keep haunting the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Her story truly is one for campfire tales.

If you like haunting stories with major creep factor (without all the graphic details), I think you’ll absolutely love this one! And as Wren herself points out, you can compare this book to that episode of The Waltons, the one where Elizabeth is haunted by a poltergeist. This is one you’ll be sure to read with all the lights on!

Content Rating: 4/5

Romance: while this is the most romantic of Jaime Jo’s books, it’s still clean and light – especially in the current timeline. There is one instance where a woman sees a man without a shirt on.

Faith: your typical good vs. evil fight where good wins out story. I really enjoyed the spiritual aspects of this one.

Language: other than words like ‘heck’, ‘darn’, and ‘dang’, there is no swearing. I personally don’t see these words bad but included them in case others would like to know.

Violence: This is a murder mystery, so the creep factor is there 100%. However, although we know Ava’s family was murdered with an axe, there is no goriness or graphic details.

Plot: 5/5 – Jaime Jo knows how to weave a dual timeline like no other!

Characters: 5/5

My Personal Rating: 5/5