Wednesday 29 February 2012

Hawthorne by Sarah Ballance

Hawthorne



Author: Sarah Ballance
Published By: Astraea Press
Reviewed by: Andrea
Hawthorne details the story of Emma Hawthorne, returning to Hawthorne, the historical family home following an horrific accident, and a long absence. Emma is returning ten years later to sort out the inheritance following the death of her beloved grandmother.
But still at the manor, and holding a few surprises of his own, is Noah Garrett, the caretaker's son who still does the lion's share of the work around the sprawling estate.
Emma and Noah have a history, one that came to an abrupt end with Emma's accident and departure from Hawthorne. Over the course of the day, can Emma and Noah rebuild the relationship they once had, while solving the dilemma of the inheritance, and the presence of otherworldly spirits at Hawthorne or are they finished for good?
Hawthorne was a haunting love story, told with some lavish and beautiful description, that placed me deep in the story with Emma and Noah almost immediately. The southern setting came alive for me, and the story of Noah, and Emma, and the way the past affected their reunion was bittersweet and seemed very real.
There are some paranormal elements to the story that are unfolded with balance and skill so as not to ovwehelm the relationship between Noah and Sarah, and the combination of these elements made it a story I couldn't put down.
I can't talk much about the plot without giving it all away, so I'll keep it spoiler free other than mentioning that there is a surprise twist at the end. The story kept me captivated and guessing where it would go all along, and I loved each second of it.
My biggest complaint is that it is a short story, and with so much detail and backstory, I would have loved to have seen it explored more in a slightly longer format. A beautiful story though, and I would definitely love to read more from Sarah Ballance in the future.
Copy provided for review.
4.5/5

5 comments:

  1. A great review! Sounds like an awesome story! Putting this one on my TBR pile!!

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    1. Thank you for your interest, Lisa. I hope you'll have a chance to check it out!

      Sarah Ballance

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  2. Thank you so much, Trace, for such a thoughtful review. I appreciate your time. ;c) I'm also pleased to say there's a novel-length sequel in the works thanks to a bunch of readers with picket signs. *grin*

    Sarah Ballance

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    Replies
    1. I'm sorry! I should be thanking Andrea for the review and Trace for posting it. ;c) Thank you both!

      Sarah Ballance

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  3. Great review with all the comments any author would love to receive. And thanks for NOT giving away the surprise twist at the end.

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