The Haunting of Hill House. Rebecca. All the best stories start with a creepy manor, right? If you agree, this next book is for you.
Goodreads Blurb
The House of Hidden Secrets by CE Rose
The imposing gates of Ramsay Hall yawned open. As Serena and 4-year-old Lana walked up the long driveway, little did they know the dark secrets that lay within.
When Serena Green accepted the role of housekeeper for wealthy widower Hayden Ramsay, she never imagined her new home would be Ramsay Hall, an ancient, sprawling mansion in Northern England.
Serena quickly becomes an integral part of the household, making friends with Hayden’s younger son Hugh, despite Jack, his older brother’s, coldness towards her and Lana.
But the hall’s beautiful exterior hides many ugly secrets. Though Serena and Jack begin to grow closer, she’s confused by his behaviour around Lana. What is he guilty of? And is there more to their mother’s death than the Ramsay men will admit, even to themselves?
As the harrowing past of Ramsay Hall unravels, Serena fresh start becomes a fresh horror. She fears for her and Lana’s safety, but what are the bleak secrets in Serena’s own past?
This house is built on a lifetime of lies… and the truth might just bring the walls crashing down.
Review
I don’t normally give star ratings on here but if I did, I’d struggle whether to give The House of Hidden Secrets three or four stars. Let me explain. I was enthralled by this book. I couldn’t get enough and just had to find out what was going to happen next. There are a number of reasons for that. Firstly, I enjoyed each of the characters. They all had their own hidden agenda and it made me very curious about what was going to play out. Just what was Serena running from? What was making Hugh act out? Why was Jack so cold? And why exactly did Hayden bring a young women and child into his home? The best thing was how my opinion of the characters changed the more I read. There are certainly no one-dimensional characters in The House of Hidden Secrets!
Of course, there was also the setting: Ramsey Hall. Like I already mentioned, the description of the house was up there with some of the best. I enjoyed exploring it with Serena – and even the chills it gave me down my spine. This was juxtaposed by Lana and experiencing this innocent yet anxious young child come alive the longer she stays at Ramsey Hall.
But, and unfortunately it is a bit.
The House of Hidden Secrets didn’t live up to the standard of a psychological thriller for me. I think there were two main reasons for this. The first is that the author waited too long to let the tightly bound secrets come undone, especially with Serena and Hayden. It felt almost like a jolt out of the blue at the end. I would have loved some more hints dropped into the story along the way. Secondly, I think the language could have been better by bringing some of the suspense apparent in the description of Ramsey Hall into the overall plot. Basically, I needed to be at the edge of my seat more.
Nevertheless, I did enjoy The House of Hidden Secrets and, if it sounds like something you would enjoy too, I encourage you to pick up a copy of the book here.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Joyful Antidotes 