Bellewether is typical of what I have come to think of as Susanna Kearsley's forte - delivering a story within a story. Bellewether is a divided story told partially in the present and partially in the past, and involves a historical memory about super interesting characters with a potentially tragic story. This book blended the past and present nicely, and totally immersed me in the colonial era with the Wilde family during the French and Indian War.

The present day aspect of our story is set in Long Island at the Wilde family home, which is being turned into a museum. Our modern heroine, Charley, has relocated to Long Island following a family tragedy. She was hired on as a curator to turn the Wilde house into a museum, and she is really good at her job. I loved following Charley as she uncovered secrets of the past, even when she had a little paranormal help. I also liked the family dynamics, and was glad to see a lot of family healing happening as the story progressed. Of course, there was also a little romance to consider as well, though it was a minor part of the modern story. I still liked having that aspect in the story, and I absolutely loved Charley's love interest.

I don't want to say too much about the historical aspect of the story, as that is the huge mystery to uncover that takes the length of the book before its fully revealed. So we will be reliving aspects of history to learn the truth behind the legend of the ghost that seems to inhabit the Wilde house. Not only to we have to figure out who the ghost is, but also what really happened the year that the Wilde's hosted captive French soldiers under their roof. This is where our love story comes in, and all of the interesting historical details are relayed. I think I was more caught up in the historical aspect of the story than the modern day, but I think that's fairly common with this type of storyline. The historical characters, all of them, were just so interesting and I enjoyed seeing them come to life on the page. I think this type of job is super interesting, and I would love to do something where I uncovered secrets of the past. (Maybe I should have explored that before spending all that money on law school!)

This is a meandering story, so it's something you want to read on a lazy day when you aren't in the move for fast-moving action. Bellewether didn't suck me right in like The Winter Sea and The Firebird did, but after a somewhat slow start, I got more and more invested as I read. Susanna Kearsley is a fabulous storyteller. She uses great imagery and brings her characters and settings to life. I don't think you can go wrong with any of her books.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the publisher, Sourcebooks Landmark.

<em>Belleweather</em> starts slowly, layering modern-day chapters with chapters from Lydia's and Jean-Philippe's perspectives. It's masterfully done, like building a gorgeous home from the foundation upward. The early stages may seem like a lot of getting ready, but as the story builds, the pieces all come together to make an impressive whole.

We're told from the outset that the Wilde House has a long, tangled history, going back centuries through generations of Wildes, who settled, married, bore and lost children, and over time expanded the original Colonial footprint of the house to include a Victorian wing. We also learn early on that the house may be haunted. When Charley accepts a job as curator for the Wilde House Museum, currently under renovation, one of the first stories she hears is the legend of a doomed love between a Wilde daughter and a French officer staying in the family home as a prisoner during the French and Indian War.

Charley is naturally charmed and intrigued by the tale -- but the mission of the museum is supposed to be on Revolutionary War hero Benjamin Wilde. The stuffier members of the board of directors are not crazy about Charley anyway, and they refuse to expand their view of the musem's purpose to include anything about this mysterious ghost story, despite the fact that over the years it's become a favorite local legend, so much so that the woods around the museum have become a favorite Halloween destination for people wanting a chance at a ghost sighting.

Charley begins to dig through the old records to discover proof to back up the ghost story, and meanwhile, we hear from Lydia and Jean-Philippe about how they met, what conditions were like for them on the farm, and how family dynamics -- especially conflicts with another French officer and Lydia's brothers -- seemed to make any future between the two utterly impossible.

Within the contemporary pieces of the story, we also learn more about Charley's own family tragedies, including a long estrangement from her grandmother, the loss of her brother, her care for her young adult niece, and naturally, Charley's own romantic frustrations and dreams. On top of that, there's a particularly difficult and entitled set of board members to be dealt with, and lots of influential people with demands that can't be ignored.

To be honest, I had my doubts at the beginning. The start is slow, and particularly in Charley's chapters, there's a lot of exposition up front, and tons of minor characters' names to learn and remember. I was much more captivated by Lydia and Jean-Philippe from the start. Because we're told the outlines of the ghost story at the beginning, we read about these two characters assuming we know where their story is going and wondering about the how and why -- but the way it all comes together is both surprising and carefully built up to. I was very satisfied with the resolution, both of the contemporary and historical pieces of the story,

Overall, I enjoyed <em>Bellewether</em> very much, although I felt that certain of the emotional/family dynamics and complications in Charley's part of the story were rushed. The storyline with her grandmother, in particular, needed a little more room to breathe and develop in order to have the intended emotional impact, and I thought the niece's grief and healing was given a rather speedy treatment as well.

Still, as a whole, <em>Bellewether</em> is a great read, and by the second half, I just couldn't put it down. Susanna Kearsley is a master of emotional, complex stories with historical elements that usually come with some sort of secretive or supernatural mysteries. <em>Bellewether</em> is a stand-alone that makes a great introduction to the author's style and quality of writing, and for those who already love her works, you won't be disappointed!

4.5 stars.

Present. Charley Van Hoek, the new curator of the Wilde House Museum on Long Island, does not believe in ghosts. But there are things happening in the Wilde House - but, mind you, not mischievous ones. As of the ghost was trying to help her. As if the ghost was trying to make her listen and righten the old wrongs.
1759. Lydie Wilde is struggling to keep peace in their house, which is hard in the times of 7 year war between the North American colonies of Britain and France. Her fiance, her brother's best friend, had been killed by French soldier. So when the Wilde family is forced to accept two captured French officers to be kept there on their farm as the prisoners of the war, none of them is too happy. But the one of them is different. There is something right about him.
1759. Jean-Philippe de Sabran is none too happy to be a prisoner, either. An honest man, he is thinking about his men in their captivity and he wishes to continue in the good fight. But the rules are the rules and he is willing to do his best while in captivity. Only his thoughts start to turn to the powerful presence of one quiet, strong, beautiful woman.

If I should recommend one romantic writer this year, it would be Susanna Kearsley. I' ve read more than 100 books this year, but the emotional part of me has never been touched by any of them that much as it was by this book. And Jean-Philippe is the only man of this year I am willing to lend my heart to.
Incredibly touching, emotional, true romance is what this is. And clean read, too, for which I am grateful. The romance here is not about bodies, but about hearts.
The same goes (if in the lessen degree) to Charley and Sam. Ms Kearnsley likes her men to be quiet, strong and knowing what they want - and I am with her there.

The historical world is well-thought, well-researched and obviously well-loved by the authoress. The modern world is a lovely frame to "anchor" the past and give it the depth and the final touch, but the past world is really the main one here. And it is colourful, if certainly not idyllic, as the world could be - and was - cruel then.

And this is my only criticism I must give here, in all honesty - the authoress tries to righten too many wrongdoings here. There is just too many plots, and they are seen through the modern sensitivities.
Also I love all of the words here, but the book is prolonged, to be totally frank.

But these are minor faults compared to all the beauty I was given here.
This is my first book by Ms Kearnsley, but definitely would not the the last one!

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced ebook in exchange for an honest review.

An intriguing historical drama that gives up its secrets slowly. A novel told in two centuries of women struggling to walk the right path.

My Rating: 5/5⭐️
A family tragedy brings Charley Van Hoek to Millbank where she moves in to her brother’s home to help with the upkeep and to keep an eye on his 19 year old daughter, Rachel. Being a curator, she is offered a job at the Wilde House which is being turned into a museum that catalogues the lives of the Wilde family that lived there during the late 1750s. Many stories and myths surrounding the Wilde’s have spread over time, one of them being the tale of Zebulon Wilde’s youngest child, Lydia, and her forbidden romance with the French officer, Jean-Phillipe, who is billeted at their Long Island home during the war. It is said that while trying to flee together, Julia’s brother, Joseph, catches them in the act and kills the French officer, leaving his ghost to wander the paths through the woods around the Wilde home forevermore. But, as renovations take place on the museum and items are uncovered it becomes clear to Charley that the version of events surrounding Lydia and Jean-Phillipe may be incorrect and she is determined to set the story straight.

Bellewether is told in parallel between Charley in modern day, and Julia and Jean-phillipe in the 1700s. As Charley uncovers more clues as to what truly happened between the two, we are also being told the true story by the original family as it unfolds. I loved the way this book was split between modern and historical times. I also loved how Susanna Kearsley linked the lives of Charley and Lydia in subtle ways. As the romance was unfolding between Lydia and Jean-Phillipe, Charley is also finding herself romantically inclined towards one of the workers at the Wilde House museum. I admit to enjoying the historical timeline more than Charley’s story, but I enjoyed this book as a whole, immensely. Kearlsey has a beautiful writing style and complex characters that you can relate to and come to care about very much. I think she also did a fabulous job with her research, staying as true to the time period as possible. If you like romance, historical romance, or forbidden love, this book is definitely for you.

Thank you, Netgalley, for this arc.

I'd never read Susanna Kearsley before, and so I was excited to try her for the first time. At first glance this book seemed interesting. I loved the local legends and mysteries and the resident ghost with the light. I liked the setting. But I found the long-ago timeline to be dull and slow; it didn't keep my attention and it confused me. I much preferred Charley's timeline.

However, I will probably give this author another shot. Beautiful cover!

Susanna Kearsley never fails to blow me away with the sheer level of historical detail and characters that draw me in to their story and make me care. Bellewether is no exception. The writing was so immersive that I could smell the sea air and feel the excitement as ships sail into the harbour. As usual for this author there are two timelines that are connected by a shared geographical location, in this case that place is Long Island. I enjoyed both timelines immensely although I have to admit that the historical story had me full of trepidation. The stakes were so high for the characters and they were in peril so often that returning to the modern timeline was often a relief. In the modern story we get a lovely romance and some museum politics both of which I could not have enjoyed more. In this type of dual timeline I am usually more invested in the historical story but in this one I liked them both equally. I was certain that I knew how the historical romance would turn out and had prepared myself for the worst, the young lovers were known haunt the land as ghosts after all so obviously they came to tragic ends. Happily their story is a bit more complicated and I was genuinely surprised by how it all worked out.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this was a dnf at about thirty pc
And I'm hesitant to review it because there really is nothing wrong with this book at all! It's just not a genre I like to read - it was shelved in sci-fi/fantasy, and that's my favourite genre. But this is a historical romance and whilst I cannot say if there were any fantastical elements as I did not finish, I was discouraged by what I read.
Kearsley is an amazing writer and totally deserves the accolades she has, this book was just not for me.

Bellewether is a beautifully-written, emotionally-captivating, richly-detailed blend of historical fiction and a great love story! This book takes place during the French and Indian War in the mid 18th Century, a time filled with emotional conflict as well as the conflict on the battlefield, and plays such an important part in this book. I was enraptured by the love story within its pages....the kind of love that grows slowly, simmering on the pages of the book, building to a wondrous revelation...a love story that completely captivated my heart. The story is told from three points of view: Charley, our modern-day heroine is a museum curator at Wilde House who is delving into the history, the secrets and the legends of the Wilde Family; Lydia Wilde, the daughter of the house who is struggling to maintain the peace in her fractured family; and Jean-Philippe de Sabran, the French officer who is confined at Wilde House.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Bellewether. Historical fiction with an element of mystery is one of my favorite genres, but I found this book difficult to enjoy due to the triple narration which was, to me, quite tedious. Of the three narrative characters, I really only enjoyed Charley’s storyline, and found myself pushing impatiently through the other two narrator’s chapters. . However, even Charley’s storyline was a bit lacking to me in that serendipity played too great a role as a plot device. Everything Charley needs or wants, for herself or her museum, is essentially handed to her without struggle for the character (or, apparently, the author). This was disappointing. For example, when characters are estranged over decades, it is unlikely that their first encounter will resolve differences neatly. I think this author focuses greatly on historical accuracy but less so on the truthful nature of human behavior.

Really enjoyed this book. I had a lot going on so I only managed snippets of time to read. Usually a book read in this fashion doesn't have a chance of holding my interest but this one did. As well as enjoyable, I increased my knowledge of the French and Indian War.

This book is a lovely story following 2 different timelines. One in the era of the French-Indian war, while the other is in present times. It is a story about family, history, and love. I enjoyed the characters and how the story played out. It did fall into a trope I don't love, but it ended up working out better than most.
The writing was lovely, and I plan on picking up more titles by Kearsley.

Bellewether is a historical fiction novel with a bit of a mystery, a ghost story, and some romance thrown in. It takes place in the late 1750s during the Seven Years' War. It is told from the alternating points of view of three characters - two in the past and one in the present. Charley, a woman living in modern day, takes a journey to Long Island, New York, to take care of her niece following the death of her brother and begin a job as a curator for a new museum intended to capture the history of one of the island's family homes. Turn out this house and its former residents are also the main characters featured in a ghost story about a French Canadian soldier who is searching for his lost love. Readers are told the story of this soldier and his love through the narratives for the other two characters from the past (Lydia and Jean-Philippe). As Charley goes about her day in the present, unearthing pieces of the house's history and family's mysterious past, strange, unexplained things begin happening in the house. It's almost as if the house is trying to speak to her and guide her. She doesn't seem too bothered by this at all. The story gets a little bit repetitive for me because Lydia and Jean-Philippe don't speak the same language, so their sections would essentially reproduce similar events taking place in the story. This made the flow a bit awkward. I appreciated the small attention paid to historical details during the moments that took place in the past. Charley came across as a bit annoying and weak as a female lead at times. It wasn't clear to me why she stayed with her emotionally abusive boyfriend. She seemed to have excuses for everything that was preventing her from moving forward as a character. I have other books by Susanna Kearsley on my Kindle and I can only hope that those include stronger female leads than this one.

I loved this book because of the rich setting, although it isn't my absolute favorite Susanna Kearsley novel simply because I didn't emotionally connect with the main contemporary heroine as much as I have with her other books. But I loved getting a historical hero's perspective, and I was dying to know the "too sad" love story it would tell (alluded to by Luc in in A Desperate Fortune). Parts came off as a little preachy but I think it is important to discuss some of the more shameful parts of our history, which Susanne Kearsley did a great job illustrating via this book. Highly recommended if you're a SK fan.

Another gripping tale from a great author. Kearsley's latest book takes the reader on a journey with twists and turns. I thoroughly enjoyed it. A page turner. Highly recommend.

I have read all of Susanna Kearsley's books and loved almost all of them. At first I was not sure I was going to be excited about this one. I was worried the historical story was not going to grab me. But with each page I read, I found myself more involved and engaged in both the "current" story and the story from the past that was being explored. I found myself wrapped up in all the characters both past and present. There were so many characters to care about and each played an integral role in the story. This book had an extremely satisfying end with some surprises that made me so very happy! I highly recommend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I was given the opportunity to read this book through Netgalley as an advance reader. I was very much looking forward to this book. I love how Kearsley takes a historical fiction and puts her own twist of paranormal and love story in it! I admit the first half of the book dragged a little for me, but the middle to end made me happy I stuck it out. Kearsley did a great job of describing the times of pre-revolutionary war era. The tense relationship between the Colonials, the Brittish and the French and the strong opinions of slavery were an important time period in our history. I always enjoy how she ties characters from the past to the characters from current time. Not her best but still worth reading!

I’ve read most of Susanna Kearsley’s books. Belleweather had a slow start, but once I got used to the three POV’s I was able to get into the story. This is an historical novel, but it also goes back and forth to the modern day. I loved both of the female characters, Charley from the modern day and Lydia from the historical. In modern day the story is set around trying to renovate a home into a museum and that’s where the historical comes in as well. A story of grieving, coping and family relationships.

Interesting historical fiction novel. I found it very intriguing that in the 18th century when officers were taken prisoner in the war they would be placed at someone's home on an 'honor' system until they could be exchanged for an officer captured by the other side. Could you imagine the resentment of a family when they had to house a French officer until he could be exchanged - sometimes for months to years? Especially if someone in the family or a close friend had been killed by the enemy. I also found it very interesting how American ships sailed to Monte Christi with their cargo for illegal trade with France. Many active international issues in the 1700's.

There are two story lines here as there are in many of Kearsley's books: one set in the 1700s and one in present day. The story line set in the 1700s was the most intriguing for me, but I did enjoy both. My favorite character was Lydia who seemed extremely sharp and multi-talented. There were a couple of places I found a little slow, but I became interested again fairly quick.

Thanks to Susanna Kearsley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark through Netgalley for an advance copy.

3.5 - 4 Stars - The dedication is incredibly thoughtful and important. This was my first Kearsley novel, I loved the alternating time periods, and the bits of mystery woven in with the historical fiction. I loved how elements would carry from one time period to the next: draft deserters, important locations, specific cultures, and even just little things like a storm blowing in. I thought that the story was overall pretty satisfying, but a little bit slow. It felt a bit anticlimactic for me, though I didn't dislike the ending. I liked learning more about the French and Indian War, and life during that time period. I liked the teeny hints of supernatural activity. Overall I would recommend if you enjoy historical fiction that jumps back and forth in time.