Belleweather, by Susanna Kearsley, carries the distinction of a front-cover blurb by Diana Gabaldon, and readers are sure to draw parallels between the work of the two authors. Both Gabaldon’s Outlander series and Bellewether are historic fiction with a tinge of the supernatural. Both feature elements of romance. Both have engaging female characters. But there are some big differences between the two as well.


The most obvious difference is in scope. Outlander is an ongoing multi-volume epic following several generations of an extended family (family by birth, adoption, marriage and choice) across two different timelines (historic and near-modern) and a couple continents. Bellewether is a self-contained story, though it also features two timelines and themes of family.

There’s a glaring but welcome content difference, too. It may not be popular to call this out, but Gabaldon’s book is full of rape and problematic depictions of ethnic minorities and the LGBTQ+ community. Bellewether is 100% rape-free and does somewhat better in terms of representation, though it still follows a heavily white, cis-gendered, hetero sexual cast with people of other identities relegated to supporting roles.

All this to say that Bellewether feels like a more comfortable, easier-to-digest alternative to Outlander. It’s not going to satisfy your craving for doorstopper novel after doorstopper novel, but if you’re looking for a romantic man in uniform, family dynamics, and light fantasy elements, this is your story.

Enough with the comparison, on to the book itself.

Bellewether follows two stories.

In the modern day, Charley Van Hoek has recently accepted a position as a curator for a small historic home museum. It’s a step down from her previous position, but it allows her to help her late brother’s college-aged daughter cope with her recent loss and deal with the aftermath of the death. Alongside her duties, she tries to unravel the mystery of what happened to our other narrator.

Lydia Wilde has also suffered loss. Her mother passed away, and now she has had to take her place, not just in the women’s work of household chores, but also as the mediator between her father and two brothers. Complicating matters is her brother’s PTSD from the French and Indian War, where he saw Lydia’s fiance, his close friend, killed by enemy soldiers. This flares up when the family is charged with housing two captured French soldiers.

We also get some POV chapters from one of the soldiers, Jean-Philippe, a French-Canadian man. It’s not much of a spoiler to say that a slow-burn romance develops between Lydia and Jean-Philippe. Very slow burn, due to a language barrier and the war and other complications.

Jean-Philippe was the weakest part of the story for me. While he is, at heart, a good person, he’s a certain breed of romance hero who I don’t much like. He falls in love with the idea of Lydia, and becomes rather possessive of her. Not in a jealous and controlling sort of way, but in a “wanting her to be his” sort of way. Some people enjoy this sort of romance, but I do not.

There’s a modern romance too, between Charley and the contractor in charge of some restoration work on the Wilde house. Sam Abrams is more my kind of hero, the kind who shows his affection by just randomly being there when you need him and knowing how to fix things. Also he has a rescue beagle, so you know he’s a good guy.

Local legend has it that Jean-Philippe was murdered by one of Lydia’s brothers, and that he haunts the house and surrounding woods still. Charley is drawn in to the romantic ghost story and wants to separate fact from fiction, but the museum board believes they should focus on Lydia’s brother, the most famous resident of the home, who became a hero of the Revolutionary War.

Over all, this book is a cozy read. Despite the threat of a possible doomed romance, there’s not a lot of sense of danger here. The conflicts are more between people who want different things for different reasons. The villains are more obnoxious than physically threatening. The romances develop gradually over time.

Readers of romance novels should note, this is definitely more historic fiction than romance. There’s no smoldering love scene, and there’s not a lot of romance genre tropes at play here — no love triangle, no big misunderstanding, no jealous ex out for revenge, no marriage of convenience. Even though Lydia and Jean-Philippe’s relationship is at the crux of the story, because they spend so much of it unable to communicate with each other, just noticing small things about the other to appreciate, it doesn’t feel like a romance story.

And while I found this shelved on NetGalley in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy section, it’s not going to check the right boxes for fans of fantasy, either. The ghost story is primarily framing for the two stories that play out. It is otherwise a true-to-life depiction of history and modern day, without magic or other fantastical elements, just a ghost that may or may not be haunting Wilde House.

And so this book is for those people who like that specific genre, historic fiction with just a touch of romance, mystery, and the supernatural. For those niche readers, this is a very well-written, enjoyable book with (mostly) likeable characters, touching moments, and a satisfying ending. I enjoyed my time reading it and I appreciate that NetGalley and the publisher gave me the opportunity to read and review it.

A big thanks to the author and publisher for giving me an ARC of this title via netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I am a huge fan of Susanna Kearsley and have read all of her books. I was so excited to hear she had a new title coming out and that I was able to get my hands on an advanced digital copy. I LOVED this book. I found it so enjoyable to read and was immediately drawn into the story. Kearsley does such a great job creating a vivid picture of her setting and characters. I love her touches of history and magic/mystic woven into most of her books. This book has it all- history, romance, mystery, ghosts, family- all woven together in a fascinating and wonderful read. In this novel, we have different narratives alternating between two time periods. I found all of the narrative characters to be interesting and likable. I wasn't disappointed when the POV would change nor did I like one time period's storyline better then the other. I enjoyed how the two storylines mixed as the present day characters were working to learn the true history of the Wilde family for their museum. I would definitely recommend this book to friends!

I rarely read books twice, but the minute I finished this book, I started it again. There’s something about the way Kearsley describes even the most mundane of things. I loved the different time periods she wrote about and the characters were all so real. You can’t go wrong with any of her books. This is the fifth book I’ve read of hers and I plan to finish all the rest soon! I’ll definitey be recommending this book to everyone I can.

While I enjoyed the book overall, I did struggle to push through the book. The chapters that mainly focused on present day were my favorite and most enjoyed part of the book. The plot was well written and the overall theme of the story was concise and well thought. Sadly this was not my favorite book , BUT it was a good book and worthy of praise.

I do like this cover as a departure from their previous covers but I think there are a few different covers depending on region. I have to sadly state that this was not my favorite Susanna Kearsley novel. No matter how much I tried to enjoy it there were times I just could not talk myself into picking it up again. I spent 20 plus years on Long Island and I thought I would feel a special connection to the setting but it was not very atmospheric for me. I love ghost stories and the novel was unsuccessful in trying to be a creepy ghostly goose bumps thing. Being told in the same style of dual time period that Susanna Kearsley is known for writing the ghosts were in the form of the occasional unplugged lamp in the house, or the spark of a lantern in the woods and the modern day characters would imagine that they were there in the house of the Wilde family.



The historical time period story was very interesting: the Wilde family (all fictitious unfortunately) hosting prisoners of war while keeping a slave that they called a cook. The modern day story of Charley dealing with her restless/depressed niece as Charley discovers clues of the Wilde family is very slow but I did appreciate the slavery issue and how the descendants of the family were saddened that their family did indeed have slaves which was a no-no for the northern half of the country at the time. (The time being when there was a war going on so when the Canadian prisoner falls in love with the young daughter Lydia all drama is supposed to ensue.)



The house is a character in itself, since the spook factor is the fact that some things just don't work right when Charley is around but the best part of the story was the thread of romantic tension between Charley and the guy who was working on renovations. There were a lot of loose threads for Charley to tie together as she learned more about the Wilde house and the people who lived there. The ending did actually make up a bit for the slow start and I appreciated the happier than expected conclusion.



The one thing that set me off on the wrong foot altogether was the dividing line of Canada and USA. Canada readers were treated to an April publication date while Long Island and the rest of the USA had to wait until an August publication date. BOOOO


Maybe since it was my eighth Susanna Kearsley it was just destined to be boring all the way around, but this one just wasn't all there for me as much as some of her others were.

The cover of this book and of course the author is what drew me to this book. I’ve enjoyed her books in the past and this one is just as good! The story flipped from past to present and was easy to follow. It had all my favorite things- a mystery with a touch of romance and a ghost thrown in too! I loved it!!

Susanna Kearsley’s latest book focuses on a house on the eastern shores of Long Island. In this dual timeline tale, the story alternates between three characters, Lydia, Jean-Phillippe, and Charley. Lydia and Jean-Phillippe live in the 1750’s; Lydia inhabits the house in question and Jean-Phillippe is a French Canadian lieutenant held there as a captive during the Seven Years’ War. Charley lives in the present day and endeavors to uncover the secrets of Wilde House. Full of magic, historical detail, and with several love stories thrown in, Kearsley creates an entertaining tale.

I requested an ARC of this book because it deals with the French prisoners of war during the 7-year war (1756-1763). Being a French Canadian myself, I am particularly versed in the "Bataille des Plaines d'Abraham" which occurred in 1759 in Québec City. What I did not know was how French officers and soldiers captured in British territory were treated by the British during this time. Susanna Kearsley's books are always well researched and, although they are fiction, they bring insight into the historical context of the story.

Bellewether has two timelines. In the present timeline, Charley Van Hoek, a newly hired museum curator, has been mandated to restore de residence of Captain Benjamin Wilde. While she is researching the history of Captain Wilde, she hears the legend of his sister Lydia who fell in love with Canadian lieutenant Jean-Philippe de Sabran while he was held captive on her property according to the treaty of the times. Legend has it that they fell in love and while trying to run away, Jean-Philippe was killed by Joseph, Lydia's older brother and she died of a broken heart. The past timeline, tells the story of Jean-Philippe and Lydia.

Legends which are passed on from generation to the next do not always stay true to the truth. Charley is determined to find the truth and will get some help from a ghost who knows more than she expects.

Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for this wonderful ARC of Bellewether by Susanna Kearsley. I absolutely loved the story and learned a lot more about the kinder side of the 7-Year War. This book is beautifully written and an enjoyment to read.

I was fortunate enough to read this book pre-released through Net Galley. I really enjoy Susanna Kearsley's books and this is another home run! The story involves an old family home that is currently becoming a historical museum with a descendant becoming the curator. I really appreciate the author's mix of history, romance and magic! This is definitely more of a fluff beach read but a great way to spend some downtime!

This book follows the two timeline historical fiction style that we know of previous Susanna Kearsley writings. The main characters are in the present and intermingle with those in the past. Usually it is a setting or a relative that connects the two. In this novel however, it is only the presence of a ghost that shows itself like a house ghost or a legend told.

“The story of the ghost has been around for generations, and every generation ads their bit to it, but I’ll tell it the way I first heard it from my uncle Walt-the way he heard it at his great-grandfather’s knee, so he said.”
-Susanna Kearsley

Charley (Charlotte) is a museum curator that just recently moved to Long Island and oversees the historical renovation of the ‘Wilde House’. As she spends more time at this house and the surrounding area, she develops a keen interest in this legend she keeps hearing about that involves Captain Wilde’s sister Lydia and a French soldier, Jean-Philippe.

Piecing together the past and giving justice to historical events and people, she keeps working on unraveling the past through photographs and written documents, until she finds out her life is unraveling at the same time. Could the super handsome contractor that works at the renovation project be part of the reason or did he just happen to be there when she was in need?

“The house, when I first saw it, seemed intent on guarding what it knew within its walls as long as it stayed standing; but we all learned, by the end of it, that secrets aren’t such easy things to keep”
-Susanna Kearsley

1759, the ‘Bellewether’ was attacked by enemy pirates in the West Indies and brought home barely afloat for repairs. Jean-Philippe de Sabran, a captured French Canadian lieutenant gets billeted into the ‘Wilde’ house, where he isn’t welcome, but he is needed as a worker around the house and farm. As he earns his keep and helps repair the Bellewether, he starts to fall for Lydia. Both of them know, their relationship would never be allowed as tensions during the Seven Year War are heating up and trading agreements are broken across all waters. Loyalties will be challenged and desperation leads to dangerous illegal trading around Hispaniola. As Lydia and Jean-Philippe are faced to overcome insurmountable obstacles, their legend begins to form as tragedy hits….or so it seems.

Charley stumbles upon an important artifact that help her solve the mystery of the two lovers, as well as an important issue: Slaves.

“The ghost had been trying to tell me this, when he’d kept turning my painting around.”
-Susanna Kearsley

***

Susanna Kearsley does her research! Combining historical events with characters she learns of during her research, while adding a dash of fiction, create her mysterious novels. The setting by the beach in ‘Bellewether’ was especially alluring with its foggy tantalizing legend that pulls you in to read more. If you enjoy these kind of books, I recommend ‘Marianna’. One of my favorites of hers.
Happy reading!

I received a digital copy of 'Bellewether' from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you.

In present time, Charley moves to Long Island to be the curator of the Wilde House. During renovations, she finds some information of her relatives and wants to piece together their lives. The story is told from Charley's perspective and in the past Lydia Wilde and Jean-Philippe de Sabran. The stories work good together even if their story lines are a tad slow. I enjoyed the history of the book as I didn't know much about this time period. I received an advanced readers copy of the book from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark. All opinions are my own.

I received this advanced ebook from NetGalley for an honest review.

And my rating is really 3.5. First off, I adore Susanna Kearsley’s books. This one, however, felt different due to its leisurely pace. It is historical, meticulously researched, a romance, and told from three points of view (one in modern times, two in the historical times).

Charley (Charlotte) is setting up the Wilde House, in charge of restoring the home accurately, along with historical artifacts reflecting the time period. But Charley also wants to find out more about a supposed romantic attachment Lydia Wilde had with a French officer during the Seven Years War. As Charley works on the restoration, she is also dealing with the loss of her brother and caring for her niece. As the novel progresses, Charley must handle funding issues, historical documents, board meetings, and the contractor hired to do the restoration.

The novel flows easily back and forth between the time periods, revealing information about a curator’s job (which I loved) and excellent details about life in 1759, during wartime when loyalties are divided and complicated, depending on whose cause one is really protecting. There is also a mirroring of the issues Charley faces and Lydia faced in the past.

My reservations on this novel are as follows: slower pace may be off-setting for some readers, the supernatural element seemed out of place, the romance was predictable, and the wrap-up was pretty fast. But overall, I liked the book, especially after reading the Author’s Notes at the end. Her research process was so interesting. And Susanna Kearsley excels when writing about a place. I love her prose and I appreciate her attention to historical detail.

""The house, when I first saw it, seemed intent on guarding what it knew; but we all learned, by the end of it, that secrets aren't such easy things to keep."

It's late summer, war is raging, and families are torn apart by divided loyalties and deadly secrets. In this complex and dangerous time, a young French Canadian lieutenant is captured and billeted with a Long Island family, an unwilling and unwelcome guest. As he begins to pitch in with the never-ending household tasks and farm chores, Jean-Philippe de Sabran finds himself drawn to the daughter of the house. Slowly, Lydia Wilde comes to lean on Jean-Philippe, true soldier and gentleman, until their lives become inextricably intertwined. Legend has it that the forbidden love between Jean-Philippe and Lydia ended tragically, but centuries later, the clues they left behind slowly unveil the true story.

Part history, part romance, and all kinds of magic, Susanna Kearsley's latest masterpiece will draw you in and never let you go, even long after you've closed the last page."

It's a new Susanna Kearsley, AKA a new "Must Buy!"

A historical fiction, BELLEWETHER is a well told tale of two time periods with three voices telling their individual stories. The first is present day set in a small Long Island town steeped in colonial history, and the second in 1759 when Colonial Americans, being British citizens, are fighting the Canadians in the French and Indian War. In the modern period, Charlotte “Charley” Van Hoek has come to work as a curator for the Wilde house whose family has a storied history reflecting the life and times of that colonial period.

Lydia Wilde, daughter of the house, recently lost her mother and fiancé as well as having a brother injured in the war. Adding to her distress while she works to keep the rest of her family together, the Wildes are required to billet two officers from the very war that caused their losses. Charley’s job as the Wilde House museum is being restored involves unraveling the past through tantalizing clues left behind by the Wilde family through the years; it seems she may have help of the supernatural kind.

Lydia and one of the French officers, Jean-Philippe de Sabran, begin their story as adversaries; however, as they live and work together, enemies transform into lovers in the backdrop of a life that includes slavery and constant tension from some of her brothers whose work strays off the path of legal. Their romance became a local legend that seemed to have had a tragic end, but is history telling the real story? Much of this tale is a treasure hunt uncovering the true events of that time while Charley has her own family drama going with a niece she is caring for and a grandmother she has never met living down the road. Her ghostly help and the man restoring the Wilde house aide Charley to separate fact from fiction while assessing her life’s wants and desires.

Told in alternating points of view within the backdrop of this historical time period for Lydia and Jean-Philippe, each characters’ story brings a captivating piece to the whole. Ms. Kearsley weaves the tale together very well while enlightening her audience about life in those times based on her research and own family history. BELLEWETHER also has a few surprises that will keep readers guessing to the end how it will all turn out.

Susanna Kearsley's books are magic. 
I have loved her stories since I stumbled upon The Winter Sea in 2014 and I have gone out of my way to purchase everything ever since.This book was everything I thought it would be and more, Susanna has what I consider to be a rare talent for writing intricate stories, this one from multiple points of view, often set in the past and the present and they flow so incredibly well, they move forward together without really missing a beat. Sometimes, authors attempt to do that and they somehow don't get it quite right, but for me, she always does. 
Much like The Winter Sea, I have learned a little bit about The Seven Year War, the hardships that people faced in those times, during the battle, the difficulties some people faced simply because they spoke French. The hatred between the continents involved.  I love history, and Susanna always gives me just enough of something new to leave me wanting more, which then sends me on research mode. I will be learning more about this war and how it affected life here in the states for the British subjects as well as those in Canada and the West Indies. 

In the Bellewether, we get the story of Charlotte, as she works to create the Wilde Family museum intertwined with Lydia & Jean-Philippe and the true story of how they met and how their relationship, as well as Jean-Philippe's relationship with the Wilde family,  progressed and grew. It is a story of love, forgiveness and what happens when you get the know people before you judge them. I am hoping to see more of the Wilde family in the future, but if not, more of Charlotte would be more than welcomed!

I read this while on vacation in Virginia and Pennsylvania, and it was perfect. Atmospheric, well-searched, and fascinating, as Kearsley's titles always are.

I loved the magic and scary elements, but the flip flop of history and the beginning chapters were mundane to me!

Actual Rating: 3.5 stars

Bellewether is a quiet, moving story that I really enjoyed reading. It is like slipping into bed after a long day—soothing, comfortable, and relaxing. Author Susanna Kearsley effortlessly creates a homey feel that allowed me to place myself in both timelines easily. As such, I loved both narratives in this book, both that of Lydia's in the past and Charley’s in the present. Each character and her story was highly believable. The only things I did not care for in the novel were a big buildup that went nowhere, a ghost, the lack of a real villain, and the little too-perfect-for-my-taste endings.



During the past timeline in this book, which took place during the Seven Years War, I learned so much. It is clear that the author heavily researched this novel. I also really adored main character Lydia’s quiet strength and her ability to take over her deceased mother’s place in the family as peacekeeper among her brothers and father, as well as the two soldiers that were placed in her house. Though Lydia was very angry and prejudiced against the soldiers at first, I loved the slow burn of her softening feelings toward Jean-Philippe, who was clearly a cut above his counterpart staying in their house.[spoiler] At the peak of the novel, when Jean-Philippe decides to cut ties with Lydia in order to ultimately prevent her from getting hurt, her bravery to write him a letter despite their lack of any real communication—due to a large language barrier—was really poignant and beautiful.[/spoiler] I felt truly proud of how far her character came throughout her character arc. Their romance was my favorite of the two in the novel.



Charley, a researcher dedicated to restoring Lydia’s family’s home as part of a new museum exhibition dedicated to her famous brother, is also a great character. I loved how interesting her job was, her dedication to getting more funds and recognition for the exhibit, and her own issues with her personal life. Charley’s dedication to her now orphaned niece, mirrored that of Lydia’s role in stepping up as the surrogate mother to her own family. It was fun to read the more modern take of a similar role. Charley’s own love interests are also interesting. The whole thing with Tyler, her initial boyfriend was irritating, but I enjoyed how realistic it was! It was so great delightful that the author had everyone come out and express to poor Charley how much they hated the guy after they broke up. This feels very true to what happens in life after a breakup and Kearsley excels at small details like this. But luckily, Charley soon has another romance with a far better suitor named Sam, who like, Jean-Phillipe in Lydia’s home, quickly becomes a mainstay in Charley’s home life.



While I loved the stories of the two main characters, I did not like some other parts of the story quite as much overall. I was dismayed that what we knew as a truth from Charley in the present—that Joseph, one of Lydia’s brothers, shot Jean-Phillip—amounted to almost nothing. Sure, there was a bit of a scene that was prevented from escalating, but after expecting a tragic Romeo and Juliet-esque type of romance, I felt a little let down. However, I think most readers will actually be happy that this tragedy did not occur and I am just in the minority that likes her characters to suffer. Conversely, I could have done without the addition of the ghost in the present altogether. Though I guess its unearthly presence was supposed to add suspense and intrigue to the novel, I found it more of a nuisance, as I just wanted to read more about the characters rather than a mystery ghost and who it’s true identity was, which I sadly also found a bit disappointing, but also somehow fitting when revealed.



In addition, the ending of the novel and both its storylines—those of Lydia’s and Charley’s—were just a little too perfect for my taste. Everything was tied up so neatly that it did not feel very realistic. I realize that most people do not read romantic novels for realism, per se, so this may not even be a factor for other readers. Though for my fellow cynical readers, I’ve included a list of things that may be a little too neat for you as well. Spoilers ahead:



•Charley and her grandmother worked out the differences of the family without much ado at all—despite the issue starting with Charley’s father being disowned.
•Charley’s grandmother just happens to be the Chairman of the Board of the organization to whom Charley is giving a speech and trying to convince to support their cause.
•Charley’s grandmother coincidentally owns a ballroom in her mansion and happily allows Charley to hold a party for the museum.
•Rachel, Charley’s niece, easily discovers niche/career after dropping out of college and it just so happens to include apprenticing to Sam, Charley’s love interest.
•Most people Charley needs priceless artifacts from easily part with them.
•Lydia and Jean-Philippe’s descendant shows up from Paris (instead of, I don’t know, calling or emailing) to talk to Charley *right* before the beginning of the exhibit. She is then able to answer all of Charley’s questions and *offers* to bequeath a lot of Lydia and Jean-Philippe’s belongings to her.
•Sam and Charley kiss for the first time and then immediately buy a house together. (I guess stranger things have happened, but this seemed very out of the norm).
•Jean-Philippe is able to switch sides at exactly the crucial, convenient moment.
•When Jean-Philippe goes back to Lydia, he sees her standing at the spot he saw her at for the very first time.
•It is worth mentioning that the entire premise of Lydia and Jean-Philippe managing to fall in love without being able to communicate to each other is really impressive, especially with Lydia overcoming her resentment and prejudice.


Ultimately, though I have some issues with some parts of novel being a little too perfect for my tastes, I do not think this will be an issue for the majority of readers, who will enjoy the happy romances of the novel without over-analyzing them. And despite these issues that I had with a few things, I still really enjoyed this quiet, heartwarming, book with beautiful prose. Also, I think it was masterful how Kearsley managed to mirror the lives of Lydia and Charley without making them feel too similar.



In fact, I did not realize how similar their storylines even were until writing this review. Truly a unique storytelling method that offers the readers the best of both worlds in a single novel—both a historical and modern romance. It was also interesting to me that Kearsley used her family history as inspiration in this novel. I loved in her author’s notes how she stated that she was dedicated to giving real people that lived happy endings through her stories. She refers to these people in history as “quiet voices with good hearts.” It is clear from this novel and the happy endings the author gives both people from history and her characters that Susanna Kearsley has a good heart of her own.

Bellewether is set on Long Island in Colonial America just years before the American Revolution. Kearsley tells the story of a French prisoner of war and the daughter of the American colonist who is guarding him in the 1700's along with the story of those who live in the same house in the 21st century. Susanna Kearsley's ability to weave historical and modern stories together into a seamless whole just gets better and better.

Loved the multiple narrators, and the characters! Ugh it felt so authentic, alluring, and I don't usually read historical fiction! We meet two lovey women who in different times, both are tied together in a way an both are going through the love woes..Charley is in the present who happens to be the museum curator in Lydia's old house. Lydia is the other main character. Lydia was a young woman during the Seven Years war, and her family is housing two French officers. One whom she falls in love with,,,Charley also has two love interests, one is the small town man of every historical woman's dreams....Bellewether's pacing is very slow, but picks up during the second half....This is my Kearsley book but definitely not my last,.