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,.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As a museum director, I connected with Charley on several levels. I thought the story was well written and I loved Kearsley's approach to a little discussed topic in history, The Seven Years War. I really liked the different point of views throughout the book. One of the things I love most about Kearsley's books is she always finds a way to slip in a character from one of her other stories. This book was no exception. Overall, very well written. I would recommend this book for anyone who likes history, a bit of romance, and ghost stories.

Another great book by Susanna Kearsley, I loved every page of it. It is split into two different time periods, the first is deals with present day and Charlie starting a new job at a museum where she discovers an old legend of a French officer who lived among the Wilde family for a period of time in 1759. The second part of the book looks back at that time in 1759 and what actually happend between the French officer and a member of the Wilde family, Lydia.

Both parts of the story are interesting and filled with lots of historical info that I found fascinating. The author is great in letting the romances in the book take place slowly so the characters have time to get to know each other. It is a beautiful, well written book that I would highly recommend.

This is a beautifully written story, part historical fiction, part ghost story, part love story. It travels between current day and a time we don't read much about, the period in America during the French and Indian War. Set on Long Island we follow Charley as she tries to discover the history of the Wilde House, a local museum she's been hired to refurbish and curate. Her story is told in parallel with the story of Lydia, a daughter in the Wilde House who falls in love with a French Lieutenant who is captured and "paroled" in their house during the final days of the Seven Year War. I enjoyed this book tremendously.

Charlotte “Charley” Van Hoek has been hired as the curator of the Wilde House Museum located on Long Island’s eastern shore of the Messaquamik Bay. As she works to get the museum up and running and manage the restoration of the house, she encounters a ghostly presence.

Kearsley alternates between present-day Long Island and Charley’s ghost and struggles with difficult members of the museum board to the Long Island during the French and Indian War when the Wilde family took in French officers and prisoners. Legend reveals that young Lydia Wilde fell in love with one of the French officers who was shot and killed by her brother as he was planning his escape with Lydia.

While continuing to deal with the ghostly presence who is rumored to be that of the deceased French officer, Charley is determined to uncover the truth of the relationship between Lydia and the officer. Charley’s life in the small Long Island community is ripe with tension as she copes with controlling board members, a demanding boyfriend, and her estranged grandmother.

Kearsley parallels Charley’s struggles against the life of Lydia Wilde who managed her household since the death of her mother and tried to keep her resentment in check as the two French prisoners housed at her home represented two more mouths to feed. As time passed, Lydia found it more difficult to be resentful of Jean-Philippe de Sabran, one of the French officers, who, despite his limited knowledge of English, revealed himself to be a kind and honorable man.

Kearsley always excels at bringing the past to life with her vivid depictions of historical figures. Her latest novel follows this pattern as the time period during the French and Indian War is detailed, not with evidence of battle, but with depictions of the consequences of the war to those faced to cope with the aftermath of battle.

As Kearsley neatly brings together the past and present to solve the mystery of Lydia and Jean-Philippe and reveal the identity of the ghost, readers will be stunned by the memorable conclusion, leaving them to search Ms. Kearsley’s extensive backlist.https://sherimelnick.wordpress.com

I'm surprised and sad to say that I didn't enjoy this book as much as I had hoped. There's lots of good things going on in this story: excellent writing from Susanna Kearsley, great contrast between past/present and a slow burn love story on both sides of the timeline. However, I couldn't find myself connecting with any of the characters through no fault of the author. It just didn't carry that same feeling that I got from The Firebird. 

First of all, there's a lot of family history to sift through in the first few chapters. This seemed more like a history lesson than an organic narrative experience. There's a great eerie retelling of the legend of the ghost at Wilde house here and there, but then it flips to a different form of writing that's more factual and dry in both narratives. I loved reading Charley's parts more but I think that was due more to the ease of the language in comparison to Lydia's side of the story. You can tell that Kearsley did her research though which I appreciate and respect. Yet it didn't come off as naturally as I would have liked.

My second issue with this book was the fact that the ghost makes only a few rare appearances. Each timeCharley tries to rationalize it away which I became irritated - I'm just that type of reader. It almost felt like the ghost parts were cameos - so quick you might miss them, and just enough to lend some significance to the rest of the story. If I had to pinpoint the real problem though, it would be that the magic realism that I had encountered in The Firebird is at a lighter level in this story. Give me more magic realism, please!

Then there's the two heroines themselves. They're both strong in different ways but their stubbornness irked me to no end. Charley's in a nowhere relationship with a guy she's only briefly met and dated in person before moving to New York. I wanted to shake some sense to her, especially when a tall, strong and handsome guy walks into her life. Meanwhile, Lydia's anger towards her French soldier is plain awful to watch. The animosity was so real I wondered when they would ever progress beyond that. Denial isn't a good look on most people, and it's frustrating to read it on these (otherwise) strong female leads.

However, I will say there's great diversity presented in this book. There's even mention of Canada which I love Kearsley for including as she's a Canadian author herself. I had no idea about this period in Canadian history. There's also discussion of Native Americans history, and people of colour pop up here and there.

*Received an ARC through NetGalley. Voluntarily reviewed*

This is my first time reading Ms. Kearsley and I was extremely impressed with her writing style and ability to draw a reader into her world.

Bellewether is the story of Lydia Wilde and her French-Canadian lieutenant Jean-Philippe de Sabran. Jean-Philippe is at the Wilde's home on a parole of honour. At first Lydia wants nothing to do with the soldier and wishes he were never placed in their care. Being the woman of the house she must put her differences aside and take care of her Father and brothers as well as the two soldiers placed in their home. Jean-Philippe was instantly taken with her but works to conceal is interests as he knows there would be no future for them. Legend has it that he still wanders the woods carrying his lantern waiting for her to return to him.

Charley Van Hoek is the new curator of Wilde House Museum and must search through whatever they can get their hands on to piece together the story of the doomed lovers and how much of the legend was true and what was stretched beyond truth over the years.

This is told through 3 POV's - Lydia, Jean-Philippe and Charley. This did not make it hard to follow at all however there was a time or two that the same situation was told from Lydia's POV and then told from Jean-Philippe's POV as well which I found a little redundant as I didn't find the differences in their views added much more to the story.

Now my one contention with the whole book was the pacing of the story. The first seventy percent was way too drawn out. It felt like it took forever to get to the point and the big point of the book was at the end which I felt was way too rushed. I felt the author spent so much time and effort into the beginning of the story that it felt like she realized it just needed to end and just dropped all the important bits in one big lump at the end. There should have been way more of a build up but it kinda got cut short.

Aside from that one issue this book is absolutely beautiful and such an intricate look into the lives of this doomed duo.

A new Susanna Kearsley novel! And this is one of her better recent novels. She writes such great historical fiction - dual past and present storylines, gentle love stories, with just a touch of paranormal thrown in. Current day Charley goes back to her father's hometown on Long Island to be the curator of the Wilde House Museum. After hearing the local ghost story, her research into the family leads her to 1759 Lydia Wilde, as she and her family deals with two captured French officers billeted with them during the Seven Years War. I particularly enjoyed the historical aspects of this story, as I don't really know much about that period. I did tire of the political correctness pushed in this book. I don't remember noticing that in her prior books, but it was a little heavy handed in this one at times. But the story itself was very interesting, with a wide cast of characters and events, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the e-arc! I am always excited to read a new story by Susanna Kearsley! Can't wait for the next one!

I loved it. Susanna Kearsley is one of my favorite authors and I was so very excited to get to read her latest. I loved the way she transitioned back and forth between the time periods. I also enjoyed learning about an episode in history that I wasn't familiar with. This was a really great read as I have come to expect from books written by Susanna Kearsley.

Similar to Kearsley’s previous stories, this one again features a blend of stories from the past and present. One nice change is the location, which is Long Island, New York. As we have come to expect from Kearsley, there is meticulously researched history here, as well as laid-back romance. Her writing is lovely, with just the right blend of description and action. This is recomended for Kearsley fans as well as fans of Kate Morton.

I was so looking forward to this novel. It hit nearly all my interest points: two connecting stories, one in present day, one in the past, American history in a rather obscure time period, forbidden love, a haunted house... I could go on and on. The premise sucked me right in. I've loved so many of Susanna Kearsley's past books, so it pains me greatly to say this but... I was so unbelievably disappointed with this one.

First I just have to say this and get it off my chest: so many times I felt as though I were being spoon fed a lecture on political correctness. It was so insulting my intelligence. I don't need a lecture, just tell me the story. I am smart enough to analyze characters, their motivations, and actions for myself. Further, yes, I am actually to pick up on when a character is racist without it constantly being pointed out. Case in point: the character Harvey, the walking stereotype of a classic racist. In fact, I don't think he had any personality traits other than the fact that he was a racist. He was such a one-dimensional character I almost couldn't believe I was reading a book by one of my favorite authors. Come on Kearsley, you're so much better than this!

This brings me to the other characters. I could not get myself to warm up to or care about Charley. She was so bland, so perfectly correct, so boring! In fact, the only character that I actually liked was Sam. I thought he had some fantastic one-liners and brought a lot of humor and personality to an otherwise dull cast of characters. I felt more connected to Lydia and Jean-Philippe, but even their characters were not as well-drawn as I am used to from Kearsley.

Furthermore, all the relationships felt off. Charley and Sam moved so slowly and then bam! They're in love. Same thing for Lydia and Jean-Philippe. There was not nearly enough progression of these relationships throughout the novel to satisfy me, so when they came together at the end it felt rushed and unauthentic. I saw the same pattern between Charley and her grandmother. She went almost the entire novel having pent up feelings of hurt and abandonment towards her grandmother, but it only took one short conversation to clear up 50 years worth of hurt? Really? And then prickly Rachel warmed up to her great-grandmother right away as well? It didn't make any sense to me.

I'm still so disappointed in this book, even a week after reading it. It had so much potential and could have been something really special but so many things were off for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I feel like I've been waiting forever for this latest Susanna Kearsley novel to come out, and she did not disappoint. A local ghost story, the tale behind it, and eventually finding the truth. Set between the past and the present, I'll be recommending it to many. I'll read it again when it comes out, I'm certain.

Once again, Ms. Kearsley delivers a wonderful story about a time in history that I was quite ignorant of. Her characters are brought to life in such a way that you feel you are right there with them. I love how she gives us a time-slip story with such enchanting characters such as Charley and Sam and Lydia and Jean-Phillip. The supporting cast is exceptional as well.

Susanna is one of those authors that you can count on to bring the history to vivid life in her stories. Her meticulous details and seamless blending of fact with fiction make reading her stories pure delight. In this one, Bellewether, she also adds a personal touch with her own family history.

**Thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review**

I loved this book, and simply could not put it down! Once again Susanna Kearsley weaves the past and the present into a wonderful tale of love lost and found across centuries, surviving war and treachery and painful loss. Bellewether is so compelling you won't want to put it down, even to sleep!

Charley is living in her recently deceased brother's house with his daughter, her college aged niece, helping to deal with the trauma of her father's loss. She is also the recently hired curator of Wilde House, a historic home with a past and a ghost.

Lydia lives in the Wilde House...in the 18th century. It's a house with a curse and a history, touched by death and tragedy, but also great love. Britain and France are once again at war and their American colonies are dragged into it. The Wilde family has 2 French Canadian prisoners of war billeted with them. Legend has it that Lydia and French-Canadian lieutenant Jean-Philippe de Sabran have a love affair that ends tragically....but is that legend true?

In addition to having to deal with the politics of establishing and running a museum in a small town, with a board that views her as an outsider, Charley has to deal with .... a ghost. Who is this ghost? Is he a benign ghost or an evil ghost? Charley doesn't believe in ghosts, but as strange things occur in Wilde House, she digs deeper into the past and the legend, so that the museum can reflect truth and not myth. The more she learns the closer Lydia's story and her own come together in a stunning climax (ok, I know that's clichè, but in this case it's true!).

Bellewether is a wonderful story, and I can't wait to read it again...and again. Brava Susanna Kearsley! Five stars to Bellewether, and I wish it were possible to give more!

From the publisher: 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 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.

This is my first book by Susanna Kearsley, but it won't be my last. This compelling novel switches back and forth in time - from the present, where a young woman is helping turn a Long Island home into a museum, to the past, where a hard-working family lives their normal lives as best they can in a time of war.

I really enjoyed the scenes from the past and was intrigued to see where the plot was going. I found modern day character Charley a little annoying, with a life too filled with drama of various sorts (broken romance, potential new romance, estranged grandmother, recently deceased brother, depressed niece). I could have done with a lot less Charley. I actually skipped her chapters a few times to jump ahead and see what happened next with Lydia and Jean-Philippe (although I always returned to read Charley's chapter before going too much further).

I found the book a bit draggy in the middle; editing out some of the modern day drama would have improved the novel. However, overall I enjoyed the writing style, the plot, and the characters. A definite recommend for fans of Kate Morton and other present/past historical mysteries.

I read an advance reader copy of Bellewether. It is scheduled to be published in August 2018 and will be available through the Galesburg Public Library.

“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. 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 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.”

Let me preface my review with, I absolutely love Susanna Kearsley! This author tops my automatic buy list for Historical fiction. She is also the only author that I buy the Kindle, audible and the actual book; so, yes, I have three versions of all her books. I can honestly say I have never been so over joyed to receive an ARC, like literally full on happy dancing around my bedroom. Huge thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks and Susanna Kearsley for a free advanced copy for an honest review.

Mrs. Kearsley is an excellent story teller. She has a brilliant way of blending the past and the present together. “The Bellwether” is told through a wonderful dual story, present day and during the Seven Year War. I have to admit, I haven’t read much if anything on this particular time period, so I was a little intrigued.

The story begins with Charley (Charlotte), our modern day heroine who has recently moved to the Long Island area to be the curator of the Wilde House during its historical renovation. Through this, she is trying to piece together historical facts regarding the Wilde family, more precisely Captain Wilde, who was captain of the “Bellewether”. During this, she is told the legend regarding the only Wilde sister, Lydia and her French soldier, Jean-Philippe de Sabran. While on her fact finding mission regarding Lydia, she stumbles across an unwelcome paranormal ally (if paranormal is not your thing, don’t worry this is a very minor piece to the story, but a fun one). She also stumbles across her sexy Native American contractor, Sam. Though both love stories were slow paced, they were none the less immensely beautiful!

The story is told between three viewpoints, Lydia, Jean-Philippe and Charley. As always with her books, I loved every minute I spent with these characters, and ended up with huge crushes on our heroes. Lydia and Charley were resilient, intelligent, and beautiful women. The stories were both perfect and had beautiful endings.

As with all of Susanna Kearsley's books, you must read to the end to discover the surprise! You think you have it all figured out several times through the book; but you don't!!

Along with the "wanting to know what happens", I enjoyed this book very much for another reason too. I enjoyed reading and learning about the details of the war in 1759 and how life was. Since Ms. Kearsley reverts back and forth from 1759 to present day with Charley at the Wilde House Museum and the Wilde family life in 1759, your interest is maintained throughout the book and you learn interesting items in the present that happened in the past.

I found this book very enjoyable to read and would recommend it to others who enjoy historical fiction with a touch of suspense and romance.

I received this free electronic book as an advance copy to read and review and I'm so happy I received it.

I was so excited to receive this advanced copy, this book is perfect, and it has it all. A great storyline, wonderful character development, humor, love, romance, loss and most of all, heart. Pick this book up and read it!! You will be so glad you did. I am expecting a best seller out of this one.
This is a very well researched historical fiction novel, the descriptions of the landscape, the Bellewether, the museum, the clothing and some of the artifacts are so well done. The story switches chapters from past to present, between Charley (present day), and going back to Lydia and Jean Phillippe (past). I can’t really describe it, but you can tell in the first few lines of a book the quality and character of the author and Susanna Kearsley is one of the best. She is right up there with Robert Galbraith, and we all know who he/she is.
Charley has taken over the care of her niece since her brother passed away and has taken a new position as a curator for an up and coming museum which is in the process of a full restoration planning to tell the history of the Wilde family. The main story is about Lydia and Jean-Philippe, did they fall in love during Jean-Phillippe’s stay with the family as a captured enemy soldier or is it all just legend? Will Charley be able to come up with the proof of this love, will the museum ghosts help her?
I absolutely loved this book, the ending was especially wonderful. Over 5***** stars for me. Great read!!!!
I thank Net Galley and Sourcebooks Landmark for allowing me the opportunity to read this advanced copy for my review. If I could give above 5 stars, I would. This is an awesome, awesome book!!!