Sorry, but this book was not for me. I found it boring and simplistic. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

This is my first Hester Fox book, and while I enjoyed it, I felt like it was lacking intensity. The stakes were high in many situations, but I was never on the edge of my seat, never wondering if the characters would escape their predicaments. I knew they would. There are a thousand and one coincidences in this book, so I was never in doubt all would end well.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

If you know me, you know I’m a sucker for stories about necromancers and ghosts. I’m not sure why, but I am. As soon as I read the synopsis for this book, I knew I had to read it. Now before you start thinking I’m an easy sell, let me enlighten you. No matter how enticing or interesting a blurb is, it’s up to the story and the characters to win me over. If anything, I’m probably a tad pickier when it comes to stories with necromancy involved. I’ve read too many books where it was executed poorly.

Luckily, I can say that Hester Fox did not let me down. I was ensnared from the first chapter. Tabby wormed her way into my heart almost immediately. I couldn’t help but feel for her. I can’t imagine being on my own at the age of 12. I really admire her strength and resilience. Caleb, our love interest, was also an interesting character. I really like how the author wrote his character arc. He grew a lot from the first time we met him.

I don’t want to spoil the plot. All I’ll say is that this book will sneak up on you. You don’t realize how mesmerized you are by it until you’ve turned the last page. I’ll definitely be checking out more of Hester Fox’s books now.

My thoughts

Rating:4

Genre:Gothic fiction

Would I recommend it? Yes, but to those that love gothic fiction with a touch of the paranormal to it

Would I read more by this author? Yes

First off I want to thank (Graydon House ) HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) for in the invitation to read and review this as well as for them letting me join in on the blog tour and a big thanks to NetGalley as well. Because what caught my attention first was the tile and second was the cover the after I read the synopsis ( which is something I don't hardly do ) I knew I want to read it because it was something that I would pick up in a heart beat.And after reading this I'm looking forward to reading more Hester Fox even though this is my first time reading her. As for the story itself it had everything I love in a gothic tale which is the dark and somewhat creepy atmospheric and ghosts and graveyards and murder and love. It was captivating, enchanting, a bit twisted as well, and the characters themselves I either liked them or hated them. My favorite was Tabby because of how strong willed she was and my lasted favorite was Caleb Bishop , and how he always thought that all he had to do was smile and the girls would fall at his feet until he meet Tabby and then it was that he had to safe her even from herself but the more I read the more I saw him come to realize that she didn't need a man to take care of herself or to keep her safe that she could do that on her own and that he loved her for she was. As for the paranormal it mixed in really well with the rest of the story.

I had such high hopes for this book. From the blurb and the beautiful cover I expected something creepy to start off my fall mood. First off, I did not like Caleb. He did not deserve Tabby or her adoration. He was a complete turn off who did not have his life together whatsoever. He's supposed to be in his twenties and acts like a teenager who's never had to work a day in his life. The insta-love was not for me. Tabby falls in love with him after a few minutes with him and doesn't see him for the next ten years. He never does anything to deserve her adoration or respect.
The second thing I did not like were the time jumps. It happened sporadically and did not flow.
The third thing that I did not like was that Tabby's adoptive father was Black while she was White. It was just randomly thrown in there as was slavery and runaways. It did not pay respect to what slaves went through nor did it bring anything to the story. Realistically a Black man adopting a White child would have been a problem, yet never was until towards the end when we needed action.
While I did not expect grave robbers and Harvard students to be included in this book, they did not bring much to the story besides being villains. It was quite ridiculous how they disbanded withing a few minutes of being found out.
Also, it was a little too convenient how Caleb found Tabby's long-lost sister as was her reason for leaving Tabby. Oh and the aunt and uncle storyline was cliche and had a too convenient resolution.
If you read this book, you'll have to leave behind any sense of reality and reasoning.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for providing me a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Realistically: 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

At age twelve, Tabby finds herself completely alone, a recent runaway from her abusive aunt and uncle, her sister has abandoned her and she can't trust anyone. She has a terrible, heavy secret--she can talk to the dead. Fast forward ten years, and Tabby's living with the cemetery caretaker that's unofficially adopted her, she's content in her life--more or less--and the boy she met so long ago comes crashing back into her life just as a new wave of grave robberies start happening and Tabby's life is thrown into a tailspin.

Overall, I liked this book. It has a great mixture of everything--romance, a little mystery, a little suspense, a girl who can talk to the dead. There weren't any loose ends by the time the story was over and I liked the overall diversity of the characters' backgrounds; even the secondary characters were very well fleshed out and could very well have stories of their own. There are people born with silver spoons in their mouths to contrast Tabby being an orphan. There's a very heavily implied sapphic romance. Tabby's adoptive father is a former slave. These stories aren't deeply touched on, but it was nice to have the inclusion without the author overstepping any boundaries (ie, as a white author, the story of a former slave isn't hers to tell, and I respect that. However, I still really liked the inclusion. There is a line between whitewashing and overstepping and the author found that line and walked it very well).

I felt that the romance was, overall, fairly well done given the fact that it was largely based on one random meeting between the heroine and the love interest as kids. Neither the heroine nor the love interest were perfect people--in fact, Caleb was more flawed than he was a "good guy," I think, but I appreciated the author's willingness to address what he knew he'd have to change in order to become a better person all around.

I felt that the novel suffered overall because it seemed a little shallow. I didn't feel a deep connection to the characters--but I liked them. I didn't have any strong emotional reaction to the storyline--but it was well done and it was fine. I didn't feel any sense of danger. I feel like this book can't decide if it's YA or Adult Fiction. The storyline itself seems like it's an adult book: Tabby is in her early twenties and Caleb is (I think) around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, but the writing style is much more suited to YA than toward the audience it seems to be directed to. This wasn't a problem for me personally as I read both YA and adult fiction, but it might be more of a sticking point for readers who have a dislike for either of those age groups.

Thank you to Harlequin & NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

"The dead won’t bother you if you don’t give them permission.
Tabby has a peculiar gift: she can communicate with the recently departed. It makes her special, but it also makes her dangerous."

I kind of struggled to get through this book. I enjoyed her debut book The Witch of Willow Hall but was rather disappointed with this one.

2.75☆

Another great read from Fox! This is a supernatural story of love, grave robberies, and murder. Tabby is a strong willed and brave character to follow. Fox's descriptions are atmospheric and haunting. I will always be looking forward to what she writes next!

The Orphan of Cemetery Hill is a fun gothic romance with a paranormal twist.

When Tabby's aunt and uncle exploit her for her ability to communicate with the dead, she flees to Boston with her older sister, where they are separated. Tabby ends up keeping her ability a secret from everyone she knows, and builds a new life for herself as the daughter of the caretaker of one of Boston's cemeteries. Tabby meets Caleb Bishop on the day of his father's funeral, only to witness grave robbers stealing the body of Mr. Bishop, then learn that Caleb is being charged with the brutal murder of his fiancé Rose. At great risk to herself, Tabby sets out to prove Caleb's innocence.

I love gothic romances and while this one felt like it was written for a younger audience, it was a fun, fast paced adventure. This one reminded me of a Victorian sensation novel and I loved the chapter headings (The one in which we meet our heroine, The one in which an enemy is made.)

I am a big fan of Hester Fox's as her novels tend to put me in a perfect mood for Fall and her newest keeps with that trend. I actually enjoyed the premise of The Orphan of Cemetery Hill more than her previous novel as it wasn't as heavy handed when it came to the romance portion, making the focus more on the intriguing plot surrounding the clairvoyant main character Tabby as well as the grave robbing mystery she becomes involved in.

This is a book that is hard to pigeon hole into one genre; it could easily fit into mystery, historical fiction, and even women's fiction. I appreciated how intriguing Tabby's background was, especially regarding her absent sister. I also enjoyed the relationship between Tabby and the male protagonist, Caleb, with their mutual respect and adoration for each other but natural progression of their relationship making it more believable all around as a possible romance. My favorite relationship though was the one between Tabby and her "father", Eli, who takes her in as a child and helps provide her structure and safety in a life where those aspects were nonexistent prior. His own history, being a black man in the mid 1800's in Boston, is intriguing enough on its own and I actually wished that I as a reader was able to spend more time with his character.

One of the odd things that stood out to me with this book is the large lapses in time, only explained in quick sentences by the characters. They happen more than once and tended to throw me off when they occurred as it seemed like the world the characters resided in was just put on pause during these periods without enough reason given.

This is a perfect book to launch any Fall reading list as its is just enough spookiness without having much of the "scare" aspect. The fact that grave robbing is a major plot point and was a real historical occurrence made me like this book even more. Add to that the fact the author makes the clarvoyant trend of the 1800s come to life and this book becomes a true gem.

Young orphaned Tabby has a peculiar gift: she can commune with the dead. While fleeing from her oppressive aunt and uncle who exploited her for her gifts, Tabby and her sister are tragically separated. With no family left, Tabby seeks shelter in a crypt and is soon taken in by Eli, the kind caretaker of the local cemetery. For years, Tabby has lived a quiet life hiding her dangerous secret, but when a string of grave robberies start cropping up around Boston and her gift is uncovered, Tabby finds herself running for her life yet again. Soon, she's taken by a shady group called the "Resurrection Men" who have high hopes that her gift will help them on their quest for reanimating the recently deceased. Tabby must trust in her powers, as well as her small group of friends including the frustratingly handsome Caleb if she hopes to make it out alive.

I absolutely loved Fox's other novels, so I had high expectations for this, but it ended up falling a bit flat for me. While it had all the elements I've loved from her previous work--an interesting historical setting, a mystery that kept you on your toes, and writing so atmospheric it felt like a movie playing in your head--it just didn't capture me as fully as I was hoping. I think part of that reason was the characters themselves. I really liked Tabby and this strange power she had, and the little family she created with Eli and Mary-Ruth, but I just couldn't get behind Caleb. I didn't think he had many redeeming qualities and he treated Tabby so poorly time and time again. Yeah, he may have had a change of heart towards the end, but it was too little too late in my opinion. I also felt the plot was a bit slow, but it came to a satisfying end. Despite a few bumps in the road, I'd still recommend if you're looking for a Gothic mystery and think this would make a great read for Autumn.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin - Trade Publishing for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

I cannot resist the stories or the covers of a Hester Fox story. I have loved The Witch of Willow Hall and The Widow of Pale Harbour and so it an "insta-click" to request a read of this one. Similar to her other tales, Fox dabbles in the supernatural, and in this particular storyline, her main female protagonist Tabby can talk to the dead.

Separated from her older sister, Alice, twelve years ago, Tabby lives in Boston with a cemetery caretaker, Eli. But Tabby never doubts that one day she and her sister will be reunited. When Tabby meets the dashing Caleb Bishop, but a series of grave robberies put both their lives in danger.

I enjoyed the way in which the novel started and for the first half of the book, I was totally swept away by the narrative, but it slowed down a bit in the middle and then picked up close to the end of the novel. Also, I cannot deny that I wasn't that big a fan of Caleb Bishop but that is only because I bristled under his continuous desire to "rescue" Tabby. Yes, that makes him a man of his time, but it also made him REALLY annoying. Overall, I liked the story enough that I would still recommend it to other readers.


Goodreads review 05/08/20
Expected Publication 15/09/20




#TheOrphanofCemeteryHill #NetGalley

Historical romance set in 19th century Boston. Orphans, corpse thiefs, ghosts, murder and of course, romance! Fun for historical fiction fans.

3.5 stars - As expected, Hester Fox delivers the spooky atmosphere of 1800s New England in spades in her third book. This is probably my least favorite of the three, as I think there are some very jarring notes in how this book is paced and lacks in the mystery component of the plot. I also think the main male character was very lacking. That said, absolutely loved Tabby and especially loved her relationship with Eli. The paranormal elements of this worked very well for me, and I still enjoyed getting lost in the historical setting. Not her strongest, but still an enjoyable entry in her oeuvre, and I'll look forward to the next one as I do every fall now

This was a very well written story about an orphan child left on the steps of a church who takes refuge in a nearby cemetery. When Tabby (the orphan) grows up she is still very much attached to this cemetery and what follows is a story I was very much engrossed in for a few days.

We have the grave robbers, murderers, ghosts, and gamblers. Add in some romance, escaped slaves, communicating with afterlife, crooked cops, and rich ladies and you've got yourself a real page turner.

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me a kindle copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3386570852

Tabby Cooke is separated from her sister Alice after they escape from their crooked Aunt and Uncle who want to exploit her ability to communicate with the dead. Everything changes when Tabby meets Caleb Bishop, and she never thinks she will meet him again, but she does, she won’t admit it but she attracted to him but figures he would never want to be with her plus he is engaged to another.

This is my second book by Hester Fox and it was just as good as the first one. The Orphan of Cemetery Hill is a well-written story surrounding grave robbing. There is a bit of romance, suspense/intrigue all wrapped into a story.
My gratitude to NetGalley, Harlequin, and Graydon House. All opinions expressed are my own.

One of the best reads during the isolation. I did not think I would like this book , hard times was not what I wanted at this time.
The characters won me over immediately , you won’t put this down until you finish it

I liked the premise of this book. However, I think it lacked a bit of depth and I couldn't connect with the characters. The gothic vibes were there along with supernatural, which I liked. I just wish there would have been more depth to the story. Overall, I liked it and thought it was a fun spooky read.

Thank you netgalley and harlequin for allowing me to read and review.

I've loved Hester Fox's previous books. They are perfectly gothic with mystery and danger and romance. Unfortunately, I thought this one wasn't as good as the others. The premise with a girl who speaks to the dead is interesting, but the book ultimately felt incomplete. I thought the romance fell through, the plot wasn't mysterious or tense like it needed to be, and I couldn't connect to any of the characters, especially because I didn't understand some of their actions and motivations. I'm very sad this one didn't live up to my expectations, but I certainly won't turn down another Hester Fox novel in the future. She's still a magnificent writer and creates wonderfully gothic worlds. Hopefully I'll like her next book better.

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 4
Plot/Movement: 3
Character Development: 3
Overall: 3

Thank you, Graydon House and NetGalley, for the review copy!

I so so so badly wanted to like this book. I love a good gothic fantasy with elements of paranormal and the Victorian age, and maybe it was that high expectation that had me struggling through this book. There is so much going on in the novel and I easily got lost as to if events happened within the same day or if a week had passed, due to too little explanation and the jumping from one event to another. I also really wanted to like the characters, but they all fell flat for me as I never really felt like I got to know them and their relationships were never built upon. I am not a fan of insta-love and this novel was a prime example of it. The writing was beautifully done, the premise fascinated me, and the cover drew me in, but overall, to hold my interest more development is needed on the plot and deeper, more dynamic characters that I can connect with and want to follow through their journey.