The Lady in Residence is a novel that evokes emotions of fear, yet curiosity. I love how original the stories was. The romance played out the edge of a little too much touchiness, but I was not disgusted by this show of affection by the hero and the heroine. The plot was interesting. I liked the ghost story. Most of the Christian fiction novels shy away from ghost stories, so this was a delightful change. This story is crafted in the current fad of a time slip novel, so there is two timelines to keep track of. While some stories it works, as I reading through the story, I wish the story was just the history elements. It would have been richer to see the story played out a lot more. Flipping to the present for the most part annoyed me. I read through those parts really fast and couldn't wait to get back to the historical parts. They were the story. They were the most interesting parts of the story. Overall, The Lady in Residence by Allison Pittman was a unique story with lovely historical characters that I didn't mind spending time with. The present storyline could have not been in there at all. It would have made the story that much richer.

I received a complimentary copy of The Lady in Residence by Allison Pittman by Barbour Publishing through Celebrate Lit. Tours, but the opinions stated are all my own.

The Lady in Residence by Allison Pittman is a mystery and ghost story based on a real-life crime. Sallie White was murdered by her husband in front of the Menger Hotel in San Antonio Texas in the early 1900’s and is said to haunt the Menger; the hotel is rumored to be haunted to this day. Hedda Kraus is a widow who looking to start a new life and is a fictional part of the story. Dini Blackstone is an illusionist and leads ghost tours has also studied Hedda’s life for some time. Some say she is obsessed with Hedda’s story.
I enjoyed this book and got so engrossed I tended to forget that some of the characters were fictional. The story mainly revolves around Hedda writing her story which Dini has read and practically memorized. It goes back and forth between Hedda’s story and Dini’s life in the modern-day San Antonio. The transition between the two is done very simply without drawing away from the overall story. I loved this story and could hardly put it down until the end. I highly recommend it. It will appeal to the history buff, the mystery buff and the romantic in all readers.
I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Lady In Residence is a dual time line story set in historic San Antonio Texas. This was a fascinating story that kept me turning the pages. You'll find this tale to be a mystery in history with magic and romance!! The characters jump off the page and into your heart. The author did a beautiful job segueing back and forth from modern time to the early 1900s.
This is the first book I have read by this author and will be making a goal of working on her back list for the upcoming year. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be telling my friends to put it on their TBR immediately.
*I was given a copy of this book by the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

This book was so good!! It hook's you on first page and doesn't let go. This is one of those books that you don't want to end, but you just have to know what happens next. Don't start reading this book at night unless you want to pull an all-nighter because you won't be able to put it down. I loved everything about this book, it's definitely a Must Read. Thank you Barbour Publishing via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Time-slip novel fans? You’re in for a treat with The Lady in Residence. This is a well written story. I must start by gushing about the historical portion. I loved it! The characters jumped right off the page for me and the setting created a perfect atmosphere. It played like a movie in my mind. There was plenty of romance and just the right amount of creepiness. The contemporary side kept my interest right to the end.

I did dock a star, however, due to the spiritual aspect of this story. This has nothing to do with the ghost theme. It was handled well, and I will not include any spoilers, so you’ll just have to read it to see how that all works out. What I wanted to see more of was a stronger biblical perspective when it came to the characters themselves. They generally started lukewarm and ended that way. I don’t expect fiction novels to preach, but I do care about the messaging a reader receives, often implicitly, from a story (particularly one labelled as Christian fiction). There were certain attitudes and perspectives that I did not agree with and was hoping to see resolved by the end. Overall, I still recommend this novel, but I challenge you to think about these characters and how they face (or should face) their challenges at a deeper level. Done my preaching ;).

When I started reading this novel, I was intrigued from the first sentence. And the more I read, the more I did not want to stop reading. The author truly had me hooked.

The plotline itself was different. It is not every day you can find a Christian Fiction book where one of the main characters sees what she believes to be a ghost and the other main character is a magician. And I personally enjoyed how unique it was. After a while, some of the Christian Fiction Romance all seem to be the same. But this one was different.

Hedda Krause is a head-strong character. She is independent and stubborn. I liked reading her story. And I especially liked the fact that she was an unreliable narrator. I wasn't sure which parts of her story to believe and which not to, which made it all the more intriguing to me.

Dini is obsessed with the mystery of Hedda Krause. She's read her book a million times (probably not quite that many, but she does have it memorized). And this obsession of hers leads her to the handsome and charming Quin Carmichael, the great-great-grandson of the detective that works Hedda's case. And if there is any way a person can have a crush on a book character, I did. I fell in love with Quin right away. He is sweet, kind, gentle, Godly...everything I would want in a man and more. Even if the plotline of this book does not interest you, I would say just read the book for Quin.


What I most liked about this book, however, was the attention to detail the author gave it. I am one of those readers who likes a lot of description. I felt like I was actually a part of the story. And it tells me that the author really did her research. Reading the author note, I was surprised and pleased the lengths the author went to to research this book. I won't spoil it for you, but it made me respect her and her writing more. I also appreciated her writing style.

I do have to say, though, there is one thing about the book that I did not like. I'm usually not one to care about how strong the Christian aspect of a book is. As long as the novel is clean, I am okay. But there doesn't seem to be a lot of Christianity in this book, just a few references. And with how Godly of a man Quin seems to be, I expected there to be more and found myself oddly disappointed by the lack of it. However, it did not take away too much for me, personally, but if you are looking for a novel with a strong Christian message, this isn't it. Otherwise, though, I loved the book and will be reading more from this author.

I would give it five out of five stars.

I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley and this is my honest review.

This took me a few chapters to get into the story, and it was a bit confusing at times. But overall, it was an enjoyable read. I enjoyed the time slip and gothic angles to the story. The characters were well-crafted. I didn't quite understand the cover, as it doesn't seem like the best fit for the story. I've never read anything from Pittman before, but I'd be willing to check out future books, as well as the other books in this "Doors to the Past" series.

A spell-binding time slip novel that'll make you turn up the lights!
Meeting Dini Blackstone in the opening pages, I wasn't at first sure I'd like this heroine. but the aura is so completely enveloping right there, I was compelled to go on. Sure enough, true to form (because I've yet to be let down by one of Allison Pittman's stories) Dini soon grew on me. I think the fact that the author so winningly captures the mindset of a truly introverted person was part of it. It wasn't long before I was completely charmed by Dini the magician's individualism and bits of weirdness.
Then there's Hedda. What a 1920s goddess. I wasn't sure what to make of her either. We are given a deep look into her mind, and yet we can't decide if she's a looney or being gaslighted.
One thing is sure, Allison Pittman gaslights her readers along the way--in the most delightful sense. She doesn't make us think we're crazy, but she makes us wonder what to think until the very last page.

A fun read about a legend of Houston Texas. I found myself reading well into the night because I had to know the rest of the story.
A ghost that haunts a hotel, a woman looking for a home and a young lady looking for a place to belong. They become tangled in a story many years apart, but they will bring answers to each other's story.
I love Pittman's writing. She tells a story bluntly but with finesse. You are drawn in by the characters and how they are so very normal. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for not only a good creep factor in a book, but mystery that needs solving.

This book was completely captivating. The plot was engaging to the end with plenty of twists and turns! I'm excited to read more from Allison Pittman. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I am a fan of Allison Pittman. This book was different from what I have read from her before. This is a mystery, a romance within another romance. The characters were interesting, the setting was a historical location. I enjoyed the journey.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley, my review is my own.

This was a book that had a little of everything. Which is why I liked it and plus I love this author's works.
This wasn't quite what I was expecting but I liked it either way it went.
Pittman has a unique writing style which of course is her own and I appreciate that.
She kept my interest throughout the whole book. I couldn't put it down until I was finished.
I stayed up until 4 am to finish this book that I must say that I'm still thinking about Carmichael, Hedda, Dini, Quinn who all seemed very real to me.
I loved visualizing them as Pittman put them through their adventures and heartbreak or whatever the case may be at the time.
There were a few things that I didn't like but the other 90% was wonderful.
She will make you hold your breath in certain places and have you wondering if Hedda is as innocent as she claims.
I liked Hedda's story much more than Dini's.
I have the story four stars because I'm my opinion the cover didn't really go with the story inside. I guess I've never seen a cover quite like it before.
I guess u can say it's interesting in a weird sort of way. Gothic?
Not sure but anyway, I loved the story that was inside.
I recommend this book. Gothic lovers will be sure to devour this book like I did.
My thanks to Netgalley/Barbour publishing for this ecopy.
I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
Allison Pittman is one of my top favorite authors by the way..
My favorite series by her is The Sister Wives.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this story, but I loved it. It's very atmospheric and full of Gothic elements, with plenty of mystery and suspense, all revolving about the main question driving the plot in both times: was there a ghost or not?

I really liked Dini and her interesting career. It was very interesting to see the kind of tricks she did, how quirky she is, and how unusual her upbringing was.
Quinn is more down to earth but he's also trying to find out the truth.

Then there's the hotel with all its residents and staff, the visitors, the city, and of course Hedda, who's the center of everything. Was she genuine or a con lady?

This is was the first time I read the author and it won't the last.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

First of four books in “Doors to the Past” series to be released in 2021 by Allison Pittman

Travel back to 1915 when voluptuous widow, Hedda Krause, begins her journey into life without a man to financially support her. Hedda uses her beauty and elegance as a web as she attempts to capture a suitor. At first, men fall under her spell enabling her stay at the Merger Hotel but her luck ends as suitors dwindle.
During her elongated residence at Merger, mystery unfolds surrounding the historical site. A history that includes romance, betrayal and murder. A violent murder of a women whose ghost resides
at the residence eliciting rumors and visitors hoping for a glance of the ghost or of Hedda who describes her encounters with it.
102 years later, intrigue surrounding Hedda Krause is pursued by Dina Blackstone and Quinn Carmichael, who are initially unaware of their historical lineage to Hedda. Quinn introduces Dina to a biblical interpretation of the events. Their new-founded relationship results in freedom from the past and vision for the future.