Allison Pittman is always a delight to read. Her latest, A Lady in Residence, is the perfect book to hold you in sus-pense – a mixture of history, time slip, romance, and intrigue. I was kept guessing as the story progressed, details unfolding in ever darkening layers until the truth finally broke free. Pittman’s writing style quickly pulled me into the story and demanded my attention until the very end. Arresting characters, clever dialogue, and a spinning plot made this a fast read that thoroughly entertained.

Pittman is an author I can count on to deliver a story that is slightly different than the standard mystery or romance. She has a way with her plot that sets her apart and never ceases to grip my imagination. I recommend this and all of her books!

I received this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

A ghost story from generations past and those in the present trying to understand it....an interesting and captivating tale that made me want to keep reading every time I reached the end of a chapter.

1915 and 2017 San Antonio, Texas

Engaging start to the Doors to the Past Series!

This novel is set primarily in the historic Menger Hotel. In 1915 a young widow, Hedda Krause, is distancing herself from her step sons and is nearly destitute. She has enough means to keep herself afloat and living at the hotel.

In 2017, magician Dini Blackstone makes a living doing magic shows and giving ghost tours. She is obsessed with Hedda's story and finds a kindred spirit in the great, great grandson of the investigator that worked on Hedda's theft case.

While both threads kept my interest, I enjoyed the contemporary thread just a bit more. Loved the musical nods to the 70s, snippets of humor and references to San Antonio icons.

An amazing, arresting and gripping storyline
filled with period details, multifaceted
characters, intrigue plus class conflicts.
A story with well defined characters that jump
off the pages into your heart. I was able to feel
their pain, understanding their circumstances
as the descriptive writing pulled me right into
the mix of the story.
It is 1915 in San Antonio when an independent
widow arrives at the Menger Hotel with a
trunk full of dresses, jewels and accessories.
Hedda Krauss plans to find a suitable husband
to replace the one she lost. But instead she
meets a ghost. A ghost who terrorizes then
robs her of all her jewelry.
Forward ahead in time to 2017 where Dini
Blackstone is a tour guide and a fifth-generation
magician. Her favorite tale is the one of Hedda
Krauss who she believes to be a con woman
who made her living from her ghost story.
Then Quinn Carmichael arrives. Quinn is the
great-great-grandson of the famed Detective
Carmichael who investigated the Hedda Krauss
robbery. He has come with a box full of items
regarding Hedda’s time at the Menger Hotel.
I was throughly engrossed in this story. I loved
the secrets of the past mixing with the present.
The concept of this book made it an entertaining
read.
A Highly Recommended Read.
I volunteered to read The Lady in Residence.
Thanks to Barbour Publishing via NetGallery for
the opportunity. My opinion is voluntary and my own.

The only reason I'm giving this book 5 stars is because a 6th isn't available! I started this book cautiously...I love time-slip novels, but I'm pretty skeptical on the subject of ghosts. But Pittman's comfortable prose drew me in, and before I realized it, I was goosebumps deep in Dini's and Hedda's parallel stories. Two very strong yet fragile women, bound by ties to a haunted hotel. Both isolated themselves after enduring loss and pain. Both lived their lives as illusionists of sorts, and both bravely uncovered a secret that had long shaped their lives. As they each made a decision that would shape their futures, I was torn between racing to the last page, and wanting to make this book last. Beautifully paced and tender, this tale moves me to add anything by Pittman onto my TBR list. I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and was not required to post a review.

This was such a good split time story. In 1915 the Menger Hotel in San Antonio sounds like a great place to visit except for the ghost of Sallie White that terrified Hedda Krause during her lengthy stay there. .
Dini Blackstone is dealing with her own ghosts as she gives ghost tours of San Antonio and relates the story of Sallie White to tourists. Who is Dini really and where does she fit in at the Menger Hotel or any place in life?

Bert and Gil were great fits to this story. Everyone needs good friends like these two men.

I enjoyed how the author put the pieces of this puzzle together. It’s a story where I needed to pay attention to details, remember which century I was in, but that did not detract from an enticing story.

I received an ARC of this book from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley.

The Lady in Residence by Allison Pittman was a fun read! That may be an odd thing to say considering the story is about a ghost, a robbery, a brutal murder and a heartbreaking love story. Pittman gives us a delightful character in Dini, a magician and storyteller. Dino's obsession with the author of a book written years in the past seems to be the only important thing in her life. I really loved Dini! Her personality and quirky spirit had me wanting to see her happy. I still want an epilogue. I have so many questions!
Pittman kept me obsessed with where the plot was going from the first page. I loved the way the story wrapped itself around the past and the present. Sometimes it's hard to keep a story fluid when the plot jumps back and forth.. The Lady in Residence does this smoothly and keeps building the suspense! Truthfully, I was so caught up in enjoying the characters and descriptions that I didn't realize there was a mystery to solve until I was well into the book!
My reviews tend to give my opinions of the story, my likes and dislikes. I discuss very little about the plot. I figure if you are interested enough in the story to read a review then you know what it's about. But I would love to sit down and talk about the book with another reader. The Lady in Residence has so many layers and surprises. It would make a great book for a book club!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review."

This book was really a fascinating book. It took me a few pages to get totally into this book, but when I did, I had to keep reading. It was so interesting and I couldn't put it down. I loved that it took place in San Antonio and as the author described a Mexican restaurant with murals on the walls, I am sure I have been there while visiting this city. So I felt totally immersed in the location setting, the plot and the characters. It was excellent!
It had mystery, suspense, romance and the ghost, well, that was fabulous. You gotta read this one!

I received a complimentary book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed the two different story lines in this book. The main character in the present day story was quirky and embraced it, I loved that about her. All of the characters were likable for a variety of reasons. It was interesting to learn about historical aspect of this story. I'm excited about this new series.

This is a dual time line story and both stories are just as interesting. It’s part love story, part ghost story and I really enjoyed it! It did take me a few chapters to get into the rhythm of the book but then it took off and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Definitely recommend
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy

This book was absolutely enchanting. This was my first book by Allison Pittman, but will not be my last. When Barbour reached out to recommend this one to me, I almost didn't take it as I had several others that I needed to read, but the premise sounded interesting enough for me to try it and I'm so glad I did! I was sucked in from the very beginning and stayed enraptured until the very end. This book follows Dini, a ghost tour leader and magician, who has trouble letting people "in". She is obsessed with the "victim" of one of her ghost tour stories (Hedda Krause) and so when the descendant of the detective who worked on Hedda's case shows up with a box of items that he doesn't understand that came from his great-grandfather's home, she can't resist working with him to learn even more. Interspersed in chapters of Dini and Quin, are the writings of Hedda detailing her experiences 100 years prior. While not a traditional dual timeline novel (as the past timeline is a book being read in the present timeline), it still has the feel of a daul timeline novel, which are among my favorites. Both story lines are engaging and have wonderful characters who are deep and likable. The overall plot-line drew me in and kept me interested throughout. The romances were super fast, but not at all cheesy and so they didn't feel ridiculous like some quick romances do. The faith thread was a bit subtle, but definitely present as Quin stated frequently that he didn't believe in coincidence or fate, but that God brought them there at that time. And the ending was sublime. I loved how the mystery was solved and how their relationship progressed. Even the author's note at the end was enlightening. It was cool to know that there were elements of the story that were factual and now I want to visit the Menger hotel someday. This is a story that will stick with me awhile. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would strongly recommend it!

Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of this book. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.

The Lady in Residence is a time-slip novel about Hedda Krause who is convinced that a ghost stole from her and the inability to prove her innocence and her sanity.

2017: Dini Blackstone a fifth-generation magician is obsessed with Hedda Krause doesn't believe that she could maybe be telling the truth. Someone did, in fact, steal her jewelry just not a ghost. She meets Quin Carmicheal the great-great-grandson of the detective, Irvin Carmicheal who investigated the case regarding Hedda Krause, and together they discovered what really happens, and in the process, they find love most unexpectedly.

I liked the character of Dini Blackstone, I felt her character was real and sad, but I was able to feel a connection to her. She felt a connection to Hedda through her own loss of her parents years earlier, and the author uses this to connect her loss to that of Hedda, who first loses her husband and all that she loved, to a life of obscurity. This novel had an air of bittersweetness that never quite left me. But it wasn't until the end that I saw how essential this nostalgia was integral to Hedda's story but also to Dini's as well so that we could experience this heart-rending and fitting ending. My gratitude to Barbour Fiction and Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

"The Lady in Residence" by Allison Pittman
Wow. I just finished reading this story and … Just WoW. This story is worthy of your reading time, in my humble unbiased opinion. If you enjoy a really good mystery and clean sweet romance, with a bit of history too, and excellent story-telling, you will be ever so glad you spent your time within this story. Oh, and be sure to read the author's note at the end. You will be glad you did. I was. Happy Reading ! !
NOTE: I received an ARC of this story from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest review.

I am a huge fan of historical fiction - usually less so when there’s a dual timeline with part of it taking place in the present. But honestly, with this story, the present-day half of the story was my favorite. I loved Dini and Quin’s story!! I loved the descriptions of the characters‘ and their clothes for some reason - it gave them so much personality. I could easily picture Dini’s cute little house and her various work outfits for different types of gigs. I felt like I got a good picture of Quin. What I missed (TERRIBLY) was more description of Hedda’s beautiful wardrobe. And her jewels. I just felt like after the beautiful description of her traveling trunk things kind of got lost. And this was THE era for gorgeous gowns.
I loved watching Dini transform as she connected with Quin. Working with foster kids, I see kids in Dini’s situation all the time. And there’s nothing like getting to see them finally find something or someone they can’t help but connect with.
I enjoyed watching Dini and Quin unravel the history-mystery together. I enjoyed the chapters interspersed from Hedda’s own biography, and although she seems a bit of an unreliable narrator, I still liked getting her story from her own perspective. I did feel like the ending of Hedda’s story made some giant leaps there at the end and was rather confused for a bit. And, like Dini, I wasn’t super fond of the end Hetta’s tale, but I adored Dini and Quin’s story.
This was my first Allison Pittman book, but it won’t be my last.

Dini Blackstone is a fifth generation illusionist/performer in San Antonio. Orphaned at 16, she leads an unusual life - one with very few close relationships and a focus-bordering-on-obsession with a decades old mystery.

Teacher Quin Carmichael arrives in San Antonio with a mystery of his own - a packet of very old papers that Dini is VERY interested in - because they contain more clues to some of the secrets she has been wanting to figure out for essentially what feels like her entire life.

The Menger Hotel, Hedda Krause, Sallie White, Gil (who I am pretty sure is also Bert, but you let me know what you think), are all amazing characters themselves. The dual-time format that bounces between present day Dini and Quin with Hedda Krause's story is well done and appropriately nuanced.

This book was excellent. Unusual topic, compelling characters who make unexpected choices, lovely mystery, a great deal of heart...I cannot recommend it enough!

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I really wasn't sure what to expect with this one... a ghost story in a piece of Christian fiction? I was pleasantly surprised by how that all came together. I'd like to clarify that even though I read Christian fiction and still enjoy a good ghost story so no judgment on that front - I just wasn't sure how it would work.

The author created a spectacular split period timeline. I enjoyed both the historical aspect and the contemporary telling and how the differences are brought together through a deftly woven mystery. The romance thread is sweet and subtle. Overall, an enjoyable work of fiction with colourful settings and atmospheric nostalgia.

I received a complimentary copy of this title via NetGalley - opinions expressed are my own.

I could not put this book down and so for the four days that it took me to read this book, that’s what I did. Of course, some things demanded my attention but every chance I had I allowed myself to be swept away to Texas. Pittman’s fantastic characters grabbed my attention and I wanted to learn everything about them. I thoroughly enjoyed the interactions between the characters as well as the two narrator’s perspectives. The humor added was a delight. The dual time frames were expertly weaved together, well connected and perfectly paced. I found myself enjoying both stories equally as I watched layers unfold. The lessons and themes within this novel easily lend to great discussion topics. Personally, I couldn’t have asked for more except perhaps a sequel to spend more time with these characters. Allison Pittman is now a must read author for me. I was given a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions are my own.

At first I struggled with the idea of ghosts in this story but reading later the authors note about ghosts being memories or stories made a little more sense.

The story is a time slip between the present day Dini and the past of Hedda and the ghost of Sallie White. I enjoyed how all of the pieces came together in the end.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

The Lady in Residence by Allison Pittman is THE best ghost story I’ve read in years!
It hits all the right points with love gone wrong, murder, love denied and one happy ending.
With three strong female characters, Sallie White haunting Hedda Krause, Hedda Krause haunting Dini Houdini that’s trying to unravel the mystery at the Menger Hotel in San Antonio, Texas.

This is the first book I"ve read by the author. I like the theme for this new series, based on historical locations. I enjoyed the dual timeline, entering Hedda's diary account of her experience, alongside Dini's new discoveries, as Quinn brings new pieces into the mystery. The eerie feel of the hotel haunting, the tragedy of Sallie White's death, all grip the reader until the end.

I enjoyed the story, and am looking forward to reading the others!