"Hold My Place" by Cassondra Windwalker is a novel that weaves a complex narrative of love, obsession, and mysterious occurrences. The story follows librarian Sigrun, who unexpectedly finds herself entangled in a whirlwind romance with the sophisticated and married Edgar Leyward after his wife Octavia's sudden demise.

The premise of the novel promises a gripping exploration of love, loss, and the blurred lines between the present and the past. Windwalker's writing style is evocative, setting a moody atmosphere that complements the dark undertones of the plot. The theme of exploring one's identity through a trove of discovered letters adds an intriguing layer to the narrative.

However, despite the promising premise, the execution falls short in some aspects. The pacing of the story is uneven, with moments of intense drama interspersed with slower, more contemplative scenes. This fluctuation disrupts the flow of the narrative, making it challenging to fully immerse oneself in the story.

The characters, while facing interesting dilemmas, lack the depth needed to fully connect with the reader. Sigrun's descent into the obsessions of the past is a fascinating concept, but the emotional resonance feels somewhat detached. The supporting characters, particularly the women from Edgar's past, could have been more fleshed out to enhance the overall impact of the story.

The supernatural elements introduced, such as the suggestion of dark magic and the dead inhabiting the bodies of the living, add an intriguing layer to the plot. However, these elements are not fully explored or explained, leaving the reader with unanswered questions and a sense of ambiguity that may be unsatisfying for some.

The novel's strength lies in its atmospheric prose and the exploration of themes like love and obsession. The Leyward house becomes a character in itself, with shadowy halls and blurred lines adding to the eerie ambiance. The author's ability to create a haunting atmosphere is commendable.

In conclusion, "Hold My Place" is a dark tale with a promising premise and atmospheric writing. However, uneven pacing, underdeveloped characters, and unresolved supernatural elements detract from its full potential. Despite these shortcomings, readers who enjoy atmospheric and mysterious narratives may find elements to appreciate in this novel. A three-star rating reflects the balance between its strengths and weaknesses.

This was very quick and easy to read. Filled with flowery (but not over the top) prose, and a gothic atmosphere. Set in the present time during a pandemic.

I enjoyed the the atmosphere the most. There were parts that I wanted more of, and parts where it could have been less. The ending was one that could have benefited from being longer. I wanted more of that uncertainty in the middle as well.

Overall it was very enjoyable. The cover is pretty too.

3 stars

This was a weird book. Couldn’t really capture my attention.
More like a novella than a full novel. Definitely not for me.

This is a romance, but it's also a bit creepy, very gothic horror. Sigrun immediately falls for Edgar after meeting him in a cooking class, but he's married. Is it love or is it obsession? Then his wife dies (of Covid) and Sigrun steps in as support for Edgar. They get married and she then learns he has three dead wives. Creepy. This isn't a fast paced read, but the end has a great twist. I enjoyed reading it.

3.5⭐⭐⭐


Okay . I admit . Not a fan of the story and nearly dnf . But I finished it and struggle for abit .
Highly recommend for someone into cosy mystery and quirky characters.



❤️shaye.reads

This one was not for me.
Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Nailing the opening of a story is a sure-fire way to grab my attention early and keep me reading. Cassondra Windwalker did just that with a powerful opening to Hold My Place which immediately brought a smile ot my face and ensured I was sticking with this story to see how Sigrun got herself to the place where we first meet her.

It turns out she got to this shocking place by going to a cooking class. Sigrun is a goth, she enjoys not looking like the other women in the cookery class and doesn't feel like she belongs there either. But all eyes in the class are taking in the chef (and tutor) Edgar. He is extremely easy on the eyes and sets hearts a fluttering round his kitchen all the students want Edgar to linger. Unfortunately Edgar also has a gorgeous and deeply loved wife - his students aren't getting a look in. Or are they? Sigrun seems to have caught his eye and when invited to join him for a drink after class she isn't going to say no.

Thus begins a complex and secretive series of meetings and flirtations. Sigrun becomes obsessed and can't get the thought of Edgar out of her head. Cassondra Windwalker really does a marvellous job layering their blooming relationship and the frustrations Sigrun is experiencing. I was waiting for the darkness to descend and I was getting a love story - but I kept reading as this is compelling reading.

Suddenly the world changes. COVID arrives and any secret meetings are very much not going to happen. What will happen when the world can leave their homes again? What will a house-bound librarian do? What does a restaurant owner do if he can't open his restaurant? Will love (or lust) find a way and what on earth takes Sigrun to that shocking place which began the story?

The love story does yield to a dark tale with that creepy twist I had been craving. It's a quick read which delivers on emotional chills and brings some terrifying moments for Sigrun.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy.

The writing in the story was interesting but that pesky Reasonable Person Paradigm became an issue. I couldn't get passed how the main character let countless highly suspect events occur without immediately getting put of dodge. It beggared belief. The background romance, if you will, was intriguing, however.

Bravo Ms. Windwalker. This book was a different read from what would normally grab my attention. I was fascinated with this book. This was a twisted, sinister, dark read about obsession and the affects it can have. Many times during the read, I found myself reading chapters/pages more than once. Letting what i read sink in. Trying to describe and not spoil the book is difficult. This book really struck a nerve with me and afterwards I sat in silence really thinking about what I read. If you couldn't tell, I enjoyed this book. This is my first read and it will not be my last. I will be recommending as a read.

Another DNF, this one at 46%. This seems to happen to me a lot lately. But why, this time?
If i had to use one word to describe how I feel, it would be bored. Hold my Place is a sloooooooooow burn novel. Like so slooooooooooow I found my thoughts scattered all over the place.
The characters? The only thing I liked about Sigrun is her job. She is a librarian. The other main character Edgar is simply dull. He is good looking but that is little to no consolation when the story drags and next to nothing happens.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Hold My Place by Cassondra Windwalker is a gothic horror that may be inspired by the tale of Bluebeard's wives. The story revolves around Sigrun, a librarian who falls in love with Edgar Leyward, a married man. When his wife suddenly dies, she becomes the next Mrs. Leyward. But why have all three of his previous wives died prematurely? Is it just a coincidence, or is there something more sinister going on?

Here is a romantic excerpt from Chapter 1:

"Edgar Leyward was his name.
I'd never known an Edgar before... His angular bone structure reminded me of fabled giants and begged me to draw my fingers over the bladed edges of his face. His dusky skin tone, slightly darker than mine even in this clime of perpetual rain and gray skies, evoked the Northwestern tribes I'd come to associate with this part of the coastline but could have easily been credited to the Mediterranean or the South American continent."

Overall, Hold My Place is a gothic horror novel that does what it sets out to do, but ends too soon. While I was reading this book, I definitely got creepy vibes that would make this book that perfect Halloween read. There was tension building up and up, but then the climax was over in two seconds. The most exciting part of the book was over just like that, and then the book ended. I was expecting more. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of thrillers in general, you can check out this book, which is available now!

In the dictionary, next to the definition of insanity is a picture of THIS BOOK. Oh my lord. I LOVED this dang story. I even got my friend to pick up a copy because I wouldn't shut up about it. At first, I was like what the heck are you doing Sigrun? You are a BADASS BITCH with an amazing librarian job, why would you EVER think you NEED a man? What are you doing? I was literally so mad at her. She was such an embodiment of gothic awesomeness and she was letting me down. But the book progressed and everything was laid out and I forgave her but DANG that ending hurt my soul. I want my siggy back!

This was a very hard novel to read. There were so many disturbing scenes in this book that made for uncomfortable reading. Therefore, this book was not my cup of tea.

⭐⭐

I really enjoyed Preacher Sam by this author. However, this one wasn't that great for me. I should have been a fairly quick read since it isn't an overly long book, but the overly flowery writing made it so tedious to get through.

**ARC Via NetGalley**

This was a DNF for me. I wanted to love it as I've heard such great things about it and I love a good gothic romance. However, I just couldn't get into the writing and the setting during COVID. It's not a trigger for me, but reading is my escape and I couldn't make myself slog through it.

This book was just a wild ride, not usually what I would pick up but it was definitely something. I read it so quickly the writing just kept me glued, definitely a page turner type of book, I am very excited for more books by this author !

I am sorry for what i am about to write. This is not the kind of romance that i like. Sigrun took a sad event to her own benefit. Big no. I hate cheating so much

From the publisher:
When librarian Sigrun falls head-over-heels for the sophisticated and very married Edgar Leyward, she never expects to find herself in his bed—or his heart. Nevertheless, when his enigmatic wife Octavia dies from a sudden illness, Sigrun finds herself caught up in a whirlwind romance worthy of the most lurid novels on her bookshelves.

Sigrun soon discovers Octavia wasn’t Edgar’s first lost love, or even his second. Three women Edgar has loved met early deaths. As she delves into her beloved’s past through a trove of discovered letters, the edges of Sigrun identity begin to disappear, fading into the women of the past. Sigrun tells herself it’s impossible for any dark magic to be at play—that the dead can’t possibly inhabit the bodies of the living—but something shadowy stalks the halls of the Leyward house and the lines between the love of the present and the obsessions of the past become increasingly blurred—and bloody.

Hold My Place by Cassondra Windwalker was published January 25th, 2022 by Black Spot Books.

My Thoughts:

I really liked the character of Sigrun the gothic librarian. Edgar, I didn't trust almost from the start. I kind of expected a Bluebeard's wife kind of story going in, but it seems as the story goes on, nothing is out of bounds when it comes to his former wives. He is sort of disturbingly open on that topic. Sigrun finds herself reading a cache of letters from each of the former wives to Edgar. The more she reads, the creepier it feels.

Much of the book has a dreamlike quality. It's definitely gothic in nature. The book gains momentum as the end nears. And there is quite a twist to the plot.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. Sigrun makes a good main character. It's set during Covid times. I did not see the twist coming. If you enjoy gothic type stories, you will probably enjoy this one.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is not normally my genre but I wanted too try something different. This book kept me interested even thought it was one of the oddest books I have ever read. I tried to like this book but the relationship between S and E wasn't convincing.

This is my first book by this author and, I have to say, I was captivated by her writing. The characterisation, the plotting and the language all combined in an elegant symphony to deliver a book that lingered in my mind long after I had finished it. It was not at all what I was expecting from the blurb but I am so glad that the invitation from the publisher led me to this book which I likely would not have discovered otherwise.

The protagonist of the book is librarian, Sigrun. A lover of dark and gothic literature, uncompromising in attitude, she surprisingly finds herself drawn to smooth, handsome, society chef, Edgar. Surprising because they seem diametrically opposite in character, and Edgar is happily married to the beautiful, sophisticated Octavia. Despite this, they start a friendship and Sigrun finds herself becoming obsessed with him. Then his wife dies unexpectedly and Sigrun is drawn completely into his life.

The book is set during the recent pandemic lockdown, which adds to the feelings of claustrophobia and isolation that surrounds Sigrun and Edgar and their dangerous, exclusionary love. Set almost exclusively within the confines of Edgar’s brooding house, and the deserted city streets, Edgar and Sigrun’s total devotion to one another feels all the more unhealthy and lonely than it would in more normal times. Sigrun’s paranoia and confusion is heightened by her distance from other people in her life, and you can easily see how her thoughts have become so distorted in this environment.

The author’s use of language is just beautiful, it is almost like reading poetry, which enhanced my enjoyment of the book immensely. The book had the air of a gothic fairytale, one of the original ones written by the Brothers Grimm, not the Disney version with the guaranteed happy ending. The book has an aura of menace and doom hanging over it. There is more than a whiff of Daphne du Maurier in its twisted portrayal of unhealthy love and hint of the supernatural. The book was not, however, in any way predictable and I did not see the ending coming at all.

I love discovering new authors, as well as books that surprise and delight me, and this book ticked every box. Something out of the norm, that really generated an extreme of feeling within me as I read. A book that I will remember for a good while.