I loved this book! It's well-written, enjoyable, and a great read. The author did a great job of writing in a way that captures the readers attention, and makes you not want to put it down until you're finished! I would highly recommend it!

I ended up DNFing this one and it makes me so sad. I got around 75% through the book and had to put it down.

I didn't anything really happened. It was 75% of nothing.. It didn't live up to the description's hype.

The novel takes the reader on a journey through the lives of Alice and her daughter Penn, revealing their connection to the mysterious history of Eleanor Dare, a descendant of the Lost Colony of Roanoke. As the two navigate their family's tumultuous past and present, the uncovering of the long-lost Dare Stone and Eleanor's enigmatic commonplace book becomes an exploration of their legacy. Overall, the book represents a multigenerational tale intertwining familial history, grief, and exploration. While some aspects, notably the exploration of Roanoke, may leave readers wanting, the novel excels in its portrayal of characters grappling with lineage and the weight of their legacy. The evocative setting and emotive character narratives offer an immersive experience, although some may find the pacing and focus diverging from the promised Roanoke mystery.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Harper Muse, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads! #NetGalley #TheLostBookofEleanorDare #LifeLongLearning

This one was a DNF for me, I really could not get in to the storyline or the characters, I got close to halfway before I ended up giving up on it,

I've been waiting a long time to read this one and now I wish I hadn't. Being familiar with Helen, Dahlonega and Savannah, I was excited when the story began mentioning all three places. But it spiraled downhill quickly. I didn't care for any of the characters, including the young girl Penn who got on my nerves. And the story about a "supposedly" lost book that wasn't even lost was incredibly boring. Can't recommend it to anyone. My thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I DNF'd this one about 50% through. The book just didn't deliver on what the description promised. I was expecting a lot more mystery/intrigue/history etc. but it was just a lot of learning about this small community and the politics of everything in the first half.

Ever since I first learned about the lost colony of Roanoke in history class, I've always had an interest. The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare is a must-read for anyone who wonders what exactly could have happened to the lost colony.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a pretty interesting story that had a bit of focus on the lost colony of Roanoke but was mostly set during WWII. The point of view jumped back and forth mostly between Alice and her daughter Penn, but there were also some short pieces by some of their ancestors.

Overall I liked the variety of characters and the different personalities. The story was pretty good but I felt at times it moved slowly. If you’re a fan of historical fiction, I think this would be a good pick.

Oh this was good. I was not familiar with the story about the engraved stones. Of course I had heard about the lost colony but never really looked into the story of it all. This was historical fiction during WWII but almost in an abstract way. It was mentioned because it affected everyone during that time, but it was not a main part of the story. I liked how the story unfolded and the authors ability to weave the tale.

2.5 stars rounding up.

The blurb for this book begins with "The fate of the world is often driven by the curiosity of a girl." Who wouldn't be sucked in by that? Whoever wrote that line set the bar way too high for the book to live up to.

This is a dual-timeline story about a mother and daughter who lost first their husband/father in WWII and then their father/grandfather before the war is over. The latter left them the family homestead where the mother must face painful childhood memories and the daughter may discover the story of generations that came before her. We are promised a story about the lost colony of Roanoke, but little is delivered on that front.

The story reads like a two-lane highway through the plains states - slow and with a story arc that is somewhat less than arc-shaped. I kept going because I kept thinking it would deliver some lovely surprise, but it never materialized. I should have DNF'd it. Life is too short. Find a better book.

Loved this book. I was flipping the pages like crazy to find out all the secrets.
It was a beautiful story about coming to terms with your past, the relationship between mother and daughter...with a little bit of magic thrown in.

Will recommend this!

Great premise but the execution leaved much to be desired. Again editing would have helped raise the rating. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!

I enjoy this for most of the book but there where some part that just lag for me, but other then that it was a good read.

While I loved the story and all the characters, it was not an easy book to read. I struggled for the first half of the book, finding the prose to be labored and too “wordy”. Once the story got into the accounting of Eleanor Dare, it was easier to read. It’s a good story that would have been given a 5 star if it had gotten to the point a bit earlier in the story.

This tale swept me away. With an atmosphere reminiscent of National Treasure, I devoured this mystery about the lost colony of Roanoke.

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2023 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2023/01/2023-reading-list-announced-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

I really struggled with this book. I found it had a very slow start, there's was lots of information but not a lot going on. The story is based around real historical information, but I just couldn't get into it. I felt like there wasn't really a lot of plot, it felt a bit more of a history dump of information. There is a nice story of a mother and daughter relationship, but still even then I just couldn't find the love for the characters. I think it would be more interesting for big fans of historical fiction.

So much mystery. The passing of something from generation to generation, and the people who are affected makes a great story. I liked the characters, and didn't know exactly what was going to happen which is always nice. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

DNF. I made it about half way through the book. The historical aspect interested me and I did enjoy the strong women portrayal, as well as the historical context. However I just couldn’t connect with the characters at all. I don’t know if it was just me but I really didn’t have a connection where I felt I cared enough to finish the book.

The stones of Eleanor Dare were unfamilar to me when I started this story. The Lost Colony of Roanoke is the historical link to the story. This is a creative story that follows mother Alice and daughter Penn during the later years of WWII. They have gone out to Alice’s family estate in Georgia to settle things after the death of both her mother (long ago) and her father, recently. A war widow, Alice is hesitant about returning to the town where she grew up. Her mother suffered mental illness and that greatly shaped Alice’s sense of self through her growing up years and into the present.
Family friend Sonder has stayed on the scene all these years to watch over the estate.
Penn and her mother need to learn how to navigate as a team after they have lost so much and are seeking their new path. They easily find the Commonplace book that has been handed down from Eleanor Dare’s mother through all generations of Dare women and their daughters. It gives advice, though the holders of the book often believe it to have special charms for the descendants.