Thank you so much to NetGalley for sending me a copy of this audiobook! I really enjoyed the bone cay! I think this book was really good and well thought out! I would definitely read more by this auhor!

It was just too long for me. I like a lot about it but it didn’t need to be that long in my opinion. Good book, good writing, good narration.

I received this audiobook from NetGalley and am giving my honest review in return.

even though this wasn't my favorite I would still read a future book from Nellums, and I still plan to read All That's Bright and Gone.

A decent thriller. Fascinating background landscape of a hurricane closing in - ratchets up the tension appropriately.

The big reveal was pretty obvious, but I guess not in a disappointing way.

Narration a bit distracting- spoke to slowly and some odd pronunciations.

Recommended for mystery/thriller lovers.

📖My Thoughts📖

I’m going to be completely honest here, I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this book. This was probably one of the first historical fiction thrillers I’ve ever read, so maybe that has something to do with it. This was a slow burn, not really picking up until about more than halfway through the book. There weren’t a lot of characters in the book so it wasn’t too hard to keep up with who was who. I did get into the mystery aspect about Isobel’s death, and the more Magda tried to solve the mystery in her head, the more I felt myself trying to do the same. Overall was a pretty interesting story. If you enjoy historical mysteries, this book is for you. I received the audiobook version of this book. The narrator seemed to fit the perfectly with this book.
Thank you NetGalley, Eliza Nellums and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to read and review this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book sounded so interesting and I really wish I enjoyed it more. A three star is still great but I high high hopes for this. I liked some of the mystery elements, but I struggled with the characters. I also really did not enjoy this audiobook, I think there were few issues with the editing and narration.

Even though a hurricane is brewing Magda will not leave Whimbrel Estate, it is after all her life’s work. Soon the storm proves to be too much and all the secrets inside the house start to unravel. This was a mystery/suspense read. It was jumpy at times but overall and interesting story. Thank you NetGalley for the chance to rea this ARC

This one isn’t my favorite. I ended up hot able to finish it. I couldn’t get into it becuase of how slow it was.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This was a really different read! like wow! loved it tbh, really want to buy it and reread it!

Overall this book is one of survival. What makes a person who they are and what are the things in their life that they are willing to die for. It is creepy, descriptive, and truly highlights the devastating power of mother nature in all of her fury. Great character development and connection drives home the desperate emotions highlighted by the author. A bleak read for anyone ready for an emotional tidal wave.

3 soggy stars for the emotionally destructive literary storm.

Really great thriller. I love books with deep literary (even if fictional) roots, and this one fits the bill perfectly.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this book. To be honest it was OK. Very slow at the beginning , then it picked up a bit and a kind of a weak survival. I do like historical fiction especially about art related persona so this kept me going.
Thank you.

I had a really hard time getting into the story- I tried but for some reason is just didn't like it. The narrator was good

This ended up being an enjoyable read, but dragged a bit in the beginning. The narrator had a clear voice but not to be mean sounded like one of the hosts of the sleep podcasts I listen to especially in the slower parts. Overall I’m glad I didn’t give up on it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for review.

I received this audiobook for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book!! The plot was good, but I caught on fairly quickly. The characters were well developed.

This story follows Magda as she decides to stick out a hurricane by bunkering down at Whimbrel Estate, The Key West home of the famous poet Isobel Reyes. Magda serves as the caretaker of the property and she planned to spend her time there weatherproofing and moving the artifacts around. As the storm damages parts of the house and she checks the damage, Magda finds some bones buried under the property. The gift shop gets blown away and as she is looking at the damage sees Hank, their maintenance man, and his daughter Emily.

As the three try to make it through the storm, Magda tries to figure out whose remains it could be. Hank begins to manipulate Magda and Emily keeps trying to talk to Magda alone but Hank will not allow it.

As Magda searches and tries to identify the skeleton, she finds many more answers that she wasn't expecting.

The premise of this book, involving a hurricane, a botanist, and a historical mansion seemed like an interesting combination. But, after listening to about 20% of the book, it just seemed to drag on. In part, that's due to the fact that I'm not a big fan of poetry and it plays a bigger role in the book than I'd surmised from the synopsis. So, I'm afraid I didn't read all of it. It could be an interesting read/listen if you are a poetry fan.

Magda is an historian who has long been obsessed with the life of a famous poet who committed suicide in 1918 when she was 23. The poet, Isobel Reyes, spent her entire life on the estate following an accident that killed her mother and left her mute. She used her observations of nature on the estate to provide insight into the larger world, and she was rumored to have been a witch. Now Magda is the caretaker of the Reyes estate. She conducts tours, looks after a colony of lemurs and researches Isobel’s life.

A hurricane is approaching Key West, Florida and Magda refuses to leave when everyone else evacuates the area. That turns out to be an unfortunate decision. She comes down with the flu, the estate is flooded and unexpected visitors get stranded on the estate. I found the book a little slow and bland at the beginning, but the last third was a lot more interesting and suspenseful. I would read this author again. The narration by Nancy Peterson of the audiobook was very good.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher.

A beautifully written and atmospheric thriller. Set in a beautiful, historical, and isolated old house during a massive hurricane the mystery of the death a young writer unfolds alongside Magda's thrilling fight to survive the storm and other dangerous encounters.

Thank you to Net Galley, the author and publisher for this ARC.
I was hooked from the beginning of this atmospheric thriller. I was transported to Key West (and realized that during a hurricane, it is not where I want to be). I felt like I was right there with Magda. I even researched Isobel, and realized she is not a real author. It was an interesting mystery and I wanted a little more at the end of the story. If you like thrillers, mysteries, a little bit of history, and to be transported this is the book for you. I also enjoyed the narrator of this audio book.

Surviving the Storm

Thrilling and suspenseful this is a mystery and a story of survival. It starts a bit slow but quickly picks up speed and is a very emotional and action packed story.

Magda is the caretaker of the historical home of the famous poet Isobel Reyes who committed suicide in the 1800's. She takes her job very seriously and has restored the home back to its original state during Isobel's time in history, right up to the trees and flowers. She wants the poet to be remembered for her poetry and not for the suicide. When a hurricane threatens Key West where the home is located she decides to stay with the home instead of evacuating.

As the hurricane hits land , first a fire in the gift shop, then a flood threaten the home in the midst of the storm taking most of her supplies with it. As if this is not frightening enough when part of the house collapses during the storm in the rubble a battered suitcase is unearthed containing a woman's remains. Magda wonders if there is more to Isobel's story than history shows.

To add to the mayhem, a man and his pregnant daughter arrive in the middle of the storm seeking shelter. At first she shows compassion for the man and his ill daughter. Then as events happen she wonders if they are really who they say they are. Is she in more danger from the storm or from her guests? Can she survive the storm and solve the mystery of Isobel's story?

This was a good story, the narrator did a great job telling it on the audio book and I did enjoy listening to it. I would recommend it.

Thanks to Eliza Nellums for writing a great story, for the wonderful narration by Nancy Peterson and to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for making it available to me.