From the first chapter I knew this was my kind of book. It’s my favorite kind of story: dark, gothic, a creepy house, set in the 1800s… the premise had the potential to be another amazing 5 star read. I still really enjoyed this book but unfortunately there were a couple reasons why I couldn’t give this 5 stars. Firstly, it was pretty repetitive with multiple different points. Also, I wish more information was revealed more quickly. I feel like the reader isn’t given much information until the very end of the book which at times caused me to be impatient.
Also, these weren’t necessarily things I didn’t like but just observations:
1. I did guess the “big reveal” before it happened but it took me a while to catch on.
2. There were quite a few references to Jane eyre which I haven’t read yet so if there are parallels, I couldn’t identify them.
I feel like this book was around 3.5 stars for me but I don’t give 0.5 stars and I feel like I enjoyed this too much to give it 3 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley, Penguin Group Dutton and Katie Lumsden for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. The Secrets of Hartwood Hall will be published February 2023.

Oh, this was a treat. This is a lovely and evocative full-on gothic novel complete with a governess, a grand and foreboding house, a romance, a death, and lots of secrets. I loved all of the fun and often sly references to Jane Eyre and other novels of the period, and appreciated all of the details that Lumsden has gotten perfect here. The twist at the end is a beautiful one that even jaded old I did not see coming.

The Secrets of Hartwood Hall is a textbook gothic mystery with well-drawn characters that really sticks the landing, which is almost enough to make up for the dragging pace in the middle. The main character is hard of hearing in the same way I am, which was accurately presented and satisfying to read. If you find yourself in the mood for some gothic ambience that avoids any truly heart-rending outcomes, this is the book for you.

the Secrets of Hartwood Hall follows Margaret, which is a pretty creepy story. I liked the gothic fiction vibes, and was not expecting the twists at the end.

This book was a decent read. I was hoping for it to be more spooky, but really it's just aome eerie occurrences. Also,the !ain character needs work. Please decide on her personality and stick with it, otherwise she's too hard to releate to.

This book delivered on being slightly spooky, or should I say more eerie, I liked that it was pretty fast paced and I didn't see the main plot twist coming.

I didn't enjoy however how annoying the main character could be. Like I get that abuse can change people etc but she's so back and forth with her personality like are you this tough woman like you claim to be or are you going to break at every inconvenience?

The relationship that develops was pretty meh to me but again this book was decent. Just not a fave

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for an eArc of “The Secrets of Hartwood Hall” by Katie Lumsden.

This gothic thriller follows the recently widowed Margaret Lennox who now, without resources, has taken up the role of a governess to a young boy living with his mother and a few servants on a large, isolated estate called Hartwood Hall. As she begins to settle into her new work, something about the house and the people who live in it, makes her feel as if secrets are being kept. In addition to that, the townsfolk are not welcoming to those who live and work at the hall. To top it all off, Margaret keeps hearing and seeing strange things in the night, but everytime she mentions it to Paul, her lover, he acts shifty and denies seeing anything.

This Jane Eyre-esque gothic fiction is told from Maragaret’s first person point of view and will keep you guessing and wondering the mysteries throughout the whole book. The middle of the book did get a bit long winded, but the breadcrumbs given are enough to tide the reader over to the finale which was compounded with plot twists.

I recommend this as a nice, easy read if you’re a lover of gothic VIctorian mysteries.

It's the mid-nineteenth century and Margaret Lennox is fleeing her past. Her last three years were spent in an unhappy marriage, ending with her husband dead from a mysterious illness. Accused of poisoning him and left with nothing to her name, she has landed a job as a governess at a remote estate called Hartwood Hall. Little Louis Eversham is ten years old and mostly alone in the big gloomy house, with only his mother and a handful of servants around. The rest of the town thinks Hartwood is haunted, and rumors fly about Mrs. Eversham. Our girl Margaret thinks this is all nonsense, until she starts seeing apparitions and noticing things in the windows of the abandoned east wing. Is Hartwood haunted after all? Or is something more sinister going on?

This is a well-paced, engaging read that I flew through! I'm very picky about labeling things as gothic fiction and I wouldn't apply that here, as it doesn't quite have enough atmosphere for me. But nonetheless, it had a bit of a creepy vibe and plenty of intrigue to make me wonder what on earth was going on. The author's love of classic literature is apparent, and I love modern parallels to the stories of the Brontës, du Mauriers, and Shelleys of the world! I did not predict the main twist of this novel, and I found it quite satisfying. I also love the choice Margaret makes at the end of the story, as I feel she truly chose what was best for herself!

Thank you to Katie Lumsden, Dutton Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

I’m starting this review with a statement: There is no more ambiguous figure in a gothic tale than that of the governess. She is neither part of the upstairs world nor below and her outsider status forces her the haunt the peripherals of both worlds like a ghost. Unless of course, a ghost is already in residence as Margaret Lennox begins to suspect when she arrives at Hartwood Hall to take up the role of a governess to young Louis. I absolutely loved The Secrets of Hartwood Hall and immediately connected with Margaret who’s running from her past (and the secrets it contains) in search of something better. This is one of the few stories I’ve read where the governess enjoys her profession and I loved Margaret’s relationship with Louis and her determination to become the teacher she was before her short marriage.

I also loved the unfolding mystery of her employer Mrs Eversham and the author did not disappoint in layering twist upon twist that kept me reading along until everything wrapped up in a satisfying but fiery conclusion. Although the main story was the mystery to Hartwood Hall and Mrs Eversham, I also really enjoyed the side-plot of Margaret’s relationship with Paul as well as the author’s examination of the British class system through Margaret’s relationship with Paul and the more nefarious servants at Hartwood Hall. Overall, this was a wonderfully written debut and I can’t wait to read more books by Katie Lumsden.

The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden is an excellent historical fiction that brings a delightful Victorian gothic mystery to life.

This is an excellent, eerie, gothic, and addictive mystery set in Victorian England in 1852. Margaret Lennox is the main character, and with her own secrets, travels to Hartwood Hall for a position that the longer she stays, she finds may not be all that it appears to be.

There are twists, dark corners, turns, shadows, and secrets/mysteries that abound. As the layers are peeled back, we find more than we bargained for within the narrative.

I really enjoyed this novel and highly recommend it. It was a great ride.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Dutton for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 2/28/23.

The pros: nicely written, thrilling, absorbing, slides along and you can't put it down. Hits all the gothic tropes you want. Drips the double-mystery out skillfully. A great airplane novel.

The cons: the plotting is clunky and unsubtle. And, in particular, a lot of it relies on the narrator/protagonist changing personality as is plot convenient: she is firm and can speak up to her employer, but when a housemaid starts blackmailing her, she dissolves into a puddle of helplessness; she falls into bed with the gardener for no other reason that is apparent other than that this is what happens to sensitive governesses around virile working-class men in isolated country villages? A lot of this uncertainty is explained away (lampshaded, even) with reference to the trauma of her own past (which is not <i>too</i> hard to deduce much earlier than the author makes it plain), but that doesn't make the jarring swerves of personality any more comprehensible.

That said, I couldn't put it down, and Mrs Lennox was a fine companion for this foray into creep haunted estates and dark secrets.

Absolutely thrilling! As soon as I read the very first chapter, I could not put this book down. The Secrets of Hartwood Hall has every single element one loves from a gothic Victorian novel...with a more modern viewpoint. I adored it!

Mrs. Margaret Lennox and Mrs. Charlotte Eversham (two of the main characters) are mysterious and deep, while also incredibly interesting to read about. You are compelled to keep reading so you can discover what what happen next and who is involved in the secrets of Hartwood Hall.

My favorite people to read about in this suspenseful story were Paul the gardener and Mrs. Eversham's little boy, Louis. There is just something wonderful, warm and attractive about them both (in different ways, of course). For some reason, my heart just lit up when the story turned back to them.

I don't want to say too much and ruin this evocative plot, but I was on the edge of my seat until the very last chapter. First, I thought things would go one way and then, surprise, I was wrong! The twists and turns were not frustrating, but amazingly crafted. This first novel by Katie Lumsden is magnificent and I hope with all of my heart that she gives us more books to enjoy...and soon!

If you love Jane Eyre, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, or enjoy a dark Victorian novel, you must read this book!

<i>One tiny thing</i>: If I was the main character of this novel (which, of course, I am not), I would have made different choices at the end of the story. I think the decisions that she makes (trying not to spoil things and be too transparent about who it is) would have been pretty shocking during that time period, so it was a bit unusual to end the book in that way. But, I think it still worked well.

A young widow who has escaped the shadows of her past takes up the position as a governess at an isolated country house in the west of England that is believed to be haunted. Margaret Lennox has just lost her husband.... and now she is the governess for an only child at Hartwood Hall. The villagers she meets on her way up all avoid Hartwood Hall, believing it to be cursed and haunted... but when Margaret gets there she soon starts to think they might be right as she begins to hear and sees things... but no one else seems to believe her. Then there is the mystery surrounding the child and mother she employed under. Mrs. Eversham and her son Louis are isolated from the village, they never leave Hartwood Hall... and Mrs. Eversham has her own secrets. Soon Margaret finds herself engaging in a forbidden relationship with the handsome young gardener Paul while also deal with the secrets of her past coming back to haunt her. Maybe her husband didn’t die as naturally as they said... and maybe her marriage wasn’t as lovely as she made it out to be... and maybe Margarit is willing to do so much more to protect herself. This story is a gothic mystery but it definitely fell a bit flat for me.The story revolves around Margarit feeling guilty over her husband’s death, and later we find out that he was abusing her and she was happy to be freed... only that now another servant of the house has begun blackmailing her. The story also revolves around Margarit hearing and seeing someone around the house but Paul ( her lover) keeps denying it and essentially gaslighting her. Then the story devolves into a family drama about Mrs. Eversham and her own past marriage and how she is in a similar situation to Margarit and now Margarit has become like family to them and how they will solve that. Margarit kind of grated at me as a character, I completely get that abuse does wear down a person and it changes them, but she just lives in fear and lets herself get blackmailed and into situations where you kind of just want to tell her to stand up for herself because she most definitely can, she even thinks of it, but then immediately back tracks and goes back to saying nothing and just complying. At the end of the day this was less the gothic mystery I was promised but more of a family drama. Though this one didn’t work for me, definitely give it a go, it might turn out better for you.

*Thanks Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton, Dutton for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

The Secrets of Hartwood Hall is set 1852 in a small town in England. Margaret Lennox is a young woman and widow, fleeing a bad situation by finding a job as a governess.

Very quickly she finds the strange and gloomy Hartwood Hall to be mysterious and sinister. The beautiful grounds and friendly groundskeeper do little to asway Margaret's growing fear that Hartwood is haunted or something even more sinister is taking place. A very gripping and fast moving historical novel that you won't soon forget!
#penguin

Following the death of her husband, Margaret Lennox must take a position as a governess having been left nothing in her husband's will. Hartwood Hall is an isolated and neglected country manor house whose residents all seem to have secrets they wish to keep. That is fine with Margaret, as she has secrets of her own. As Margaret learns more about her mistress, Mrs Eversham and her son, Louis, she feels that something isn't quite right about how they came to live at Hartwood Hall. An encounter with a blackmailing maid and a missing letter from her sister-in-law raise Margaret's suspicions about the Hall's residents. Tales of ghosts, missing food, mysterious candlelight in the forbidden East wing and Mrs. Eversham's paranoia about never letting Louis out of her sight fuel Margaret's curiosity and need for answers. If gothic mysteries are your genre, this one will not disappoint and a clever twist at the end will make you think, "I didn't see that coming!"

Widowed Margaret Lennox takes a job as a Governess in an isolated mansion in 1850's England. She forms an instant bond with her student Louis but believes there are secrets his mother, the staff and the house are keeping. She begins a relationship with the gardener Paul and finds that she may be able to trust and love a man after her terrible marriage has left her in doubt. But her secrets may come out and ruin the happy life she has found at Hartwood Hall.

Told in first person narrative by a sympathetic main character, this gothic suspense novel will make readers think of 19th century novels such as "Jane Eyre", which the author credits as an inspiration for her novel. The author writes descriptively, so one can feel the tension and see the manor on the hill. There are twists and turns, noises in the night, clandestine meetings and shady characters. A perfect read for fall or winter when darkness comes early.

It's 1852 and Margaret Lennox is now left a widow with no money. She finds a job as a governess, to a sweet ten year old boy named Louis at Hartwood Hall. Hartwood Hall is known to be haunted and people from the village will never go there. As Margaret lives there, she fears she sees and hears things. The staff is odd and Louis' mom, Mrs. Eversham is always traveling for her work. When Louis gets really sick with the measles, along with another staff member, Margaret finds clues to what secrets the Eversham's have.

I was glued to the pages of THE SECRETS OF HARTWOOD HALL. I loved the spooky, mystery and the time period! I was surprised by the secrets and I thought for a debut novel, Katie Lumsden did an outstanding job! I would absolutely recommend this book to my friends if you're looking for something different than your typical thriller.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group, Dutton for my ARC in exchange for my honest review

This review will be posted to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

This was such a great job in the gothic mystery genre, it was what I was hoping for from the description. I was really invested in what was going on and it worked so well in the mystery genre. The characters was what I was hoping for and were so well written. I thoroughly enjoyed the way Katie Lumsden wrote this and it left me wanting more from Katie Lumsden.

"I looked down at the little pale figure, its fair hair and white dress, and I realized with a start that he had painted his dead sister into the picture, as though the house could not be complete without her. My eyes filled with tears."

This highly readable, love letter to the Victorian novel is just the book I’ve been wanting. Contemporary yet classic. Unique yet harkening back to the familiar stories I love so well. I am absolutely in love with the book and thankful to Katie Lumsden for bringing it into the world. Margaret, like Jane before her, is bo bird and no net ensnares her….

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

Spoilers ahead. I will not reveal anything big - most of the review vaguely alludes to plot, structure, and characters.

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An enjoyable take on the gothic fiction "this house has secrets" tradition. The mystery of the house and the employment were carefully weaved, and the characters were well developed. The plot twist was well executed, and you'll want to reread to look for clues you missed. Four stars for some tropey elements that I feel could have been subverted or played with a bit further, but still an excellent read.

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Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.