England, 1868: Orphaned and penniless, 18-year-old Sarah is left the sole guardian of her beloved little sister Lucy who she’s vowed to protect at all costs. With nowhere left to turn, she is forced to accept mysterious widower James Mills’ proposal of marriage. She believes being his bride can’t possibly be as bad as the threat of the workhouse. But nothing prepares her for the darkness of her marriage, the shocking secrets of her new family and the lengths she will have to go to, to keep her sister safe.
Present Day: Living in the beautiful village of Goswell, Ellen believes her family life to be idyllic until her estranged seventeen-year-old stepdaughter Annabelle moves in and shatters the peace. Ellen fears they will never bond, until she finds a death certificate – for a woman named Sarah, from over a century earlier – hidden under the floorboards of their house, and Annabelle starts to help her unravel the mystery. Yet as Ellen and Annabelle dig deeper into Sarah’s life and death, shocking truths, both past and present, come to light which change everything Ellen thought she knew about Sarah’s family and the new addition to her own.
The third book in the quartet & my favourite so far, I loved the mystery surrounding Sarah & loved how Ellen dug into the past. Another dual timeline book, which had me engrossed from cover to cover. The characters were well portrayed & had depth whether I liked them or disliked them. An emotional read, which tugged at the heartstrings. A well written interesting read
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Kate Hewitt's delightful dual timeline tale THE BRIDE'S SISTER.

It began with a death certificate under the floorboards...
Sarah Mills. River Cottage, Kendal. General debility. July 1872.

Kendal, 1868: Eighteen year old Sarah and her ten year old mute sister Lucy step off the train after the long journey from Goswell. Having been left orphaned after the death of their mother, they find themselves in the strange town awaiting the aunt they have never met. Edith was their mother's sister but for reasons unknown to the girls, they never spoke again after their mother met and married their father, a curate in Goswell.

Aunt Edith is a stern and strict figure, though not unkind. She takes the girls in, feeds them generous meals, gives them a roof over their heads and clothes them. She does not believe in idle hands and keeps the sabbath holy. But when a sudden tragedy occurs, leaving Sarah and Lucy destitute, an offer of marriage to a friend of her late father's gives the girls the prospect of a home in which they are cared for.

But marriage to James Mills is not without its problems. It seems he does not really want a wife but an unpaid skivvy, which is what Sarah and Lucy become. His 14 year old daughter Clara who parades herself about town in all manner of colourful flounces of gowns, totally inappropriate for a girl her age, incredibly spoilt having been the only child of her husband and his late wife. Clara makes life difficult for Sarah and her sister Lucy, whose bed is now a pile of blankets on the kitchen floor, like a servant.

Then when Clara finds herself in a position of disgrace, it's Sarah she comes to begging her for help. And so she does. But when James discovers the subterfuge, his wrath is such that he all but destroys Sarah.

Goswell, present day: During renovations of an upstairs attic room, builders comes across a piece of paper hidden under the floorboards. Ellen is intrigued by the mystery behind the words:

Sarah Mills. River Cottage, Kendal. General debility. July 1872."

Who was Sarah Mills? And if she lived and died in Kendal, what was her death certificate doing hidden under the floorboards of her house here in Goswell? And what on earth does general debility mean? Ellen begins initial enquiries which are quickly abandoned when when her husband Alex, who she describes as having the emotion intelligence of a hermit crab, announces that his his ex wife contacted him asking that they take his 17 year old daughter Annabelle in for a year while she does her final year of A levels, as she jetsets off to New York.

Ellen is dubious. Past experiences with Annabelle have not been pleasant and in the ten years since she has seen her, she fears it will not be different. But she makes an effort and relinquishes the room she has waited twelve years for to make room for Annabelle...who is anything but grateful. The teenager is rude, truculent with an uncompromising attitude. She gives the greatest death stare than anyone Ellen knows. And nothing she does is right.

In an attempt to remain positive, Ellen coaxes the spoilt madam into a little project she had all but forgotten in the busyness and upheaval of their lives created by Annabelle's arrival. The mystery of Sarah Mills and who she was and why her death certificate was found under the floorboards of the room that is now Annabelle's. The teenager shows some interest and Ellen hopes this could go some way to extending a kind of olive branch to the girl.

But is it enough?

THE BRIDE'S SISTER is a deeply heartbreaking tale that will certainly tug at your heartstrings. The Victorian timeline is especially difficult and uneasy, just as times were, and your heart just goes out to the young Sarah and her little sister Lucy who is so obviously autistic (a condition not known about in those days let alone tolerated). Lucy was slated as an "imbecile" and yet she was intelligent and understood everything, her communication silent and her hatred of being touched. The story surrounding Sarah and her sister was incredibly heartbreaking. Life was unkind to those without any means as well as to those who were different in any way, as Lucy was. The lengths to which Sarah goes to ensure the safety of her sister is admirable. And yet the threat of the workhouse was always there.

And then there was the present day story, which was equally uncomfortable. Annabelle was immediately unlikeable and her scenes made for incredibly uncomfortable reading. She was rude, truculent, sulky, sullen and incredibly uncompromising. She hated Ellen and made no bones about it.

As with all the stories in this delightful quartet, Kate Hewitt entwines the lives of past and present characters. Ellen is the mother of Sophie, who is the best friend of Merrie from the first book "The Wife's Promise" , and Jane (also from the first book) is Ellen's close friend. Interestingly, the teenagers in these stories have grown with the subsequent additions of further tales, with Natalie, who was 14 in the first book then 15 when Rebecca appeared in the second "The Daughter's Garden" , is now 17 and the same agae as Annabelle. I love how Hewitt connects all these characters in the subsequent tales, as each of their lives entwine within the sleepy coastal village of Goswell.

The title THE BRIDE'S SISTER conjures up images of happiness and contentment though this story is anything but. It is far more poignant than the first two but just as heart wrenching. Although we know of Sarah's ultimate fate from the beginning, the journey we are taken on is one filled with tragedy and heartache as we prepare ourselves for the tugging of our emotional heartstrings.

I love dual timelines and this tale is no different as each chapter alternates between the past and the present with the two seamlessly entwined through the discovery of a 150 year old death certificate. I had only ever read one Kate Hewitt book before (an historical fiction one as I'm not generally a contemporary fiction fan unless it's coupled with a historical timeline like this) and this series is fast becoming one of my favourites. Although each tale is different and standalone, Hewitt cleverly entwines previous characters with new ones with each new story.

Overall, though not an easy read, THE BRIDE'S SISTERis perfect for fans of dual timelines.

I would like to thank #KateHewitt, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheBridesSister in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

Sarah is left penniless with a small sister to care for. She marries James Mill who turns out to be a cruel man. Years later her death certificate is found under the floorboards of a house in Goswell. The mystery tells the story of how family relate to each other through the years.

Once again, this author is able to find a way to bring two timelines together. Sarah and Lucy have nowhere to go when their family members are all gone, so in an attempt to provide for them, Sarah agrees to marry a man she doesn’t even know. In the present, Ellen’s family life is disrupted when her stepdaughter comes to live with them for a year. After Ellen finds a death certificate for Sarah in her floorboard, the search for answers will bring their family closer. Loved it!

The Bride’s Sister is book 3 in The Goswell Quartet series. I must say it is a powerful and moving story. As with the previous books, the story is told in a timeline of past and present.
A poignant story about family, second chances and the lengths we will go for those we love.
This story brought to light the ignorance and horrible treatment of people with disabilities.
*Recommended*
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Bride's Sister is the 3rd instalment of The Goswell Quarter. It follows Ellen in the present who takes in her estranged stepdaughter and finds her happy, peaceful family life turned upside down and Sarah in 1868 who has become the guardian of her beloved younger sister Lucy. Sarah will protect Lucy at all costs, with no other choice she is forced to marry a widower.

Both storylines are moving and beautiful about what it means to be a family, second chances, and the lengths you go to for those you love, however I felt the two storylines didn’t really intertwine with each other as well as the first two books did.

The Goswell Quartet ‘The Bride’s Sister’ is the third novel in a series of four. It was first published on 17th February 2017 as ‘The Second Bride’ by Katharine Swartz, the pseudonym used by Kate Hewitt at that time. It is written in dual timeframe and has two capable female narrators: Ellen Tyson in the modern time and Sarah Telford in the late 1800’s. It may sound odd to you that I am not going to start with Sarah’s thread, i.e. review chronologically, and you will see why as the story carries on.
Alex and Ellen Tyson live in the picturesque village of Goswell with their young daughter. While renovations are taking place Ellen discovers a hidden death certificate underneath the floorboards. She is saddened to read that the deceased was only twenty two years old when she passed away. She determines to research and find out more about the mystery lady who once lived in their house. Alex and Ellen are both in their second marriage and are happy in their own way, Ellen knows very little about her husband’s first wife and he does not want to talk about it. He has lost regular contact with his seventeen-year old daughter Annabelle and feels guilty about that. Imagine his excitement when his ex-wife asks him to take in Annabelle for a whole year. But Annabelle isn’t happy about that. She is determined that she does not want to live out in the sticks. She is a townie through and through, and she is also in the middle of her History A Level. She is awkward, displaced and does not like her step-mother one iota. Ellen finds Annabelle rude, truculent and uncompromising. She wonders if asking Annabelle to help her find out more about Sarah Mills is the way forward building a relationship and cheering the awkward vibes.
At the age of eighteen and way back in 1868 Sarah Telford gladly becomes the guardian of her step sister ten-year-old Lucy when their father passes away suddenly. She loves her and wants to protect her. Lucy is an elective mute and Sarah is full of compassion for her. In those days mental health issues were taboo, and she knew she must keep Lucy safely with her. They move from Boswell to Kendal to live with their aunt, but when their aunt dies they become homeless. A widower called James Mills’ proposes to her and she realises this is the best bet for her and Lucy. They will be together, looked after and have a roof over their heads, and it is much better than having to go to the workhouse or even worse for Lucy, the asylum. But there are family problems her husband has not mentioned and when the two sisters arrive in their new home, jealousy, spite and cruelty in the household spoil the serenity and happiness they were hoping for.
I began to wonder about these two threads and how they could possibly be merged. Kate Hewitt knows exactly what she wants for her stories: a storyboard full of suspense, dark and brooding circumstances, but with similar family problems heaping up and two brave ladies at the helm, this story has a magical ending. I enjoyed reading this novel, the modern story best of all. I liked the Goswell connections and hearing more about characters we already knew, but I also liked the new characters in this novel as well. The historical story was poignant and I loved the way the two sisters were loyal and connected through their father. I felt quite sad at times but as the problems were solved I felt joyous.
I was so excited when I saw this quartet of novels and requested them for review. I quickly received complimentary copies from publisher Bookouture through my membership of NetGalley. Thank you so much for my copies sent in return for an honest and unbiased review. This is an engaging story and can easily be read as a standalone novel.

The Bride's Sister (The Goswell Quarter Book 3)
The third instalment of this series
Set in England in 1868, the story of Sarah, an orphan who has only a sister and vows to take care of her. She does what she thinks is best, but things aren't going the way she wanted them to. I won't give you anything, but the story is based on that.

Next, travel from the past to the present in this dual her timeline novel of Ellen and her discovery. Goswell and Ellen have so many mysteries to learn about what happened and how the mysteries of their previous lives unfolded.

This was a good read and I mostly enjoyed it. It was dark and mysterious. This whole series is really charming. Once you start reading the books in the series, you won't be able to stop. Hewitt weaves the story very well. Well-paced and intriguing, this book was particularly emotional. From the beginning, Hewitt informs the reader of the ultimate fate of one of the main characters, and prepares the reader to calm the emotional heartstrings a bit. I also liked , and I was satisfied with the ending to see something good come out of the tragedy.
#NetGalley #bookstagram #bookreview #goodreads #thegoswellquartet #thebridessister

This whole series is truly captivating. Once I start a book in the series, I can hardly put it down. Hewitt weaves the story so well. It is well paced, intriguing and this book was especially emotional. Hewitt, from the very start, let's the reader know the ultimate fate of one of the main characters and in doing so, eases the emotional heart strings a bit by preparing the reader. I liked both the historical storyline and the modern one equally well and the ending was satisfying to see good come out of tragedy. Lucy's character was especially heart-wrenching especially when viewed through modern eyes and especially as a teacher and a mother who works with neuro-diverse children. Well done.
Big thanks to #NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

Number 3 in this book series (The Goswell Quartet) and although I enjoyed it I found it a long read and one that didn't draw me in and keep me reading as much as some other books do.

Set in England in 1868 this is the story of Sarah, an orphan who has nothing but her sister and vows to look after her. So she does what she thinks is best but all does not work out as she had hoped. I will not give anything away but the story builds from there.

Then we come to the present in this dual-timeline novel Ellen and her discoveries from the past. So much mystery in Goswell and Ellen is there to find out what happened and how the mystery of past lives have unfolded.

This is a good read and I did for the most part enjoy it. It was dark, mysterious and for me just a little bit too long and drawn out.

THE BRIDE’S SISTER by KATE HEWITT is the third novel in the Goswell Quartet, but, like the others it can easily,stand alone. The book is well written and the characters are believable as they deal with family dynamics, loss, incredible sadness and complications caused by second marriages.
In present time, Ellen Tyson finds out that her “perfect” family is not so perfect after all, when her husband’s seventeen year old daughter from his first marriage comes to live with them for a year.
The death certificate she finds under the floorboards leads to her interest in Sarah Mills who died in 1872 of General Debility. This leads to research into Sarah’s life and death, which Ellen hopes will interest the bored and extremely difficult Annabelle………
I like the message of hope, as Andrew Fairley, the curate, says to Sarah, who has been let down by everyone, including the church, “It is people who have disappointed you so terribly, myself included, and not God.”
I enjoyed the book and found it interesting, especially when characters from the first two books are woven imto the story.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bookouture. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

The third book in this series followed a pattern similar to the first two. In my opinion, the series has got better as it has progressed. A dual timeline story with plenty of family angst in the modern day yet their interest is piqued by a chance find of a mysterious artefact from the past. This artefact lifts the lid on a poignant Victorian story illustrating how the rights of women were suppressed as general opinion assumed they were inadequate of doing things like handling money. It also illustrated the ignorance about and awful treatment of people with a learning disability. Not a comfortable read at times, but this is a well written, engaging story that has a happy ending of sorts and kept me reading till the early hours.

This third novel of the quartet is good, though I have found the historical timeline much more interesting and compelling than the modern one. On the other hand, I enjoyed meeting again the characters of the last two novels (modern timeline), and see how they all interact with each other.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.

A good quick read that is the third part of the Goswell quartet. I liked and enjoyed this novel but didn't feel as drawn into this one as the second one.

This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher for the copy. This is the third book in the series and so far my favourite!

Book three in this series…new characters…dual timeline which works and is not problematic as is often the case. This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher for the book. I like this series. I really like these stories…page turners…written by a talented and gifted author. Although the book has heartache, it also had characters with redeeming qualities. Curl up, read…get lost in this story…should be a television series.

Sarah feels she has no choice but to marry James Mills. She’s now the sole guardian of her little sister and she doesn’t have two pennies to rub together. Surely marriage is preferable to the workhouse? But a woman, a wife in 1868 has no protection from her husband, no right of her own, and Sarah finds herself in a living hell. In the present, Ellen’s picture perfect life in Goswell is interrupted by the arrival of her stepdaughter, Annabelle. The two women have never seen eye to eye, but when Ellen finds a death certificate for a woman called Sarah under the floor, Ellen and Annabelle put their differences aside to unravel the mystery surrounding the life and death of the mysterious Sarah