Jenni Keer delivers a mesmerizing blend of historical fiction and magical realism in The House of Lost Whispers. Set against the backdrop of the Titanic tragedy and WWI, this beautifully layered novel follows orphaned Olivia Davenport, whose life takes a surreal turn when she begins hearing a voice—Seth’s—through the walls of her tower room at Merriford Manor.

Their haunting, time-bending romance unfolds across parallel worlds—one where the Titanic sank, and one where it didn’t—leading Olivia to question everything she knows. Rich with emotion, mystery, and imagination, the story is both heart-wrenching and hopeful.

With strong pacing, captivating twists, and deeply emotional themes, this is a standout read—Keer’s best yet. A beautifully crafted, unforgettable tale.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

3.5 Stars

I received this book as an Arc from NetGalley and Boldwood books and my thoughts and opinions are my own.

I picked up this book because it mentioned one of my favorite subjects, the Titanic. I thought this story was really cute and it kept my attention through most of it. I was expecting the titanic to play a bigger role in the story than it did. I also expected there to be more with the alternate world. Halfway through the story there was a mystery to solve and some romantic interest.

I thought that it was a cute, quick read and I would recommend reading it.

After thirteen year old Olivia's parents die on the fated Titanic voyage, she is sent to love with her godparents and their sons. However, when she hears a voice on the other side of her wall, it insists the Titanic did not sink, and her parents are alive and well. Who is the owner of the voice and how is Olivia hearing them?

The story also covers the period of World War One, and I enjoyed the descriptions of the disruption is caused in both existences, with different outcomes as to who survived and who did not. I did however find the story a little odd in places, almost as if the author didn't quite know what to do with her ideas. I enjoyed the writing style, and I found the ways the characters differed across the two existences to be interesting, but it felt perhaps as if the story needed a little further editing. 3 and a half stars, rounded to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in return for an honest review.

I will preface this by saying that I read and enjoyed The Ravenswood Witch, so was quite looking forward to this. The general writing style is quite similar. A sort of... slightly repressed Downton Abbey vibe. I think my problem with this book is that the author had two different ideas, and didn't make them gel well. If she'd written the "human story" that took up the first half of the book then that would be fine. But the book's description had already spoilered that this wasn't going to work out. And then the actual selling point of the book (what if the Titanic didn't go down) was just very strangely handled. I definitely got the feeling that she got part way in and then wasn't really sure how to resolve it, and I wasn't a fan of the way that she did.

Having said that, there were some lovely moments (and I did enjoy the twists that came in the latter quarter).

Jenni Keer....the Queen of historical fiction with a magical twist!!
I've come to love her writing and know to expect that little bit more, but even so, I was beautifully drawn in to Olivia's world and everyone around her, and this exceeded my expectations.

Spread over a few years, we meet Olivia as a young 13 year old who tragically loses both her parents aboard the Titanic, and follow her as she adjusts to a new life without them, whilst also living the fear and sadness of WW1.

Of course the blurb tells us it's also a story of a second reality of overlapping worlds- as ever this was done both cleverly and wonderfully! I can't recommend this enough.

“The House of Whispers” is a stunning & heart wrenching historical romance novel. I loved reading about the tale of 13 year old Olivia, orphaned by the tragic sinking of the Titanic and how fate, time & parallel worlds collided to bring peace to her through her darkest moments.

Olivia, is sent to live with her Godfather and his family, the Fairchilds, and asks to move to the tower room, where she can have alone time like a Princess hidden from all around her. In that lofty room one night she hears a voice, a boy who thinks she is a ghost! Each night they chat and spar fighting over which one of them is real and which a ghost. Slowly Olivia’s happiness returns, her friend restoring her faith in life, her sunny disposition and loving nature. The voice eventually stops. The lad had kept her going through her darkest times but had finally gone, possibly he was a product of her grief and vivid imagination?

Then War descends bringing with it unmeasurable grief and losses. Once again Olivia seeks solace in her own company in her tower room. The voice returns. His name is Seth and he claims to be the gardener on the estate. There was a Seth, he used to sleep in her tower room before she moved in. Between them, they realise they live in some kind of parallel world. In his World the Titanic didn’t sink, her parents lived, she didn’t suffer their tragic loss nor live with the Fairchilds. They continue to speak every night which restores the joy and lighr they both need after the ravages of war but despite the strength of their bonds they can not meet in real life nor tell anyone about it.

Even without the science fiction aspect, Olivia’s story is a compelling one of triumph over adversity, grief, loss and the power of true friendship. With the addition of the magical, romantic aspect I found “The House of Whispers” even more compelling as I read on longing for a fairy tale ending.

Oh my gosh!! What a wonderful story of WWI and the Titanic disaster. I was wrapped up in it right away. The mystery of it kept me reading late into the night.

wow Jenni Keer you are a wizard of the author world. this book cast me under its spell and made magic! sorry but i could not have loved this book more. i read, i read and i read some more. i need to keep reading more than i had time to keep reading. then i wanted to know more about the stories and wanted to know more about the characters. then when i got towards the end i didnt want it to end! that is the sign of a beautiful book and a wonderful read.
i dont want to say much more beyond the blurb as all the aha moments need to come fresh. i think they will be so much better if like me you had them fresh. i want you to learn the characters as new and then want to know more about them like i did. and the reveals and story moments are going to be soooo much better if revealed by your own eyes first.
but if you liked the blurb you will love this book so much more than you thought possible. and if you didnt like the blurb i still think youll be proved wrong and love the book! and that is saying something.
please read this book. you will not regret it.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This is my first book by Jenni Keer and it definitely will not be the last one I pick up!
If you’re a fan of historical fiction with a twist, look no further, because this book HAS IT ALL. Multiple historical themes, romance, love and loss, class division (Upstairs Downstairs meets Downton Abbey), Sci-Fi/supernatural themes, murder mystery and jaw dropping plot twists and revelations.
It has been a while since I came across a book that I simply couldn’t put down, and I look forward to reading more from Jenni Keer. I highly recommend this novel.
This review has also been posted on Goodreads and Fable.

Olivia is sent to live with her guardians after her parents lose their life on the Titanic. she hears a voice from the other side of the wall and believes it is a ghost, but is it?

Titanic sank in April 1912 - or did it? What if there’s a parallel world where it didn’t sink? Olivia should have been on board but was too ill to go. She’s now orphaned and sent to live with relatives. She heard a voice in the tower where she sleeps and finds out in that world it didn’t sink. It’s wonderful how it all comes together. A true love stories!

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC of #TheHouseofLostWhispers. I have just finished this amazing book and I loved everything about it! The author gives a fresh take on historical fiction that makes it less boring to me! Her character development was wonderful and I loved Olivia! I can’t wait to read another book by this author.

The moment I saw this book up for review, I jumped at the chance because I have enjoyed every one of Jenni Keer's novels, and I love the way historical aspects are woven into her fantastic fiction.
The House of Lost Whispers is no different. I think it is one of my favourite Jenni Keer books!
There is a dual timeline, with a difference. Olivia Davenport, the FMC and daughter of a famous author, is grieving after losing her parents tragically as passengers on the ill-fated Titanic.
Olivia is taken to the village of Merriford Lode to live with her legal guardian and her father's best friend, Sir Hugo, in his large manor house. Olivia loses herself in the fantasy world created in her mind until she is reintroduced to four sons of the family, one younger, one a similar age, and two much older.
She finds herself drawn to a particular wing of the house and requests that she be allowed to stay there, displacing a young gardener.
The dual timeline bit comes here, where Olivia finds someone else here, not a ghost, but someone who appears to live in the same place, but in a different dimension.
He's the same gardener she displaced, Seth Tanner, and as they go through time, they build an unlikely friendship that sees them through personal ups and downs and the First World War. They never see each other but are strangely able to hear one another.
Like the movie The Butterfly Effect, one difference in their lives at a key moment garners different effects to their lives.
You have a bit of history, along with fiction, a bit of a murder mystery and a little paranormal romance thrown in.
I was hooked from the beginning and loved it.
I'm sure I won't be the only one hoping and wishing for a secret portal to open up, allowing these two very different individuals to meet...
I'm not saying anything else. Don't want to ruin the story for anyone, but it was pure magic!
Can't wait for whatever comes next, Jenni!
Many Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC

The House of Lost Whispers was a perfect blend of whimsy, heartbreak and a fascinating study of different forms of grief. The premise of an alternate timeline where Olivia’s parents don’t die on the Titanic and different circumstances during WWI was really intriguing, especially during the juxtaposition of her grief of losing her family and then the casualties of war close to her.

I also loved the idea of the different realm being a mirror to show how any change in history, big or small, can have a big ripple effect on outcomes. The differences in the Olivia who lost her parents and the one who didn’t feel natural for the time, as well as for someone who didn’t experience the same grief.

For the most part, the story was beautifully written and executed. However, the ending felt a tad too tidy and I would have loved a little more ambiguity. Additionally, I would have loved a further exploration and explanation for Olivia and Seth being able to communicate - was it science or magic? - which did not garner much thought after their initial speculation.

Overall, I very much enjoyed the book and will definitely be looking into more by Jenni Keer!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.

An intriguing premise, what kind of life would Olivia have had if her parents hadn't perished on the Titanic that fateful day in 1912.

Sent to live with her godfather and his benevolent wife and their 4 sons in a large country house, Olivia hears a voice through the wall.

A voice that insists that the Titanic didn't sink and that her parents are alive and well.

In the real 1912 Olivia thrives in her new environment and begins to forget about the voice behind the wall, but it hasn't forgotten about her.

An unusual tale of what ifs but poignant throughout.

The House of Lost Whispers by Jenni Keer is an engaging novel that has historical fiction, mystery, romance, and magical realism all combined.

Synopsis:
On 15th April 1912, RMS Titanic sank and 1500 people lost their lives. But what if it had stayed afloat? When the ill-fated maiden voyage of the Titanic leaves thirteen-year-old Olivia Davenport orphaned, she’s sent to live with her guardians, the Fairchilds, in their huge Jacobean mansion – Merriford Manor. But the Fairchilds have more to worry about than a grieving young girl – with war in Europe imminent and four sons to protect.

Olivia feels alone and friendless. That is, until she hears a voice from behind the wall in her tower bedroom. A voice from a man called Seth. At first she thinks he’s a ghost. But it soon becomes clear that he lives in an overlapping world that is just a shudder in time away from her own. A world where the Titanic never sank… And everything since has been just slightly… different.

All Olivia wants is to find a way into his reality. And not just to see the faces of her beloved parents once again. But also to meet Seth. Who might just be the love of her life…

I absolutely adored this book and completed it in two days. The two worlds were equally engaging and I rooted for Olivia and Seth through the whole book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the advanced digital copy of the book. It will be published on April 27, 2025.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀 ☆ﾟ

𝗝𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗶 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗿
𝗕𝗼𝗹𝗱𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀
𝖠𝗉𝗋𝗂𝗅 27, 2025

𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗒 𝖼𝖾𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝖺𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗇𝖽 𝖮𝗅𝗂𝗏𝖺 𝖣𝖺𝗏𝖾𝗇𝗉𝗈𝗋𝗍- 𝖺 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗇𝗀 𝗀𝗂𝗋𝗅 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝖺𝗇 𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝖺𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝗂𝗆𝖺𝗀𝗂𝗇𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖺 𝗆𝗂𝗇𝖽 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖼𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗍𝗅𝗏𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗒 𝗍𝖾𝗅𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀, 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝖻𝖾𝖼𝖺𝗆𝖾 𝖺𝗇 𝗈𝗋𝗉𝗁𝖺𝗇 𝖺𝖿𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗌 𝖽𝗂𝖾𝖽 𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖳𝗂𝗍𝖺𝗇𝗂𝖼 𝗂𝗇 1912.
𝖲𝗁𝖾 𝗂𝗌 𝗍𝖺𝗄𝖾𝗇 𝗂𝗇 𝖻𝗒 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗀𝗈𝖽𝗉𝖺𝗋𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗌 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝖻𝗈𝗒𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗅𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝗂𝗇 𝖺 𝗆𝖺𝗌𝗌𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖬𝖺𝗇𝗈𝗋. 𝖭𝗈 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝗊𝗎𝗂𝗍𝖾 𝗎𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗋𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗇𝖽𝗌 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗈𝗋 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗏𝗂𝗏𝗂𝖽 𝗂𝗆𝖺𝗀𝗂𝗇𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇.

𝖲𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗉𝖾𝗇𝖽𝗌 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗍𝗂𝗆𝖾 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗍𝗈𝗐𝖾𝗋 𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗌𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝖺𝗇 𝖻𝖾 𝖺𝗅𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗀𝗋𝗂𝖾𝖿 - 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗂𝗍'𝗌 𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗌𝗁𝖾 𝗁𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗌 𝖺 𝗏𝗈𝗂𝖼𝖾 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗅𝗅. 𝖠 𝗏𝗈𝗂𝖼𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖾𝗌 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗇 𝗌𝗁𝖾 𝖽𝗂𝗌𝖼𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗉𝖾𝗋𝗌𝗈𝗇 𝗂𝗌 𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗆 𝖺 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝖺𝗅𝗅𝖾𝗅 𝗎𝗇𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗌𝖾.

𝖨 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝗌 𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗁𝗈𝗐 𝖪𝖾𝖾𝗋 𝗌𝖾𝖺𝗆𝗅𝖾𝗌𝗌𝗅𝗒 𝖻𝗅𝖾𝗇𝖽𝗌 𝗆𝗎𝗅𝗍 𝗀𝖾𝗇𝗋𝖾𝗌 𝗍𝗈𝗀𝖾𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋. 𝖧𝗂𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗂𝖼𝖺𝗅 𝖿𝗂𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇, 𝗋𝗈𝗆𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾, 𝗆𝗒𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗒 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗆𝖺𝗀𝗂𝖼𝖺𝗅 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗅𝗂𝗌𝗆 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗐𝗂𝗇𝖾𝖽 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝗈𝗌𝗍 𝖻𝖾𝖺𝗎𝗍𝗂𝖿𝗎𝗅 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗒.

𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗉𝗍 𝗈𝖿 "𝑤𝒉𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑓 "
𝖶𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗂𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖳𝗂𝗍𝖺𝗇𝗂𝖼 𝖽𝗂𝖽𝗇'𝗍 𝗌𝗂𝗇𝗄. 𝖶𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗂𝖿 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗌 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝖺𝗅𝗂𝗏𝖾. 𝖶𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗂𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝖾𝗅𝗅𝖾𝗅 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗅𝖽𝗌 𝗌𝖾𝗉𝖺𝗋𝖺𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝖻𝗒 𝖺 𝗋𝗂𝗉𝗉𝗅𝖾 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗂𝗆𝖾. 𝖶𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗂𝖿?
𝖨𝗍 𝖾𝗑𝗉𝗅𝗈𝗋𝖾𝗌 𝗁𝗈𝗐 𝗅𝗈𝗌𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗀𝗋𝗂𝖾𝖿 𝖼𝖺𝗇 𝗌𝗁𝖺𝗉𝖾 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝗅𝗂𝖿𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗁𝗈𝗐 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗇 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖽𝖺𝗋𝗄𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝗆𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗂𝗌 𝗁𝗈𝗉𝖾.
𝖨𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗌𝗉𝖾𝗅𝗅𝖻𝗂𝗇𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀. 5 ⭐

𝖳𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗄 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗍𝗈 𝖭𝖾𝗍𝗀𝖺𝗅𝗅𝖾𝗒, 𝖡𝗈𝗅𝖽𝗐𝗈𝗈𝖽 𝖡𝗈𝗈𝗄𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖺𝗎𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗋 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗆𝗒 𝗀𝗂𝖿𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝖼𝗈𝗉𝗒. 𝖠𝗅𝗅 𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁𝗍𝗌 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗆𝗒 𝗈𝗐𝗇 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗆𝗒 𝗋𝖾𝗏𝗂𝖾𝗐 𝗂𝗌 𝗏𝗈𝗅𝗎𝗇𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗒.

This is my second book by Jenni Keer and it did not disappoint. An interesting premise and compelling execution. This book is definitely genre-defying and engrossing. It is also emotional, profound, and I could not put it down.

I loved Olivia as a character and how she stood up to the Fairchild brothers at first. I adored her love for books and stories, seeing myself in her often. She had a kind heart, intelligent mind, and brave spirit. One of the most beautiful things was how she changed the lives of the Fairchilds, how her presence and way of being influenced them and made them more open.

The war years were impactful and heartbreaking, get ready to be emotional more than once if you pick this book up.😭

This is definitely a new favourite and I need to check out more of Jenni Keer’s books💕

Thank you to the publisher Boldwood Books for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Jenni Keer has an immense talent for writing historical fiction with a twist of the paranormal, creating wonderful stories that enable the reader the best kind of escapism.

In this book, we follow 13 year old Olivia, as she is sent to live with her guardians following the death of her parents on the Titanic. Olivia is a likeable character, if a bit precocious! When Olivia hears a voice through the wall of her bedroom, she initially thinks someone is snooping, but eventually comes to realise there is a man from a parallel universe there and, in his world, the Titanic didn't sink, her parents are alive and Olivia's life is very different.

There are so many brilliant elements to the story; historical fiction and the sinking of the Titanic, the supernatural, romance, mystery and there's a lot of emotion, grief and self discovery - it's just fabulous and I loved it!

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Jenni Keer and Boldwood for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I have firmly come to the conclusion that Jenni Keer can do no wrong in the literary world. She has fast become one of my favourite authors within the space of the first book of hers that I read (Burlington Square) to now. She is one of the authors that both myself and my mum love and can chat about her books for hours afterwards.

This latest book had all the elements that I love, The Titanic, paranormal, romance spanning time and space and WW1&2 stories. I had so many 'Aha!' moments when I figured out parts of the story line, only to get thrown a curve, a plot twist and a brand new character/plot line to leave me guessing. Sometimes I was correct the first time when it all came back around and sometimes I was gloriously wrong.

I enjoy Jenni's story telling and her descriptions of characters. I admire the zest and enthusiam but also the rawness and humanness of Olivia and the truth in which tiny pebbles can also create enormous unfathomable ripples.

What we think is something meant to be, may not just turn out the way we think it should. The enormity of the question 'What if', has made this book a smasher!

Thank you so much to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for allowing me an advanced copy to read. Mothers Day is now sorted! And, Jenni? DEAL!!