Another excellent 'magical realism' novel from Jenni Keer - I think this is one of my favourites of hers so far.

Olivia Davenport is orphaned when her parents die on the Titanic; her godparents take her in, but the four boys aren't keen on her joining the family and nobody quite gets her vivid imagination.

She moves into a room in the tower, and hears a voice through the wall - at first she thinks it's a prank, but gradually she makes friends with the voice behind the wall.

And this is where the magical realism comes in: what if the Titanic didn't sink? What if there are two worlds co-existing, one where Olivia's parents are still alive and she never lives with her godparents and their family?

I don't want to say too much here because I don't want to give spoilers - but it's a thoroughly good read, covering everything from the changes in Edwardian society from 1912 through to the First World War, and then how people coped with its aftermath.

Beautifully written, and I loved the way Jenni wove real Norfolk legends (the Shrieking Pits) into it as well. Highly recommended.

4⭐️

[a copy of this book was provided to me by the published from netgalley. thank you!]

an interesting work of alternative history detailing what might have happened had the titanic not have sunk

After gorging on crime and psychological thriller books 95% of the time, I love nothing more than breaking up the darkness with some historical fiction, and this book was the perfect bright spot on a gloomy day!

Read as if it's two tales in one. The story is set in the 1910/20's, beginning with the sinking of the Titanic and carrying on through until the end of World War II. As you can imagine, an awful lot of trauma, tragedy, and heartbreak happened over these years, and this book explores everything that passed and every emotion felt.

Whilst at the heart it's a historical fiction, the author manages to weave in a whimsical magic thread with romance and a touch of mystery and drama.

Without spoiling it for anyone as I think, even the smallest spoiler will ruin the plot, Olivia Davenport is ophaned when both her parents lose their lives whilst aboard The Titanic

A girl with the most vivid imagination, who chases dragons and defeats the enemy, is taken in by her godfather, Lord Hugo, his wife Cynthia and their four sons, who don't take kindly to a young girl arriving into their family.

Moving into the tower, a place she feels she be alone, grieve and heal, one night she hears a voice through the wall. A voice she will come to rely on for many years to come. Is it a prank? A ghostly spirit? Or something more magical?

I adored this book! At times, it felt like a fairytale, and at others, it felt like a dark brothers Grimm story. The writing style was just spellbinding, and the way the author was able to seamlessly blend timeslips was completely engrossing.

What if everything in life was just a little ripple, and what would happen if those ripples changed direction? Would life have been the same?

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC.

This is my first exposure to this author, and I was impressed by her skill in blending several genres seamlessly into an entertaining and enjoyable novel. This book has elements of historical fiction, magical realism, romance, suspense, and murder-mystery. The story is told in three parts over the period between 1912 and 1920, including the events of World War II.

Olivia Davenport has a highly developed imagination. Orphaned at the tender age of 13 years through the loss of her parents on the ill-fated maiden voyage of the titanic, she taken under the wing of her father’s best friend and now her guardian at Merriford Manor. Olivia’s adjustment to her new home is compounded by grief and the stilted emotional nature of her new “family.” When she begins to hear a voice through the wall of her bedroom wall, she believes Seth to be a ghost, but as the story unfolds, she realizes that she is connecting with a parallel reality in which the Titanic never sank and her parents as alive.

I enjoyed the character development in two different realities. There is a large cast of characters, yet I had no difficulty discerning the individuals in their parallel worlds. There were sufficient twists to hold my interest, and the pacing kept me engaged. My one criticism is the length of time between the initial connection between Olivia and Seth and their reunion after the war.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

This read is like two books in one. The author writes historical fiction with a twist. The other worldly element she adds to her stories is what pulls me in. I love how she seamlessly blends timeslips. There is a lot going on in this book but I was never once confused. It has mystery, murder, a time shift of fantastic proportions and Olivia's journey through her formative years.
There's also a huge cast of characters and events to keep track of. I liked Olivia, she could be a bit of a brat when young but grows up to be an interesting character. The first part of the book is mostly about her arriving at the Fairchild's and settling into her new life with four new 'brothers' to contend with. The voice in the tower only appears briefly here but in the second part it takes off and is the focus of the whole book. Two types of love story play out but there's an over shadowing of grief throughout the whole story. Time and again I guessed certain things only to be wrong and I loved this, the surprise element! It's all wonderfully done. This one will keep you up all night reading.
Highly recommend it and I can't wait for her next book!!

Many thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for an early copy to read.

The House of Lost Whispers by Jenni Keer

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Recommend? Yes
Finished: March 13,2025
Format: Advanced Digital; thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC
Read this if you like: historical romance, alternate timelines, feisty FMC, HEA
Triggers: death of side characters off page, grief, loss of parents, disfigurement

The sinking of the Titanic changed the way the world traveled and thought about travel, but what if the ship never sank? All the lives affected would have changed, and those changes would have rippled out into time and space, but would those lives have been changed for the better?
I loved this little gem of a novel! With just enough romance to keep me happy and wistful and plenty of character development, I flew right through. In fact, I would love a sequel or two with the same premise!

The House of Lost Whispers by Jenni Keer is a beautifully written novel that swept me away with its blend of history, mystery, and emotional depth. The intertwining storylines of Olivia at Merriford Manor and Seth's alternate reality linked to the Titanic were both poignant and intriguing. Keer’s ability to seamlessly connect these timelines added a fascinating layer to the narrative. What stood out most for me were the well-drawn characters and the exploration of love, loss, and resilience. Olivia’s journey of self-discovery, paired with Seth’s compelling story, made for an emotional yet satisfying read. The atmospheric writing brought Merriford Manor to life, while the imaginative time-slip elements added a unique twist that kept me hooked. If you're someone who enjoys historical fiction with a touch of mystery and a lot of heart, this book is a gem. It’s one that lingers with you long after the final page.

4.5 Stars

Overview: The House of Lost Whispers is the first book I've read by Jenni Keer, and it is a genre-defying novel in the best possible way. It's primarily a historical fiction coming-of-age story set in the 1910-20s, and spans the time from the Titanic sinking to after the first World War. The primary theme is romance, but with mystery, magical realism, philosophy, and whimsy tucked in as well.

Summary: It's best to go into this book blind, but here's a brief non-spoiler summary. Main character Olivia loses her parents in the sinking of the Titanic and moves in with her godparents and their four sons. She has many adventures with the boys and gets to know their young male gardener as well. One day, she hears a male voice through the wall of her bedroom. It turns out, there is another dimension similar to her own world, but where the Titanic did not sink and her parents are still alive. As WW1 approaches, she loses touch with the voice in the wall, and gets immersed with her adopted family. But after the war she reunited with the man in the wall, and they begin to piece together what is really going on. There is romance along the way, with twists you don't expect, but I won't spoil it here.

Impressions: The location is mostly Suffolk and Norfolk, England and I was transported into the beauty of the landscape. The author is British, so the language used, location descriptions, and social conventions are authentic. About 75% of my reading is historical fiction set in England, so this authenticity is important to me.

The writing style really drew me in. I didn't expect to get through a 377 page ebook in 2.5 days, but I woke early to find out what happened in this book. The plot didn't fully resolve until the last page. I acknowledge that the mash-up of genres may not be for all readers, but it's exactly what I love. It had echoes of Carroll's Alice through the Looking Glass, and yet the first 1/4th really felt like The Secret Garden. It was refreshing to read a romance that wasn't full of over-used tropes. It was unique, and quirky, and immersive. It would be a great book club pick for fans of eccentric historical fiction or romance. There were lots of quotable statements embedded that would propel good discussion. I also found myself laughing at the situations the witty main character got herself into.

I could have done without the romantic scenes but otherwise loved the whole book!

Content Considerations: Scant language, some innuendos, some alluding to a side character being gay, a couple (2 or 3) vague/brief/mostly non-descriptive open door romantic scenes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.

It is 1912. The Titanic has sunk. Or has she? Olivia Davenport has been orphaned at 13. But has she really?

After the Davenport parents sink with the Titanic, 13 year old Olivia is sent to live with the Fairchilds, her guardians at Merriford Manor. They are kind people but not very demonstrative. They have four sons, Clarence, Louis, Howard and Benji, with Howard being roughly her age. She also meets a very grumpy young gardener called Seth Tanner, but he doesn't take much notice of her.

Olivia is a very unusual child, full of wild, fun imagination that she seems to have inherited from her writer father. She asks to be allowed to sleep in one of the towers on her own, and one night she hears a voice that seems to come from next door. It is Seth Tanner but he seems to live in an overlapping parallel universe where the Titanic never sank.

Then World War I, often called "The Great War", starts and frustratingly, this unusual occurrence is parked for half the book while men and boys in both worlds go to war and women and girls try to gain some purpose by helping the war effort. Merriford Manor is turned into a convalescent hospital while three of the four sons go fighting "the Hun".

After the war Seth returns to the tower and we finally delve into the two worlds that are mostly but not exactly the same and what it means for Seth and Olivia. Can they solve the mystery of Seth's first girlfriend's disappearance, overcome wartime grief and more importantly - can they meet and fall in love in their own worlds, if they cannot meet through the wall?

I don't read a lot of historical fiction, unless it's the Tudors, but Jenni Keer's unique stories always draw me in for that one magical realism thing that you just have to run with. The characters are well-drawn and compelling damaged souls trying to rescue each other after a melancholic exploration of loss. This is, as usual, incredibly well-written and interesting and the author packs in a lot, but I wish that the majority of the book had been about the mystery of two overlapping worlds and how to deal with it, plus I would have liked to see more of the Titanic disaster-free world.

Nevertheless, if you enjoy love across class barriers in an atmospheric historical setting with a dash of mystery and alternate histories science fiction, plus a gorgeous cover, this is for you. Run of the mill this isn't.

The storyline sounded so interesting to me but the book fell a little flat. I was hoping for more. I love the idea of two parallels but we didn’t get to that until much later. I also felt like sometimes the plot was all over the place and at times did not make sense from previous details.

I don't think I got quite what I was expecting with this one.
I was expecting more focus on the different realities, which didn't really kick in until a good way through the book.
As much as this is classed as historical fiction, it has a definite feel of young adult to me.
Never the less, I enjoyed Olivia.
She was spirited and fun, and curious, and a character you can't help but warm to.
Interesting to see her work out exactly what was going on.