H.R. Mason

Review of eBook

Following the sudden death of her thirty-nine-year-old husband, Clayton, Gemma Clayborn finds she can no longer afford to keep their home in Seattle and moves with her fifteen-year-old daughter, Opal, to the tiny coastal town of Beacon Shores. Moonstone House, the home she’d inherited from her grandmother, Emerald, had been in Gemma’s family since her great-great-grandmother Pearl Mueller-Ackerman and her husband, Robert, built the house when they’d moved from show more Pennsylvania to Washington.

Although Gemma had spent summers at Moonstone House with her grandmother, she hadn’t been there since she was eight years old; now she is planning to renovate the house. She’s hired Eric Johnson to do the work; when Gemma and Opal arrive at Moonstone House, Gemma’s feeling of a connection to the man surprises her.

As Gemma works on the house with Eric, they discover Pearl’s journal; surprised by the parallels between the lives of the two women, Gemma begins to investigate.

What is the secret of Moonstone House? And what will it mean for Gemma?

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The incorporation of the Pennsylvania Dutch Braucherei cultural tradition into the telling of this tale serves to weave past and present together in a rich tapestry of history, of family, of legend, of magic. The result is an enchanting story of loss, of hope, of determination, of promise.

Well-drawn characters [including the fascinating redbud tree], a strong sense of place, and a captivating premise all work together to pull the reader into the telling of the tale from the outset; the intrigue in the unfolding narrative keeps the pages turning and readers will have a difficult time setting the story aside before they've turned the last page.

Although occasionally predictable, the narrative is creatively rich; the elements of past and present mesh well to keep the story moving toward a denouement that readers simply won’t see coming.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book through the LibraryThing Early Readers program show less

The cover of this book is beautiful and is perfect for the story. I love learning new things from books and had never heard of Braucheri. I enjoyed looking more into it. The story moves along at a good pace and the dialogue keeps you involved. There are some inconsistencies and I was hoping for more more suspense. More for the cozy thriller crowd!

Runa decides to go to Departure Cove to start a new life and business. Being warned to stay away Runa feels the place calling to her. Then she meets Chase who she is also warned to stay away from.

I was drawn to this book because of its beautiful cover. The premise too is also something I am drawn to. The story has some mystical elements, a romance but also family secrets.

I feel my 2 star rating is perhaps a little low but still bring unwell I couldn't properly commit to the story. Only bring show more able to read a few pages at a time I couldn't immerse myself into the story.

What I did like was the fact that Runa is a descendant of the Vardo Witches. The story does go back in time to the witches but is very brief and this is not the book if you want to know more about that.

I also enjoyed the doomed romance with the family secrets. However the ending and final twist did not work for me and I thought it became a little silly.

The story also I felt needed something more. The premise is great but the book didn't quite deliver enough for me.

I've never heard about this book or the author before but would give her another try in the future. show less

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this work as an Early Reviewer. No compensation was received other than the chance to read this work.

This magical tale covers the history of Gemma's family as she comes to grip with the drastic changes in her life: loss of a husband, moving to the family's ancestral home and trying to rebuild her everyday life. The tale discusses a branch of cultural tradition from Pennsylvania Dutch country, Braucherei, and how its elements affect the characters and their show more actions.
Overall, this was an engaging work. The last chapter left me a little cold, considering the pace and tone of the work leading up to that point, but the story is not one to pass up because of that.

Recommended for: Those who enjoy tales about magic and its more practical elements, and those who are looking for a new fall season read. show less