Wait for What Will Come

‘Wait for what will come’ is one of Barbara Michael’s most fascinating stories, set in a crumbling house by the cliffs of the sea.

Deliciously gothic blended with a modern feel. The writing is – as usual – spot on for this genre type. There are some brushes of paranormal touching the lives of skeptics, and I wish the author had done a wee bit more with it, but I like the surprise ending when you’re left wondering if it’s all logic and science, or if there is something else out there after all. Guess which one I’m going with?

I didn’t dig the main character Clara all that much because she was mainly bitchy and unapproachable, but I enjoyed the cast of characters overall when they mixed together. Throwing in the show more cautioning housekeeping with her strange grandson, the local doctor with his unstable sister, and you can’t get much better with enriching the atmosphere through character types.

The small town feel fit it well too since the legend was such a large part of the storyline. As usual romance is only on the back burner and I wasn’t even sure which one she’d end up until the end, which is kind of typical for Michaels. The relationship isn’t fully realistic, but oh well.

I would have liked stronger supernatural oomph into the story, but overall it’s an interesting gothic tale that kept me glued and waiting. show less

The best part of this book is the merry rapport between sarcastic Carla, moody Michael, and cheerful Tim. The trio comes together halfway through the novel, and immediately the story perks up under the influence of their amusing interactions.

However, once you've heard one story about a women slowly being maneuvered into believing herself mad, you've heard them all. Wait for What Will Come doesn't add anything new to this traditional plot. Additionally, the book is inexplicably burdened with a dozen overt references to Jane Eyre. There's no real point of comparison between the two novels, beyond the generic idea of a young woman coming home to a creepy manor. Which makes it so very strange to keep coming across the characters talking show more about Jane Eyre; you keep expecting a governess to show up or a madwoman to drop out of the attic or something. But, no. Unless there's a plot twist concerning lusty sea-demons in Eyre that I've forgotten, the two books are entirely different. show less

When Carla Tregallas inherits a manor house on the stark cliffs of Cornwall, she also inherits a disturbing prophecy: on Midsummer's Eve she will become the bride-in-death of a demon lover from the sea.
Carla Tregellas is an American math teacher who travels to Cornwall, England to inherit an estate left for the last member with her family name. The moorland landscape surrounding the mansion adds charm and mystique to the ragged coastline taking both Carla and the reader back in time. With Celtic blood in her veins Carla feels close to her roots in this new surrounding and starts to wonder whether she really wants to sell the grand old house or not.

It's been occupied by few servants, a cook and local gardener and she is quickly met by show more locals who want to show her the area. She is impressed by the warm welcome and she makes a few friends, most of them are men and things start to get complicated.

An old legend surrounds a Lady Caroline who used to live in the house and who's portrait looks very familiar to Carla and Pendennis, a housekeeper stuck on the past, quickly begins trying to warn Carla about the upcoming midsummer eve anniversary of "madness and death" that had doomed the lady of the house, a tradition that is not going to stop and will continue this year. It seems the legend says that a demon from the sea is waiting for his new bride that night and Carla doesn't know whether to run or laugh. Things start to happen and near accidents change her mind but there is more than meets the eye.

The reader is quickly introduced to all the characters and that's when the real charade begins, I was wondering myself whether the tale of the man from the sea who seeks out his bride on the fatal night was real or whether Carla's new friends weren't so friendly after all. Were they after something in the house or really trying to warn her?

This is a fairly fast read and I guessed pretty much what was going to happen. It's Barbabra Michaels so there were many twists and surprises. I wouldn't have expected anything less from this author.

Overall, it's good fun and lots of intrigue especially from Carla's male suitors, that made for a exceptionally entertaining read. show less

Carla Tregellas, American by birth, inherits a massive Cornish mansion as the sole surviving Tregellas. Set upon dark and dreary cliffs on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, the mansion is run down and missing a large number of items sold off by the last male heir to fund his lifestyle.

Creepy tales, stormy nights, and various stunts are used to try and scare her off, but Carla is stubborn, argumentative and too practical to buy into apparitions and misadventures.

Sometimes I really need a Gothic fix. When I do, Barbara Michaels is perfect for it. This book takes place in Cornwall and has all the requisite parts: a mysterious death 200 years ago of a person who looks just like our heroine and the anniversary is approaching, the ancestral home in Cornwall, the sweet housekeeper who is trying to keep our heroine safe, and a plenitude of potential suitors. Of course, the story is how all these parts tie together.

If you like Gothics, then you probably already know about Barbara Michaels. If you want a good place to start, this book is a standard one of hers.

Wait For What Will Come was a quick read, and a novel much in the vein of Mary Stewart. Carla Tregellas, a young American schoolteacher, inherits an old house on the Cornwall coast from a distant cousin. Upon arriving in Cornwall (in the midst of a storm, no less), Carla discovers the legend of a young woman who disappeared, nearly 200 years previously, in the arms of her so-called lover from the sea. In the present day, Carla finds a surplus of handsome, eligible men, including a handsome lawyer, a mild-mannered country doctor, and an artistic, temperamental type.

The story itself is a bit campy and over the top, but I love Gothic stories, so I wasn’t bothered by all that too much. There’s something about old houses that really show more captures the imagination, isn’t there? And the author infuses the novel with enough humor so that the tension of the plot is relieved somewhat.

The novel is admittedly a bit dated—references to the feminist movement and 1970s music abound. Still, there were some aspects of this novel that were downright creepy—definitely don’t read this book at night before going to bed! I was engrossed enough in this book that I managed to finish it in fewer than two days, reading comfortably in bed for nearly a whole Saturday and Sunday. Undoubtedly, this was an enjoyable read. show less

Summary from Goodreads:

"She was the last of an ancient Cornish clan, and Carla Tregellas had inherited the pride of her family name - a huge mansion that loomed high above the jagged cliffs of Cornwall. She felt at home there right from the start, for everyone seemed so kind and welcoming. Everyone except Mrs. Pendennis, the eccentric housekeeper who advised Carla to leave at once to deter a tragic and inevitable fate. But Carla could not leave - for the invisible bonds of an ancestral curse were just beginning to take hold..."

My Thoughts:

Wait For What Will Come is my 3rd book by Michaels and has cemented my determination to read all of her books firmly in place. I adored the creepy atmosphere that the author created with this book; it show more reminded me of a gothic horror novel. It had all of the elements in place with an eerie, decrepit old house, an ancient legend, and of course mysterious happenings with little to no explanations. I found myself instantly caught up in the web that the author created...this book had me hooked and didn't want to let me go. And even though I found the book to be slightly predictable at times, overall I found that it didn't detract from my enjoyment whatsoever. I found myself lost in the mystery surrounding the house and couldn't wait to see what would happen next. The ending of the book did take me by surprise and I found it to be overall very satisfying.

All in all, I found this to be a very entertaining read and I'm eager to read more by this author! I love the gothic atmosphere and elements that she uses in her novels. Luckily enough for me, she has an extensive back list of books that I can choose from. I would highly recommend this author and this book!

Bottom Line: A creepy, atmospheric read...what more could you ask for???

Disclosure: Checked out from my local library. Now I'm off to check my library catalog to see what other books by her that they have available :) show less