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Might give this another try later. It’s just not working now.

A fun read, with a lot of hat tips to famous mysteries. Wilkie Collins ( threatening seasides, mistaken identities), Daphne Du Maurier ( eerie housekeeper) Charlotte Bronte ( horse in the mist, haughty lord of the manor and hard luck young woman.)
If you are a purist for the times, this will drive you crazy…. A girl who would basically be scullery helps dress a lady and they chat , including, briefly, about sex?!)
Anyway, all in all, a fun read. Would have gone three and a half, but didn’t want to go all the way down to three, so four it is

Overall I enjoyed this book.

Some things I didn't enjoy largely centered around how disjointed the plot felt. The first third is largely Terry acclimating to her new school and what it means to be a (mostly) normal teenager in America. Having spent her first fifteen years globetrotting with her archeological parents Terry doesn't quite understand the politics of being a high schooler and doesn't want to understand them. Grieving for what happened to her mother, feeling a distance growing between her very busy father and herself, dealing with the aftermath of her injury and stuck in a town who's museum is mostly closed off, she's quite adrift.

Honestly speaking if the book had mostly focused on her adjusting and making friends, with a light mystery involved I would have been more content. The summary however makes the mystery seem much more important than I felt the book treated it. Her father fell into a coma, a curse, and a fifty year old mystery to solve all makes the high school stuff pale in comparison. Once the mystery plot actually began I could have cared less about her boy troubles, her mean girl troubles or her issues with understanding American teen culture.

I feel like some of it could have been spread throughout subsequent books (especially her boy drama), to avoid having the plot seem cramped.

I was quite pleased with how the mystery resolved itself as I had guessed at pieces of it, but not the overall motive. Myers tosses a couple red herrings out that should keep most readers guessing. As a lover of ancient Egypt I enjoyed the bits that spoke about her and the search for her tomb, as well as the pains Myers takes to discuss how taking artifacts impact the country they're taken from. Its always nice to see social consciousness in a book.

So as I said, overall I enjoyed the book. The next book ([book:Diadem of Death|33828570]) has Terry traveling once more and running into an old friend (which in as any lover of genre knows this NEVER bodes well).

Overall, I really enjoyed this. The story was sweet and I loved the characters. It gave me Cinder by Marissa Meyers Vibes.

Part of me wants to give this a 3.5 stars because of the predictability but.. unsure yet. Full review soon.

I actually really enjoyed the mystery element - it kept me guessing until right before the reveal. The romance itself was a bit lackluster, and aspects of the characters could have been fleshed out more, but it was a quick, enjoyable read.

Rogue Princess by B.R. Meyers is an excellent intertext with a twist on the Cinderella classic fairy tale.

I love a good inter text, so Rogue Princess was a natural for me! It didn't hurt that the cover is gorgeous, and the author is Canadian! Bonus points, eh!

Princess Delia needs to pick a prince - a man to marry who will help build an alliance and save her planet. Of course, she's a wee bit of a rebel and decides to steal a spaceship to run away from her life's problems. And then, she meets our "Cinderella" - Aidan. This thief just wants to live his life, but ends up slowly falling head over heels for the Princess. All the while, it turns out a big conspiracy regarding the planet and sustainability is going on, so the two of them will need to address that at some point... Or else the planets might be in jeopardy.

This book is a fast paced, fantastical, and romantic read that kept me hooked. I am blown away with how fun this sci-fi, gender swapped take of Cinderella was, and I definitely suggest it to those who love a great fairy tale retelling.

Five out of five stars!

A splendid page-turner that keeps you guessing until the end. I fully enjoyed this step back in time to Victorian London and the character of Genevieve Timmons, swindler and fake spiritualist. When she ends up at an estate in the country to perform a fake seance she becomes entangled in the mystery of who killed Audra, the young fiancée to the heir - who just happens to be a very handsome gentleman (who reminded me of Mr. Darcy). All kinds of seemingly supernatural happenings start to occur and Genevieve is forced to question her beliefs. Could ghosts be real after all? I was reminded of Rebecca, the movie Laura and also a little bit of Jane Austen and Knives Out. Super entertaining and exactly the right mix of spooky mystery and romance for me.

3.5 Stars

Ok, so this one is... a mixed bag. Like a lot of books in this pandemic era, it does suffer from some slapdash editing, likely the fault of a short-staffed publisher rather than the author -- still, noticeable enough to be annoying at parts. Even so, I very much enjoyed it while I was in the midst of reading the story, following the Gothic vibe and the twists and turns quite eagerly. The book gets fairly psychological with its darkness and has a moment or two of strong violence, though in mostly traditional ways; in fact, you can recognize the substantial influences of books like Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca and several other gothic and historical classics clearly on the page. The narrative is compelling enough that I ran through this one quickly, even though I knew -- and most readers will know -- what's going on from about chapter 2. And therein lies the other problem, really... it's derivative enough that the whole package becomes a bit generic as you read; even the faux-Victoriana details feel pulled from other books, both vague and predictable. Even though I enjoyed it, I'd actually forgotten everything about it within days of finishing and had to reread the back blurb to remember which book it was in order to write this review. So, take that as you wish. Fun for an evening, but not necessarily a keeper.½

A Dreadful Splendor by B.R. Meyers is a 2022 William Morrow publication.

Genevieve Timmons is a fake spiritualist, having learned the trade from her mother. Unfortunately, a slip up gets her arrested and now her fate appears to be sealed. Miraculously, she is temporarily saved from the gallows a gentleman who wishes her to perform a séance for a man, a Mr. Pemberton, who recently lost, Audra, his intended bride, to an apparent suicide. If she can convince the man that his finance has moved on peacefully, Genevieve will be properly represented in court.

The plot thickens when Genevieve arrives at the estate in question to find that Mr. Pemberton has other plans. He’s quite aware of Genevieve’s lack of authenticity, and blackmails her into changing the context of her séance to prove that Audra met with foul play.

Trapped in a horrible position, Genevieve proceeds to work on her performance, learning dark secrets along the way, making it impossible to fully trust anyone on the estate. She will have to put on the performance of her life to find out what really happened to Audra and save her own neck at the same time!

This book reminded me so much of some the Gothic romantic suspense novels written in the early 1970s. Many of those novels appealed to an adult audience, but they were also devoured voraciously by YA readers, too. This book has that vibe, as well. It had a solid, dramatic Gothic elements, good mystery, atmosphere and suspense, well placed thrills and chills, and just a touch of romance. The only small quibble I had was that it might have been just a wee bit too long. Other than that, this is a terrific fall/winter read!

4 stars

This was a really fun plot, good mystery, you could really sink your teeth into most of it. I mainly didn't understand why the main character, who comes off as a sly and experienced woman of the world, then suddenly became like a surly, immature teen. I thought it was a disservice to her character and that her age didn't really tally with all the things were meant to have happened to her—also the romantic lead being attracted to, you know, a child was a real turn off. I realize Jane Eyre was nineteen and Mr. Rochester 35 but like, it's 2022 now, we all know that's gross!½

Genevieve Timmons posed as a spiritualist so she could rob the mourning wealthy who used her services. She has been arrested and awaiting the noose when a lawyer approaches her to perform a séance to help his client, a young lord, get peace after the death of his bride-to-be. He said he will represent her in her trial.
The book has mystery, gothic, a touch of romance, and so many twists and turns it was hard for me to determine who or what was responsible for the death of Audra Linwood the night before her marriage to Gareth Pemberton.
The chapters are in first person by Genevieve and there are also chapters that are from a diary by Audra Linwood.
This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I will definitely read more books by B. R. Myers.
I won an ARC (Avanced Reading Copy) from Goodreads. The opinions are my own.
I gave it a 5 star rating.

Oh my gosh! I absolutely adored B.R Myers' new novel, A Dreadful Splendor. And you will too!
Why? Where to start!?

A catchy, quirky title. 1850's London, England. Spiritualism. Séances. Con games. Dusty, damp gothic estate. Stern, foreboding housekeeper. A nervous maid. A very handsome Lord of the Manor. A 'cursed' family. Secrets. Danger. Every character with their own agenda. Mysteries, chills and romance.

Whew, what more could you want? Oh, yes, a wonderful lead character. Meet Genevieve Timmons, who makes her living as a spiritualist to the wealthy. And perhaps one or two side gig as a thief. But, she's skated too close to the edge with this last job. The constabulary has her scheduled for the noose, until a lawyer for that estate mentioned above, asks Genevieve to hold a séance at the manor in exchange for getting that appointment cancelled. The reader can't help but like Genevieve, and be beside as she explores, discovers and acts on what she finds.

Myers' descriptions are wonderfully detailed and I had vivid images of the manor in my mind as I read. And the players were just as well drawn and described as well.

Myers keeps the reader guessing as the final aha moments. Perhaps Genevieve is not the con she seems to be? And Myers gifts the reader a lovely, almost at the end of the book, twist. Well done!

A Dreadful Splendor was just so much fun to read! Absolutely recommended and an easy five stars.

My favorite thing about reading this book was the opportunity this weekend gave my brother and I to race our way through it. We would find little pockets of time to read and gush, while barely avoiding spoilers, about what the other person hadn't read. It read like it was a really well written book, which just happened to be a fractured fairy tale, instead of the other way around. I very much enjoyed reading it.

Jesse had big dreams, until the death of her dad had her putting away her running shoes and putting on a fake smile to please everyone. With a lot of guilt on her chest, Jesse heads off to be a counselor at a summer camp. Fate seems to have it out for Jesse though and she's listed as a boys counselor. Determined to see the summer out, Jesse faces their pranks and the growing attraction she has for fellow counselor, Kirk, with drive, embarrassment, and a journal full of her thoughts. Along the way, Jesse puts her sneakers on again and finds what she was missing when she gave up running.

Wow, this book absolutely sucked me in. It's true, the first 20% leaves you super confused, you have no idea what you're getting into, the angst Jesse suffers from is an unknown, and there's a lot of talk about kissing. However, the more you read, the more you get to know Jesse and all she's been through. You find yourself wanting her to get kissed, to put her sneakers on again, and most of all to stop feeling so much guilt. She's a 17 year old girl that has so much going on and that leads to a great story of coming of age. The character development for all the characters is phenomenal, B.R. Myers has a way of slowly bringing a character to life before you eyes. I literally found myself liking Kirk at the same time Jesse did, because as a reader we didn't fully know who he was until Jesse gave into knowing him too. I think that made this book all the more worthwhile for me, because it felt realistic. Additionally, while dealing with all this guilt, Jesse is still a normal teenage girl who's set out to try all the kissing she can and separate herself from her high school image. Jesse inner dialogue will leave you laughing, even when you shouldn't be, and her constant sharing of Jesse Owens' factoids will help you understand her history far more than you expect them to.

This is definitely a young adult novel I would suggest to all teen girls or parents of teens. There's a lot of personal growth and while the misadventures may leave you cringing, there is a lesson weaving through the entire story. It's a fun read that captures the action packed summer of camp with the mix of teenage changes and finding oneself.

I honestly loved this novel! It was such a fun and enjoyable read that it kept me engrossed throughout the journey! I was expecting a ghost story, something a bit more sinister. This novel was actually nothing like what I expected and that was the biggest surprise to me! There was this whole Hollywood-glam vibe associated with this story, with the traditional Willard's department store and the references to Hollywood classics. The world building was something I really enjoyed reading about it, and it made the story so much more unique! I loved all of the characters and their interactions; it was all very genuine. I think that the love angle that was part of this story was perhaps a bit too quickly developed; it would have been nicer for it to have a slower progression. But that's my only complaint. Overall, a marvelous entertaining read, and I can't wait to read the sequel!

I received this novel from NetGalley as an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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This is an interesting read about young man who, after traveling around looking for answers to questions he is not really aware of, takes a job as a night security guard at a Manhattan department store, Willards. Willards is more traditional and elegant than most modern stores, though, like many other older, big locations, Willards has lots of rumors/stories associated with it. There are reportedly ghosts as well as other things that go bump in the night in Willards, and most night security guards do not last very long. In this book, the security guard, Danial, settles in easily and well to the job. As time goes on, Daniel begins to learn a lot about the many secrets Willards has, while coming to understand a lot about himself, his past and why and how he ticks.

The story is a bit different, but is not scary or horror-filled. The author does deserve credit for the basic idea behind the story, as it seems somewhat unique to me (though I seldom read stores in this genre, so it may not be all that unique). What I found troubling is the fact that a lot of the issues or things raised in the story are not resolved at the end. I am not sure I would call it a true cliff hanger, but it seems like the author is setting things up for subsequent books, which I usually find a bit difficult to take. For example, the issues of the inheritance Daniel receives, the complete back story/explanation about his mother, the gold bars mentioned, etc. all are not resolved in the end. I also found the ending flat, not really fulfilling. The story is well written and flows well, so I naturally expected a better ending. I suspect the author was setting things up for subsequent books, and I just expect things to be resolved at the end of the book I read. Finally, there are a lot of unnatural occurrences in the book, which the reader is expected to accept at face value, which is okay, as long as the reader knows and accepts this. I am not very used to this. Still, in closing, the book was interesting and well written, with well-developed characters. However, as I said, I found it a bit difficult to take as I read it. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.