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Midnight on the River Grey by Abigail Wilson Review

Happy Friday Everyone :)


How's your reading going so far this summer?


Last month, I kept having one, two and three star reads, and I was so thankful for the few four or five star books that I encountered that broke the tireless cycle.


This month so far though, I've only had great experiences with books, and I've discovered a bunch of amazing stories that wrapped me up within their story worlds.


Today, I'd like to share a review for one such book with you all.


Midnight on the River Grey by Abigail Wilson:




Source: Publisher (Thomas Nelson) Via NetGalley

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: July 2nd, 2019

Genre: Historical Fiction/Christian Fiction


Synopsis:

She knew the house was keeping secrets. If only the darkness would speak . . . 

After her elder brother’s mysterious death, Rebecca Hunter vows to expose the man she believes responsible: Mr. Lewis Browning—known by the locals as the Midnight Devil and by Rebecca as her new guardian.

Summoned to his reclusive country estate to await her London season, Rebecca plans her own secret investigation among the darkened corridors of the mysterious Greybourne Hall. Yet Lewis Browning is not as she once imagined, and his motivation is horribly unclear. Recurrent nightmares and Rebecca’s restless feelings are further complicated by the shadow of her mother’s prior descent into madness and wondering if she, too, will follow the same heartbreaking path.

Even as midnight rides, strange injuries, and further murders lead back to Mr. Browning, Rebecca can’t ignore the subtle turn of her heart. Has she developed feelings for the man she swore to see hanged? And moreover, can she trust him with her uncertain future?


(synopsis from goodreads)




My Review:

Midnight on the River Grey is a mesmerizingly beautiful story that combines regency era England with a plot that twists and turns, a romance reminiscent of an Austen or Bronte novel, and many elements woven throughout that heavily reminded me of Beauty and the Beast. 

Right from the start, I enjoyed the character of Rebecca Hunter. Determined not to marry on account of the fact that she's convinced she's inherited her mother's severe mental illness, and never wants a husband to have to deal with such a fate like her father and herself were forced to, Rebecca plans to find a way to become self sufficient. However, life doesn't work out the way she's planned it to, and instead her and her aunt Jo are forced to move to the estate owned be her current guardian, a Mr. Browning.

Mr. Browning is surrounded by secrets, and is the person suspected of being responsible for her older brother's death a few months before. Rebecca's determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, and her quest will turn up information, secrets, and betrayals that she could never have prepared herself for. 

However, her quest will also have her growing closer to Mr. Browning, and starting to doubt her earlier stances on love and marriage. How can she truly love someone that's whole life is shrouded in secrecy, and how can she ever expect anyone to love her back with just how bleak her future truly is.

From start to finish, Midnight on the River Grey is a page turner that kept me on the edge of my seat. The characters are all well developed and three dimensional, the romance was exactly what I was hoping for, the mystery kept twisting and turning all throughout and kept me guessing, the setting was captivating, the writing was atmospheric and detailed, and I loved that the romance stayed clean but still had the swoon worthy chemistry I've come to love in Christian romance novels. 

With just how much I enjoyed this one, I was quite surprised to discover that this is only Abigail Wilson's second novel. Her writing comes across as seasoned and complex, and I honestly thought I was reading a book from someone who'd been in this career for years. I expect many great things from her in the future, and after how much I loved this one, I know I will for sure be looking forward to her future releases.

And I can't end this review without mentioning how much I loved the Beauty and the Beast undertones woven throughout. As someone who's a huge Disney fan, and a huge fan of retellings, I really enjoyed this addition. Rebecca comes to live in a huge house under the care of a new "beastly" guardian, there's a wing that's off limits, the library plays an important role, there's a Gaston character (Mr. Galpin), and Aunt Jo also heavily reminded me of Mrs. Potts.

I couldn't have enjoyed this beautiful story any more than I did, and it gets a perfect five star rating from me. If you're a fan of Gothic romance, historical fiction, retellings, or mysteries, than I highly recommend giving this one a chance.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to advance read this!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher, Thomas Nelson, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not required to give a positive review. 

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