Twilight at Moorington Cross by Abigail Wilson Review

 Happy Wednesday Friends :)

I hope today finds you all doing well, and I hope you're all having the the chance to truly take time and enjoy and reflect this advent season.

I want to thank you all for joining me for another book review today here on The Preppy Book Princess, and today I'm especially excited to be reviewing another anticipated 2022 release for you all.

Since I first discovered Abigail Wilson's books a few years back, she's truly become a new favorite for me and I've reviewed quite a few of her books on my blog, which you can find using the links below:

Midnight on the River Grey

Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey

The Vanishing at Loxby Manor

I was really excited to dive into her upcoming release, and today I can't wait to share with you all what I ended up thinking about it.

Keep reading for my full review.

Twilight at Moorington Cross by Abigail Wilson:

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: January 11th, 2022

Genre: Christian Fiction/Christian Mystery/Christian Suspense/Historical Fiction

Synopsis:

An inheritance could provide her with financial freedom, a rare accomplishment for a woman in the Regency era; she only has to marry one of two men to gain it. But what if her heart belongs to a third?

Brushed cruelly aside by the only father figure she’s ever known and then hospitalized by her arranged husband months before his death, Amelia Pembroke means to take control of her future at last, one way or another. Yet she knows all too well she faces an uphill battle, considering her transient sleeping spells are only getting worse.

Cluett’s Mesmeric Hospital has been something of a refuge for Amelia over the past year, even if it didn’t exactly improve her condition. But when her doctor is murdered and her name surprisingly turns up in his will, her options take a drastic turn. She has thirty days to marry one of two named gentlemen—strangers to her—and she will inherit everything from her friend and doctor, Mr. Cluett. One simple decision and all her financial troubles are at an end. The only problem is it’s not a simple decision anymore. Not when she’s falling in love with another man.

Ewan Hawkins has received his first assignment as an apprenticed solicitor: to update a man’s will. Finally, a chance to prove to society that possessing a disfigurement won’t hold him back. Thus, he means to do his job well. Of course, he never could have anticipated a murder, nor the strange clause added to the will—nor, most importantly, the charming widow who has found a way to capture his heart.

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

Twilight at Moorington Cross is another regency era gothic romance from one of the genre's best, and I couldn't wait to dive right into it. Over the years, Abigail Wilson has written many fantastic stories, and I always know I'm in for a treat when I have the chance to pick up one of her books.

This book truly has all the elements anyone could have ever wanted in a mystery novel. A mysterious disease, a unexpected inheritance, untrustworthy suitors, a dashing hero trying to help our protagonist piece everything together, and a sinister setting that overlays the entire story.

I feel with every book that Abigail Wilson writes, the mystery element just gets better and better, and this one really blew me away. I thought I had pieced together several big pieces of it, but I was completely wrong, and couldn't honestly believe the direction everything ended up going. I also loved the fact that she chose to make a minor character in a previous story the male protagonist in this one, as that was definitely an extra fun surprise for readers of her previous works.

I also really enjoyed the romance, and the depiction of Amelia's health struggles. I really felt for her, and it was refreshing to see her find someone that truly respected everything she's had to go through.

There were only two small things that kept this from being a five star read for me. It honestly took me quite awhile to be invested in this story, and that's never been the case with this author's stories for me before. The first third of the story really dragged, and I had a hard time getting into it. The rest of the story totally makes up for the slow start however. And secondly, I thought the mesmeric stuff was kind of weird and made me slightly uncomfortable, especially in a Christian fiction novel.

Overall, this was another great read by one of my favorite authors, but definitely not my favorite of her books.

Final Rating: 4/5.

Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to advance read and review this one!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)