Author: A.G. Howard
Series: Haunted Hearts Legacy #2
Publication: August 15th 2017
Genre: Gothic Romance ~ New Adult
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository
Rating: 5/5
Shortly after escaping a circus tragedy, young Italian orphan, Willow Antoniette, seeks refuge at The Manor of Diversions—a holiday resort in England born of a ghost story. For eleven years, she’s raised alongside the children of the resort’s owners: Julian, his twin brother, Nick, and their younger sister Emilia. Now that Willow is of marriable age, she's determined to escape finishing school along with everyone's efforts to make her a proper lady. The only man she wants to spend her life with is Julian, after all. Yet how can she tell him, when he thinks of her as nothing but a friend?
As a machinist and engineer, Julian Thornton prefers a governable life. He can't allow his ever-deepening attraction for Willow to distract from his amusement park plans to lure a younger, wealthier clientele to their family's resort. In hopes to escape Willow and find investors, Julian sets off on a transatlantic ocean liner headed for the St. Louis World’s Fair, unaware Willow has secretly stowed away on the same ship.
A tiny, mute orphan named Newton and a pair of haunted Italian shoes bring Willow and Julian face to face on deck. Forced to work together to solve the mystery of Newton and his vindictive, ghostly companion, Julian and Willow can no longer fight their untapped passions. However, time to admit their true feelings is running out, for the ghost and her murderer have enlisted them as unsuspecting pawns in a karmic game of cat-and-mouse that could cost all of them their lives.
The story is set nineteen years after The Architect of Song and features one of Nicholas and Juliet's sons, Julian, as one of the main characters along with Willow who's been living at The Manor of Diversions ans raised alongside Julian, his twin brother Nick and their younger sister Emilia.
At one point Julian ends up going to the St. Louis World's Fair on a transatlantic ocean liner. But what he doesn't know is that Willow, the woman he has been having feelings for has secretly come aboard as well.
I loved both characters, especially Julian because he wasn't the any usual heroes in books that I've read about. I loved that he's an engineer and that he designs amusement rides. Willow was a great character to read about as well. I loved her spririt. She had so much fire within her, even though her past was quite tragic.
My favorite part out of the whole book was the time Julian and Willow spend on board of the ship. I lvoed the whole atmosphere of it and combined with the author's gorgeous writing it was all even more amazing.
Aside from being a romantic historical and paranormal story it was also a mystery. It was one I really enjoyed and kept me on my toes. It just was one unexpected twist after another and I didn't see any of them coming so I can only applaud the author for this.
And gosh... was it one amazing romance! Like I mentioned before there were many swoony moments. Willow and Julian really had some amazing chemistry going on between them. They both had their flaws but in the end I thought it made them all the more perfect together.
I also feel like I should mentioned that the next book is going to be about Julian's twin Nick. And I'm just so excited about this, you have no idea!
Read my review of The Architect of Song (Haunted Hearts Legacy #1) here
A.G. Howard is the #1 NYT & International Bestselling author of several young adult retellings and spinoff novels, including her gothic Alice in Wonderland Splintered Series, and RoseBlood, a Phantom of the Opera inspired adaptation.
When writing, A.G. is most at home weaving the melancholy, magical, and macabre into her settings and scenes. In her downtime, she enjoys rollerblading, gardening, and visiting 18th century graveyards or abandoned buildings to appease her muse’s darker side.
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Oh I didn't even know the sequel to The Architect of Song was out already! I still need to read that one first, but this one sounds so good as well :)
ReplyDeleteHow the heck did I miss this series?!!?!? :D
ReplyDeleteI am so behind on A. G. Howard books *le sigh*! I thought Architect of song was a standalone :P I'm so glad you enjoyed this and that the book didn't go downhill like sequels tend to do :)
ReplyDeleteKariny @Kariny's Book Frenzy
It can be read as a standalone but of course it's always better to read it in the right order. No! The sequel was even better! :D
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