Publisher: 2nd March 2023 by Aria & Aries, Aria
Pages: 400 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction | Romance | Women's Fiction
Rating: 5 cups
Synopsis:
Two women. Two centuries. A life-changing night...
1952: Vivien and Max collide in the thick London smog. Within a few years, their whirlwind romance sees them living a quiet life on the Norfolk coast, blissfully happy with their beautiful daughter – at least, that's how it appears...
2019: Isobel is hoping for a fresh start when she inherits her beloved grandmother Vivien's house in Silverton Bay. But when she discovers an old photograph of Vivien at one of the infamous parties held at Silverton Hall in the 1950s, Isobel is forced to question how well she really knew her grandmother. Silverton Hall is a place Vivien swore she never went and never would – but why would she lie? And what other secrets was she keeping?
Together with an old friend, Isobel searches for answers. But is she prepared for the truth?
My Thoughts
I am a fan of Rachel’s writing and on this occasion, I really feel she has outdone herself. The Last Party at Silverton Hall is a wonderfully nuanced novel that weaves around a family’s secrets and the impact keeping them can have.
‘How can anyone know what choices they would have made if they had known what was going to happen?’
A dual time narrative detailing a grandmother and granddaughters story. When Isobel is sorting out her grandmother's house, secrets are unearthed that leave her wishing she had asked more questions whilst Vivien had been alive. The grand hall overlooking the bay is newly renovated and its history may hold the key to many of Isobel’s questions. This is an opportunity Vivien has given Isobel to start again, to find happiness if she can only sort through this family mystery.
‘They aren’t failures,’ Spencer said quietly. ‘It’s just life.’
This is a tale that cleverly mixes historical fiction with an intriguing family mystery and just the right amount of romance to flavour. The scenes from the 1950s are expertly portrayed by Rachel as she skilfully interweaves events from the past with their current day impact. Both timelines hold rich storylines with engaging characters working through themes of love and loss, family dramas and reconciliations.
Rachel writes wonderfully warm and captivating tales set against perfect locales that keep me coming back from more. The Last Party at Silverton Hall holds such an atmosphere of mystery and then revelation - I found it to be charming and all I could have hoped for.
‘… the wonderful, awe-inspiring party at Silverton Hall felt as though it would be the last party she would ever attend. The last party where she could ever be the version of Vivien that she wanted to be.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
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