There's no one she can trust... Midnight on the River Grey by Abigail Wilson (Review & #Giveaway)

Monday, July 15, 2019 - Leave a Comment

Welcome! Read my review and enter the giveaway below...

Midnight on the River Grey

By Abigail Wilson
Adult Historical Romantic Suspense
Paperback & ebook, 336 Pages
July 2nd 2019 by Thomas Nelson

Summary

Abigail Wilson returns to Regency England with another tale of murder, mystery, and romance.

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. He alone was on the bridge that fateful night and openly admits striking her brother with his horse, but he claims he remembers little else.

Summoned to his reclusive country estate to await her London season, Rebecca plans her own secret investigation. 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 whether she too will follow the same heartbreaking path.

Even as midnight rides, strange injuries, and further murders lead back to Lewis, 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?

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My Review

MIDNIGHT ON THE RIVER GREY is a story with a very Gothic feel and a constant undertone of danger while romantic sparks fly. The characters are easy to like and the story is engaging from beginning to end. Recommended to historical romantic suspense fans!

This story was so much fun! From the start you could feel romantic tension begin to build between Rebecca and Lewis and that tension just continued to grow, with plenty of swoon-worthy moments. I also really liked Rebecca and her aunt. Their relationship was simply charming and I adored it! The suspense was constant. At one point, it felt very Jane Eyre like and I wondered if there was a mentally unstable person hidden away. There were so many secrets and Rebecca had to figure out who to trust, who to believe, and what questions she needed to ask. There were some predictable parts, but there were also quite a few twists. I also could not put this down and stayed up late to finish it because I just had to find out what would happen. The characters were great and I really enjoyed the roller-coaster of emotions and figuring out the mystery.

There were just a few things that didn't quite work for me. The reasoning behind selling the townhouse in London and some other things were never explained. I also did get a little frustrated that Rebecca didn't just ask Lewis about her brother instead of always feeling like she had to be careful, and that the letter from Lewis explaining things wasn't part of the story until quite a ways in. The other thing was that knowing what I did at the end of the story, I didn't see how one of the things that happened could have under the circumstances (I can't say more without spoiling it). I also felt the epilogue was unnecessary.

In the end, was it what I wished for? Again, this was a really fun story! I had a few issues, but they didn't affect my overall enjoyment of it. This author writes really great characters and the romance was fabulous!

Content: Clean
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Celebrate Lit, which did not require a positive review nor affect my review in any way.

Excerpt

My heartbeat turned sluggish as an ache swelled in the back of my throat. This man—the

person responsible for my brother’s death—expected me to live with him? In his house? Madness.

“And if we refuse?”

“I’m afraid there is little choice in the matter at this point. The arrangements are already complete.”

Mr. Browning narrowed his blue eyes, scrutinizing me, no doubt, as the numbing shock of his declaration faded to resignation across my face. He sighed. “I do realize Greybourne Hall might hold unfortunate associations for you—”

“Unfortunate?” My voice came out a bit louder than I’d expected. “Is that what you choose to call it?”

He gave a sideways glance at Aunt Jo then returned to me, a pained look hovering about his eyes. His voice, however, remained firm. “Forgive me if I startled you. I hadn’t expected such a violent reaction to what I assumed was the logical next step. Perhaps I should make myself a bit clearer.” He gave a curt sigh. “I only intend for you to stay at Greybourne Hall till some place more suitable can be arranged. Unfortunately, there are few options at present.”

Ice enveloped my heart. I had no wish to travel to, let alone live at that dreadful house, not even for a single night. In his letters, Jacob had described the rambling structure as a gray pile of stones fit for vampires, or worse. I could only image Mr. Browning, this dark-headed devil before me, at home in such a place.

About the Author

Abigail Wilson combines her passion for Regency England with intrigue and adventure to pen historical mysteries with a heart. A Registered Nurse, chai tea addict, and mother of two crazy kids, Abigail fills her spare time hiking the National Parks, attending her daughter’s gymnastic meets, and curling up with a great book. In 2017, Abigail won WisRWA’s Fab Five contest and in 2016, ACFW’s First Impressions contest as well as placing as a 2017 finalist in the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She is a cum laude graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and currently lives in Dripping Springs, Texas, with her husband and children.

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Tour Schedule

Fiction Aficionado, July 11

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Just the Write Escape, July 13

D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, July 13

Simple Harvest Reads, July 14 (Guest post from Mindy Houng)

For Him and My Family, July 14