The
House of Crimson and Clover Series
The
House of Crimson and Clover series follows the lives of two New
Orleans families: the august and mysterious Sullivans and Deschanels.
The Sullivans, a family of hard-working Irish lawyers, have come from
nothing and built a life they can be proud of. The Deschanels, a
moderately wealthy family who became extremely wealthy by siding with
the North during the Civil War, betraying their people. Both families
have a dark and rich history, full of secrets, and full of surprises.
The
books in this series unravel the stories of both the individuals as
well as the families themselves, discovering the ways these families
and their secrets intersect, and each story pulls us even farther
into their stories.
While
the series is meant to be treated as one long narrative, each book
can stand alone and be enjoyed without having read the other books.
Title:
The Storm and the Darkness
(The
House of Crimson and Clover series, book 2)
Ana
Deschanel has made a terrible mistake. The only chance of protecting
the other people involved is to flee New Orleans, the only home she
has ever known, for the quiet solitude of Summer Island.
Summer
Island, Maine (population 202) is not the tranquil escape Ana
imagined. The locals are distant and cold, especially her neighbor,
the reclusive veterinarian Jonathan St. Andrews. Her only lifeline is
the kind but odd caretaker Alex Whitman. Showing up at all the right
moments, he warns her she is completely unprepared for a Maine
winter. As the first winter storm approaches to whispers of an island
shutdown- Ana realizes that she may soon be cut off from the rest of
the world.
After
a surprising encounter with Jonathan’s brother, Finn, Ana finds
herself braving the storm to return something to him. Unprepared for
the Maine storm, she slips and falls onto the jagged rocks along the
shore. The St. Andrews brothers find her in the nick of time, but she
remains unconscious. As the storm worsens, the St. Andrews brothers
learn there are other, more sinister forces at work closer than they
ever imagined.
With
no help from the outside world, they must find a way to protect
themselves from both the storm, and the growing darkness that looms
across the island.
I received the Storm and the Darkness as an ARC for kindle. I am delighted to share my
perspective with you. It was not affected by the advance copy. This view is
100% my own and you may agree or disagree.
The Storm and the
Darkness is a very apt title. It is an engaging tale of Ana Deschanel
and how her life connects to the other characters. It is a story of
dealing with life's idiosyncrasies and the fallout of one's actions
(or inaction). Ana goes to Maine to get away from her current life.
She remains in close contact with her cousin, Nicholas and her father
Augustus. On the Island, she meets two brothers. Jon is solitary and
misunderstand. Finn is the more charming brother.
As the story
progresses, you learn why Ana chose to come to Maine. The
story is well developed. The characters are easy to relate to as they
deal with their daily struggles. It is interesting how one event can
be a catalyst for what happens in your future. It is amazing to see
how Ana, Jon and Finn develop into the story. You really get to know
what the characters are thinking and feelings. Also, the mix of gifts
in the story is very interesting. The setting is vivid. The novel is
a perfectly paced. As well it is very thought provoking and there are
numerous quotes I would love to share with you! Also, I want to mention the multiple point of views- Ms Cradit is very talented at writing them. They make sense and don't leave you feeling lost. This is the second book in the series, The House of Crimson and Clover and you can definitely read it without feeling completely overwhelmed. However, after reading this, I really want to get a hold of the first novel.
Author: Sarah M. Cradit
Sarah is the author of the Southern Fiction series, The House of Crimson and Clover. The series was born of her combined loves of New Orleans, family dramas, and the mysterious nature of love and desire. Her books combine elements of mystery, suspense, intrigue, romance, and even paranormal. She is always working on the next book in the series, and absolutely loves connecting with her fans.
Sarah lives in the Pacific Northwest, but has traveled the world from Asia to Europe to Africa. When she isn't working (either at her day career, or hard at work at writing), she is reading a book and discovering new authors. The great loves of her life (in order) are: her husband James, her writing, and traveling the world.
Book
Links:
House
of Crimson and Clover:
Home
Page & Overview:
http://sarahcradit.wordpress.com/an-introduction-to-the-house-of-crimson-and-clover-series/
The
Storm and the Darkness:
Social
Media Links:
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/thewritersarah
Disclaimer: I accepted to review the Storm and the Darkness as an Advance Review Copy. The opinion is my own.
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