The Girl from the Hidden Forest by Hannah Linder (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Do you like to hike / walk / visit forests or woods?  I grew up near a pine woods and I always love wooded areas.  The nearby Point Beach State Forest is a place where my family likes to camp and hike.

Eliza Ellis has grown up in the Balfour Forest with her father, the Captain, and her loyal Beagle, Merrylad.  One day, a stranger, Felton Northwood, enters her home and kidnaps her.  He takes her away to what he says is her home and tells her that her name is Miss Eliza Gillingham and that her father is a viscount. Felton has returned her to her home as he believes she is the only person who knows who murdered her mother.  Felton’s own father has lived under the shadow of suspicion since the murder.  Who really murdered Eliza’s mother? Why did the Captain take Eliza to the woods to raise? 

My thoughts on this book:

·       I loved that Eliza’s dog, Merrylad, was a beagle.  The cute beagle on the cover of the book looks a lot like my beagle Daisy.  Daisy said this book is beagle approved and that Merrylad is a lot braver of a beagle than she is. (Swipe right for a picture of Daisy)

·       I felt bad for Eliza in this book.  She led a simple life in the woods reading and listening to the Captain’s tales.  It was hard for her to make the adjustment from that life to life in society.  Her memories return little by little and have a great impact on those around her.

·       The Swabian beats Felton early in the book and his shadow looms large over the book.  Who is this evil character and what does he have to do with the Captain, Eliza, and Felton?

·       The suspense in this novel was engaging and kept me enthralled until the last page.

·       I really liked the characters of Eliza and Fenton.  It took me a bit to warm up to Fenton after he kidnapped Eliza at the start of the novel, but I eventually really liked him and also felt sorry for him.  I enjoyed the sweet romance between them.

·       I also enjoyed the friendship between Fenton and Lord Gillingham (Eliza’s father).

·       This novel was set during the Regency time period which is one of my favorite time periods to read about.

·       This story has beautiful themes of redemption.

·       This is a clean read.

·       This book is perfect for Gothic romantic suspense fans of Mary Stewart or Victoria Holt novels.

Overall, The Girl from the Hidden Forest is a beautifully written Regency romantic suspense novel.  It’s a great story that will keep you up too late in the night to find out the ending.  I highly recommend this novel.

Book Source:  Review copy from Barbour Books as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

The nightmares may free her…but destroy the man she loves.

Eliza Ellis has stayed hidden in Balfour Forest for as long as she can remember. Perhaps her only friends are the trees, or her little dog, or her story-telling father called Captain. But at least she is safe from the cruel world outside, a world Captain has warned her against and protected her from.

That is, until a handsome stranger named Felton Northwood invades her quiet forest and steals her away. Why does he tell such lies? Why does he insist that her name is Miss Eliza Gillingham, daughter of a viscount, who disappeared fourteen years ago after the murder of her own mother? A murder Eliza is said to have witnessed.

When Felton returns Eliza to Monbury Manor and reunites her with a man who is told to be her father, all she remembers are the strange nightmares that have plagued her since childhood. Why have they suddenly grown worse? Are the answers hidden inside her own mind?

As danger mounts and lethal attempts are made on her life, Eliza and Felton must work together to uncover the identity of a killer who has stayed silent for fourteen years. When she finally uncovers the horrendous memories trapped in her mind, will divulging the truth cost her the man she loves—and both of their lives?

AUTHOR BIO

Hannah Linder resides in the beautiful mountains of central West Virginia. Represented by Books & Such, she writes Regency romantic suspense novels filled with passion, secrets, and danger. She is a four-time Selah Award winner, a 2023 Carol Award semi-finalist, a 2023 Angel Book Award third place winner, and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). When Hannah is not writing, she enjoys playing her instruments--piano, guitar, ukulele, and banjolele--songwriting, painting still life, walking in the rain, square dancing, and sitting on the front porch of her 1800s farmhouse. To follow her journey, visit hannahlinderbooks.com.