The House of Silence was a captivating romantic suspense with historical elements. Isabelle's witnesses her fiance commit a murder. Rather than being forced marry him, she turns mute and checks into an asylum. She thinks she'll be safe, but is she? Exciting plot twists ensure you'll keep reading.

Interesting read to say the least. It was a pretty good one, but very slow and almost painful to get through. I had to keep coming back to it for a bit, I'm not a fan when that happens so it lost a star for that.

While this book is mainly billed as historical fiction, it is also very much a Gothic. Isabelle is locked away, her sanity is uncertain, there is an element of suspense, there is a mystery at the heart of it - what really happened and why? A truly enjoyable read that I couldn't put down. I would highly recommend this book and look forward to reaching more of Barthel's work.

Thank you for the chance to review this book, however, unfortunately, I was unable to download this title before it was archived

The publisher's write-up sounded fabulous and so I attempted to read this book several times. But found that whilst the beginning was engaging, once Isabelle was committed to the asylum, I found myself getting less interested and less interested. Somehow my attention wandered... I never managed to complete the book.

This is a nice story giving a real feel for life in the 1800's for women.
Unfortunately I felt the author just wanted to make sure the story ended with everybody living happily ever after.
Still a nice story though.

This was an interesting book. Told from the perspective of a girl marrying for advantage in 1875, she finds out her fiancé is not who he seems. When Isabelle tries to call off the wedding, her mother (and everyone) refuses to believe what she saw. When she realizes that she will be forced to marry him, she comes up with the scheme to be mute and be placed in a sanitarium for women in the hopes of ruining her reputation enough that Gregory will no longer want her. At the sanitarium, Isabelle befriends Mary Lincoln (yes, Abe Lincoln’s wife). As time goes on, the external world pushes into the her life at the sanitarium and Isabelle realizes she has to “reclaim” her voice for the truth to truly come out. I found it fascinating to see that side of the world at the time, with how not only women were treated, but also the mentally ill. The “truth will come out” arc is a little overdone and slightly fantastical but not bad. Where this book shines is the relationships between the characters. Read this if you enjoy historical fiction and well written relationships

I previously reviewed this book, but it seems it did not save. Here we go again!

I enjoyed this book. I liked the premise behind it...a mix of historical fact and fiction. I feel the author did her research well, and did a credible job incorporating all of the characters into the finished product.

Isabelle Larkin is a young society girl who has become engaged to the charismatic and politically ambitious Gregory Gallagher, much to her ambitious mother's delight. Isabelle seems happy, but then she witnesses a horrible crime committed by Gregory. She tries to tell her parents, but they refuse to believe her. In desperation, Isabelle resolves to stop speaking and act as if she is mad in an effort to avoid the marriage.

Sent to Bellevue Sanitarium, she struggles to maintain her facade while living with the other inhabitants. Then a new patient arrives, cloaked in secrecy . Who is the mysterious patient? None other than Mary Todd Lincoln, remanded to the sanitarium after her husband's assassination by her son. They form a tenuous friendship, nd Mrs. Lincoln agrees to help Isabelle escape the clutches of Gregory.

Nicely written, with believable dialogue and an interesting plot.

I really enjoyed 'House of Silence'. In the beginning it started off very slow, but once the action started it quickly became a page turner. Poor Isabelle was just going along with expectation when she quickly realize she might be in danger. People aren't what they seem and that's what started Isabelle's demise. Hard to believe that money and affluence supersedes honor and goodness. In the middle of the book it lagged a bit as well and I lost interest, but am pleased I continued through to the end.

Thank you for the opportunity read and review this title! I didn't enjoy it as much as I"d hoped, and rather than post a negative review, I chose to not feature it on my blog. I look forward to seeing what new releases you have in store!

Before Isabelle’s engagement she had to chose between her best friend Lucy and her fiance Gregory. Lucy was secretly marrying the man- Patrick- she loved. Gregory wants to pursuit a career in politics and having close friends who eloped would ruin his chances for a nomination let alone a victory. But Isabelle felt she couldn’t give up Lucy. Isabelle pretends to lose it and is admitted to Bellevue Sanitarium to escape marrying Gregory as she fears him. Isabelle had seen Gregory kill a young woman. Neither mother or doctor believed Isabelle and of course Gregory denies it. Isabelle can’t trust anyone so she pretends she can’t talk anymore. Mary Todd Lincoln- Abraham Lincoln’s widow- following Abraham’s assassination Mary signed herself into the sanitarium. Isabelle and Mary actually became friends. Isabelle is treated kindly by Dr. Patterson but Isabelle can’t stay there forever. If it should get out Isabelle is insane she and her family will be ruined socially. Isabelle has always done what her mother and society expected of her.
I thought this was a good story. I felt so bad for Isabelle when she wasn’t believed by her own mother Then that she had seen the man she was to marry kill someone …. Then she was so desperate she pretended she could no longer speak and to go to a sanitarium to escape Gregory is sad as far as I am concerned. I am glad I live in today’s world. I thought this was a fairly easy read but had a pretty predictable ending. But the ending seemed unnatural to me with everything just turned out fine for everyone.But this story did show how little control women had in this era. It was so sad how extreme Isabelle had to act to get away from Gregory then she still had to worry about it getting out she is insane or not only her but her family would be ruined socially.

I would like to thank Kensington Books for providing me with a free electronic ARC of this book, via Netgalley, in exchange for an open and honest review.

When it came to ‘House of silence’ I wasn’t too sure what to expect as it seemed to be a women’s fiction more than a mystery… but it ended up being a bit of both and that suited me just fine.

It was a wonderful, well-paced story containing relatable characters. I could also feel the research and passion for the story about this real life house that Ms Barthnel put into the book. To me, that made it all the more engrossing to read. When the author is loving what they are writing, you can tell and you often then start to fall in love with it too. Or maybe this was just me? If it was, I don’t care! I enjoyed it, I was entertained, I felt for the heroine and was glad she got the ending she did. The book also left me wanting to learn “what happens next?” and any novel that does that get a gold star from me. :-)

Would I recommend this book to others?

Yes I would. Though I would find myself trying to explain that it’s not your typical mystery/ thriller… not even a cosy. It’s more of an adventure mystery. I mean, yes the mystery was still there… but I felt “House of Silence” was almost more a coming of age tale as it was a mystery. Yeah, that about makes it as clear as mud, right?

But I would still recommend it as, unlike other books written in this era, “House of Silence” is believable and well written. So lovers of this era who like a tale of a women coming of age as well as solving a few things along the way will enjoy this book.

Would I buy this book for myself?

Honestly, I’m not too sure. I mean, I did enjoy it and could possibly see myself wanting to re-read it again in the future… but I can’t say it grabbed me enough to want to buy it now. If that makes sense? Right now it is more of a library book level where I liked it and might return to it again. But I feel I would like to read more from the author before I would purchase it.

But please remember I am a book diva these days as I just have so many I fear losing track of them all and so have started restricting how many I buy and how many I merely borrow. It’s a great read so please don’t let my opinion on whether I’d own it or now sway your decision.

In summary: An entertaining read and definitely something to enjoy over the weekend while relaxing on the couch.

I rarely read historical books but I'm glad I took a chance on this one. I found the story line to be gripping and well thought out. It kept me reading well into the morning. Definitely worth taking a chance on.

House of Silence by Sarah Barthel
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 4/5 stars
My Review:

In 1875, it just wasn’t proper for a woman to have an opinion of her own, let alone, voice that opinion. When Isabella Larkin not only voices an opinion, but voices one that disparages her fiancée, well, things go so very, very wrong. In fact, things go so wrong, Isabelle finds herself in desperate need of protection and the only place she can find that protection is in a sanitarium as a voluntarily committed patient.

When Isabelle checks into the sanitarium, she does so as a self-imposed mute. Until she can prove the truth of her words, Isabelle intends to keep her silence and from the safety of the sanitarium, she can bide her time and form a plan. Trouble is, a woman going about on her own in the late 19th century just wasn’t proper so proving her story isn’t going to be easy. In fact, in order to help herself, Isabelle is going to have to trust someone and that hasn’t gotten her anything but trouble in recent history. She trusted bother her fiancé and her mother and those two took betrayal to an epic new level.

Life in the sanitarium isn’t at all what Isabelle expected. The woman range from the truly mentally ill to the in-desperate-need-of-rest, and all contribute to the community in some way. From gardening to sewing, the women are generally occupied during the times they are not with one of the doctors. For Isabelle, the safety of the sanitarium and the hours of manual labor allow her time to ponder her situation and suss out a way to prove her story.

As it happens, Isabelle isn’t quite as safe as she originally thought, and when her fiancé’s lackeys start sniffing around the sanitarium, Isabelle’s contentions about her fiancé are confirmed. With the few clues the lackeys left behind, Isabelle begins to put the pieces together regarding her fiancé and his shady past. But, Isabelle doesn’t work alone, and those she enlists to help her are of the most surprising element.

The path to proving her story isn’t an easy one as Isabelle is incredibly vulnerable when she goes outside the confines of the sanitarium. Her companions (she must have them!) are the only two people in the world she truly trusts, and both frequently try and talk her out of her course of action. But, Isabelle is determined, and even when her life is threatened, she persists. Her fiancé proves to be as dangerous as she already knew him to be and by the time all is said and done, Isabelle damn-near loses her life. What she gains, however, is far more precious and worth every chance Isabelle takes.

The Bottom Line: I have long been a fan of historical fiction, and House of Silence certainly fits the bill. The historical aspects of this read can be found in both the sanitarium and the secondary character of the widowed Mrs. Lincoln. With there being only very limited information surrounding these two elements, the fictitious story of Isabelle Larkin was concocted as a means by which to tell Mrs. Lincoln’s story. The most fascinating parts of House of Silence revolved, not around Mrs. Lincoln, but around life in the sanitarium and the lengths a woman had to go to in the late 19th century to not only ne heard, but believed. I can’t imagine Isabelle’s story was an isolated event (though perhaps not all as extreme!) and her struggle for vindication must have been one fought by many women of the period. For me, Mrs. Lincoln was nothing more than a means by which to further Isabelle’s story rather than the other way around. The mystery surrounding Isabelle’s fiancé isn’t all that deep or dangerous, but it is just right for this read. While the overall tone of the book is somewhat dark and subdued, there is an HEA sure to satisfy most readers.

Yes, the cover got my attention, followed by the title. Isabelle is convinced the man she was about to marry, committed murder. She saw him, but her family and all those around her think she is crazy. They don't believe her at all. Is she faking it? Either way, she is soon in the insane asylum and not going to be forced to marry this guy. So now what? Ahhh, that's the crux of the matter isn't it!

I liked Izzy quite well! She took a hold of her life the only ways she could. While it's a bit less historical, the romance and the book are strong and I didn't want to leave it to do anything else.

My copy came from Net Galley. I liked this book enough to review it! The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Fearing for her life after witnessing a crime our protagonist feigns illness to get out of a marriage - held my interest but only barely

I received this in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. Thank you to the author, Sarah Barthel, and the publisher, Kensington, for this opportunity.

The synopsis of this sounded immediately intriguing: Isabelle Larkin fakes her own mental discord, and allows her admittance to a sanitarium, to escape marriage to a man she fears. In the historical period this was set, it was unheard of for females to take charge of their own futures. Yet Isabelle, through her exceptional and unusual actions, does just that.

This plot promised plenty of feminist vibes and I was pleased that that is what it delivered. I found many of the characters forward thinking and independent, eager to prove their own self-worth in a world that denied them that right.

This also acted as a running social commentary on the 1800's time period, it was set in. The historical aspects weren't as pronounced as I would have liked them to be, yet I appreciated the inclusion of the facts littered throughout the text.

For me, the most interesting character came in the form of Abraham Lincoln's wife, Mary Todd Lincoln. Following her husband's assassination she was assigned to the same sanitarium as the main character and they developed an unlikely alliance. I wanted her character to take a larger role in the plot and I was disappointed that the reader wasn't provided with more facts about her story.

My main grievance with the plot was with the ending, which was delivered too neatly and too perfectly for my tastes. It felt unnatural that each character's troubles were all reconciled at the same time. The romance that was included also felt surplus to the plot and I would have preferred our feisty protagonist to end the story without a man by her side. I personally prefer some angst and mystery to remain, rather than a neatly packaged conclusion that doesn't ring true but, in all, this was an interesting and sweet story.

*Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the publisher for a fair and honest review.
Historical fiction that centers around an Indiana sanitarium in the 1800's. Barthel has created a sympathetic yet plucky heroine who witnesses a murder and is put away to keep her quiet. While telling the story, the author also reminds us that women at that time had very few rights, and being locked away on the say of others was a very real threat. This was a quick yet enjoyable read.

My ruse would only work if everyone believed it. Silence was part of my ploy. I'd only just obtained safety; I 'd not risk it.

A historical fiction during the time of President Lincoln's death. Mary Lincoln suffered from depression and was sent to a house facility that cared for women with mental issues. Mary Lincoln is not the main character but a she is brought in a good light to the protagonist Isabelle Larkin who has come to Bellevue sanitarium under a false pretense.

Isabelle Larkin is a confident young woman engaged to be married Gregory Gallagher. He is ambitious young man that Isabelle feels proud to be by his side. Everything changes when she witnesses a side of Gregory that no one has ever seen. When she tries to tell her mother the truth of Gregory, her mother does not support her and accuses her of lying. Now Isabelle fears for her life and fakes her mental health. Her mother fears that her daughter's engagement is in jeopardy and has her daughter taken to Bellevue. It is at Bellevue that Isabelle meets the famed Mary Lincoln and with her help and friendship, Isabelle fights to get her life back.

A clean read that was interesting and engaging. The plot pulled you along but was not overly intense. Isabelle's character was easy to like has she was vulnerable but also took risks at a time where women were not taken seriously.

A Special Thank You to Kensington Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC an the opportunity to post an honest review.

Young women fighting for independence after the nation's fight. Insight into cultural norms of the time. The move West and open options. Whether your taste is history or the story you will find something for everyone here.