Hester Fox pens an enticing mystery around witchcraft, the ministry and Edgar Allan Poe's Tales in The Widow of Pale Harbor. Wow! It was so inspiring to wonder which tale of Poe's would be twisted into the plot next and how it would affect the characters. Reading with anticipation until the end, I couldn't put it down.

This novel is a gothic love story. Gabriel is Pale Harbor’s new minister. He hears rumors about Sophronia Carter, a widow who may have killed her husband and is supposedly a witch. However, when he visits her, he discovers she is not what she seems. He soon falls in love with her.

Sophronia Carter is a very likable character. She is an outcast by the town. She normally stays in her castle, but when she meets Gabriel, she gets the courage to face the villagers. Sophronia seems to be an intelligent person. She loved philosophy and has a thorough knowledge of literature.

Gabriel was a harder character for me to like. He seems to neglect his duties for Sophronia. He rarely interacts with his parishioners. Also, he does not seem like a very religious man. Therefore, I had a hard time believing he was a preacher. Sophronia was the only thing he cared for and not his job.

Overall, this novel is full of betrayal, redemption, and courage. As for the characters, Helen was the most interesting character. The setting was very eerie and had a gloomy castle. However, the novel did have a few flaws. There was very little witchcraft. The romance was instant and lacked development. The mystery was very predictable. The reader can easily pick out the murderer early in the novel. Still, I recommend this for fans of Victoria Holt, Simone St. James, and Laura Purcell.

Even the title sounds dark and a little ominous. THE WIDOW OF PALE HARBOR by Hester Fox is a well-crafted historical tale with a touch of the paranormal, characters haunted by the ghosts of their pasts and small town gossip that have doomed one young widow to be a pariah.

When Gabriel Stone came to town, under a cloak of deceit, he discovers Sophronia Carver to be as bewitching as the tales the townsfolk tell about her as they blame her for everything bad that has happened.

What dark and menacing evil lurks in the town of Pale Harbor? Mysterious, with a heavy feel to the atmosphere, Hester Fox has created a truly remarkable tale that unfolds at its own pace, no rushing to each reveal or twist. sit back, relax and enjoy what unfolds..

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Graydon House! This is my honest and voluntary review.

Publisher: Graydon House; Original edition (September 17, 2019)
Publication Date: September 17, 2019
Genre: Historical Mystery | Romance
Print Length: 352 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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This book was received as an ARC from HARLEQUIN - Graydon House Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was intrigued from the very first page of this book and for the right reasons. The Widow of Pale Harbor tells the story of Gabriel Stone a widower that is going through a slight depression after the death of his wife. He moves to Pale Harbor to escape from his depression and he comes to this old Victorian-esque house that is known as Carver Castle and the main tenant Sophronia Carver is said to be a witch that can bring dark tales to life. So when she brings some of Edgar Allan Poe tales to life, it's up to Gabriel to save the fate of Pale Harbor before it becomes dark forever. This book at parts were interesting but it did get off track at times making it very hard to follow. When the book got back on track, the story line left you at the edge of your seat wanting to know what happens next. This can go both sides on whether or not our community will be responsive to this book.

We will consider adding this book to our Historical Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Sophronia Carver has become an outcast in Pale Harbor after the death of her husband. The townspeople believe she murdered him and that she is a witch. Strange events and murders that reflect stories from Edgar Allan Poe begin to occur and Sophronia and a new to town pastor attempt to solve the mystery.
I enjoyed the writing style and the connection with Poe. I thought it was a great story and did not guess the whodunit. Fox solidified herself as one of my go to authors with her debut The Witch of Willow Hall. Her books are for anyone who enjoys historical fiction with romance and a dark mystery.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I was having a bit of a READING slump...never happened to me before...but nothing was holding my interest until The Widow Of Pale Harbor. I loved the gothic mystery of the story. Nothing is quite as it seems in Pale Harbor and all of the characters reveal themselves as the truth is revealed to and about them. This is the second book I have read by Hester Fox. I think I liked it better than the first - maybe...not sure because I really liked The Witch of Willow Hall A LOT too.

But it broke my reading slump and brought me back to my favorite past time (which is reading!)

Thank you Hester Fox!

The Window Of Pale Harbor was an enjoyable read. It was moody and atmospheric, the perfect late night book.

Sophronia Carver and Gabriel Stone are both outsiders in the small village of Pale Harbor, Maine. Sophronia has lived in Pale Harbor for many years, but she was been spurned by the townspeople after her husband’s brutal death a few years earlier. The townspeople believe that Sophronia murdered her late husband and have accused her of being a witch. Gabriel has recently come to Pale Harbor under false pretenses – his wife has recently passed away and he is pretending to be a minister to honor her memory. Despite how the rest of the townspeople feel about her, Gabriel forges a friendship with the reclusive Sophronia and draws her out of her self-imposed exile. As they grow closer, strange and freighting events take place throughout Pale Harbor. The incidents and deaths are straight out of Edgar Allan Poe’s stories. The townspeople believe that Sophronia is responsible for the incidents, but she knows that these are messages and threats directed towards her. As one of the very few people who believes that Sophronia is innocent, Gabriel takes it upon himself to find the person responsible for the happenings before the perpetrator hurts or kills Sophronia.

I was really excited to read THE WIDOW OF PALE HARBOR because I loved Fox’s debut novel – THE WITCH OF WILLOW HALL. Like her first novel, PALE HARBOR is also an eerie and suspenseful romantic, Gothic suspense novel. Fox captures the transcendentalism movement and the nation’s obsession with Edgar Allan Poe’s stories. She also brings to life the setting – a small, coastal town in Maine during the mid-1850s – and uses it as a creepy, isolated background to the novel’s events. Gabriel and Sophronia are both interesting and tortured characters. The slow unraveling of their past traumas kept me turning the page, but their romance didn’t always work for me. Sophronia’s maid, Helen, was the most memorable character. I spent the whole novel going back and forth on whether I liked her or hated her. After finishing the novel, I’m still not sure how I feel about Helen.

What’s better than a slow Gothic burn in the middle of summer? Absolutely nothing.
I envisioned this seaside village perfectly, always shrouded in fog, the mansion looming in the background Tim Burton style.This is the perfect book to read if you’re craving a mix of the macabre and romance. I am always down for the removal of petticoats before ahem sexy times.

The Widow Of Pale Harbor is about our widow Sophronia who is an outcast in the village and has been accused of being a witch after the death of her husband. When strange events begin to occur around town all fingers point to her. Enter hot new priest Gabriel fresh off the boat from Massachusetts, together he and Sophronia try to figure out who is behind these crimes which mimic the tales of Edgar Allan Poe and both wrestle with their feelings for one another.

Again, petticoat sexy times.

This book was fun! It was creepy but not overly so and I loved the chemistry between Gabriel and Sophy. I think my favorite character overall was witchy Helen.

I did feel there were some pacing issues in the book and ultimately the big reveal was lackluster but I did enjoy this.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for this ARC. You can check out more of my reviews on my blog: https://aelilyreads.home.blog/

The tiny town of Pale Harbor should be a quiet place. A place of solitude and innocence. Instead the village has been experiencing strange events. Their new minister, Gabriel Stone, is not what he seems. Fleeing his past, Gabriel finds himself fascinated by the Widow Carver. Everyone in town thinks she is a witch and believe she is the only one who could be wrecking such havoc in the town. Stone is forced to face his past while unraveling a mystery.

This novel is my first Hester Fox book. The entire concept intrigued me. The connection of the story line to Edgar Allen Poe was so original. The characters are flawed and perfect. A bit of a mystery and a bit of a romance, the book kept me guessing until the end. I look forward to her next book.

Maine, 1846. Gabriel Stone arrives in the sleepy town of Pale Harbor for a fresh start, working as a minister after his wife's death. But strange things are happening in the town, and only one person can be responsible: Sophronia Carter, a reclusive widow whom everyone believes killed her husband. The odd incidents escalate, and it becomes clear that they're emulating the wildly popular stories by Mr. Edgar Allan Poe.

I was really excited to read this book because Fox's debut, The Witch of Willow Hall, absolutely blew me away. Aspects of that novel that I loved - the gothic atmosphere and setting, the small and isolated town, gossipy townspeople, reclusive people, the possibility of witches - were carried into this one. And I'll read anything relating to Edgar Allan Poe.

But as I read, I couldn't help but wonder who the audience for the book was. Gabriel and Sophronia are both 30 years old, their former partners dead. But the writing and general mystery - as well as their behaviour sometimes - would be better fit for a YA or NA novel. There was also an issue of insta-love and both characters acting more like love-struck teenagers than adults. Since both of them have recently lost their spouses and Gabriel even thinks about his wife often, I wouldn't expect such strong infatuation so quickly. It made the romance feel really forced.

Unlike Fox's debut, there were no twists that surprised me. Knowing Poe's works as well as I do, the imitations by the villain felt more cheesy than horrifying. Not to mention, I correctly guessed who the murderer was when I'm usually the worst person to figure it out.

I still really liked the gothic setting and the story's beginning, but unfortunately the mystery part of the novel - and the main characters - fell a bit flat for me.

Typical formula romance. The characters are shallow and little imagination is left for the reader..
I found myself skimming over the predictable twists and turns of the story.

This book was creepy and a slow build in tension. There are big Edgar Allen Poe vibes in this book, with murders that are inspired by his stories. I loved the slow burn romance and this book is definitely a must-read!!!

I enjoyed Hester Fox's first book and her second did not disappoint. A small New England town, a house on a bluff overlooking the house, a mysterious widow, a secretive minister, charms, ravens and Poe. A wonderfully written Gothic novel that intricately weaves characters and settings together in such a way that I happily read it in one sitting eagerly following each twist and turn to the surprising end. I highly recommend and will be purchasing for our collection.

While I enjoyed the mystery aspect of The Widow of Pale Harbor, I often found myself distracted by the lack of character development while reading. Sophy is interesting enough, and the gradual revelation of the source of her guilt was well-crafted. I struggled with Gabriel, however, as his devotion to Anna seemed extreme, given the lack of detail about her personality and life. All we knew of her was that she was unfaithful, returned to her marriage, and later died in childbirth. While I do appreciate that the focus of the story was on the mystery in Pale Harbor as well as the blossoming romance between Sophy and Gabe, I was left wondering exactly who these people were and what drew them together.

Sophronia Carver moves to Pale Harbor with her husband. After he dies, the town doesn't like Sophronia. When strange things start happening, the townspeople decide Sophronia is a witch. When the new minister moves to town, they tell Gabriel Stone their theories. Gabriel must get to the bottom of things before things really get out of hand! This was a great historical book. It is a dark creepy book and keeps you guessing until the very last page. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

I loved this one! Just like in the Witch of Willow Hall, this book has just the right amount of creepy mystery to keep me guessing and turning pages. Set in 1840’s Maine, I loved the dark feel of the story, and yet for a historical fiction the book reads so quickly and effortlessly, I could hardly put it down.
I can not wait to read Fox’s next book!
Thank you to NetGalley and Grayden House for this advanced copy.

After reading Hester Fox's THE WITCH OF WILLOW HALL, I knew that I would be the first in line to purchase any book she ever wrote in the future. And here I am, dying to share THE WIDOW OF PALE HARBOR with everything that lives. And as expected, it was absolutely brilliant. This author has such a wonderful way of of stringing words into sentences, and putting sentences together to create unforgettable stories. Her characters are always complex and beautifully human, and this novel stays true to the authenticity I have come to expect from this author. Absolutely impossible to put down. Literally impossible. A definite recommend!

I've been stalking Netgalley awaiting this book, and I squealed when I was approved for it. While it did not grab me like her previous book did, I still thoroughly enjoyed it.

Hester Fox has the unique and amazing ability to transport readers to another time and place. I could hear the rain, I could smell the ocean air. I was in Maine and it was 1846. I connected with the characters, I enjoyed the plot. I just missed that paranormal twist that was in The Witch of Willow Hall.

Solid 4 stars. She's an author to watch!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2802953975

A fun gothic novel set in Maine in the 1800's, featuring ravens, mysterious widows, strangers in town and Edgar Allan Poe. This is the perfect autumn read for fans of historical romance. If that is your jam, pick this up when it is released in September!