Whoa, was this ever an interesting read!! I have read books that touched the surface of the topic of women’s insane asylums in the late 1800s, but had never seen it explored to this depth. Oh my. The author did a fantastic job showing the horrors while still keeping it from being too triggering.

The characters and story were fantastic as well. The villains were extremely well done. All of them. (Trying to avoid spoilers!! But one especially...*shudders*)

I felt the gladness mixed with slight turmoil with Edyth in the beginning of the story. I really enjoyed the details about fencing and art during that era. I felt the chaos inside her as things started to go south. The pain and despair tinged with hope went she was in the asylum. So well done.

Bane...I was ok with. But wasn’t enthralled by. I never could figure out what he was really like. And he fell in love so hard and so fast? I know they had a history, but still? And how he was in the ending was a bit weird to me, too.

The supporting cast was top notch. Poppy, Nellie, Jasper, the nurses...all exactly what the story needed to propel it along.

If you want to be on the edge of your seat, this is the book for you!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I cannot give the highest praise for this book. It completely shocked me. I had been putting off reading it for a while now and then I forced myself to sit down and open it. Once I did, I couldn't put it back down. It tells the story of a rich heiress who loves to do things the fun way. She rides a velocipede around town, fences at a fencing club and rescues kittens from the streets. She lives in a perfect world where her only difficulty is trying to get her fencing instructor to notice the young woman she has become. All of that changes, when her uncle puts her in an insane asylum to get her inheritance. The terrible way these people were treated left me reeling at humanities depravity. This book was based from a true story so most of what Grace Hitchcock wrote is completely true. Many people were put into this asylum for having little "oddities", like Edyth, because their families wished to be rid of them, or because they were simple immigrants who didn't speak English. Thankfully, Grace brought everything back together perfectly and this story has a beautiful ending. I would definitely recommend this book and can't wait to read more by Grace Hitchcock.

The Gray Chamber is a well written novel. A well crafted plot and characters. I highly recommend this book as well as others in this series. I received an arc from the publisher and Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

I was completely enamored from page 1. A beatiful story of 1800s romance and how far one will go for romance. A powerful look into the mental institutions at that time and how easily men had women locked up for frivilous s. A wonderful , fast flowing read!

I'm familiar with this time period and knew where the novel was going, but was still swept away into feeling the emotions of the characters. I held my breath at crucial moments while I read faster to find out what the author planned next. The characterizations were great, and the plot moved smoothly after a slow start introducing a lot of information, which was to be expected. I hope the rest of the titles in this series are as interesting and well-written, and I must now go find more books by this author.

Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 4
Pace: 5
Plot development: 4
Characters: 4
Enjoyability: 4
Ease of Reading: 5

Overall rating: 4 out of 5

4 stars- This is the 4th book in the True Colors series and the 2nd by this author. Both of Grace Hitchcock’s books have been my favorites so far in the series. She is able to somehow take a terrifying storyline and create a book that is compelling yet full of hope for a “happy” ending. And the fact that the events in the book are based on fact is certainly unsettling.
Edith Foster is eccentric, much more a tomboy than a lady and she likes it that way. In 1887, she is single and shortly due to inherit a mass fortune and therefore has the freedom to live life as she sees fit. Until her greedy uncle finds a way to keep her from her inheritance- by having her declared insane and committed to the women’s asylum on Blackwell’s Island. Will she ever escape this horrible place or really go insane trying?
Edyth was an intriguing character, definitely naïve, but a free spirit and enjoying her life. She must quickly grow up when she’s forced to bear the incredible cruelty of Blackwell’s Island. She was a very strong willed character and I appreciated how she fought to the end. Bane, her fencing instructor and friend was also a strong character. I appreciated how he didn’t give up in his search for Edyth. As I read about the atrocities she faced, I knew there was hope in the end- Bane was on his way, somehow.
Admittedly, there were a couple choices Edyth made that annoyed me a bit but I think they went along with her naïveté of believing that bad things couldn’t happen to her. And I felt the romance in the beginning seemed a bit rushed. The best parts of the book were when Edyth was in the asylum. The horrific conditions of the women there and the abuse by the nurses was jaw dropping. The courage it must have taken for Nellie Bly to go undercover as a patient in order to blow the whistle on the asylum’s true conditions was amazing.
The end was full of action and romance and swashbuckling and was just as it should be. I hope Grace Hitchcock will be writing more books in this series. I look forward to reading whatever she writes next.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Gray Chamber by Grace Hitchcock is a novel based on historical events. Edyth Foster is an orphan under the care of her uncle. She will soon turn twenty-five and inherit a large fortune. Her uncle and his new wife come up with a plan to keep Edyth from getting the inheritance and having it go instead to her uncle. While Edyth is a bit eccentric her uncle plans to prove she is mentally ill and have her committed which, according to the will, means she cannot inherit and he being the only living relative will get it all. Will the plan work or will God and love overpower the evil to save Edyth?
I wasn’t sure about this book when I first read the description but having enjoyed Grace Hitchcock’s work in the past decided to read it. It is at times difficult to read of some of things Edyth and others endure, which are true events. I was vaguely aware of Nellie Bly and her writings of treatment in the asylum and get a better idea of the terrible treatment after reading this novel. I am so glad I read it and give it 5 of 5 stars. The characters are so realistic and I was rooting for Edyth from the first page to the last.
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I received this from Netgalley.com for a review.

"Finding a loophole her father's will, Edyth's uncle whisks her off to the women’s lunatic asylum just weeks before her birthday. Do any of Edyth’s friends care that she disappeared? At the asylum she meets another inmate who confesses that she is Nellie Bly, an undercover journalist for The World."

Good, clean story with a nice ending. Great descriptions of life and conditions Edyth had to endure.

3 stars

I had never heard of Blackwell Island before this book. I have heard of insane asylums, but never recognized that innocent women were frequently sent there to get them "out of the way" of those in their families. I loved the characters, I loved the story, but I am glad it was a quick read, as I don't think I could have handled much more reading of the awful conditions at that asylum. It was neat to learn about the exposé about this island and how women were finally treated better. I would recommend this book!

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book for my honest opinion.

I am loving this series! All these books have been great, and this is just another wonderful addition.

I was thrilled to see that the next offering in the True Colors Series (Historical Stories of American Crime) is “The Gray Chamber” by Grace Hitchcock. I loved the first book in the series, also by Hitchcock, “The White City.” “The Gray Chamber” lived up to my expectations and more. (Read my review of “The White City.”)

Edyth had been orphaned as a child and was raised by her uncle. She picked up the love of fencing along the way, which was an odd hobby for a woman in that era. Her fencing instructor has also been her closest friend since childhood, but Edyth wants more. As Edyth approaches her 25th birthday, she is kidnapped and locked away in the notorious Blackwell’s Island, an insane asylum that journalist Nellie Bly did an expose on, in 1887. Bly wrote about her experiences in Joseph Pulitzer’s newspaper, New York World, and later compiled her writing into the book, “Ten Days in a Madhouse.” In “The Gray Chamber,” Hitchcock introduces us to the famed investigative journalist.

Hitchcock does a wonderful job of describing life on the island, including the mistreatment patients receive from the doctors and nurses. What she is an expert at is romantic timing. She is able to move the characters from friends to falling in love, so realistically. Readers will cheer them on the whole way! She also has a special surprise in store that will delight readers of “The White City.”

I also appreciate her deftness at writing a Christian book with subtlety. She doesn’t cram the message down readers’ throats, but rather presents the characters authentically and allows readers to draw the message from their lives. There is nothing in the book that would cause a reader to blush or feel uncomfortable. It’s completely refreshing!

I would recommend “The Gray Chamber” to anyone who loves clean romance and historical fiction. Thank you to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing, Inc. who provided me with a free ARC of “The Gray Chamber,” in exchange for an honest review.”

My Thoughts on The Gray Chamber:

Wow. I have been loving this series and read this one as soon as it came through as an ebook through Netgalley. It's amazing. So amazing. Okay, so maybe I should say more about the book but I'm still reeling with what a great read it was and it's a super-fast read too. I could not put it down.

On the one hand, we have a social debutante who has this huge fortune left to her from her dying parents.  But it's still controlled by her uncle until she comes of age.  Her uncle has married and she's not so sure of the aunt but even though they're not the best of friends she gives her the benefit of the doubt.  The new aunt also has a daughter that she's not sure she'll get along with but she actually gets along really well with and loves. 

Edyth thinks the best of people which is probably her biggest downfall.  She also is a bit eccentric and doesn't much care what society thinks.  This seems to be a theme with being declared mentally ill in the past and it's a loophole her uncle is willing to take to get his hands on her fortune.  

Poor Edyth is in love with her fencing instructor(one of those eccentric things is that she loves fencing and takes lessons).  Just as they are beginning to see each other as more than friends tragedy strikes.  He must race against time to find and free her while she merely tries to survive with her life intact.  

Add in more fun and suspense when doctors are bribed and controversial treatments are tried.  Oh and an undercover journalist in Nellie Bly enters the story which is a great bit of fun and suspense as well. 

I really loved this book.  I've loved all of the books in this series actually and can't wait to read the ones that come next.  I highly recommend the entire series and hope you'll read them all.

This book held special appeal to me though as it discusses mental health and how the world both viewed mental health plus how they treated it.  Women were often deemed mentally ill or unstable for things such as inheritances, men wishing to remarry, or simply being a bit peculiar. Even just having your own opinion might have you locked up.  As a mental health nurse, I love learning more about what this area of medicine was like and how it's progressed. 

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

This was a very good book! I liked the main characters, Edyth and Bane (Raoul). I really enjoy strong female characters, and Edyth definitely was one. Her uncle treated her really badly, and Edyth just grit her teeth and held onto her faith in order to make it through. Bane was also a strong character, and he did everything in his power to rescue the woman he loved, but it was definitely Edyth who was my favorite. I also enjoyed Nellie, for reasons I won't go into here (because of spoilers). All in all, if you're looking for a good Christian read or don't mind a little scripture in a story, pick this book up! I'm glad I did. 4 stars!

The Gray Chamber by author Grace Hitchcock is the first in the True Colors Series I have read. This is a romantic suspense based on actual true events that happened in the horrendous Blackwell Island Asylum for Women in 1886. The book started a bit slow for me because I do not usually read gothic romance, but the fictional character of Edyth Foster is very interesting. Her parents died when she was younger and her father's brother is her guardian. Edyth is a bit of an eccentric woman of twenty-four who is not governed by the rules of polite society of her day. She enjoys painting and learning to fence at a club and she would prefer to ride her velocipede into town than sit in a carriage. She has a strong faith and is very physically fit which are the main reasons she is able to survive the diabolical plan her uncle has set into motion.
During this time in history, if a woman was an inconvenient problem it was easy to have her committed to an asylum. The atrocities and conditions the women in the asylum suffer are documented by Nellie Bly/Brown. My heart broke as I read of the harsh treatment and the abuse of women who were held against their will with no hope of escape.
Publication Date January 1, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and give an honest review of this book.

Alas I am not impressed. I felt like I had read the book before. I have seen quite a bit of hype for this book so my expectations may have been a bit too high.

I have enjoyed the novels in the True Colors series, ones about historical crime and unusual situations. This one was particularly interesting. Hitchcock did a good job of weaving historical fact and a fictional woman incarcerated on Blackwell's Island, a hospital for insane women. In the 1880s, women had few rights and few ways to find recourse when wronged. This novel paints a horrific picture of the conditions in the hospital, conditions that were being noted by the undercover female reporter, Nellie Bly.

I like the many issues covered in the plot. There is greed to the point of kidnapping an heiress and bribing doctors to see her declared insane. Women had defined social behavior at the time and going outside of the boundaries, such as riding a bicycle or learning to fence, was frowned upon. A major issue was faith in God, a challenge for the heroine under such cruel circumstances.

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy thought provoking fiction about a dark situation in the past. You'll get a good dose of suspense along with historical reality and a hint of romance. While it is fiction, the author notes its basis in actual events.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

A well-written book that was easy to read.  Edyth Foster is a rich young lady.  Her parents died in an accident when she was a child.  Her uncle has been her guardian since.  His new wife wants to the money.  If she makes it to her twenty-fifth birthday, she gets complete control. So they cook up a plot to get her committed to Blackwell's Island Asylum in New York City.  He uses the money to convince doctors to use her eccentricities as proof on insanity. 

A quick read that held my interest.

The Gray Chamber is the latest release in the True Colors series. While not the most gripping and suspenseful book I’ve ever read, Grace Hitchcock still manages to weave a compelling tale that will have you turning pages as fast as you can.
I loved Edyth. I loved her eccentricities, how she was true to herself. All this, as well as her camaraderie with Bane, made it easy for me to root for their relationship. But Bane’s sudden interest did have me furrowing my brow a bit. Although I suppose that once Bane realized what had been right in front of him, it was in his character to want to act on it. Bane struck me as a go-getter.
I liked how Hitchcock explored the horrors of the asylum without going into too much graphic detail and making the novel too dark. While The Gray Chamber isn’t a lighthearted read, it wasn’t overly dark either. I also liked how she explored how the asylum’s treatment affected the patients.
The suspense surrounding Edyth’s stay and the hope of her escape makes the novel suspenseful. I was hooked from the beginning of the novel, but from the moment Edyth was taken to the asylum, I couldn’t stop reading. I pushed through so I could get to the ending and discover how she was going to get free.

All in all, this was a wonderful, well-written novel perfect for a rainy day.

(Review will go live on the blog on Jan. 10 at 5 pm)

I loved the feistiness of Edyth ! I’m appalled that things like this actually happened. It was a page turner which I really enjoyed! Thanks to Netgalley for the early copy