Reading Between the Wines book review #66/130 for 2024:
Rating: 4 ½ 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book: The House of Hidden Secrets
Author: CE Rose
Available now!

Sipping thoughts: So, I did not think I was going to really like this book because it was not only a slow burn, but it was initially confusing. But once things started to unfold and evolve, I was hooked. I could not wait to see what Serena was running from but also what secrets the Ramsay’s were hiding. While I do feel it was a little slow and repetitive at times, the last 25% of the book had me gripped, and I could not get enough. I have never read a book by this author, but I will be seeking out future releases because I really enjoyed this book.

Cheers and thank you to @HeraBooks and @Netgalley for an advanced copy of @TheHouseofHiddenSecrets.

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This is a psychological thriller. It is well written with lots of twists and turns. The ending was a huge surprise and not what I was expecting

Not as gripping as it is advertised to be but this was a fun gothic read. You can easily finish this in one sitting and is best during a rainy gloomy day

This was a story of long buried family secrets and the destruction within lives that they can cause. Although slow in places, I enjoyed the writing style and found it kept me intrigued. Serena finds a temporary live in maid job which is perfect to keep her and her little girl safe from her ex. However, she finds herself in the middle of a family who all seem to hold their own secrets which they want to keep hidden. I enjoyed the development of the characters, as well as the changing relationships between them. However, I was left with a handful of questions unanswered which was frustrating and I did find that the story chopped and changed quite suddenly sometimes, making me feel like a had missed something. Overall, I enjoyed the book but I have read better from this author.

An enthralling tale with a hint of gothic mystery. Enjoyed following serena’s story and getting to know the ramseys secrets along the way

This one was not for me.
Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. A good mystery/thriller novel. Good weekend read

This was a very creepy and intriguing book. I want sure what was going on for quite awhile. I liked that both families had secrets of their own and I was a bit shocked by the one chartacter's secrets.

Sorry for late review I honestly thought I sent it months ago. Very depressing book I hated this book so much. I feel bad when I dislike a book because I know it is because I am in a reading slump.

Serena isn’t happy with her husband so flees with her young child and finds a job as a stopgap housekeeper whilst the owner recuperates from an accident. Everyone in that house has something to hide. It’s a pity this book wasn’t as good as its cover which was stunning. It took so long to get going, it was predictable and I actually prefer to get into a book long before it reaches the 80% mark! A shame as the idea was great and the description too.

The House of Hidden Secrets is the first book I've read by CE Rose. I found it on NetGalley and thought the cover and description were strong.Selena has accepted a job as housekeeper for a wealthy man who had an accident and is on crutches.it tells a story of a family falling prey to the hands of their own trauma who are unable to analyse the cause, leading slowly to drift amongst themselves. it has a wild twist you don't see coming. wonderfully written

Omg......... this book was amazing I flew threw the pages with Olympic speed I was hooked from the very first page. I found it full of twists and turns threw out and it kept me on the edge of my seat all the way threw  I would defiantly recommend this book if you like a good book to keep you reading threw the night hopefully you enjoy it as much as I did

Secrets, secrets, secrets.. who has the biggest secret to keep. From the word go it is hard to like any of the characters as they all seem a bit sinister but as you read on and alliances are formed things gradually become clearer. It is amazing what can be hidden behind closed doors.

"Thank you to Hera Books, CE Rose and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review"

Previously published at https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/the-house-of-hidden-secrets/

The House of Hidden Secrets is the first book I’ve read by C.E. Rose, a new author to me. The setting is a quiet country estate in a small village in the UK. Serena has accepted a position taking care of an older man, who has fallen, Hayden.

He has two middle-aged sons, Jack and Hugh, and his wife died many years ago. While Hugh seems disconnected and simple, Jack seems angry.

There are secrets in the house which are alluded to in the first chapter.

We learn Serena, who has arrived with her 4yo daughter Lana, is hiding from her abusive husband. Hugh’s best friend has arrived from Australia, with secrets of his own. And Jack, the oldest, who has just been promoted to a prominent position within the courts, seems bitter towards Serena with no obvious reason. Hayden, while at first welcoming, grows more mysterious and threatening as time moves on with Serena as his caretaker. While his actions appear precise and non-threatening, there is also an edge which can’t be ignored.

Jack is as mysterious as Hugh and Hayden, and Serena falls deeply in love with him. Though the reader is never quite sure if Jack’s character is quite what it seems, a successful attorney with the best intentions towards Serena and Lana. I think Jack is the most interesting character in The House of Hidden Secrets. Though the secrets of the manor are not revealed until the last 25% of the novel, this book is a very slow burn. Another thing I found interesting in this book is Hugh’s relationship with Hayden. While Hugh’s “simple” way of thinking is never explained in the book, his thoughts and perspective on different situations are fascinating. There is a deep chasm in his relationship with his Father, which is revealed later on in the book, when Serena realizes that all is not what it seems with this family.

As a reader, I always find it fascinating reading about other cultures. Especially their takes on different situations, such as homosexuality or domestic violence. While it may seem disconnecting for the reader, realizing that for some parts of the world, homosexuality is a deep sin, I find interesting and the connection to the characters, stronger. There are parts of this novel that C.E. Rose has left vague, though I think that was her intention. It is also heavy with British dialect which can be off-putting to readers who are not from that country.

The House of Hidden Secrets is well plotted and keeps the reader interested and wanting to read more. All the characters are multidimensional. While the reveals at the end are surprising, they are not shocking. I am always excited when I find a new author to read and I look forward to more of her books.

Wow this was an amazing read. Such a clever plot and definitely lived up to its title. The house definitely contained lots of secrets.

This was a disturbing dark read and a gripping story that had me hooked from the very first page. Once I had started reading I couldn’t put it down as wanted to delve further into the web of intrigue and uncover the houses secrets.

The characters were complex and well executed and the story also covered a lot of themes such as alcoholism and cohesive control in a very sensitive way and brought them to the fore.

Highly recommend this author can’t wait to read more

‘The House of Hidden Secrets’ is a story with multiple characters who all have important stories that converge. It also is a masterpiece in the use of smoke and mirrors!

The story starts with Serena and her 4 year old daughter relocating so Serena can start a job as a live-in housekeeper. There is a darkness surrounding this arrival - Serena seems scared, we are led to wonder what she is escaping. The elderly man who has employed her and his 2 sons appear to have some complications in their relationships and have mixed reactions to the arrival of their new housekeeper.

As events play out relationships change, secrets are uncovered and an epic twist or 2 emerge!

This is a very decent read with a very interesting bunch of characters, it is original and well thought out.

My thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.

Serena and her daughter, Lana, arrive at Ramsay Hall when Serena takes a temporary job as a housekeeper/nurse for patriarch Hayden Ramsay, who hurt his hip. She’s running from something and the large, isolated estate seems ideal for that. But soon after arriving, it becomes apparent that there’s many secrets hiding beneath the surface of the Ramsay family, which also includes Hayden’s adult sons Hugh and Jack.

The story is told from the alternating perspectives of Serena, Jack and Hugh.

This book takes places in the present day, but it has a distinctly Downtown Abbey/old-fashioned vibe to it. I kept having to remind myself that the characters had cell phones/modern cars/conveniences to use in case of emergency. It was an interesting atmosphere.

This book is a domestic drama that has a couple mysteries at the very center - the family is a bit paralyzed by certain events in their past, and as they begin to confront them, the truth about what actually happened comes out and those revelations really bring out more questions and lead to the final climax. And it’s quite a doozy. I really thought it was well done, with the revelations coming piece by piece until the puzzle came together totally.

Also, by seeing the story from the various characters’ perspectives, we really got to know the characters well and that added some really nice layers to the story. Each characters is working through some past traumas so we got to see their inner working and how each dealt with things differently.

I highly recommend this book. It was an enjoyable domestic thriller that really kept me on my toes!

From the description in the prose, the book had the ambiance of gothic noir with secrets hidden in every corner. I was hooked.

Serena along with her 4 year old daughter Lana were to live as the housekeeper of Ramsay Hall, helping Hayden Ramsey to recuperate. She became friends with younger son Hugh while Jack was the one who intrigued her. But there was something else coiled deeply that only the walls of Ramsay Hall knew about.

My first book by author C. E. Rose and though not too fond of huge pages of description, I realized it was needed to build up a darker aura compared to other thrillers. This was a slow burn, in some ways.

There was suspense to begin with followed by romance. I would have liked if suspense and mystery had been given more importance. Not too fond of romance in thrillers. They dilute my interest.

The story moved slowly in the first 2/3rds of the book. Then it led to the reveals which were quite interesting. With an exciting cover and a dark blurb, I would have thought that the book would have been a rollercoaster of thunderous winds, but it was just a few galloping gales bringing the story to a finish.

Barring my expectations, the book was entertaining in its own right. Needed more of my patience than I had at the moment.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Hera Books for the arc of The House of Hidden Secrets by CE Rose.

3 stars- Follows a lady named Serena whom has accepted a job for a housekeeping Job for a widow called Hayden Ramsay at his northern mansion Ramsay Hall. She becomes a big part of the place.. becomes close with his son Hugh! Question is what is really lurking between the walls what secrets and lies is there...

good read, well written!

The title alone was enough to draw me into reading this book and it just got better once I began to read it. Plenty of suspense, red herrings, and an interesting ending made for a great read. The characters were so well written that I could picture them in my head and hear their voices as I read. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book thanks to The Book Club Reviewer Club on Facebook and NetGalley.