This book was not for me. I was hoping for more about Eleanor Dare and the lost colony of Roanoke and while they are mentioned, it is only in passing and not really in a historical exploration way (kind of like The Lost Apothecary or any other historical fiction that has come out recently). This is a coming of age story and about learning how to accept who you are and the people just happen to be descendants of Eleanor Dare. I did not finish this book because I couldn't get through it. Nothing happens.

I received a copy from #NetGalley for an honest review.

This book reminded me, at least in theme, of some other books I have read recently: a character - usually female - returns home reluctantly to settle an estate or an old score and exorcise some ghosts in their past, which will either result in a happy ending, or at least a resolution and a new path in life. What makes this book different is that our characters Alice and Penn are direct descendants of Eleanor Dare and the author brings her life into the plot, as well, and I'm here for it.

What captured me right away was the author's descriptive language. It's been awhile since I hung on words describing sunsets. I could see the colors in my mind, could hear the peacocks and smell the candles and the herbs Penn was using. Kimberly Brock really understands how to bring more than just characters to life.

This is a spellbinding, beautiful story of redemption and family and forgiveness and new beginnings. It deserves to be loved by everyone. I can't wait to read more by this author.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read and review this book. The opinions given are mine, and given freely.

After Alice Young’s father passed away in 1945, Alice decided to return to Evertell, the mansion the family had owned for many years. There was a story in the family that they were direct descendants of Eleanor Dare, evidenced by the original Dare Stone, found on the property, and by the commonplace book, a history of all the women in the family. Alice’s 13-year-old daughter Penn was enchanted by Evertell and the story of Eleanor Dare and the family’s connection, a welcome change after her father was killed in Italy during World War II. When Alice and Penn arrived at Evertell, Alice was surprised to find Sonder and Doris still there, and she hoped she could learn more about her mother Claire, who had died in a mental hospital years earlier.

I had high hopes for this book, based on the topic and the title, but I just wasn’t able to connect with either Alice or Penn. I remember reading about Roanoke, and Eleanor Dare, and was fascinated by the mystery. While I appreciated the author’s speculation on Eleanor’s life, this was essentially the story of Alice and Penn finding themselves after great heartache. The title is also misleading as the book itself was never lost, but had been handed down from generation to generation. Overall, I was a bit disappointed with this read.

I wanted to love this, the premise sounded amazing but I really struggled to get into it. The story felt slow and laboured and the historical setting more of an ‘add-on” rather than something that was integral to the story. Not for me I’m afraid.

I was really looking forward to the premise of The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare but in reality I found it quite difficult to get into. I felt like I was trudging through chapters but not really getting anywhere and the result was that I would read a bit and then put the book back down. I can't remember the last time it took me so long to read a book. I wasn't sure if this said more about me than the book but I have seen many other similar reviews.

I wanted more of the Eleanor Dare story but that felt like it was just sandwiched in and wasn't really expanded upon. Instead this was much more about Penn and Alice and I found Alice infuriating as a character.

There is so much to love about THE LOST BOOK OF ELEANOR DARE by Kimberly Brock! Growing up in the South, I have always been fascinated with the mystery of what happened to the colony on Roanoke Island. That alone would have landed it on my TBR, but then Brock added a twist with Dare stones (how did I miss hearing about these?) and a book, passed from mother to daughter, full of stories, recipes, and common-sense information.
Brock tells the story of mothers and daughters, strong women who have survived, and had the book and a little something more passed down to them, until Alice and a convergence of things left her without the book, her mother, and her birthright. The events leading up to her mother’s death were so traumatic, Alice had no desire to return to Evertell, until her father passes away and she finds that she still owns the property. What better way to provide for her daughter’s than to sell the property and put the money away? Plus, her daughter hasn’t been the same since her father died in the War.
Returning isn’t quite what she expected and Evertell works its magic on both mother and daughter as long held secrets are revealed as they both work on their journey, together and separately. Not only does Brock explore this beautifully, but she also adds in Eleanor Dare’s story, weaving it in seamlessly, and it fits the narrative perfectly.
Pick this one up and give yourself plenty of time to bask in Brock’s prose because once you start, you won’t want to put it down.
Thanks to the publisher and Kate Rock Book Tours for the chance to read an advanced copy of the novel. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#TheLostBookofEleanorDare #KimberlyBrock #HarperMuse #KateRockBookTours

This book felt less like historical fiction and more like a novel that used an historical event as a plot device. I didn't feel a strong connection to the Lost Colony here, nor did it seem like the author has a firm grasp on the contextual historic events. Thinly drawn characters, and a weak sense of place. Additionally, the writing level skewed more YA. Two stars for the premise and title, but sorely lacking in execution.

I wanted more from this book. It's mainly a story about Penn, a thirteen year old girl, daughter of a WWII widow, Alice, both arriving at Evertell, the family estate. Evertell is run down. Alice wants to sell the estate and Penn wants to know all there is to know about the people in Eleanor Dare's book, the story of the women of Evertell. This is Alice's past, but Penn feels like it's her future.

I wanted more about the story of Roanoke and the first settlers, although no one alive really knows what happened there for sure. I would have liked to know what the Dare book said about it.

The history was fine, but the book was too long and drawn-out.

This is a book that did not live up to its potential. I was hoping for more lore around the Lost Colony and instead felt bogged down in the plot of whether or not to sell the house. I remain intrigued by the author and her interests but was disappointed with this one.

Pub date: 4/12/22
Genre: historical fiction
In one sentence: Eleanor Dare's descendants hold the secrets of the lost colony of Roanoke, and Alice and her daughter Penn seek to find their birthright at the end of World War II.

Roanoke has fascinated me since I was a little girl, so I was excited to see this book about Eleanor Dare. I had a bit of trouble with it since most of the action takes place in the 1940s rather than during the Roanoke colonial period. It was hard to be invested in Penn's search for the truth about Roanoke when we didn't get much information from that time period. I ended up getting the audiobook from the library, and listening to that was enjoyable and helped me move through the chapters, but the book still felt overly long to me. Although this wasn't a favorite, I am open to reading another book by this author.

Thank you to Harper Muse for providing a NetGalley ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Net Galley for a review copy of The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare by Kimberly Brock. This is a Historical Fiction novel which is one of my favorite genres. This book, I feel, dragged for most of the book. I feel that there was a goal to the end, but no surprises or intrigue,

When I was around 9, my family's summer road trip (always ten days, meticulously planned by my father) took us to Roanoke Island and we saw the play about the lost colony. 1587! I didn't understand in 1963 or so how old that was. At that age, the U.S. Colonial times melted together with Columbus and the transcendentalists and putting them in order wasn't happening for me. Still, those trips are what made my interest in history take hold. Certainly not the rote dates and wars and powerful people we studied at school. Context and imagination were needed to make my brain go wild.

This by way of saying, I was just the right age to dwell on the mystery and drama of the lost colony, how people returned from a trip to England and found no sign of the people they'd left behind. What I love about The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare, a novel that imagines Eleanor Dare survived and had at least one more child is that it makes me think of myself as a dreamy little girl and this story is so much about dreamy girls who become mothers of dreamy girls. Eleanor Dare was one of the lost settlers. She was the mother of Virginia Dare, the first baby born in a "New World English" colony. Her father John White was the governor, but he's one of the people who left for supplies and didn't get back until it was too late.

Most of this book takes place toward the end of WWII in Georgia. Alice Mereley Young, a descendent of Eleanor carries so much grief and guilt over her mother's mental illness and death years ago, so much she never shared with anyone, including her thirteen year old daughter Penn, that her pain and self seem too heavy to lift. WWII is winding down, but her husband died two years ago, killed in Italy when he was taken prisoner. Now Eleanor's father has died and she finds her childhood home, set on a huge expanse of land near Savannah with a chapel on a little island on the river that borders it is still there. It is hers. It came down from her mother. But she never intended to come back. Too much pain. Home is now a little town with the garage and restaurant her father and beloved stepmother ran.

The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare is a lovely story of a mother and daughter going home to Evertell, the family estate, and finding their way through trauma and loss, partly with the help of an ancient common book passed down by the women in the family chock full of recipes, charms and wisdom. For Alice, it is also the home of the story her mother wrote about the life of Eleanor Dare. But Claire never told Alice the ending she longs to hear/read. This is a beautifully written and compelling story.

NOTE: It is long and I was kind of sorry it was the next book to read in my list, because of that.
NOTE: I never noticed it was long.

There is a theme, about women and girls through time and the power of women's endurance, spirit, inner light, courage and creativity when strength is needed to keep going and to be one's own true self. But at heart, its just an engaging, wonderful story, a little mystical, very practical, sometimes humorous, often "deep" but anyone who wrote in a review "dnf" lost a lot when they stopped reading. It is a richly satisfying, probably a woman's book --but definitely just right for a real range of women with satisfying characters all around.

The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare. What happens when a mother and daughter suffer another loss and head off to close up the past? Throughout their journey into the past the two remember who they forgot they were. Strong women who survive and hold onto the past that molded them. Inside this beautiful setting (that includes peacocks and a dilapidated estate) the descendants of Eleanor Dare (a forgotten pioneer) will survive, love and even flourish .

Kimberly Brock's book had me sucked in with her first sentences...

"Once there was a girl who always took a dare.
Once there was a girl who went to sleep and awoke someone else.
Once there was a girl who could always find her way home."

The end is never the point. This is a truth found not only in a great book, but also in life. "The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare" is filled with mysterious secrets, the bonds between mothers and daughters, and the strength to persevere and discover oneself even when faced with great loss. Kimberly Brock gifts us with a magical journey and growth along the way. And her use of words will make you smell the jasmine, feel the humidity of the south and enjoy a row across a lake with young Penn. I absolutely adored the descriptions of Evertell and its community.

This book captured my attention with its title and gorgeous cover. And I was amazed to discover the lost colony of Roanake and a secret book filled with messages from Eleanor Dare, her children and their childrens children within Brocks tale. Simply put (and this isnt a simple story), Brock brings us a dual timeline tale from multiple points of view. At the center of the story, is the relationship of a WW2 widow and her 13 year old daughter. Alice and Penn are suffering from loss and trying to figure out who they are and what they want for their future. Eleanor's book and the magic of Alice's childhood home of Evertell take us back in time to slowly unravel the past while providing hope and a purposeful future.

Brock's story touches on many wonderful messages, such as the search for identity, love is never lost, sometimes we must take the bitter with the sweet, secrets, being able to look one’s self in the eye and the importance of being the storyteller of your own story.

Many thanks to Kimberly Brock, Harper Muse and NetGalley for sharing part of history via the Dare stones, the lost colony of Roanoke and Eleanor White Dare's book. Thank you for sharing that "a story doesnt matter because it's true, but because its been told." This story matters and I hope others pick it up and savor every word.

I tried my hardest with this one, but I am finally DNF it at 64%.

It's been three weeks now and I just can't get into it for anything. The story has moved at a snail's pace, and the portions of the book surrounding the Lost Colony of Roanoke are few and far between. The premise of this book sounded so amazing and I was very excited to read it. However, it just fell flat for me unfortunately.

I really enjoyed the themes of this book of finding yourself, strong women, parenting, forgiveness healing from past traumas, etc. The setting was beautifully described and really transported me there. I loved the secondary characters as well as the main characters. I did think it read a little slow at times but other than that I have no complaints. I will definitely encourage my friends to pick this one up!

Thank You for the review copy. Historical fiction with a search for identity, I think is the crux of this book. Being one of my favourite genres, I really wanted to read this. I can say it was definitely worth a one time read..It proceeds with a very comfortable pace without dragging on which is a very good thing in my book. I enjoyed reading it. My best wishes to the author.

The cover on this book intrigued me and the story drew me in. Historical fiction with a mix of fantasy weaves this story about the early colonial period in America. The story focuses on a recent WW2 widow and her daughter who return to their family home and a cast of characters the mother, Alice grew up with. Alice is healing but she's also hiding a part of herself and her daughter's legacy but coming home will force her to face the past and what it means to be an Evertell heir.

This is an entertaining, riveting, and well written story even if it's a bit too slow at times.
I liked the dual timeline but I was enthralled by the parts about the lost Roanoke colony.
It was the most fascinating part and I liked the re-imagining of what could have happened.
The author is a good storyteller, the character and plot development are quite good.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Interesting Twist On Dual Timeline Historical Fiction. Over the course of 800+ books in the last three years alone, I've read quite a few dual timeline historical fiction books. Generally, one of the timelines is "current", or at least mostly current - end of the 20th century at its oldest. Here, the "current" timeline is actually much older - the last months of WWII - and the "older" timeline is *much* older - 16th century. The poetic prose here highlights the idealized South of the pre-air conditioning era... and yet also doesn't shy away from discussing some of its lower points, including both slavery and extrajudicial murders. (I intentionally don't use a particular "l" word there, as it generally has connotations that do not apply in the particular situation in the book.) All of this is wrapped around the mysterious Dare stones and how so many of them could be judged to be fake... except the first one, Eleanor Dare's stone and the tale therein inscribed isn't necessarily so easily dismissed. The care Brock takes to show an atypical yet also completely realistic and plausible tale of what happened and why to Ms. Dare is quite remarkable, and indeed this shines through in the variety of other situations portrayed in this book as well. It quickly becomes readily apparent that Ms. Brock is a Southern storyteller of the best form - one that doesn't excuse the atrocities of our past, yet one that also respects the real and vibrant cultures of the era, showing that even while misguided on particular points, the overall people were not the monsters many non-Southern (or even Southern of particular political persuasions) writers portray them as. Truly a remarkable work in so many ways, and very much recommended.