Thank you so much to NetGalley for sending me a copy of this audiobook! I really enjoyed the bone cay! I think this book was really good and well thought out! I would definitely read more by this auhor!

It was just too long for me. I like a lot about it but it didn’t need to be that long in my opinion. Good book, good writing, good narration.

I received this audiobook from NetGalley and am giving my honest review in return.

even though this wasn't my favorite I would still read a future book from Nellums, and I still plan to read All That's Bright and Gone.

A decent thriller. Fascinating background landscape of a hurricane closing in - ratchets up the tension appropriately.

The big reveal was pretty obvious, but I guess not in a disappointing way.

Narration a bit distracting- spoke to slowly and some odd pronunciations.

Recommended for mystery/thriller lovers.

📖My Thoughts📖

I’m going to be completely honest here, I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this book. This was probably one of the first historical fiction thrillers I’ve ever read, so maybe that has something to do with it. This was a slow burn, not really picking up until about more than halfway through the book. There weren’t a lot of characters in the book so it wasn’t too hard to keep up with who was who. I did get into the mystery aspect about Isobel’s death, and the more Magda tried to solve the mystery in her head, the more I felt myself trying to do the same. Overall was a pretty interesting story. If you enjoy historical mysteries, this book is for you. I received the audiobook version of this book. The narrator seemed to fit the perfectly with this book.
Thank you NetGalley, Eliza Nellums and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to read and review this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book sounded so interesting and I really wish I enjoyed it more. A three star is still great but I high high hopes for this. I liked some of the mystery elements, but I struggled with the characters. I also really did not enjoy this audiobook, I think there were few issues with the editing and narration.

Even though a hurricane is brewing Magda will not leave Whimbrel Estate, it is after all her life’s work. Soon the storm proves to be too much and all the secrets inside the house start to unravel. This was a mystery/suspense read. It was jumpy at times but overall and interesting story. Thank you NetGalley for the chance to rea this ARC

This one isn’t my favorite. I ended up hot able to finish it. I couldn’t get into it becuase of how slow it was.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This was a really different read! like wow! loved it tbh, really want to buy it and reread it!

Overall this book is one of survival. What makes a person who they are and what are the things in their life that they are willing to die for. It is creepy, descriptive, and truly highlights the devastating power of mother nature in all of her fury. Great character development and connection drives home the desperate emotions highlighted by the author. A bleak read for anyone ready for an emotional tidal wave.

3 soggy stars for the emotionally destructive literary storm.

Really great thriller. I love books with deep literary (even if fictional) roots, and this one fits the bill perfectly.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this book. To be honest it was OK. Very slow at the beginning , then it picked up a bit and a kind of a weak survival. I do like historical fiction especially about art related persona so this kept me going.
Thank you.

I had a really hard time getting into the story- I tried but for some reason is just didn't like it. The narrator was good

This ended up being an enjoyable read, but dragged a bit in the beginning. The narrator had a clear voice but not to be mean sounded like one of the hosts of the sleep podcasts I listen to especially in the slower parts. Overall I’m glad I didn’t give up on it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for review.

The premise of this book, involving a hurricane, a botanist, and a historical mansion seemed like an interesting combination. But, after listening to about 20% of the book, it just seemed to drag on. In part, that's due to the fact that I'm not a big fan of poetry and it plays a bigger role in the book than I'd surmised from the synopsis. So, I'm afraid I didn't read all of it. It could be an interesting read/listen if you are a poetry fan.

Magda is an historian who has long been obsessed with the life of a famous poet who committed suicide in 1918 when she was 23. The poet, Isobel Reyes, spent her entire life on the estate following an accident that killed her mother and left her mute. She used her observations of nature on the estate to provide insight into the larger world, and she was rumored to have been a witch. Now Magda is the caretaker of the Reyes estate. She conducts tours, looks after a colony of lemurs and researches Isobel’s life.

A hurricane is approaching Key West, Florida and Magda refuses to leave when everyone else evacuates the area. That turns out to be an unfortunate decision. She comes down with the flu, the estate is flooded and unexpected visitors get stranded on the estate. I found the book a little slow and bland at the beginning, but the last third was a lot more interesting and suspenseful. I would read this author again. The narration by Nancy Peterson of the audiobook was very good.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher.

A beautifully written and atmospheric thriller. Set in a beautiful, historical, and isolated old house during a massive hurricane the mystery of the death a young writer unfolds alongside Magda's thrilling fight to survive the storm and other dangerous encounters.

Thank you to Net Galley, the author and publisher for this ARC.
I was hooked from the beginning of this atmospheric thriller. I was transported to Key West (and realized that during a hurricane, it is not where I want to be). I felt like I was right there with Magda. I even researched Isobel, and realized she is not a real author. It was an interesting mystery and I wanted a little more at the end of the story. If you like thrillers, mysteries, a little bit of history, and to be transported this is the book for you. I also enjoyed the narrator of this audio book.

Surviving the Storm

Thrilling and suspenseful this is a mystery and a story of survival. It starts a bit slow but quickly picks up speed and is a very emotional and action packed story.

Magda is the caretaker of the historical home of the famous poet Isobel Reyes who committed suicide in the 1800's. She takes her job very seriously and has restored the home back to its original state during Isobel's time in history, right up to the trees and flowers. She wants the poet to be remembered for her poetry and not for the suicide. When a hurricane threatens Key West where the home is located she decides to stay with the home instead of evacuating.

As the hurricane hits land , first a fire in the gift shop, then a flood threaten the home in the midst of the storm taking most of her supplies with it. As if this is not frightening enough when part of the house collapses during the storm in the rubble a battered suitcase is unearthed containing a woman's remains. Magda wonders if there is more to Isobel's story than history shows.

To add to the mayhem, a man and his pregnant daughter arrive in the middle of the storm seeking shelter. At first she shows compassion for the man and his ill daughter. Then as events happen she wonders if they are really who they say they are. Is she in more danger from the storm or from her guests? Can she survive the storm and solve the mystery of Isobel's story?

This was a good story, the narrator did a great job telling it on the audio book and I did enjoy listening to it. I would recommend it.

Thanks to Eliza Nellums for writing a great story, for the wonderful narration by Nancy Peterson and to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for making it available to me.

Magda Trudell is the caretaker of Whimbrell Estate in Key West, Florida. The stately property was once home to a famous American poet, Isobel Reyes, who committed suicide on the property in 1918. Magda, a botanist and historian, has dedicated her most recent years to restoring Whimbrell Estate to its former glory; something Isobel could be proud of.

Magda's hope is for Whimbrell to be recognized as a national historic site. It's important to her that Isobel's legacy be passed down for future generations to enjoy. Some might say she is a little obsessed with it actually.

When a fierce hurricane is reported to be headed straight for the Keys, local authorities call a mandatory evacuation. Magda isn't hearing it. There is no way she is fleeing and leaving her life's work at risk to Mother Nature. She must stay and protect the property, whatever the cost.

Once the storm hits, it proves to be just as dangerous as the experts predicted. Go figure. Now with her supplies wiped out and the house barely livable, Magda has company arrive. A teenage girl and her father, seeking shelter from the storm. Without many resources to spare, Magda nonetheless takes them in. It's the three of them against the storm. Will they be able to survive?

In amongst all of this, Magda discovers some hidden artifacts that she believes may be tied to Isobel's death. You know she will never leave those artifacts behind. This is her chance to leave her imprint on Isobel's story.

The Bone Cay is a good book. I had never read anything by Eliza Nellums and I'm glad that I had a chance to. I think for a lot of people, this will be a really great story. For me, it was good. It kept my attention and I'm glad that I read it. However, I wouldn't say it will remain particularly memorable for me.

It's a simply-told, linear story that makes a great escape from regular life. I enjoyed the setting of the Keys and Magda's role as caretaker for the Estate. Some aspects of the storm and the discovery of the new artifacts seemed a little strange to me, but in the context of the story, it did flow fairly well. As I mentioned above, I do think a lot of Readers will enjoy this. I think it could work well for history buffs, particularly Florida history buffs, and people just getting into the Thriller genre.

Thank you so much to the publishers, Crooked Lane Books and Dreamscape Media, for providing me with copies to read and review. I did listen to the audiobook and would recommend that as a medium for reading this story. It was quite well narrated.