Member Reviews
This one just wasn’t for me unfortunately. I found myself getting bored easily and I ended up skipping to the end to see if I predicted what would happen and I did.
Not sure why this religious, fantasy romance story was in the horror section, but it was and I feel fooled. Not at all something I'm interested in. Still gave it a chance, it just wasn't for me.
Wow! I loved this book! After the death of her husband, Gemma and her daughter Opal move into the home of her grandmother. A beauty built next to the ocean that housed her family for generations. There she experiences many strange occurrences, voices, singing and it is there that she learns of her gift. She is the one who must break the evil that has bound her family for years. I was sucked in! Great read, quick chapters and I loved the generational history of the story line! Thank you netgalley and Publisher for another great read!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This was so so for me. A quick read but I wasn’t into the romance aspect at all.
Not a bad book but just not something that really interested me.
This was a super quick read for me as I finished it in one sitting! With that, this is definitely not my normal genre but I wanted to switch it up a bit and was pleasantly surprised with how much I did enjoy this story.
You could tell the author did a lot of research into the world that was being built and described. I felt that i wanted more current interactions from Gemma and Opal and the relationships they were building. Besides Gemma and Eric’s relationship and a tiny bit of Opal’s you got more of the story from Gemma just reading a journal.
It definitely gives off fall gothic vibes. It was a cozy thriller imo, but I felt it wasn’t super memorable and somewhat “basic.” in a sense. It kept me intrigued the entire time but I feel that isn’t much that surprised me or will leave an impression now that the read is done.
Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for for supplying me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Gemma Clayborn and her daughter Opal move to her family’s home in Washington after the death of her husband. Moonstone has been handed down through the ages to the woman in the family whom have all been named after precious jewels. Upon arriving at Moonstone House, Gemma and Opal come upon a beautiful flowering red tree growing in the yard that never sheds it’s leaves. Buried beneath the tree holds a secret that can only be uncovered by “she who holds the key”. What sets into motion once Gemma finds out the women of Moonstone House are gifted after discovering her great great grandmother’s journal? And who is the handyman Eric Johnson and what magically draws them together? This is a book you don’t want to miss
Nope. This was a nope for me. The romance and religious aspects to it made this a totally cheesy read. If you're OK with a lot of faith and God references, you'll be OK with it but this is a hard pass for me
I'm not 100% sure how I completely feel about this one. For starters I feel it should've been listed as a religious book and it wasn't. I wouldn't have gotten it if it was. It was listed as thriller/horror, which I don't feel it was at all. The last chapter was confusing and kind of a cop-out. The only good things about this one was the descriptive writing in the rest of the book, it was good writing, and I did like the basic plot of it. I don't think this one was for me, but I hope others enjoy.
I love this book! It's a perfect read for the season.
After the sudden death of her husband, Gemma moves with her daughter Opal to Moonstone House which was left to her by her grandmother. A whispering tree and a journal of her great grandmother lead her into a discovery of likeness of their lives.
I'd never heard of the Braucherei before this book. This is a beautiful story of loss and new beginnings. It will tug at your heart and set you on a mystery.
I really enjoyed this book - an easy, entertaining and quick read! As soon as I finished the first chapter, I was fully immersed in the story and the characters lives. The author does a great job of combining historical fiction with a modern setting and characters, plus a little bit of horror and romance. This is definitely on the mild side for horror but the story kept me interested and I was sad for it to end!
I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
After the death of her husband, Gemma moves with her daughter, Opal, from Seattle to Beacon Shores. It's supposed to be a chance for them to start over, but moving into her grandmother's house leads Gemma to discover some dark secrets about her family's history.
I enjoyed this! It's a quick read with gothic autumn vibes. There's clearly been a lot of research done into the Braucher traditions and history, and plenty of worldbuilding when it comes to our characters and the histories of their families.
Still, I think it's a lot more tell than show. Aside from the occasional vision, Gemma uncovers a lot of the secrets by sitting around and reading or having someone else explain it to her. There was probably room to explore more of what Opal was doing and the relationships they both develop in a way that would have improved the pacing a little bit.
But when all's said and done, it was fun and it's a nice book to start off the spooky season!
would like to thank netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this quirky book
newly widowed gemma and her daughter move to beacon shores to re-start their lives after the death of her husband
the house called moonstone house has been left to her by her grandmother and as soon as they arrive it feels like they are home and maybe they can heal
but its not long before strange thing start to happen...
wow i found i was very intrigued with this book and kept reading as i was drawn in by how well the author established each character and how it all unfolded
will be keeping an eye out for more of this authors works
Gemma Clayborn and her daughter, Opal, move from their city life and home in Seattle to Moonstone house in Beacon Shores in Washington. Moonstone house is a home inherited by Gemma from her grandmother and it’s a blessing in the wake of her husband’s death a year prior. But Moonstone House comes with its own set of troubles and intrigue. From needing a lot of renovation to having a past marred by tragedy and magic, the house itself gives Gemma the one thing she needs most in her life - a purpose.
With it’s lovely redbud tree in the yard, Gemma's memory is jogged by summers spent at Moonstone House before her mother suddenly cut them off from her grandmother. A journal helps Gemma understand the house’s history along with Eric, the contractor extraordinaire. An old town feud is revived putting the lives of Gemma and Opal in danger as the past comes to life in order to save lives.
Here’s what worked well for me:
The legend was absolute legend. Completely well researched yet not providing so many details as to distance the reader. Rather, the legends and folklore draw the reader into an incredible story.
Both the past and the present story worked very well. Each complimented the other very well and did an excellent job of story-telling.
The pacing of the story was excellent. I felt ready for the end and yet, it didn’t come too quickly. It never lagged at all but kept you wanting one chapter more.
Here’s what didn’t work well:
The romance was a bit much. It’s too much to meet and suddenly feel a connection. I realize it’s part of the story and the history but even finishing each other’s sentences right after meeting felt a little forced.
While I loved the story, I also knew what was going to happen. So it was the classic “witch hunt” story.
I was looking for a little more suspense and action at the very end and it was wrapped up very neatly. Very tidy. Too tidy.
Overall, I really did enjoy this book. It’s my first read by this author and I would definitely read more by her. Very well done. I’m so glad she took her time writing this story.
Thanks to NetGalley and Tangled Tree Publishing for this eARC in exchange for this review.
Read this. My jaw was on the floor at the end! It’s a quick read that mixes present and past. I loved this book, the short chapters were an added bonus too. I think this is the perfect spooky season read! This will be released on October 1st.
I really liked the way this one started. The setup, the premise, the original incorporation of the Pennsylvania Dutch religious element - which I never heard of and found absolutely fascinating - and the glorious old house restoration were excellently presented and felt fresh and intriguing. As things developed the story got a little more predictable, and a little more farfetched, although that may be because it turned out to be more of a romance than I anticipated. (It's not normally a genre I prefer to read.)
Still, there was a lot going on in the cross-generational elements were interesting , as was the history presented. I did find it to be an enjoyable and very fast read and I was entertained from start to finish, even though I did find the burgeoning romance and series of coincidences a little too tidy to be entirely believable...
I want to immensly thank #Netgalley for allowing me to read an eArc of the amazingly written #TheRememberingTree by the very talented #HRMason.
The Remebering Tree is poignantly and beautifully written. So filled with detail and history that you are pulled quickly into the family history of The Clayborns or as the town of Beacon Shores calls the women of that family The Jewels. Pearl moves with her family from Pennsylvania and brings with her the craft of Braucherei an old culteral tradition that relies on faith in the Holy Trinity, the power of The Bible and the unwavering belief in Christ. A Dutch healing folk practice that calls upon the healing power of God to heal both the physical and spiritul illness's.
The book begins with Pearl and her daughters Ruby and Amethyst burying deep in the ground a trunk that Pearl only tells them holds their family's future wiithin and eventually the right descendant will uncover it. Pearl places 3 seeds over the dirt under which the box is buried and covers them with more soil. Then her and her daughters sing over the seeds and they grow into a beautifully elegant Rosebud Tree that will bloom all year for generations to come.
Gemma and Opal are moving from their home in Seattle to the family home of MoonStone Manor on the shores of the ocean in a quant old style town named Beacon Shores. Opal is not happy to have been moved from her home in Seattle where the memories of her father Clayton who passed away a year ago still linger. But once she sees the house and finds out about the ocean in the backyard she decides it may not be so bad.
Gemma is greeted by the handsome and charming Eric Johnson, whom she has a very strange but aluring reaction to once she shakes his hand. It feels as though she has known him for years and maybe if she believed in such things as past lives. as Eric works on the home his need to protect the girls grows as does his deeper emotions for Gemma. Eric however has a secret he is afraid to mention to Gemma fearing that it will cause her to think of him differently.
Gemma feels as though she is losing her mind within the home. There are moments and instances where she swears she can hear her Grandma Emerald talking to her, telling her all will be well that she has everything that she needs. Then comes the singing about The Remembering Tree being sung at odd times by the voice of a young woman. It feels as though the song is trying to lead her to something important annd that she has been given this home and the chance to correct a terrible wrong.
The Remembering Tree is enchantingly woven through with some of the history about German Braucherei of which there are still those that practice to this day. Many believed that those who practiced this folk magic were in league with the devil when in truth their power came through Christ and Christ alone. Several were labeled as witches and did not necassarily have the means to fight back. Sadly when people don't understand something they villianize it. Christ is present throughout this book but not in an overpowering way. It is so richly blended with culture and folk remedies that you can't help but be intrigued by Braucherei.
I will be adding this book to my collection as soon as I can, it struck something in me that I have a hard time explaining. I don't believe I will be forgetting the woman that live within these pages anytime soon. I truly hope that you pick up The Remembering Tree and get lost within its beautiful, mysterious pages as well.
The Remembering Tree
by HR Mason
I loved the cover, fit so perfectly in the Remembering tree. The book was a good one. Some parts had me smiling, others I was smiling. Wicked, and sweet? I do agree, that this would be a great movie. I was all in, and as you should...get this one.
I’m not big into horror, but I do like a good spooky house and this one seemed to fit the bill from the abstract I read. To be honest, I kept thinking this would be a good Hallmark Movie as it’s about as spooky as they might get. It covers all the basics, like a lost love, coming to terms with your life, and new love. Yep, it’s got it all! A quick and easy read.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley. This was a quick read and I did like the characters. I’d consider this kind of cozy horror. It borders on Lifetime movie-esque, complete with insta-love and benevolent ghosts. Not particularly memorable but a nice, simple read for a rainy day.