Secrets of Rose Briar Hall

By: Kelsey James

The cover is what drew me in but the hopes of a historical gothic tale with a mystery vibe is what sealed the deal.

After an event at her home, Millie falls ill and wakes almost a month later with no memory of the evening or the previous three weeks. She was immediately diagnosed with hysteria and amnesia—all the makings of an exciting suspense/mystery.

Ultimately I did enjoy the story with some good twists and turns but I never did really connect. It’s very possible that the narration was the culprit.

Narration: Unfortunate The narration was a struggle…Im not sure you could convince me this wasn’t AI.

Thank you NetGalley and Highbridge Audio for allowing me the opportunity to provide an honest review of this title. Opinions are my own!

I received an audiobook version from Netgalley. This book was just okay for me. The main character seemed very needy to me despite the fact that she was also independent. I think part of that was due to the time that this book was supposed to take place, but I just found it a little annoying. It was also quite repetitive in areas. All in all, it was okay, but I wouldn't buy it for myself.

Secrets of Rose Briar Hall AUDIO by Kelsey James is both a fabulous story and a fabulous listen. It is the story of Millie Turner, a society maven who is married to wealthy stockbroker, Charles Turner. They are living in 1908 Long Island in a mansion bought and paid for by Millie’s father and gifted to her. They are having a party, a huge society party, full of her friends and of society’s elite. She hasn’t felt well all evening and all she can remember is seeing a woman, who is no friend of hers, fall off her chair. When she wakes up it is three weeks later. As she slowly comes to, Charles explains to her that she has been ill. It has been three weeks and she remembers nothing of the party or the illness. All she knows is that it is cold and the servants all seem to be gone. This is a Gilded Age mystery, of sorts, which it takes her a while to unravel. She discovers along the way that her husband has been defrauding his clients and cheating on her, and is possibly a murderer. Slowly her memory returns and she seeks help from a childhood friend who is now a newspaper report: David Hannigan.

Millie begins this story as a sheltered daughter and wife. By the end of it she is so much more. Difficult to reveal much of the plot without spoilers but let it be said, her husband is a piece of work. He is a liar and a cheat and good at it. She tries multiple times to get around him and always fails. He is everywhere and she is concerned for her life. He holds too much power. It is an enjoyable story, which builds to the desired end, if not a bit anti-climacticly. There were multiple twists and turns along the way, making it an enticing listen.

Sofia Willingham is the reader who brings Millie to life, starting as a naive, sheltered young woman and using only her voice gives her more and more power as time goes by. She brings her into herself. It was so much fun to listen to this artist at work.

I was invited to listen to Secrets of Rose Briar Hall by HighBridge Audio. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #HighBridgeAudio #KelseyJames #SecretsOfRoseBriarHall

I want to like thrillers, but often, they frustrate me because I concentrate too much on figuring out what is happening to enjoy the story. This was a crystal-clear thriller, and I was not left guessing. I was so convinced I knew what was happening that I thanked someone for not doing that.

So either I am highly perceptive (doubtful), or others will quickly catch on. However, I liked the storyline, and the historical details were fascinating. The period was not one I had encountered much in prior reading, so that was nice.

While there were thriller elements, the romance and historical fiction elements made this a nice story.

Thank you to Net Galley and HighBridge Audio for the audio ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you HighBridge Audio and Netgalley for the advance reader copy of this audiobook. This novel is a mix of 1900s New York society mixed with a suspense novel. While I figured out the ending fairly quickly (~30% into the novel), I was invested in the main character and was rooting for her the rest of the novel. I also enjoyed the narrator.

Part gothic mystery, part Gilded Age domestic suspense, 𝙎𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙍𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝘽𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙧 𝙃𝙖𝙡𝙡 draws the reader into the opulent world of New York City’s Gilded Age. I found myself mesmerized by the author’s prose and riveted by the paranoia of the first chapters.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. However, I truly struggled with the narrator. There was something about the airy, breathy delivery that just made me uncomfortable.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭:
🥀 gothic mystery
🥀 historical fiction — 1908, Long Island
🥀 lies, murder —suspense and paranoia
🥀 scandal and spice

I am torn in reviewing this book, as I was provided the audiobook as an ARC copy from NetGalley and RBmedia. My rating is based on the fact that this is the audiobook, not the physical book, and I feel it would be different if I had read the physical book.

The narrator in the audiobook, Sofia Willingham, was extremely difficult to listen to, her voice for the duration was a strange whisper, the pacing too slow, and her articulation of certain (irrelevant) words sharp. The lack of smoothness from the narrator disrupted the natural rhythm of the narrative, preventing me from fully immersing myself in the storyline. Her narration did not enhance the book, but rather detracted from it. The poor narration highlights the crucial role narrators have in bringing an audiobook to life, and how the performance shapes the perception and enjoyment of a story.

As for the story itself, I liked the historical gothic mystery, I thought that Kelsey James intertwined the elements of suspense with a poignant exploration of societal injustices faced by women. Millie Turner is a spirited and intelligent woman whose life becomes entangled in the web of secrets created by her husband. James exposes the constraints imposed upon women in the 1900s, particularly at the hands of men. It exemplified how far women have come in just over 100 years. There were some very evocative scenes within the book, where you really felt for and rooted for Millie Turner.

I have tried hard to distinguish my feelings for the story from that of the narration of the audiobook. I know that I would have preferred reading the physical book.

Historical Romance. A Grueling Mystery. Horror. Suspenseful. An Absolute Thrill.


Millie Turner is our beautiful main character, once a happy woman who thought well of her powerful husband. I do not like being anxious. Every second of reading this novel had me tense and biting my lip. My heart was racing and I was just praying that our main character would get out alive, with hopefully her sanity and heart, in tact.

There are so many parts of this book having me question everything, just to reveal another secret or truth I hadn't anticipated. This is good, it is no fun if the reader anticipates what's in store. Except, it is a jumble of confusion, and so much eerie suspense.

The patriarchy had me grinding my teeth. Millie's family are terrible people, although I do not agree with how she approached revealing a terrifying secret of her spouse to the parents that had raised her. Millie's father ought to jump off a cliff. And anyone, literally any friend or family could have taken her side, even tried to believe her.

That is what squeezed my heart so. Not the harrowing events that occur that are horrifying, but the fact that the people she loves and cares about sneer at her. The people that are meant to love her without restraint are looking down on her and judging her situation instead of just loving her.

This mystery was set in the gilded age of New York. I was delighted this book had so many elements, forming a delightful cozy thriller. I hated the fact that the reader could not depend on Millie's narrative. The entire story I only got her account of things, which proved to be intentionally misleading later on.

In conclusion, this book was horrifying and gripping and creepy. Absolutely fascinating! I am a girly who finds gothic novels endearing, and this one truly did not miss the mark. My final words: screw misogyny and screw the way women were treated back in the day! The only saving grace of this novel was the delightful childhood friend who came just in the nick of time to potentially steal Millie's heart away. Must read! 🌟🌟🌟/5 Stars!

📚🎧ARC review -audiobook edition! 🎧📚
🎧: Secrets of Briar Rose Hall by Kelsey James, narrated by Sofia Willingham
📆Release Date: yesterday!! June 15,2024
✨rating; ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is my very first audiobook review! I am stoked to do more! 

In the early 1900s, Millie Turner is a new wife in high society, about to host her first party in her Long Island Estate. As her party begins she gets a premonition that things are about to go terribly wrong. When she wakes up after, extremely hungover, she discovers her premonition came true, but she cannot remember what really happened. As Millie begins to regain her memories, she learns awful truths about her life as she has come to know it and fights to keep her life, however different it may have to be. 

This audiobook took me an hour or so to get into. The narrator's voice, at first, was a little boring. But once I got used to her, I grew to really enjoy the story and even liked her voice by the end. The story had me on the edge of my seat, A LOT. More than I expected. Every time I thought there would be a resolution, something unexpected happened. I felt so much for Millie, and could not have predicted how the story came to an end. All said, I really enjoyed this story and audiobook. I rate it a 4⭐️, and I will definitely recommend it to others! 

Thank you Netgalley and HighBridge Audio for the advance copy and thank you Kelsey James and Sofia Willingham for the intriguing book!!

This audiobook reminded me of parts of my childhood, with so many people truly gaslighting the main character. The narrator was fantastic. Sometimes with audiobooks I find myself bored listening to the voices, not the case with this book. The characters were well fleshed out, and often surprised me with their actions. Very good book, and I look forward to purchasing my own copy to keep.

So so so VERY GOOD.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat the ENTIRE time. I was equally intrigued and frustrated (in a good way) as the historical demeanor towards women really hurt sooo many. I could easily imagine that Millie's experience was true for so many of this time.

Millie finds her self in a very precarious situation that could upend her entire world. She is a very strong FMC and thankfully so as she will find herself leaning on her own strength to move through numerous set-backs.

This was a GOTHIC MASTERPIECE! Twists, turns, mystery, and intrigue, this book has it all. I really enjoyed this read and I HIGHLY recommend you pick this book up for yourself!

Thank You to NETGALLY for the opportunity to read this book. This is my honest review left voluntarily.

I enjoyed Secrets of Rose Briar Hall. I found it to be creative and very well written. Millie has everything until she wakes up and her world is shattered. The unfolding of the twisted plot and selfish pursuits of others is truly gaslighting at its finest. There are moments I knew Millie was right, yet even as she questioned herself, it was hard not question with her. My only dislike in this book are the sex scenes; they did not seem to add anything to the story and actually felt a little out of place with the rest of the writing. Otherwise, the story was convincing, the plot plenty twisted, and I rather enjoyed trying to unravel all the threads to find the truth. I enjoyed the audiobook narration and found it to be the right cadence for the tone being set.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

Kelsey James's **Secrets of Rose Briar Hall** offers a chilling glimpse into the gilded cage of a New York socialite in the early 1900s; however, Millie, the first person POV FMC, is a contradiction. Despite acknowledging her manipulative social circle and self-absorbed parents, her surprise at the harsh treatment she receives after becoming a social burden feels odd. Millie comes across as naive, rather than meek, in thinking that she has allies in those around her.

The novel’s strength is in its exploration of societal themes. The class divide between Millie and her working-class love interest, David adds a layer of social commentary to the suspenseful plot. Although, while the romantic subplot with David is sweet, it would have been more empowering to see Millie triumph entirely on her own. The constant threat of being labeled "hysterical" and being institutionalized against her will is a chilling reminder of the powerlessness women faced during this era.

I read the novel as an audiobook with narration by Sofia Willingham which may have contributed to my lackluster impressions. While the story itself is compelling, Willingham's breathy delivery pulled me out of the immersive experience of the audiobook.

Overall, "Secrets of Rose Briar Hall" is an entertaining gothic thriller with a strong central mystery and thought-provoking social commentary. Fans of Daphne du Maurier will find echoes of "Rebecca" in the grand estate, sinister housekeeper, and the underlying mystery. While it may not leave a lasting impression, it provides a satisfying escape for readers who enjoy the genre.

This was an interesting mystery in the respect of not being able to trust the narrator. She is a person who got everything right in life but with the occurrences of one party, it is all gone. The story is well paced and the characters are almost predictably unpredictable. I wish I rooted for her more but the only real grounding part of her character is that she is new money. There were times that I simply rolled my eyes and thought "poor little rich girl." All of that did balance out with the fact that women in the early 1900's didn't have a lot of say over their lives. I was astounded to see how some of the events in the story played out while having to remind myself that it did happen like that for a lot of women.

The story is a little slow paced and the audiobook narrator did not help matters so I was at a solid 1.5x for most of this. That being said, I did enjoy reading this and would definitely recommend it!

This isn't the kind of book I usually read. I pretty much exclusively read horror. I requested it thinking it was a completely different book.
But since I'm trying to broaden my reading-horizon, and was kindly granted access to the ARC audiobook, I figured I'd give it a go.

And I'm so happy I did. I found this audible experience really pleasant, and the story was really entertaining. The writing was great. I guessed where some of the story was going, but it still had plenty of twists and turns to keep me entertained, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

The writing's evocative. It's atmospheric and moody. Gives all the gothic feels... It made the listening experience addictive, making it hard to put down until it was done. (I wanted to reach through the ether and fight for Millie so badly...)

Regardless of historical fiction not being my favorite sub-genre, I was pleasantly surprised, and enjoyed it very much. Also I can think of MANY people I'll be recommending it to. (My mother and her book club being the first ones.)

Thank you to Netgalley, HighBridge Audio and Kelsey James for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 / 5

This was my first Kelsey James novel, it was okay. It seemed to lack much depth and was fairly predictable.

1908, Long Island: For Millie Turner, the young and beautiful wife of a powerful New York stockbroker, Rose Briar Hall—a gleaming edifice of white marble on the North Shore—is more than a home. Every lavish detail speaks of Charles Turner’s status and wealth, and its stylish interior is testament to Millie’s sophistication. All that’s left is to prove her worthiness to be his bride. What better way than to throw a grand party for New York’s social elite?

After painstaking planning, the night of the event arrives and all is perfection—until Millie wakes to a cold, eerily quiet house, and a gray cloud where her memory should be. Can it be true that she has been in and out of consciousness for weeks, ever since the party took a terrifying turn? Millie recalls nothing. But her friends have shunned her, and it soon becomes clear that if she can't find out what really happened that night, much more than her reputation will be at risk . . .

As the house that promised so much happiness begins to feel more like a prison, Millie wonders whether a woman alone, even a wealthy one, can ever be entirely safe. And if she succeeds in finding the truth, will it bring relief, or shake her marriage, and her life, to the core?

If you like psychological, horror, historical mystery then this is for you. I don’t tend to gravitate to books that depict such abuse because it is rather personal and frustrating to me. With that being said, this is a great read for the right audience. It felt so real!

Millie Turner may live in the beautiful Rose Briar Hall but life inside is not as grand as it seems. After a death at a party she threw for New York’s elite her life took a turn. She thought she had a loving husband and a comfortable life. But when the truth starts coming out her husband tries to do away with her.

This book could use a small trigger warning for domestic abuse. The author does a great job depicting what women experienced throughout history. Millie experiences lots of emotional and psychological abuse by her husband. He was constantly gaslighting her and so many people were complicit in his abuse. Nobody believed women and this book definitely represented that. He had full control of her life. Because her husband basically said she is crazy, everyone just believes him. Men could use whatever means necessary to get rid of their wives. He wanted her out of his way without the stigma of divorce.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator does a very good job. I found her voice to be so soothing despite the serious nature of this storyline.

Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review

This book kept me on the edge of my seat. The way the story unfolded was very exciting. I liked Millie and I enjoyed hearing the story from her POV. I wish we had had another point of view though, and the ending seemed a little too perfect. I was kind of hoping for one final twist.

I did listen to this as an audiobook and I was not a fan of the narrator. Her voice was a bit too breathy for me.

Thank you NetGalley for the ALC!

Millie has the best house in Rose Briar Hall. Everything is lavish and shows off the wealth of her and her husband, Charles. So, why not throw a big party. But the party does not go as planned and Millie suffers a traumatic experience that puts her in a state of unconsciousness with no memory of what actually happened.

This story is a bit predictable and expected. Plus, there were places I wanted to slap some people for stupid decisions. But, that being said, I did enjoy this mystery because I enjoyed Millie, especially towards the end. Now, at the beginning she is a bit of a wimp (and I wanted to shake her till her brains rattled and she got some sense!) But, she finally gets a grip on her impending doom and takes matters into her own hands!

The narrator, Sofia Willingham, is not necessarily my favorite. She is a bit breathless in her narration. But, this will not stop me from another listen. It is just something I noticed.

Need a good historical murder mystery…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

This book caught my attention quite quickly. A historical mystery about a young woman who married a man she thought she knew but quickly learned he was someone else. When a woman dies at Millie's party, she is accused of having a hysterical fit by her husband and her memory of the night is completely gone. This novel covers how little control women had over their lives during the gilded age. Told from Millie's POV while she desperately tries to figure out the truth of what really happened that fateful night.

Thanks to Netgalley for the audio ARC of this book.