The Author is new to me. I devoured this book - loved it. Well written in my humble opinion. Great characters and story line. Interesting with a good flow.

The House of Light and Shadows by Lauren Westwood is a stunning historical paranormal mystery that has more flips, turns and twists than you can imagine! This clever author kept me guessing right up until the final chapters. The riveting journey left me breathless, anxious and pinned to the pages! I love stories where old houses are the prime characters with tales to tell of its past inhabitants. Yes, the old saying of ‘if these walls could speak’ suits The House of Light and Shadows extremely well. Rookswood House presents its mysterious past through a heartbroken ghost, various photos and other belongings left behind within its dilapidated frame.

Ultimately The House of Light and Shadows is about relationships—particularly between sisters who have a falling out: two from the past and two in the present. The parallels between these four women are quite uncanny with the current day characters learning from the past sisters—of how important it is to make amends while you can. Love, forgiveness and understanding are the required ingredients and this becomes obvious as the tangle of complex threads come together in this mesmerising tale. I felt the paranormal mystery elements to be quite original in many ways. There were times the events pulled me off centre and what happened was not what I expected. And there were lots of spooky occurrences that kept me on the edge of my seat! But as is often the case, with smoke and mirrors, light and shadows, things aren’t always as they appear. It was an unusual reading experience to say the least. But by the close of the story everything made sense. I loved the ending! It exudes incredible warmth and healing, once the supernatural and physical realm are back in balance.

I enjoyed both threads of the story: past resident sisters Adaline and Camile plus current day sisters Kate and Emma. Both elder sisters, Adaline and Kate, tell their stories. Each experience a falling out or separation from their younger sibling. The importance of re-establishing those past connections becomes the focal point. Romances are in the mix, too, but more as a smouldering backdrop than centerstage.

Kate has been estranged from her sister for many years. But when Emma has an accident, Kate is called to care for Emma’s teenage children, Max and Izzy. Emma’s husband is overseas and we slowly learn more about the reasons for his absence. Initially Kate is hesitant to take up the task, for obvious reasons, but the pull on her heart is stronger. She temporarily leaves her lawyer practice to dutifully care for her sister’s children. She has not seen them since they were small, so their re-acquaintance is a bit awkward. Rebellious Izzy is compared to a younger Kate while Max appears to have his father’s charm. Even worse is the fact Kate must visit her sister in hospital, face her emotions and overcome the hurdles of what tore them apart.

Adaline and Camile, also known as the Weird Sisters for their penchant for the sensational and the macabre, were very close in the past. But something happened that caused a tear in their sibling relationship. Camile disappears and Adaline never hears from her again. This breaks Adaline’s heart and she is never able to fine peace even after she passes. Much of her paranormal activity is related to this but when she connects with Kate, things begin to take shape.

Special effects photography is an important part of the story’s plot and it was the Weird Sisters’ specialty that draws us like a moth to their light. I found the research on ‘photoshopping’ techniques of the Victorians quite informative, since I personally have an interest in photography. The novel demonstrates the talent these two women and others had at the time and how difficult it was to recreate their exclusive works.

This is a very creative and unusual story. One I am sure I will never forget. I enjoyed The House of Light and Shadows, its leading and supporting characters and twisty plot! I look forward to reading more of this author’s romantic historical house mysteries—filled with thrills, chills and haunting atmosphere! 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

This story is about a spooky historical mansion with a mystery and stories of hauntings. It is a story about two sets of sisters, their mistakes, family love and forgiveness. In the present day, Kate and Emma are estranged, in the past we have the story of the sisters Ada and Camille and their photography career, the two stories together created an intriguing read with a good level of character development and growth. The plot is cozy with mildly thrilling moments and held my attention so that I finished quickly as it had a mostly fast-paced plot.


Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood books for this ARC. This is my honest review.

Lauren Westwood does a fantastic job in writing this historical mystery novel, it had that element that I was hoping for and enjoyed figuring out what was happening. The characters had that charm and worked with the setting perfectly. I was invested in what was happening and was glad I got to read this.

This was a quick, light read. Ultimately it’s a story about sisters and what happens when they have a falling out (for small reasons). The ghost story is there, but it’s not a ghost story.

I enjoyed the paranormal elements of this book, and preferred the storyline in the past to that of the present. It is atmospheric and paced well. I did not care for the romances and would have preferred they be left out, but that is typical of a cozy mystery, as is the tidy wrap up at the end. 3.5/5 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The House of Light & Shadows follows main character Kate as she gets a call that her estranged sister has been hurt and her kids need a caretaker. Kate meets new family and learns they live in a gatehouse near a (super creepy) historic home. In the house, Kate experiences some haunting moments that lead her on a surprising path to healing old family wounds.

Readers who love good/evil, women in STEM, and books with several (!!) suspicious charters will enjoy this book.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The relationships between the sisters really resonated with my personal relationship with my own sister and I loved how that took precedent over romance. The characters were well formed and relatable and the plot was very well thought out and didn't feel rushed or unexplained. All loose ends tied up. I liked it so much that I'm going to read another book by the same author now. I'd like to thank Netgalley, the author and publisher for the advanced copy to read and review.

This is a great example of a book that I wanted to enjoy way more than I actually ended up.

The central premise of the story is really intriguing as it follows the lives of two pairs of sisters from different time periods connecting by an old house in an England. The relationships between the sisters are a clear mirror of each other which sets the reader up to prematurely jump to conclusions which initially keeps you guessing.

Unfortunately, for me, outside of the main premise the book starts to flounder. The main character in the modern era, Kate, just comes across as poorly written. She is a successful London based lawyer yet her interactions with people come across consistently bratty and immature with her constantly jumping to conclusions and making snide comments. On top of this there are two male characters both of whom she immediately seems to chase romance with which just seem unnecessary to the plot.

The other set of sisters are much better written in my eyes and I found myself significantly favouring their chapters. I found myself reading up on Victorian photography methods and effects in response.

The conclusion, when it comes, feels a tad rushed and predictable in the end. It’s a shame really because it definitely has the bones of a great story. That being said I can definitely see it making a good holiday read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the eARC

This was my first book by this author, and I was so pleasantly surprised! I love when an interesting house is a character in a book. This fit the bill of cozy and suspenseful but without a hint of cheesiness. Loved the writing style, and the intelligent approach to the paranormal. Will absolutely be returning for more from this author!

⋆ ✧ . 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 . ✧ ⋆

📷 📷 📷📸 (3.5/5)

📖: The House of Light and Shadows
✍️: Lauren Westwood

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘽𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙬𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝘼𝙍𝘾.

💭 𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
This was an atmospheric and captivating story right from the start. I was instantly drawn in by the backstory of the falling out between two sisters and how after everything, one still came running to help the other at her time of need. I enjoyed the cozy mystery and paranormal elements of this book and appreciated the humanization of the spirit depicted in the writing. It was interesting to take a deep dive into the mind of the ghost versus just the haunted. The notion that humans are actually the most harmful beings was something that stuck with me. Though I did enjoy this book, I felt things were tied up just a bit too neatly with a pretty bow at the ending. It felt a bit rushed at that point but overall, I’d recommend this to anyone who’s into a little bit of mystery but wants to keep things light.

I found this book very unsettling. The interplay between characters was disturbingly controlling on the part of the elder sisters. I think on the whole I did not particularly like it. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A dual timeline novel featuring 2 sisters years apart and the haunted house that links them. It wasn't what I thought I would read...I finished it. Didn't care for it, didn't care for the characters. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

I started this book but have given up a quarter way through.
I'm not a fan of clichéd plots that involve a single woman falling for the local hunk who helps her overcome some crisis that she's panicking about.
This is a typical and much used storyline. I prefer a thriller.

First off thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this book.

I devoured this book.

The House of Light and Shadows is a wonderful story about family, love and forgiveness. Not everything is as it seems when Kate arrives at Rookswood to look after her niece and nephew while her sister recovers from an accident.

Kate starts to really grow in confidence and come into her own in this new life in the country versus her career driven life in London.

The plot is both cosy and mildy thrilling at once. The pace is just right. I do think the book may be a difficult for all readers to enjoy. At times i felt the descriptive words in the book had been conjured from a thesaurus. That aside I really enjoyed this book and felt it was well written. The historical facts on photography were well integrated without being too dry or too much.

I just loved the whole growth of Kate as a person and the wonderful group of family and friends that come together through a series of events.

I feel this book was such a wonderful tale and really a beautiful lesson for all of us on forgiveness.

This is a story about sisters, mistakes, love and forgiveness. In the present day, Kate and Emma are estranged, but as events unfold, it seems both of them were ill treated by the same man. In the beginning, I found Kate a bit pompous and quick to jump to conclusions, so it was good to watch her character evolve. Equally intriguing is the story of the sisters Ada and Camille and their photography career, which went pear shaped after a fire incident. They lived in an old house that Emma now owns, and strange things are happening. All in all, it was an interesting story, with lovely characters and a strong message about the value of family. Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC to read and review.

The House of Light and Shadows has everything I could ever want - strong, independent female MC. Spooky old mansion. A centuries-old mystery. A forbidden lesbian romance. Creepy Victorian photography. Positive autistic representation. GHOSTS!!! This book has it ALL. I got chills... I cried happy tears... I am OBSESSED with this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.

Kate hasn't spoken to her sister Emma in 15 years, ever since Emma stole her fiancé Philip from her. She is now a hotshot lawyer in London, about to make partner, so when a call comes in from Dr Matthew Whitford, the grumpy headmaster of the posh school Emma's two children Izzy and Max attend, she isn't happy to have her routine interrupted. Emma is in hospital and has apparently offered Kate's name up as next of kin. Reluctantly, Kate drives to the dilapidated big house that Emma and Philip unwisely bought in order to renovate it. Not only is it unfit for habitation (the family live in the small gatehouse) but it's also spooky. Oh, and Philip is nowhere to be seen.

In 1880 something, Rookswood House was occupied by a photographer, his wife and two daughters, Ava and Camile. The Victorians loved the macabre and it was a craze back then to have photos doctored so bodies would appear headless or with their head under their arm. Photos of dead people in alive poses were also popular. Ava got her father to teach her the art of photography, so when their parents died, they had a means of supporting themselves. The Weird Sisters, as they were known, swore to always stay together, but then something happened to tear them apart forever. Now Ava is a trapped spirit who haunts the big house, not able to move on, and strange things happen to Kate and anyone else coming close to the house.

We get two stories here of two pairs of sisters, all brought together by a crumbling manor house. I'm not normally one for ghost stories but I was drawn in by the cover so I downloaded it. I'm glad I did. It is more atmospheric than spooky, and it's best to just believe there's a ghost and get drawn into the story. I really liked Ava and Camile's flashback parts because they felt kind of exotic, whereas Kate's story was modern and without the interrupting "can you find my sister for me?" ghost could have been a regular romance, albeit with secrets and sister reconciliation. I thought Kate was rude and snappy at the beginning but Izzy wasn't much better. Then there is Charlie the builder - what are his true intentions?

Recommended if you liked Jenni Keer's The Ravenswood Witch. This is a new author for me, but Lauren Westwood, like many Boldwood Books authors, is on Kindle Unlimited, so I immediately downloaded The House of Second Chances for future perusal.

4.5 stars

I just finished a great book by Lauren Westwood. The House of Light and Shadows was definitely worth the read!

This is a creepy book that looks into the Victorian tradition of photographing the dead. Once considered a way to remember and celebrate lost family and friends, it's obviously considered less palatable today. Add a haunted house and a missing woman and you get a sinister read