The House of Hidden Secrets

This book drew me in and didnt stop untill i finished this book.
So many layers to the secrets in this house. And i loved it. Totally would recommend this to friends.
Amazing.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Hera Books and the author, CE Rose, for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of The House of Hidden Secrets in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion
I read this book in one sitting. I loved it. Every time I thought I had worked out where the author was going, another twist would be thrown in.
The storyline was well thought out and written. The characters were well drawn and mysterious. I would certainly read more from this author.
Well worth a read.

What a story. Just as the title suggests there are so many layers of secrets in Ramsey Hall that every time you think you are beginning to unravel them another twist happens. I was gripped to the story right from the explosive prologue, wondering who’s point of view it was written from and who they had killed?

I enjoyed watching the character development of Serena, Hugh and Jack and seeing how each came to be where they were. Desperate to get more answers I couldn’t put the book down but kept getting more questions raised. Throughout the story I felt my loyalties constantly challenged and changing between the characters.

I would recommend this book and will keep an eye out for further books by C E Rose in future.

Single mother Serena needs a job where she can look after her four year old daughter, Lana. The housekeeping position at Ramsay Hall seems almost heaven sent. She gets along well with her employer, Hayden and his younger brother, Hugh, but older brother Hugh, proves to be a thorn in Serena’s side. As Serena and Jack grow closer, she can’t help but be wary of his attitude around her daughter. It would seem that Ramsay Hall has dark secrets, almost those as dark as Serena herself

I enjoyed this book. Kept me entertained and intrigued throughout. I struggle a little with the different perspectives from the different characters but the author made a pretty smooth transition and made it better to follow the story. I felt myself feeling confident that I knew what was going on until the next chapter and then I was left to wonder. I think the author did a great job of weaving the story line and making you wonder what would happen next and what was really going on. This kept me busy as I didn’t want to quit in the middle before figuring out the ending. Thank you so much NetGalley and C.E. Rose, for allowing me the chance to read this book.

3.5 stars. Hayden Ramsey hires housekeeper Serena Green to help take care of him and Ramsey Hall following an injury. Each character has an intricate past and the secrets continue to unfold through the perspectives of Serena and Hayden’s two sons - Hugh and Jack.

The House of Hidden Secrets is an exciting physiological thriller that is tough to put down! It starts a little slow as we are introduced to each of the characters, but quickly builds to many twists and secrets that will keep you guessing till the end! I would definitely read more by CE Rose in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hera Books, and CE Rose, for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of the House of Hidden Secrets.

"The imposing gates of Ramsay Hall yawned open. As Serena and 4-year-old Lana walked up the long driveway, little did they know the dark secrets that lay within.

When Serena Green accepted the role of housekeeper for wealthy widower Hayden Ramsay, she never imagined her new home would be Ramsay Hall, an ancient, sprawling mansion in Northern England.

Serena quickly becomes an integral part of the household, making friends with Hayden’s younger son Hugh, despite Jack, his older brother’s, coldness towards her and Lana.

But the hall’s beautiful exterior hides many ugly secrets. Though Serena and Jack begin to grow closer, she’s confused by his behaviour around Lana. What is he guilty of? And is there more to their mother’s death than the Ramsay men will admit, even to themselves?

As the harrowing past of Ramsay Hall unravels, Serena fresh start becomes a fresh horror. She fears for her and Lana’s safety, but what are the bleak secrets in Serena’s own past?

This house is built on a lifetime of lies...and the truth might just bring the walls crashing down.

A twisty, gripping and utterly unputdownable new thriller that fans of Lisa Jewell, C.L. Taylor and Mark Edwards will love."

What fresh horror is this?

I just finished this book today. It took me a bit to get into it but once I was about halfway, things started happening and secrets came to light. Serena and her daughter are moving into a large estate to help the owner with housekeeping while he recovers from an injury. She meets both of his sons and begins to have feelings for one of them. This is a hard review to write because I don’t want to give away any of the twists and turns. If you love a good suspense novel, definitely pick this one up!

Every time I thought I learned something about a character in this book everything changed, it gives a new meaning to the description of a twisted plot. When Serena takes a job as a housekeeper for a man recovering from a broken hip, she and her 4 year old daughter move in to the estate. 2 adult sons live there as well, and the story is told from their points of view, as well as Serena’s. Each character slowly evolves as we learn bits and pieces about each of them, and they uncover new truths about themselves and family members.
I had a hard time putting this book down, it was so intense. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance copy, I’ll be looking for more by this author.

Serena, Jack, and Hugh grab your attention from their very first chapters! I was concerned with the changing point of view as they can be difficult to follow, however that was not an issue with this book. It is well written with smooth transitions from character to character and has beautiful plot development. I loved following each person’s point of view and eagerly devoured the next development. I found myself questioning everyone except sweet Lana in the story and wondering just what exactly had happened. Each new chapter brought just enough to light to keep me glued to the words. As I got to the last quarter of the book things were moving at a lovely clip and I couldn’t put the book down. As I finished the last page, I nearly dropped my kindle! WHAT?!?! It’s definitely a book you’ll want to pick up!

The House of Hidden Secrets is a dark, compelling read by C E Rose. It is a slow-burner, but I was really intrigued by the characters, and there are some shocking reveals as the plot unfolds. Part romance and part psychological thriller; this is an engrossing read that kept me captivated from start to finish.

We meet Serena and her daughter Lana; Serena has just applied for a position at a manor house in the country. She is offered the job by Hayden, the owner, on the spot. But as Serena and her daughter Lana settle into their new home, she discovers that things are not quite as they seem. The owner’s son is hostile towards her, and he can’t believe that his father employed her. But why is he so worried about her employment, and what secrets is he desperate to make sure Serena doesn’t uncover?

I thought C E Rose developed Serena’s character really well. There is an air of mystery about her as she arrives at the property. It is as if she has arrived like a bolt out of the blue. I wondered if there was more to her than what first meets the eye. The owner of the house, Hayden, intrigued me as well. From the beginning, he appeared to be very trustworthy of Serena, even though he has no evidence that she is. The only person in the household who is worried about her presence there is his son, Jack. He doesn’t exactly give her a warm welcome when he first meets her.

As I was reading, I wanted to find out what secrets the residents of the house were hiding. It was clear that something had happened in their past and that Jack doesn’t want Lana poking around. But Lana begins to grow close to Jack’s brother, Hayden, and as Hayden begins to gradually reveal more about the family’s secrets to Lana, she is shocked by what she learns.

What I really liked about this book was how C E Rose developed Serena and Hayden’s relationship. You can see there is a spark between them from the beginning, but C E Rose paints Hayden as a troubled and vulnerable character. I wanted their relationship to develop further, and I could see that Hayden wanted to be with Serena.

The writing is very engaging, and I did not want to put this book down as I was reading. There are some very intense scenes as C E Rose wraps her story up, and the ending was very chilling. The House of Hidden Secrets is a dark, utterly absorbing read. I really enjoyed it.

The House of Hidden Secrets is the first book I've read by CE Rose. I found it on NetGalley and thought the cover and description were strong. It takes place in the UK, in a quiet country estate with a small cottage and a lot of property. Serena and her four-year-old daughter, Lana, arrive for a new job as a housekeeper and caretaker for an older man who's had a bad fall. Hayden's wife died years ago, and he has two middle-aged sons. One is a lawyer, the other seems disconnected and perhaps unstable.

As the title suggests, everyone in the house is keeping a secret. Little by little, readers learn some backstory. Serena is running from a bad marriage. Hugh, the younger of the sons, has a dangerous friendship with a schoolmate who's returned from Australia without his wife and kids. Jack, the older son, can be harsh and quite dark, but he's a well-connected attorney. Hayden seems nice on the exterior, but there's a subtlety in all he does that raises alarm bells. When we learn about an accident from years ago, readers must decide whether one or more of these characters are beyond troubled and potentially a murderer.

For the most part, I enjoyed this book. I can be fickle about UK authors or writing if it strays too far into a setting or a vocabulary that is off-putting and/or confusing. In some sections, too much British culture is included in the book which can make it feel unrelatable to others from different countries, even America. It's not a bad thing, but I had to slow down to ensure I translated words more often than I prefer... plus the style is different, which means I need to be very focused. The author often relies on generics such as 'he' or 'she' to allude to which character is speaking. Sometimes, it's intentionally vague so readers don't pick up on hidden messages. Others, I think the writer might've needed to be more clear. When two people speak in the same paragraph (a major pet peeve of mine) and pronouns are overly used, it's difficult, especially given the other items above.

All that said, those are the only negatives for me. The plot is well-constructed; it leaves holes but ones that aren't too important. Vague notions help with suspense. Characters are murky, which makes the read more of a thriller. I still think they all had shades of black and white, and that's an enticing read. I would read another book by the author, and I look forward to seeing what others have to say about this one. A nice surprising ending, but not major bombshells. Enough to make you shake your head and smile... not too much that it completely changes the whole story. Good read.

Talk about complex histories all converging! In this one everyone has secrets and you will be turning the pages trying go guess what some of them are - and you will find out at the end! Characters are well developed and each has a strong story that unwinds as the book progresses - definitely keeps your attention and although you may figures a few things out, you won't figure them all out! A good read.

Synopsis:

Serena Green takes a job as a housekeeper at a mansion known as Ramsay Hall, for a wealthy widower named Hayden. She also has a 4 year old daughter who she brings with her. She quickly becomes an important part of the household, even becoming friends with one of Hayden’s sons. The other son, however is not very friendly towards her and her daughter, and she can’t figure out why.

She soon discovers that there’s a lot more to the house/family than she realized.

My Review:

This story is a great psychological thriller. It has a lot of layers and a lot of twists and turns. Despite it starting off a little slow while the characters are introduced, it quickly picks up. You’re then taken through the many twists, turns and secrets of Ramsay Hall has hidden in its walls. I would highly recommend this novel and will definitely watch out of further CE Rose novels.

Thank you to Net Galley, Hera Books, and CE Rose for the opportunity to review this ARC. This review and all opinions are my own.

Disturbing, eerie, and immensely captivating, “The House of Hidden Secrets” by CE Rose is a slow burning, gothic thriller that’ll send shivers down your spine from the first minute Serena steps inside Ramsey Hall. CE Rose’s writing is nothing short of masterful. Rich with details, the setting creates the ominous tone for the book. The old mansion. The dark rooms. Even the dust on the furniture. The complex, multi-faceted characters add to the vibe. The Ramsey men are morose and perhaps sinister. Serena and her daughter are sweet, yet shrouded in fear and mystery. There’s something to like about all of the characters, but the setting along with the continual (but gentle) twists make you doubt if you should.

Secrets run dark and deep in this book. They lurk like ghosts in the shadows and reveal themselves slowly in bits and pieces over the chapters. Once you think you’ve figured out what the characters are hiding, another twist throws you off track again. You’ll be surprised when the truth about the past is finally revealed — and shocked by who’s been keeping the darkest secrets all along.

Honestly, when I first started reading “The House of Hidden Secrets”, I didn’t think I was going to like it. The first few chapters felt bogged down by descriptions. Because the story is told from Serena, Jack, and Hugh’s points of view, it was also slightly difficult to sink into. But only for the first few chapters. I was hooked before I knew it! The story unravels slowly, but every scene and every chapter is so compelling that I didn’t want it to end.

CE Rose is the pen name of author Caroline England (aka Caro Land). Having read all of her books to date, “The House of Hidden Secrets” is now my new favorite.