Whispers in the Reading Room

I totally judged this book by its cover. I liked it very much and decided to give it a chance. I had no idea it belonged to a series.

Then, I read some bad reviews and held very low expectations but I began anyway.

I’m glad I did. I was not disappointed.

Great story!

Beautifully written! Well-developed characters.

If a book talks about books, words or reading, you are half the way with me.

I enjoyed the setting and the very polite manners. I hadn’t read dialogues this formal before and It was interesting to see some customs of that period of time again, but all of it is so detailed that makes the story go a little bit slow.

I didn’t like Lydia very much, I wish she could be more confident, but I know that’s her personality, it just that she was afraid and insecure most the time; thankfully, she was brave enough in the important moments so her voice could be heard.

Sebastian was great. I liked his willingness to protect Lydia no matter what and to make her happy. His background and personality were complex but treated properly.

The story has some twists I didn’t see coming, which was good.

When there were like 20 pages left, I was worried. Really. I considered the unresolved issues and thought “oh no, maybe this has a second part I’ll have to wait for”.

Nevertheless, everything fall in place at the right time, without rush.

Very good book!

**I received a copy of this book from Zondervan and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own**

Ok, Shelley Gray has done a fabulous job with this whole series. I loved getting a peak into previous characters but also fully drawn in to the new story. So much so, that I think even if you hadn't read the others, you'd be fine to read this book. Of course, reading the others adds so much to the story! The reader in me secretly wanted to be in the reading room with them and it was from that desire to sit in on their conversations, that I fell in love with the characters and the story. Such interesting characters brought together in such a fun way. Loved this book!

~My Review~

Whispers in the Reading Room 4.5 stars

Wow! What can I say? Could saying that I LOVED reading this book suffice? Probably not. I haven’t read many books by this author but the ones I have read I was pretty impressed with.
For some strange reason, I relish reading books about librarians. I don’t know why. Strange. Anyway, some of the best novels I’ve read with librarians as heroines were, Wonderland Creek,To Win Her Heart, Beyond all Dreams,and finally Whispers in the Reading Room. The Library has to be one of the best places for me to be and to have the library as a centerpiece in a story is pretty much close to a masterpiece. :)
The writing in this novel was engaging and concise. The most important thing about this novel was that it kept my attention and awakened my imagination. There was some skimming towards the end but other than that I thought the story was well crafted. I loved reading about the characters especially the heroine.
The only problem that I have with this author is that I feel she doesn’t intertwine enough faith based writing in her novels. I can understand if an author doesn’t want to be preachy but with every Christian fiction novel I think that there should be a noticeable difference. That’s just my opinion.
Overall, this was a wonderful and refreshing read. I haven’t read all of the other books in this series but I imagine that a person could still read these books individually. I highly recommend this novel for a delightful read for anyone to enjoy.
*I received this book from the publishers for an honest review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.*

I found it very interesting to watch Lydia and Sebastian form a friendship despite their extremely different lifestyles. I liked how Sebastian seemed slightly different when he was around Lydia, because her influence made him want to be a better person. Honestly I'm not sure how realistic the whole storyline is, but it's definitely intriguing and it makes you think about differences in lifestyles, class, and even good vs. bad parts of town.

I was somewhat appalled by Lydia's mother's behavior as she languished in bed waiting for her daughter to catch a man to save them from their money troubles. I don't know how authentic this was, but it certainly shows the emphasis placed on a good match in the era. I liked how Lydia didn't necessarily follow her mother's money-grabbing wishes; instead Lydia thought to look ahead to her future instead of only her present circumstances.

This is apparently the final book in a series, however it works well as a stand alone. There are a few quick references to side characters that feel placed especially for those who've read the other stories, but I personally haven't read any of the previous books and I had no trouble jumping right in to this one.

Overall I mostly enjoyed the story, though I do feel it lost some momentum towards the end and unfortunately it never really recovered. The "separation" that always comes near the end of romances seemed a bit forced and didn't really fit the tone that the book had already established. Still, I did mostly enjoy the book and it makes me curious to try some of the author's other works.

Librarian Lydia Bancroft and her mother are desperate for Lydia to marry well and soon. Betrothed to rogue Jason Avondale, Lydia has her future falling into place. However, she finds herself intrigued by a man who regularly visits her library. The library patron, Sebastian Marks, runs an illegal club where gambling happens and debts are common. His reputation is that of a guy not-to-be-messed-with and Jason Avondale owes him a fair bit of money. The paths of all three cross early in the story and things change around for Lydia.

The story is set at the close of the World’s Fair in Chicago. That fair ended right before the turn of the century (from 1800s to 1900s). I thought Lydia was a woman ahead of her time. There’s a lot of back and forth about “stations” and “class” for the various characters in the story.

I enjoyed the story. It had enough twists and turns to keep me reading. Thanks to Zondervan for providing me an advance copy to review in my own words.

I loved how the author showed characters struggles and imperfections! There were some plot points that I could see fairly quickly, but I am not one to let that stop me from enjoying a good read!

I liked this mystery romance! It kept me guessing about how the main man changed and his realization of what he had become versus what he wanted her to see. I liked the changes that he made. It was a good love story that was more and that was refreshing.

Another awesome page turner by Shelley Gray. I had a hard time putting my kindle down. I read every chance I could get. I was concerned when I read the negative reviews so as I read I tried to see things from their point of view. However, I couldn't see any reason for a negative review. The writing is so good. I fell in love with the characters and felt like I was right there with them. I have loved this series and will be sorry to see it go. I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review by the author.

The start of this book reminded me a little of the movie “While you Were Sleeping” in that the librarian, Lydia, has started building a relationship in her mind with a man she has never met who visits the library every day. What she does not know is that the mystery man, Sebastian Marks, has also taken notice of her. When he comes across Lydia’s fiancé hurting her, he has no recourse but to step in. From that moment, their lives become entwined although they seem to be the oddest couple. Sebastian owns a gambling club and is a very dangerous man who doesn’t allow people to get close to him. Lydia is a mousy librarian, content to live vicariously through other people’s stories.

I really enjoyed getting to know Sebastian and Lydia. Lydia shelves books “like they were old friends” and is more comfortable with books than with people. Sebastian, when he is in the library, is “able to be the man he had wished to become” before he became the strong, mean man he had to be to survive the bullies on the street. While their friendship doesn’t seem to make sense, they have a shared passion for literature and deeper needs that seem to be met in each other. It’s beautiful watching both of their hearts open a little to life around them.

There is a good, solid mystery with steady action and danger. The characters are well-developed. This is book three in the Chicago World’s Fair Mystery Series. I haven’t read any books by this author before and didn’t have any trouble understanding what is happening. Because I enjoyed it so much, I will definitely go back and read the first two books in the series.

Thank you to Zondervan Fiction for providing me with a free e-copy of this book for the purpose of this review. I would highly recommend it and will put this author on my “must read” list in the future.

The Chicago World’s Fair Mystery series:

Book 1: Secrets of Sloane House

Book 2: Deception on Sable Hill

Book 3: Whispers in the Reading Room

I was given this book in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

At first, I wasn't really sure about this book. It is set in Chicago, just after the end of the world's fair. The difference in the way things were done back then still amazes me. This book follows Lydia, a librarian and her budding friendship with a man who isn't what he seems.

The characters were wonderful. It was easy to like them and while I couldn't relate to them, I could understand the choices and things they were doing.

The story moved quickly but not so much that I was behind. Toward the end of the book, it picked up a lot. I love how this book ended. Don't worry, no spoilers, but it's worth finishing.

Will add this review to amazon after its release date.

From the get go you want to know who the mysterious man in the reading room is. He's quiet, powerful, rich.....but who is he and how did he get here? While I found the main female character a bit unrealistically naive, I enjoyed the play betewen the one who has "seen it all" and the one who has only read about it all in books. Two different worlds.

This was an unique and very interesting read. It will easily keep a readers attention. With a mixture of danger and love, the book was never dull. The Christian aspect of the book was almost non-existsnt, but still the book was clean. Overall a very interesting and pleasant read.

Loved it! This book is so well-written with it's subtle peeling back of the layers of the plot. There is a sense of mystery from the beginning that kept me fully engaged. The setting is wonderful- I absolutely love libraries! The depiction of Chicago at the turn of the century is also subtle, the author avoids making it a cliche or caricature of the city. Lydia feels that she is plain and on the fringes of society, but accepts who she is as a person and embraces her interests. One of the things that is so appealing about Sebastian as a hero is that he saw beauty in her where others did not. I was enthralled with the contrasts of Lydia and Sebastian's worlds and how they overlap. Themes of self-worth and self-sacrifice are ones found in several characters as they learn to reevaluate their standing in society and see themselves through God's eyes. Highly recommend!

(Thank you to Litfuse Publicity and Zondervan Publishing for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)

Another page turner by Shelley Gray. This will book is hard to put down with all the secrets that flow through it. Love the characters!

This book has a dark, brooding nature to it and is beyond intriguing! Lydia hardly seems the sort of woman who would capture the attention and heart of club owner, Sebastian Marks, but that is precisely what happens. She has led a dull and boring, though peaceful life until she meets Mr. Marks in the "reading room"....the library where she works as head librarian. She loves to discuss books and he loves books. They seem a match made in heaven in the reading room, but outside these walls, just being seen with him marks her as a different sort of "lady". This book kept me hungering for more time to sit and read, it kept me on the very edge of my seat, and I highly recommend it to readers. I am a huge fan of Shelley Shepard Gray's works and this one is very different and yet equally addicting. Check out this unique book by Shelley and see what you think. I rated this book 5 stars because it is just that good! I received a free copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Phenomenal read. Stayed up in order to finsih. Can't wait for more.

"Whispers in the Reading Room" is my favorite of the Chicago World's Fair Mystery Series; I love the storyline, the characters and the suspense. Of course, the love the whole library setting and the occupation as being a librarian and Lydia is such an intriguing main character. She loves the world of books, but also loves to people watch and she is completely intrigued by the ones whom she comes into contact with, especially a certain handsome, quiet man. Sebastian Marks is such a wonderful main character as well and I love how the various facets of him are revealed throughout the story and throughout the development of his relationship and his interactions with Lydia. I love the twists in the story and the suspense as it kept the story moving and had me engrossed in the story from start to finish.

After reading “Whispers in the Reading Room” as well as the previous two novels in Gray’s Chicago World’s Fair Mystery series, I seriously hope that the author will continue to provide books of this vein. I consider her to be one of the better authors of Amish fiction but I much prefer this series.

As a voracious reader myself, I can certainly identify with Lydia’s love of books and also found the mysterious male book lover who frequented the reading room to be of great interest. I loved both characters and although I knew they would eventually end up together, it was so entertaining to read about their interactions and exploits as Lydia and Sebastian hoped to find the actual person responsible for murder. Sebastian was a true gentleman despite his humble background and his questionable occupation. Despite Lydia’s own negative opinion of herself, I found her to be a strong and very likable heroine. The plot moved along at just the right pace and descriptions of different settings, characters, and society practices brought the story to life.

As always, I enjoyed seeing the true villains get their just comeuppance and an unlikely pair rewarded with true love. Loved this book so I recommend it and the entire series to those who love historical romance with a large dollop of suspense.