Expected Release on: April 24, 2018

Author: Susanna Kearsley

Genres: Romance novel, Historical Fiction, Historical romance

From the bestselling author of A Desperate Fortune and The Firebird, comes an entrancing new novel of love, war, and historical intrigue.

Some houses seem to want to hold their secrets.

It’s 1759 and the world is at war, pulling the North American colonies of Britain and France into the conflict. The times are complicated, as are the loyalties of many New York merchants who have secretly been trading with the French for years, defying Britain’s colonial laws in a game growing ever more treacherous.

When captured French officers are brought to Long Island to be billeted in private homes on their parole of honour, it upends the lives of the Wilde family—deeply involved in the treasonous trade and already divided by war.

Lydia Wilde, struggling to keep the peace in her fracturing family following her mother’s death, has little time or kindness to spare for her unwanted guests. And Canadian lieutenant Jean-Philippe de Sabran has little desire to be there. But by the war’s end they’ll both learn love, honour, and duty can form tangled bonds that are not broken easily.

Their doomed romance becomes a local legend, told and re-told through the years until the present day, 
when conflict of a different kind brings Charley Van Hoek to Long Island to be the new curator of the Wilde House Museum.

Charley doesn’t believe in ghosts. But as she starts to delve into the history of Lydia and her French officer, it becomes clear that the Wilde House holds more than just secrets, and Charley discovers the legend might not have been telling the whole story...or the whole truth.

~~~~~~~~~~~ MY REVIEW

Bellewether by Susanna Kearsley

Susanna Kearsley does it again! No wonder she is one of my top favourite authors.  This story has a Contemporary and Historical timeline which I love.  Susanna has that gift to transport the reader whether it is back in time or to a contemporary place, where the reader feels at home.  This book starts off slow, building the characters and story line.  Once the reader has been drawn into the story, it feels as if you know the characters personally.  They feel real and familiar as if a family member or a close friend. I found this a well-written book, interesting and enjoyable.  A wonderful story about the effects of the 7 Year War fought in the mid 1700's.  This story takes place in Long Island, New York but concerns the fight over Quebec between Great Britain and France.  It tells the story of French Canadian officers who during capture resided with an Officers family who would be considered their enemy at war.  The story concerns the relationship of one of the French officers and the daughter of his captor.  As someone who came to Canada from England quite young (10 years of age), I had always had a keen interest in Canadian History.  However, I knew very little about the 7 year War with France over Quebec or New France as it was known back then.  Susanna's story has peaked my interest to find out more.  One of my favourite things about Susanna's books is there is always a romance, however,  it is not in the readers face, but gently hinted, but enough to feel the sparks and the chemistry between the Protagonists without resorting to bedroom scenes.  There is always some excitement and suspense and surprises along the way, so when you finish reading the book, you have a smile of deep satisfaction and a hint of sadness that the book. Has finished!    Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me access to the ARC, to Sourcebooks for such a wonderful book cover as alway.  Thanks to the publishers for allowing me to read and review the ARC and to Susanna Kearsley for writing Bellewether it was a wonderful adventure.  I will be the first in line to buy the book when it published for re-reading and to put on my Susanna Kearsley book shelf at home.

The book was amazing so interesting and entertaining and the characters in both the contemporary and historical timelines, were very real characters that it felt like I knew them.  It was such a beautiful read not just as a well done historical fiction (although, I do want to read more on the Seven Year War), but it was such an entertaining and haunting read.  I was filled with mixed emotions when the story ended.  I felt truly blessed to have read such a wonderful book but at the same time, a bit sad that it was over.