Set in rural Oxfordshire, HOUSE OF SHADOWS by Nicola Cornick
transports readers through history with lush descriptions,
dazzling romance, and intriguing mystery. From the alluring
Winter Queen to a vivacious courtesan, to a modern-day
woman, HOUSE OF SHADOWS ties these women together, fated to
complete their destinies.
After a frantic call in the middle of the night saying her
brother is missing, Holly Ansell rushes to the old Ashford
Mill her family owns. After the devastating fire that
brought Ashdown House down years ago, the mill is no longer
operating, but a perfect place for Holly to live and operate
her business. She begins digging deeper into what her
brother was doing--supposedly researching their ancestors.
Holly begins a quiet country life, even taking up with the
town's playboy... But with her brother still missing, will
she be ready for a relationship? Holly soon learns her
brother's research will lead to surprising, and possibly
dangerous, details in her family's past, tied to events
that happened at Ashdown. With unexplainable visions of
Ashdown still standing, Holly cautiously continues
researching what her brother started.
In the 17th century, no one is as revered as Elizabeth
Stuart, the Winter Queen. Devoted to her husband, Frederick,
Elizabeth follows his beliefs in the power of the Sistrin
Pearl and a bejeweled mirror; together these artifacts can
give visions of the future. One of Frederick's fiercest
soldiers, William Craven, grabs Elizabeth's attention,
though she never acts on her feelings. Years later, when she
is no longer a queen and Craven is no longer a soldier,
circumstances change. Lord Craven builds what will become
Ashdown House in her honor, so she can retire to a quiet
life away from the court as his wife. Will it be enough to
prove his love to her? Will Elizabeth's royal pride get in
the way of her happiness? And will the powerful relics she
once believed in really seal her fate?
Celebrated courtesan, Lavinia Flye, moves to the grand
Ashdown House in the 1800s. Her protector, Lord Evershot,
brings in a surveyor in to update his land record. Robert
Verity seems a plain man that Lavinia would never give the
time of day. But as they find more reasons to interact, they
are both surprised by the attraction that grows between
them. In Lavinia, Robert sees someone other than a
courtesan, and Lavinia relishes in being loved for who she
is, not the lurid things assumed about her. Can they find a
way to escape, without Evershot finding out? When Lavinia
hears gossip that there's a lavish treasure hidden in
Ashdown, she wonders if that will be the key to getting out
and living her own life.
For fans of Susanna Kearsley and Phillipa Gregory, Nicola
Cornick's HOUSE OF SHADOWS is sure to please. From the
luscious descriptions of the countryside to the mysteries
running through each time period, this book will keep
readers reading! Cornick's characters come to life and make
us root for them. The combination of different times in
history and present day makes for an intriguing and
page-turning novel that history buffs will love.
The wooded hills of Oxfordshire conceal the remains of
the aptly named Ashdown House—a wasted pile of cinders
and regret. Once home to the daughter of a king, Ashdown
and its secrets will unite three women across four
centuries in a tangle of romance, deceit and destiny…
In the winter of 1662, Elizabeth Stuart, the Winter
Queen, is on her deathbed. She entrusts an ancient pearl,
rumored to have magic power, to her faithful cavalier
William Craven for safekeeping. In his grief, William
orders the construction of Ashdown Estate in her memory
and places the pearl at its center.
One hundred and fifty years later, notorious courtesan
Lavinia Flyte hears the maids at Ashdown House whisper of
a hidden treasure, and bears witness as her protector
Lord Evershot—desperate to find it—burns the building to
the ground.
Now, a battered mirror and the diary of a Regency
courtesan are the only clues Holly Ansell has to finding
her brother, who has gone missing researching the mystery
of Elizabeth Stuart and her alleged affair with Lord
Craven. As she retraces his footsteps, Holly’s quest will
soon reveal the truth about Lavinia and compel her to
confront the stunning revelation about the legacy of the
Winter Queen.
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