TLC Book Tours – The Woman in the Lake by Nicola Cornick

Starting March off strong with some book tours 🙂

Thanks to Graydon House and TLC Book Tours for the free advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

THE WOMAN IN THE LAKE – Nicola Cornick

Book Description:

In the tradition of the lush historical dramas of Kate Morton, Philippa Gregory and Barbara Erskine, USA TODAY bestselling author Nicola Cornick’s The Woman in the Lake is a delicious tale of jealousy, greed, plotting and revenge that spans the generations between decadent Georgian society and present day.

London, 1765

Lady Isabella Gerard, a respectable member of Georgian society, orders her maid to take her new golden gown and destroy it, its shimmering beauty tainted by the actions of her brutal husband the night before.

Three months later, Lord Gerard stands at the shoreline of the lake, looking down at a woman wearing the golden gown. As the body slowly rolls over to reveal her face, it’s clear this was not his intended victim…

250 Years Later…

When a gown she stole from a historic home as a child is mysteriously returned to Fenella Brightwell, it begins to possess her in exactly the same way that it did as a girl. Soon the fragile new life Fen has created for herself away from her abusive ex-husband is threatened at its foundations by the gown’s power over her until she can’t tell what is real and what is imaginary.

As Fen uncovers more about the gown and Isabella’s story, she begins to see the parallels with her own life. When each piece of history is revealed, the gown—and its past—seems to possess her more and more, culminating in a dramatic revelation set to destroy her sanity.

My Thoughts: 4/5 stars

This isn’t your average historical fiction read. THE WOMAN IN THE LAKE by Nicola Cornick includes suspense, supernatural elements, and to some readers I’ve seen light horror tossed around. A sense of foreboding and danger lingers throughout the novel and I loved it. I read THE PHANTOM TREE last year and while I did enjoy that one, this one came out in front for me.

These dual timelines – the 1760’s in Georgian England, and present day Great Britain – are connected by one thing, a gown. Doesn’t sound too supernatural or scary, right? Well, there’s something inherently evil about this particular golden gown. It amazed me how effortlessly Cornick was able to weave together these different characters and their stories – as well as their relation to this gown. One thing I loved about THE PHANTOM TREE that carried over to this book was how the author transports you directly into the time period and setting.

Overall, I think this is one of those historical fiction reads where it has a little bit of something for everyone. While the setting is rich in detail, it isn’t overpowering for those that might not be the biggest fans of the genre. There is plenty of suspense to keep the pacing up, some supernatural elements to keep you guessing, and three strong female leads to narrate and weave this story about the evil that has entered their lives. There’s no doubt that I will be looking for more from Cornick while browsing the book shelves!

About the Author:

USA Today bestselling author Nicola Cornick has written over 40 historical romances and now writes Gothic time slip for HQ and Graydon House.

Nicola’s writing is inspired by her love of history and was fostered by a wonderful history teacher and by her grandmother, whose collection of historical romantic fiction fed Nicola’s addiction from an early age. She studied in London and Oxford and works as a guide and historian in a 17th century house as well as acting as a historical adviser for TV and radio. Publisher’s Weekly have described her as a rising star and her books have been nominated for the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award and for the Romance Writers of America RITA Awards.

Nicola lives near Oxford with her husband and dog. When she isn’t writing she enjoys long walks in the countryside, singing in a choir and volunteering as a puppy walker for Guide Dogs.

Connect with Nicola

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Where to Purchase a Copy:

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble