This atmospheric and moving novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Flowers in the Attic and Landry series—now popular Lifetime movies—combines a forbidden romance with a family fortune and a young girl in peril.
Caroline Bryer is the daughter of a very conservative TSA agent and former military brat, Morgan Bryer. Her mother, Linsey Bryer, is a descendent of the Sutherland real estate family. Their organized, suburban life in Colonie, New York is rigorously regulated and leaves little room for deviation from the norm.
When Linsey, Morgan, and Caroline attend the wake of their neighbor Mr. Gleeson, they meet his charming daughter Natalie “Nattie” Gleeson, who works for the American ambassador to France. Linsey and Nattie strike up a fast friendship as women of a similar age in very different places in their lives—Linsey a devoted mother and housewife, and Nattie an international diplomat living an independent and freewheeling life. Their friendship soon evolves into a romance, leading to the collapse of Linsey’s marriage and her disinheritance from the Sutherland family fortune. In true V.C. Andrews fashion, a whirlwind of unexpected death, family estrangement, and a forbidden inheritance become Caroline’s new reality as she struggles to navigate the loss of her mother, the mind-boggling wealth of the Sutherland family (who quickly lock her away from the world), and the loss of contact with her father following the divorce.
My Review:
This was a story true to the author's reputation. Caroline thought she had the perfect life. Her parents kept her sheltered from the cruelty of the world, and I think that made it even harder for her when her mother died. The story is told from Caroline's point of view, and as the story progresses, I could feel her mood getting sadder. There was a lot of character building in this book, but there usually is in the first book of a series. I did not like the housekeeper, at all. There were actually a lot of characters to dislike in this book. By the end, I was definitely on Caroline's side and could not wait to read book 2. There were so many questions, and character developments, that I could not wait to see play out. I am giving this book a 4/5. I was given a copy, all opinions are my own.
A young girl trapped in a labyrinthine mansion may finally get the family she longs for when her estranged father reappears in her life in this new novel from the world of the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Flowers in the Attic and Landry series—now popular Lifetime movies.
After the tragic death of her mother and a long period of isolation under the thumb of a cruel grandfather, young Caroline Bryer has little to hope for in her life in the foreboding Southerland mansion. Her only companion, her enigmatic cousin, Simon, may be a wolf in sheep’s clothing and is not to be trusted. But when Caroline’s estranged father suddenly resurfaces with news of a new wife and stepchildren in Hawaii that she’ll finally be allowed to visit, Caroline dares to hope for a new, normal life. Desperate for her father’s love, Caroline will do anything to stay in this new home. But her troublesome stepsister has other plans, and Caroline cannot tell who to trust and who to run from. Will her new stepbrother and stepsister be a light in her dark life, or will they blot out the last slivers of sun forever?
My Review:
This story picks up after book one. Just when I thought that Caroline had been through enough, her new stepsister Dina tries to get her in trouble every chance she can. This is only impacted by the fact that Caroline's stepmother does nothing to discipline Dina. Caroline becomes the center of every problem and her father starts to think that she is the reason that there is drama. The fact that her new step brother tries to help her does no good because Dina already has a foothold in her parents. I felt bad for Caroline and as the story continued I started to get mad at her father. He was not very supportive. I can not wait to read book 3 and hope that Caroline will finally be able to tell everyone how she really feels about them. I know I want to! I am giving this book a 4/5, only because I feel that there is more to the story in book 3. I was given a copy to review, however all opinions are my own.
About The Author V.C. Andrews:
One of the most popular authors of all time, V.C. Andrews has been a bestselling phenomenon since the publication of Flowers in the Attic, first in the renowned Dollanganger family series, which includes Petals on the Wind, If There Be Thorns, Seeds of Yesterday, and Garden of Shadows. The family saga continues with Christopher’s Diary: Secrets of Foxworth, Christopher’s Diary: Echoes of Dollanganger, and Secret Brother, as well as Beneath the Attic, Out of the Attic, and Shadows of Foxworth as part of the fortieth anniversary celebration. There are more than ninety V.C. Andrews novels, which have sold over 107 million copies worldwide and have been translated into more than twenty-five foreign languages. Andrews’s life story is told in The Woman Beyond the Attic. Join the conversation about the world of V.C. Andrews at Facebook.com/OfficialVCAndrews.
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