The Darkling Bride

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

This book is not generally my type of book, but wow did I love it.
Sure, it was a slow read for me, tending to drag at times, but the mystery had me hooked.

Look, this book is told in three different periods –around 1880 (Jenny & Evan), 1970s to 1992 (Lily & Cillian – parents of Kyra and Aiden), and 2015 the present era. Now, at first this can be confusing, but once you understand the three times and the characters within them, it gets easier. In fact, I loved it. I loved seeing how things connected through the eras, either with the Darkling Bride or the deaths of Lily and Cillian.

I absolutely loved the characters as well. Each one is unique and flawed while also adding to the story in their own way. There are bad characters and good ones and even figuring out which one is the true villain is a challenge.
The atmospheric setting really sets the story too. Seriously, this is amazing writing, dropping me right into the story and keeping me interested, even when it feels like nothing is happening. Yeah, it are those moments when I would think “wow, this book is taking me a long time to read” but I never once wanted to stop reading it– take a break maybe, but not stop forever. I ended up loving this book so much!

Now, the mystery... hmmm. I liked it throughout. I think it was slowly revealed fantastically. But, the antagonist... it was hard to full believe for me. The reasoning, I guess makes sense for who they are, but I don't know about for all the things that happened in the present. Truly, this is the only part I wasn't too thrilled on.

Do I recommend this? Yes. This is for people who don't need action or adventure. The story can be a slow-burn, so isn't for everyone, but if you want an atmospheric mystery which connects three different generations: this is the book for you :)