Review: The Thirteenth Earl by Evelyn Pryce

Print Length: 227 pages

Publisher: Montlake Romance (March 22, 2016)

From Goodreads.com: Dark-haired Victorian beauty Cassandra Seton will finally see her fiancé, Miles Markwick, after a separation of nine years. Nine years that have made her an object of pity. Marrying him now would save her further social humiliation, but it may cost her even more.

Jonathan Vane, Viscount Thaxton, has retreated from society, earning him the nickname “the Ghost.” He’s desperate to hide his father’s increasing madness and fearful that he too will eventually succumb to the same illness.

While attending the Spencers’ party in the country, both Jonathan and Cassie are awakened by unearthly wailing; instead of a ghost, they find each other—and fall into a passionate embrace. Guilt-stricken and searching for answers, they agree to a séance, but the medium’s words only deepen the mystery.

As the secrets of the past are revealed, Jonathan and Cassie band together to discover what’s really haunting Spencer House—and how to free each other from the specters looming over their own fates.

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My Rating: 4 stars out of 5

This was a wonderfully engaging read that I would definitely recommend! From the beginning, I was captured by this novel - in fact I finished it in one day simply because I could not put it down! 

The characters are unique (even when some of them are downright dislike-able), and the setting somehow worked for this story. Usually I am not a fan of the "house party" setting as all of the novels seem to be the same, however this one was completely different from the ones I have read in the past. It wasn't just the seance, or the wailing woman, but the entire mystery that surrounded everything that made for an interesting read. It was easy to see why these two ended up falling for each other even though Cassie was already betrothed. 

Another enjoyable thing about this story were the closing remarks from the author about the historical facts surrounding seances as well as the frauds that often perpetrated them. I love it when a book offers those historical facts - it makes the world they have created seemed even more real. 

Overall I would recommend this novel to anyone who likes an engaging historical novel. Even if you're not a fan of the paranormal, this story deals with it in such a way that you won't be disappointed. HOWEVER - if you ARE a fan of paranormal romances, then this one may not be for you! 

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

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                                      The Thirteenth Earl is available from Amazon.com